"What do you mean a complication?" His voice cut through the tension. Tall and slender, his face a marble statue

"W-well, my Prince, His Majesties will has arisen some... unexpected problems," the valet stammered nervously.

"Such as?" The prince turned away from his nervous servant, inclining his head towards his mirror. As handsome as Narcissus they said, and twice as prideful.

"U-uh, well, um, the main problem is a certain quote from his will." The manservant gulped audibly, before turning his head back to the document. "He says- said, 'Should I die under suspicious circumstances in the month of December, none of my legitimate children shall inherit the crown'and, well, the autopsy has proven the cause of death was poison, my Prince."

The prince in question only piqued an eyebrow, showing no displeasure of his usurping. "Dismissed."

The servant scurried away hurriedly.

"Wait." The servant stopped in his tracks at the prince's voice. "Gather my siblings."

The servant winced at the thought, knowing how difficult the royal children were to order. "What shall I tell them my Lord?"

"Tell them to prepare for war."

                                                            *   *   *

"None of his legitimate children?" The teen admired her perfectly manicured nails. She was the lightest of all the royal children, in both hair and complexion, with light brown hair that turned golden when hit by sunlight. Contrasting with her older brother's jet black. And pale, milky skin all her powdered friends fawned over.

"I guess the old fool wasn't as foolish as we thought." The youngest child grimaced. His two siblings were dismayed he was involved at all, but when he had knocked on their door with blueprints of their plan and the threat to deliver them to the old man himself, the duo didn't have much of a choice.

"The crown falls to Uncle, he'll surely execute us as soon as he gets the chance." The oldest finally spoke, tone deadly calm as always. He felt a pinprick of panic rise in him. No! Royals always keep their composure, he needed to find a way around this.

"What's the plan boss?" The youngest said sarcastically, his eyes sparkling with mischief. His designer leather jacket matching his hair. He always was one for casual attire, much to the dismay of his siblings, one clad in a tailored suit, another in a dress embroidered with pearls.

"I've found an exception." He replied triumphantly, pulling out a stack of papers.

"Do tell Vicky." The girl said amusedly, her hair adorning her torso with curls.

He dropped a pile of documents on the table. "Alexandra Smith, currently lives in St Maria's orphanage. Dropped off by a royal official 16 years ago."

"A little sister!" The 17-year-old princess exclaimed. Her expression soured to a mocking smile as she stated the obvious, "You are aware illegitimate children are considered dead in the eyes of the law?"

Victor sighed at the sarcastic reminder. "Sadly I am Eleanor.  All things considered in this day and age, I think we could break a few rules. Uncle has a somewhat infamous reputation, I'm sure the people would be much more welcoming to a 16-year-old girl than a man under suspicion for some rather unpopular crimes." 

"Nonetheless, why would Octavius allow it? With uncle he's second-in-line." The princess brought up another point, in the end, the royal advisor was the first command until a coronation occurred. And a coronation would occur, they just had to hope it would be someone who wouldn't sentence them to death. 

"And thus the one with the most motive. You think Uncle wouldn't realise that after he disposed of us? It's our best shot. Something befalls uncle, something befalls her..." He trailed off, but his meaning was clear to the entire room.

"She'll be better than uncle. Hopefully." The youngest had a familiar mischievous glint in his eyes. "I'm in."

"I must say, I would like another girl here," The princess looked to her elder brother. "I'm in Vicky."