To her surprise, however, she didn't simply come back to life, but she returned in time. Six years to be precise, to the morning after her 20th birthday party.

When Mei and Argus, Iltier’s attendants, entered her room to help her wake up, she was beyond depressed at the thought of facing everything that had happened. Mei, the more talkative of the twins, asked if that was the face of someone who had just come of age or if, perhaps, as a first-timer, she got drunk only the morning after and not on the day she drank to her heart’s content. In Ashtarian standards, 20 years old was the age when a person was emancipated, and so alcohol was allowed.

She laughed at them, saying that she was not in the mood for that kind of joke, to which they looked confused.

“What joke?”

“I’m 26, and we didn’t have a party yesterday.”

“...”

“Is she drunk?” asked Argus in awe to his sister, before she could ask the same question.

“She’s drunk!” answered Mei in awe to her brother, saying exactly what he would say to her if she were the one asking. There was no other possibility in their minds.

“Iltier...” they both tried to bring her back to reality. “You turned 20 yesterday.”

“...” She frowned at them. If they were playing with her, she didn't understand the purpose of the joke; she didn't even know how to participate.

“We’re not lying,” they said in sync, their voices carrying a serious tone in response to her frown. Iltier usually knew when they were kidding, but faced with this unprecedented situation, their voices lacked any hint of humor.

“I am 20? Like, twelve plus eight?”

“No, duh.” The twins mocked the princess in unison. “Like ten plus five times two.” They looked at each other, surprised, and “We do think alike, huh?” was written all over their faces.

“...no, but... wait... really, twenty?”

“Yes? Did you have a nightmare?”

“...Yeah, I guess?” She looked back at her hand, the mask and the tiny bouquet of sempre-vivas were still there.

Ignoring her two attendants who couldn't help but laugh at her for her clear confusion, she started crying her eyes out. They tried to console her saying that she did nothing wrong in the party, oblivious to the fact that that was not the issue at all.

Twenty? ...They’re... alive?

With a bonus of six years in hand and a bit of memory of the things that happened during that time, the first thing that crossed her mind was to protect them. The second, she started to reflect on everything until the meeting with the man in the dress, and to her surprise, a lot of things that were normal occurrences in her memories—things she simply ignored because it was what she was supposed to do—now seemed quite wrong to begin with.

One of them, her father’s unforgettable words when she was 9.

It was a day like any other in the palace. Niklaus Silvrain Ashtaria, Iltier’s father and second in command, was heading to the garden with her and Kalgaz, guards following them.

Iltier was, as always, on Kalgaz’ shoulder, holding his hair as per her father's advice. Her personal guard didn’t care at all. For a teenager his age, it was amazing to walk alongside the second in command and his daughter. He wasn’t even in the age to start work as a guardian, yet he was walking alongside those he swore to protect.

Kalgaz looked at Niklaus curiously while he was talking to his daughter. At the same time, he was being careful not to move his head too much, as it could make the princess lose her balance.

It was hard to remember how the conversation started, but Iltier would remember for years to come how it ended.

"The best thing you can do with your life is enjoy the moment, enjoy the present. The past has already happened, the future is yet to come, and the only thing you can touch is the now."

“Now.”

"Yes, now.” They clapped their hands together, smiling, while Iltier remained on Kalgaz’ shoulder. Her father’s words sounded poetic to her dreamy child's mind, almost like something she would read in a book from the vast palace library. Kalgaz admired his words just as much.

However, those same words became difficult to uphold when she took the one-year Imperial Journey at the age of 22 before going back in time. And now, thinking about everything she saw, his words just fell apart.

To this day, I can't say if he was naive or if he intended to teach me something...

The position of the Emperor of Ashtaria was, in the past, inherited by the Ashtaria family. However, at a certain point in history, the greed of the heirs became so overwhelming that the empire was on the brink of complete collapse, facing an imminent invasion with no chance of victory.

Armed with information indicating that at least two kingdoms were preparing to invade Ashtaria, the Defense Minister, Tricarda, deemed it necessary to convene the entire kingdom council. Changes were imperative; otherwise, the empire as they knew it would crumble to dust.

Presenting evidence accumulated over the years, Tricarda convinced the council, along with anyone willing to listen, that the imperial family bore significant responsibility for the empire's precarious state. As a solution, the Defense Minister proposed that the name 'Ashtaria' cease to be a family designation and instead become a title inherited by individuals possessing the knowledge and capability to govern the empire, irrespective of their status.

Following these changes, the monarchy system of the empire underwent a transformation. The continent's defenses were fortified, and competent individuals were appointed to key positions, restoring peace to the realm.

Under the new system, an 'Imperial Journey'—a one-year expedition to experience and comprehend the state of the empire—became a prerequisite for the ten most suitable candidates vying for the position of ruling the empire. The top two performers after the journey would assume the roles of the first and second in command, while the next eight would serve as ministers.

One thing however didn’t change much in the empire. With each family taking over a territory along with its specialty in weaponry and martial arts, the Five Found Families were considered important and extinguishing them was the same as opening the doors of the empire to anyone who wanted to invade. In Tricarda’s mind they only needed an apropriate guidance from a true ruler.

Besides their weapon and martial arts specialty, these families were named after the 5 beasts of Ashtarian legends.

Ehrath, The Blue Hawks of the Sky with Double Swords were responsible for the first territory of the empire. They were proud double swords wielders and of the 5 families, Ehraths were responsible for the entertainment and they were exceptional at that.

Pradis, The Green Horses of the Ocean with Spears were responsible for the second territory. They were elegant spear wielders and mastered the art of sea sail. One could say Pradis were most powerful above water.

Silvrain, The Golden Wolves of the Earth with Daggers were responsible for the third territory. Silvrains were trained to the bone in survival skills and were able to use anything as a weapon.

Lenia, The Purple Bears of the Mountain with Swords and Shields were responsible for the fourth territory. They were guardians with their powerfull shield and loved nature above all else.

Ristave, The Red Foxes of the Forest with Fists were responsible for the fifth territory. They were skilled warriors with no weapons in hands and they were proud in their intelligence gattering skills.

And finally, the sixth family -a family that didn't necessarily need to be a family- responsible for the central area of the Empire, Ashtaria -a second surname received by those who were crowned first and second in command as the Black Panthers of the Empire- Ashtaria, The Black Panthers with the Crown

Just as pompous as words could describe, that was Ashtaria.

But in reality Ashtaria didn’t have anything to do with what Iltier had read in the books. She still proudly carried her father's words at the age of 22 when she set out on her Imperial Journey through Ashtaria but what she saw shattered all the glamourous words that was used to describe her home.

When she first left the castle, she believed that anyone could rule the Empire if they were good enough, if they worked hard like her.

However, with the exception of the Five Found Families and the families that served them, the majority of the population of the Empire suffered from poverty and tried their best to survive each day. The thought of qualifying to run for the highest position in the empire was an impossible, even insane thought.

The reality was grotesque and hard to swallow. Children were so skinny they could barely walk, adults working in terrible conditions, even children working in some places.

There was no past or future, not even the present, there was just the desire to survive another day, or at least to die without suffering.

After the end of her Imperial Journey, Iltier believed that the best she could do was to take advantage of her privileges to become the ruler the empire needed.

Today, after dying and coming back and thinking, perhaps, properly on the matter, I ask myself: What does this Empire really need? What does a person who has lived their entire life in privilege know about someone who can't even support themself?

Why is someone's fate determined at birth? Why does the Empire allow this? What future does those children have? I ask you, my naive father.

Like me, you too have taken this journey through the empire. What did you understand from seeing those children that differs so much from what I saw? And you, mother, what are you doing?

Before coming back, Iltier spent a year getting to known the Empire. But for only one person, it was too little time to know and understand the problems of all regions. It was insane to think a person alone could do something quickly and efficently with just one year to understand Ashtaria’s issues.

Come to think of it. Thiar... He died because of the empire's negligence to the bone, just like those children and their families. To think he was the one to have the best ideas to solve it. It must have been harder for him, although, well, the problem lies in the negligence and not whether it was harder or not I suppose.

Still in her bed, in the morning when she came back, after crying for the first time in long out of happiness, she decided three things:
One: She would not involve her 6 friends and would do her best to not meet them until everything was fixed. Some of them needed her help but she would do something behind the scenes. This time, surely, she would protect them.
Two: She would need to create an information network to support her plans. She had little information about what actually happened, as she didn’t have a very good memory. This was an obviously necessary step.
And Three: She won't have time to treat herself, unfortunately.

Because of an unknown deity, she came back in time and was given another chance, but time, taking everything into account, was a luxury she didn’t have. Iltier didn’t have even the slightest idea who she was fighting against, and her every step was, probably, being watched. One wrong step could ruin everything, and she had a lot to do.

Five years and a half until the assassination attempt, lots of pieces to move, a lot of ground to cover, and no one to ask for help. Time wasn’t on her side.

 

***

The Day just started to fade in red lights when Iltier got off of Mana’s back walking over somewhere they could stay for the night in Veralda, thoughts all over the place.

That’s it then, let’s do our best to take out the mask of those who framed them and while I’m at it, let’s pave the path of the empire for the next ruler.

“Manaaa, I'm trying to follow the river as close as possible until we get close to the entrance to Taba Siguas, but why do you keep deviating from the path??????”

Veralda had many rivers, one of them went straight to Taba Siguas and cut through the city, eventually flowing into the ocean. On one side the port city Taba Siguas, on the other, Lurda, Iltier’s destination.

She kept walking alongside with Mana to a nice place she saw ahead, the water of a river dancing on one side -a bit far from them but enough to hear- bugs singing on another, the warm light of the setting sun. A pleasant and harmonious silence that could only be heard on a forest that size.

With this, my goal is s-

Still mid thinking, Iltier was surprised by an arm in the road but couldn’t avoid it as it was already preventing her foot from taking the next step. With a loud thud she fell on her face.

set...?

She looked back to see the small arm again. With too little time to react and taking into consideration the unprecedent ‘arm in the uninhabited forest’ Iltier used her lungs with all her might.

“AAAAAHHHHHHHHHH”