It was the end times. Well, felt like it. After a year of planning and working out a bunch of variables to keep people alive. First was to get all the people not choosing sides out of the city. The Rebel knew that the rest of their faction was going to be violent. They wanted to destroy the royal family.


Destroying the city around the castle was going to be easier for the most part. Their mother was going to be the one executing they royals. They figured that they are only we able to fit 150 people in the throne room where it was going to happen. Only the most credible could get in to spread the word after. Most still agreed the family needed to go.


They took all the best from the kingdom food, clothes, and even the lion share of the money. They were destroying the people and everyone's way of life. If it went on any longer the kingdom would have fallen into ruin anyways. Those who criticized them and tried to fix it got exiled as executions were done publicly.


If they happened to often people would question. Turns out exiling all those who turned against you for similar or the same reasons is not a good plan. They all wanted a better future. The only way they saw that happening was getting rid of the royals permanently. The young Rebel was sure of the same thing, till he met the prince.


They were able to get through the defenses easy enough deciding to go for a walk around the city. The thought if they can get into the castle they would be able to save their mother the trouble of the plan. Getting into the city was easy but getting into the castle was a little more difficult.


First you had to get through the wall. After they found a hole to get through they started to climb up to a lower balcony. The royal family entailed the king, the heir to the throne that took over thirty five winters ago. Well before the young Rebel came along and five winters after their mother was born.


The kings father was going down the same path when he passed younger. The queen who got married to the king years before the coronation. She was from the one of the noble families of the kingdom. As normal, she would be a princess from a different kingdom making a treaty.


They had four girls with the oldest trained to have the same thought prosses of her father. She was showing that even when the king passes his heir would only continue what he was doing. It wasn't a stretch to assume that all of them would do the same. There was rumors that there was a secret fifth daughter.


Since she thought to be different most assumes that the king quieted her. This was when they removed an imperfect child from the royal family placing them with a common one. It was said to have happened only thirteen winters ago with few talking about it anymore; even if asked. This removal even happened to noble families but that was less common.


The royals had to be perfect if the people could trust their judgment on everything. Least that's how the stories go. Now it was just who could keep the kingdoms running without starting a war. There was others around and the kingdom was able to keep alliances with most. That was also being strained by the way the king ran their world.


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The Rebel was able to climb up to the balcony with ease with the strong vines and holds in the brick work up the wall. They stood on the balcony to a dark room. The only light was coming from the full moon right behind them. The room was big and well furnished. It felt warm like the candles went out not that long ago.


They walked in carefully not knowing if there was someone sleeping in the room. There was someone staying in the room by the state of the bed. They walked to the middle of the room till they were nocked to the ground. They turned around to look at the ceiling when there was some with a knife on top of him. The blade was slightly pressed against their throat.


"Who are you?" A sharp voice said above him, it was hard to tell who it would be. The Rebel could see short curly blond hair illuminated by the moon light. They still couldn't see enough of the face to be sure of who it is. Thinking they stumbled into one of the princesses rooms.


"Ace. I'm not here to hurt you, I promise." They said panicked, can't kill the royals if you yourself are dead. The knife was lightly dragged down till the point was pressed against their chest. The figure leaned back as she did this.


"Why are you here then?" The girl asked in a softer voice.


"I was just trying to avoid the guards below. This was the first place I could get to while they looked." The figure pulled back enterally standing up. The Rebel took this chance to also get up. They were a couple inches taller then the other. The figure walked over to the candles on the bedside table.


The room got a yellow glow to it as the candles were lit. This overtook the white and blues around the room. It was a lot of darker shades of the fabric on the bed and around the opening to the balcony. The lighter shades were part of the walls and tiles on the floor. There was several large bookshelves on the left. The roof was taller than anything they had been inside before.


The ceiling was painted with consolations and stars. There was a light wooden wardrobe on one of the walls to their right of the octagonal room. There was a large desk with a mirror on it. The bed was large and just to the left of the balcony opening. The figure took the candle and lit a small channel along the wall. The fire spread around the room lighting up the whole thing.


Now that the Rebel could see a lot better they looked the figure up and down. Short yellow blond curly hair. He was wearing a white frilly shirt with the frills around the cuffs and torso. His pants were just the same with no frills around the edges. The only word that came to mind when the Rebel looked at him was soft. Like everything about him made you want to give him a hug.


"Can I ask who you are?" The Rebel asked with only half their brain. The other half was trying to remember anything about a prince.


"They call me Nova." The Prince said in a bitter sad tone. As part of their schooling by their mother. She taught them to look into the words people say. How things are phrased to show their thoughts behind what they said. Something about how the Prince said his name and the tone was not right.


"That might be what other people call you." They said spinning around taking in the room. "But what do you want to be called?" They asked facing the royal. The Prince looked confused, like he didn't think about it.


"I," He took in a breath and let it out again. "Nova is fine." The Rebel not believing him took a few casual steps forward.


"Why would you want to settle for fine when you can find something good?" They said more as a statement rather than a question. "You want help finding something better?" The royal looked down at the ground with a slight blush.


"I don't know." He said in a quiet voice. Somehow making him look smaller then he already was. Cute the rebels thoughts supplied them as they thought of a way to get out of here quickly.


"Looks like you have several books around here. Why don't we look through them and find something that is more fitting." The Rebel ask walking over to one of the bookcases. There was something about Nova that was different. It was something to do was stars, so they picked up an astronomy book.


The royal took up a place beside them taking a story book of the shelf a few steps over. The Rebel was able to find the word nova. 'Nova refers to a strong, rebid increase in the brightness of a star. The word is latin for 'new star'. Often a star that were previously too dim to be able to see can become the brightest object in the sky.'


Sounds a little backwards as no one knew the Prince existed. It sounded more like the royals had high hopes for him. The Rebel started looking for other star names. They started looking at the constellations in the book finding their favorite.


"What do you think about Rigel?"


"Like from the constellation?" The Prince looked up from the book they were probably reading now instead of looking for names.


"Yeah, brightest star would be keeping with your other name but adding a more fitting twist." The Rebel handed over the book open to the page about Orion the hunter.


"I think," He looked over the page finding the star. "That I like it." He looked up at the Rebel with a shy smile.


"Rigel it is then. Your highness." The Rebel took a bow in front of the prince. That earned them a giggle from the being in front of them. Before the Rebel could say another thing there was steps outside the door. The princes face dropped before they pulled the Rebel to the side of the bed. The Rebel taking the hint and crawled under the skirt that was around the edge. They were able to hear what was going on, but they couldn't see.


"Nova?" An older feminine voice came from the other side.


"Yes." The Prince said making his voice higher to almost match.


"I saw your light on. You should be in bed. What are you even doing up?" She sounded disappointed and exasperated.


"I was reading." He said most likely still holding the astronomy book.


"You need to learn to be a proper princess. What is your sister going to do with you when she takes the throne and starts making treaties of her own. You father and I won't be around forever. Who knows what she will do with you if you stay like this." It sounded like she knew exactly what the heir was going to do. It made the Rebel sick to think of the implications of the threat.


"We are not going to have her future husband finding you. Or anyone else for that matter. Why don't you start with putting down all those silly books and get some proper sleep."


"Yes mother." The Prince said devoid of any emotions.


"Good, I will be by in the morning for your lesson a bit later because of this. I expect you do start at the same time we always do." She left the door with a louder then necessary slam. There was a small click afterwards.

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