(3rd Person POV)
"Sy… Sylwen?" Firfel's voice trembled as her eyes locked onto the woman standing before her — silver hair, familiar face, the very reflection of herself. Her breath caught. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.
Sylwen's lips parted as she swallowed hard, her throat tight with emotion. "Firfel…" she whispered, as if saying her name might shatter the moment.
For so long, Sylwen had only watched from the shadows. Always distant. Always hidden. But now, they were just a few steps apart — and she suddenly had no idea what to do.
Firfel's feet moved on instinct, slow and unsure. Her fingers reached forward, trembling slightly. "Big sis… Is that really you?"
She couldn't trust her eyes. The sister she'd searched for across continents — dreamed of meeting again — was now standing in arm's reach.
Sylwen stepped forward too, as if pulled by an invisible force.
And then, they were in front of each other — no more distance. No more silence. Just two sisters, face to face, with hearts pounding and tears rising.
"It's really you!" Firfel cried out — and threw her arms around Sylwen, pulling her into a tight, trembling embrace.
Sylwen exhaled sharply as if she'd been holding her breath for years. She returned the hug, her arms wrapping tightly around the person who once clung to her in childhood. "It's me…" she murmured, voice breaking with the weight of it all.
Tears spilled freely down both their cheeks.
"I finally get to hold you again…" Firfel's voice cracked as she buried her face into Sylwen's shoulder, holding her like she never wanted to let go.
Sylwen closed her eyes and smiled through the tears. For once in so long, she felt something rare and unfamiliar:
Peace.
"I'm so happy," Firfel whispered, her voice soaked with joy. "You came back to me…"
As the two sisters embraced in tearful reunion, Arthur stood quietly to the side, arms crossed and a soft smile tugging at his lips.
'Yeah… this was the right punishment for Sylwen after all,' he thought to himself with a faint chuckle. 'If she hadn't slipped up and let the Great Knights through, I wouldn't have had a reason to push her into this.'
In truth, he was glad things played out the way they did. A rare misstep had given him the excuse he needed to make Sylwen face what she had been running from for so long — her own sister.
"I really missed you…" Firfel whispered, voice thick with emotion.
"Me too," Sylwen murmured, her voice barely above a breath.
They didn't let go of each other immediately. But when they did, the two of them fell into conversation as if no time had passed at all. Stories spilled out effortlessly — childhood memories, adventures apart, and dreams they once shared. Laughter mixed with occasional sniffles, and in their world of two, Arthur faded into the background.
He didn't mind. He wanted this. He had hoped for this.
Eventually, Firfel turned toward him, her eyes still glossy but glowing with gratitude. "Arthur… I don't even know how to thank you for this," she said, walking over. "You actually found her. You gave me something I thought I'd lost forever."
Arthur smiled and stepped closer, brushing a lock of her silver hair behind her ear before leaning in and pressing a soft kiss to her lips. "For you? I'd do anything," he said gently. "Even make you Queen of the Roses Kingdom, if that's what would make you smile."
Firfel giggled at that, her eyes sparkling. "Heh, I don't need a crown. I think I'm already happier than any queen could be — because my sister is here."
Behind them, Sylwen smiled too. But behind that smile… was something else. A quiet sting in her chest. Jealousy. Bittersweet and buried, but real.
Arthur looked at them both and asked casually, "So? Now that you've reunited — any plans?"
"You read my mind," Firfel beamed. "I'm going to show big sis everything in Horn City! The cafés, the theaters, the parks — all of it!"
Sylwen hesitated. Her instincts told her to decline. Her past… her old organization… someone might recognize her. It could be dangerous.
But before she could say anything, Arthur cut in smoothly, "Sounds like a perfect plan." He grinned. "In fact, why don't I invite you both to go shopping tomorrow? You can use my credit card. Buy anything — no limits."
Firfel gasped. "Wait, really?! You're serious?"
Arthur winked. "Of course I am."
Without warning, Firfel jumped forward and threw her arms around him, planting a big kiss on his cheek. "I'm holding you to that!"
Then she turned to Sylwen, grasping her hand with a bright, beaming grin. "Come on! There's so much I want to show you — and we've got years of catching up to do!"
The two left the room together, hand in hand, Firfel skipping slightly like a child again.
Arthur watched them go with a chuckle, shaking his head. "I have a feeling I'll regret handing over that card," he muttered. "But it's probably worth it."
---
The absence of the three Great Knights had begun to gnaw at King Magnus.
Seated in his office, face shadowed in thought, he held a freshly printed newspaper. The headline glared back at him: "Unexplained Disruption: Hellfire Park's Powerful Barrier Breached!"
He narrowed his eyes. 'It must've been the Great Knights of Wales... there's no other force in this kingdom that could've cracked that barrier.'
He leaned forward, fingers tightening around the edge of the paper. 'If they succeeded in infiltrating Hellfire Park... then why is Arthur still doing fine? Why hasn't there been a whisper of their return?'
The silence screamed louder than confirmation. A cold dread slithered through his chest.
'No… don't tell me... something went wrong?'
Just then, a sharp knock broke through his storming thoughts.
He raised a hand, dispelling the ward spell across the chamber. "Come in," he said stiffly.
The doors opened — and in walked his eldest daughter.
"Mary," he acknowledged, his voice firm but surprised. "What is it?"
Mary didn't waste time. She stepped forward, meeting her father's eyes. "I came to ask if you've made a decision, Father. Will you approve the proposal to name the Hellfire Bank as the central bank of our kingdom?"
Magnus froze. Then his face twisted into fury.
"You dare speak of this again?!" he barked, slamming his fist on the desk with a resounding thud. The desk trembled. "How bold you've become — to question not just your father, but your king!"
His voice rose. "You are a princess, Mary — not a minister, not a sovereign! You have no authority to dictate the affairs of this realm!"
Mary stood still, but her chest tightened. Her lips quivered for a moment, but she said nothing.
No matter her work, her ideas, her economic victories — in his eyes, she was still just a daughter. A girl. And now, a disappointment.
King Magnus rose to his feet, face red with emotion.
"What spell did that bastard Arthur cast on you?" he growled. "You, my own flesh and blood — now kneeling at his feet like a trained dog?" His eyes burned. "How dare he touch you — how dare he think he can lay hands on my daughter!"
Mary swallowed the knot in her throat.
She could feel it again — the chasm between them.
But this time… she wouldn't back down.
"Answer me!" Magnus thundered, slamming his palm on the desk. "What spell did he cast on you? Have you become his trained dog?"
Mary snapped.
"Enough!" she shouted.
The words echoed through the chamber like a whip crack.
Magnus stared at her — stunned. His daughter, who had always stayed composed… had just raised her voice at him.
Mary took a breath, eyes blazing. "Sir Pendragon is doing what you should've done long ago — looking out for the people. Is that a crime now?" Her voice was unwavering. "He's building a future where ordinary citizens can live in comfort, with dignity. A future where life is easier, fairer… not dictated by old, greedy men on thrones."
"You dare lecture me about ruling?" Magnus snarled, and with a flick of his hand, his royal aura flared — heavy, suffocating. It pressed the air around them like a storm, attempting to silence her.
"You dare question your own father? Your own king?" he growled. "You side with an outsider over your own blood?"
His eyes narrowed as if something finally clicked.
"…So that's how you suddenly improved the Horn Kingdom Stock Exchange. Years of mediocrity — and then, boom, computers, internet systems, new tech… I thought it suspicious. And now I understand." His voice turned venomous. "It was Arthur, wasn't it? That bastard helped you."
Mary didn't speak. But her body language said everything — her glare, her clenched fists, the contempt radiating from her stillness.
Magnus's face twisted with disgust.
"You'll never be Queen," he said coldly. "Never. Even if I had no sons, I would rather burn this kingdom to the ground than hand it to you."
He waited for her to scream, to break — anything to confirm his dominance.
But Mary… smiled.
A quiet, dangerous smile.
"What are you smiling at!?" Magnus barked, standing up in fury.
"I finally see just how weak you are," Mary said softly, eyes now like ice. "Not just as a father… but as a king."
Magnus recoiled as if slapped.
"You rule through fear. You sit in your palace, drunk on wealth, surrounded by yes-men and sycophants. You bow to Wales like a dog, hoping they'll protect you from the Morningstar Kingdom. And now, you plot in the shadows to remove Arthur — the only man actually doing something for this kingdom."
He stiffened, his breath caught.
'No… does she know?'
Mary stepped forward, voice now cold and clinical. "Yes. I know you called in the Great Knights to ambush Arthur Pendragon in his own office."
Magnus took a step back. Sweat broke across his brow, rolling down his back. "H-How… how do you know that?"
Mary's smile returned — this time, sharp like a blade. "Because it makes no sense otherwise. No outsider would dare make such a move without your blessing. It could only happen… if the king himself opened the gate."
His mouth fell open. Speechless.
"And you weren't alone," Mary added, voice now deadly. "Noble cowards like Ferdinand Fellwing were part of it too. I know everything."
Magnus stood frozen — powerless.
He had expected anger. What he got instead… was checkmate.
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