"Big Sister, please wait! I didn't sleep with him, please wait!" Natalia ran desperately behind Big Sister Sasha as she strode into a room where Big Guy and Rugged Woman were waiting and getting treated from the Natalia doctor.
Sasha didn't even look back. She simply walked straight to them and started healing both of their wounds diligently, her hands glowing with soft energy as she worked in focused silence, she waved the doctor off and just treated them on her own.
Natalia came inside, her breath coming in short gasps. She looked at both of them covered in slight wounds.... cuts and bruises marking their skin.... and she bit her lip hard, tasting blood of guilt.
"Big Sister, please don't tell Zack" She pleaded, her voice breaking in nervousness. "I'll talk to him myself. Where is he?"
She moved forward, looking around the room frantically, searching for any sign of him.
"He's not here," Sasha said casually, not even glancing up from her work and spoke. "He went to grab Miss Subordinate from her home."
She didn't mention anything else.
Rugged Woman's eyes glowed with happiness, lighting up her whole body with renewed feelings. "I KNEW IT! BOSS WILL NOT LEAVE US!!!!" She happily tapped her feet against the floor, unable to contain her joy.
But she quickly calmed down after seeing Natalia glaring daggers at her.
Rugged Woman cleared her throat and spoke carefully, her tone respectful. "Princess, we don't want to come between you and Boss. We know Boss woman is you... We just want to spend some more time with him." She paused, choosing her words with care. "We would never disregard Boss's sayings. After spending time with us, if Boss says to go away then we will go away. Until then, please let us at least be in talking terms with Boss!"
Rugged Woman stood up from where she'd been sitting and bowed deeply, her forehead nearly touching her knees.
"STOW BOWING AND SIT DOWN!!!!!" Sasha's angry order cracked through the air.
Rugged Woman shivered violently. "Yes, Big Sister!" she squeaked meekly, dropping back down onto the chair as Sasha kept treating her wounds with firm movements.
Seeing all this, Natalia felt anger bubbling up inside her chest. She spoke, her voice rising louder with each word.
"SO THAT'S WHAT ZACK IS DOING WHILE I'M HERE GETTING TRAMPLED BY PEOPLE?!"
She took a step forward, her fists clenched at her sides.
"YOU'RE GIVING ME ATTITUDE," she shouted, her voice rising, reverberating off the walls, "WHEN YOUR OWN BROTHER IS USING MY ABSENCE AS AN EXCUSE TO FOOL AROUND WITH OTHER WOMEN!!!!!!!"
Her anger surged, words coming out she knew she didn't mean but she couldn't shut her mouth.
"IF HE'S ALLOWED TO CHOOSE THOSE FILTHY WOMEN," she continued, her voice cracking with fury, "THEN WHY CAN'T I CHOOSE A DECENT MAN.... ONE WHO LOVES ME? AND CARE FOR ME?!"
She took a step forward, eyes blazing.
"WHY DOES THIS DOUBLE STANDARD EXIST?! WHY IS IT ALWAYS MY CHOICE THAT HAS TO BE JUDGED BY EVERYONE ELSE?!"
Tears of frustration burned at the corners of her eyes.
"I AGAIN AND AGAIN TOLD HIM TO STAY AWAY FROM THESE WOMEN, BUT ZACK KEPT DISAPPOINTING ME! AND NOW WHEN I FOUND A MAN CLEARLY LOVING ME, EVERYONE JUST KEEPS GIVING ME WEIRD LOOKS.... WHILE THAT MAN IS ENJOYING HIS LOVEY-DOVEY TIME WITH THEM!!!! TSK!"
She was breathing hard now, her chest heaving.
"EVERY ONE OF YOU IS JUST MAKING MY HEAD ACHE EVEN MORE!" she screamed, her voice tearing through the room. "I'M ALREADY DROWNING IN COMPLAINTS.... PEOPLE SCREAMING ABOUT HOW I'M NOT DOING ANYTHING FOR THIS CITY!"
Her breath hitched as the words poured out.
"EVERYONE'S COMING FOR MY THROAT. EVERYONE WANTS A PIECE OF ME. MY THRONE, MY BODY, MY CHOICES.... NOTHING IS MINE ANYMOREEEEEE!!!!!!!"
Her voice cracked, splintering under the weight of it all.
"AND WHILE YOU'RE ALL BUSY POINTING FINGERS AND BLAMING ME," she cried, tears burning her eyes, "ONLY ONE MAN IS ACTUALLY HELPING ME THROUGH THIS HELL!"
She laughed bitterly, shaking her head.
"AND NO.... it's not Zack. It's a man who loved me long before all of this. A man who planned everything just to support me becoming Princess. He already has answers. Solutions. A way out of every problem."
Her chest rose and fell as she shouted the truth she'd been holding back.
"HE NEVER STOPPED THINKING ABOUT ME. HE NEVER LEFT FOR SOME OTHER RANDOM GIRL…. SO TELL ME.... WHY SHOULDN'T I CHOOSE THE ONE PERSON WHO ACTUALLY CHOSE ME FIRST?!"
She spread her arms wide; her face flushed with anger.
"I LOVE ZACK, BUT I'M ALSO STARTING TO LIKE HIM! HE'S DOING SO MUCH FOR ME THAT I FEEL MY ROAD AHEAD IS ALL FILLED WITH FLOWERS! AND WHAT DOES ZACK DO? PLAYING AROUND WITH WOMEN WHILE JUST GETTING A SINGLE BOOK?! HE BROUGHT ME MORE TROUBLE THAN SOLUTIONS!"
Her voice turned bitter, venomous with each increasing syllable.
"LET HIM COME.... I'LL MAKE SURE THOSE WOMEN DON'T STAY NEAR HIM! HE'S TAKING ME FOR GRANTED! MY WORDS ARE JUST NOISE TO HIM, IGNORING ME LIKE THAT!"
Natalia breathed hard as she shouted every word, her anger and frustration echoing off the walls and filling every corner of the room.
But Sasha didn't give her a single look. She just kept healing Big Guy and Rugged Woman, her face blank, her hands steady.
Seeing this, Natalia felt her anger spike even higher. A wicked smirk crept across her face, her lips curling with cruel delight.
"WHY ARE YOU SO QUIET, SASHA?" she taunted. "ARE YOU TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO SAVE ZACK?"
She burst into laughter.... with a mocking sharp tone.
"DON'T WORRY!" Natalia continued, her voice brimming with certainty. "IF HE COMES BEGGING FOR FORGIVENESS, I'LL GRANT IT. SINCE I LOVE HIM TOO MUCH.... AND HE CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT ME ANYWAY!"
Her smile widened, eyes gleaming.
"I'LL TEACH HIM SOME MANNERS. AND THEN THE THREE OF US WILL RULE THIS CITY TOGETHER! I HAVE A VISION A DREAM.... A CITY RISING TO GREATNESS! WITH LITTLE MAN AND ZACK BY MY SIDE, IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME!"
She lifted her chin, speaking as though the future were already written.
Sasha then suddenly stopped.
Slowly, she looked up at Natalia. Her face was utterly blank.... no anger, no disbelief, no emotion at all.
Her voice, when she spoke, was utterly calm without any emotions.
"You spoke of your dream, but tell me Natalia the princess.... WHAT IS ZACK'S DREAM?"
.....
"Huh?" Natalia's haughty laughter suddenly came to a screeching stop. She hadn't expected a question back.
Sasha gently kept treating them, her hands moving with ease. She asked again in that same cold voice, "What is Zack's dream?"
Natalia's mind raced. Her mouth opened before she could think. "To... to become... to be... to... huh?"
She felt as though a huge bucket of ice-cold water had just been dumped over her head. Her mind was racing fast, spinning in circles, but she couldn't think of what Zack's dream was. The answer just... wasn't there.
"Don't think too much. I know you don't know," Sasha spoke while bandaging Rugged Woman's arm.
Natalia's face flushed with frustration.
"Fine then….. Next question." Sasha stood up straighter. "What is Zack's favourite food? You should at least know this much, right? Since you love him from a long long time ago"
"Huh…..Umm... he... he likes sweet kinds?" Natalia's voice came out unsure, trembling slightly.
Sasha's hands paused for just a moment. "Hmm, he does crave it sometimes, but that's not his favourite."
She finished her treatment and stood straight, her hands clasped behind her back.
"Fine…... Next question for you." Sasha's eyes locked onto Natalia's. "When was the last time you came to our home to meet Zack?"
"Ah, just re...."
"WILLINGLY!" Sasha's word broke through her sentence.
Natalia froze.
"Willingly," Sasha repeated slowly, emphasizing every syllable. "I came with them... NOT with others, or for some work, or any useless reasons. Just you coming alone, just to meet Zack on your free time?"
"Huh? I…"
Natalia's thoughts stalled, her mind clouded.... as if she were trying to see through thick smoke. No matter how hard she searched, she couldn't grasp a single clear moment.
"Don't worry," Sasha said evenly. "You didn't come to our house willingly for a very long time. When you were children, yes.... you did. But not after that."
She paused, then added, almost indifferently, "Maybe that wasn't entirely your fault. You were busy with princess training. Well fine, whatever."
She shook her head, dismissing the thought.
"TSK! What are you trying to say with these stupid questions?!" Natalia snapped, frustration boiling over. "So what if I don't know?! I'll learn in the future! What are you even trying to prove?!"
Her voice rose into a roar, cracking under the strain.
"WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY," Sasha shot back, her voice suddenly loud, "IS THAT ZACK WAS NEVER YOUR PRIORITYYYYYY!!!!!!!"
Sasha's loud voice overcame Natalia's completely, filling the entire room with its weight.
She spoke loudly, each word cutting. "YOU KNOW, RIGHT? ZACK LOVED YOU SINCE WAY BACK. AND FOR HIM, YOU WERE HIS PRIORITY.... ALWAYS….. IN HIS EYES YOU WERE THE ONLY THING MATTERED THE MOST THAT EVEN I GET JEALOUS SOMETIMES...AND YOU CAN SEE IT IN HIS ACTIONS. ASK ANYONE AND YOU'LL KNOW THE ANSWER!"
She took a step closer, her presence commanding.
"BUT FOR YOU???? ZACK WAS JUST AN ESCAPE GOAT AFTER YOUR STRESSFUL DAY…... YOU CRAVED ZACK'S FREE SPIRIT AFTER YOUR DAILY TRAINING DAYS. ZACK BROUGHT WARMTH TO YOUR LIFE IN YOUR COLD, BORING DAYS!"
Sasha's voice dropped lower, more intense.
"YOU DON'T LOVE ZACK. YOU LOVE WHAT HE BROUGHT WITH HIM!!!!!!!!!"
"HUH??? WHAT ARE YOU SAYING!!! I…HUH..I WHAT?? NO…I LOVE…I"
Natalia's breath hitched, her whole body was feeling stuck and a muddy ground from where she was unable to climb up.
"I HEARD EVERYTHING FROM EMMY. YOU SAY ZACK IS NOT BETTER THAN HIM, RIGHT? FINE, I AGREE. BUT HERE'S THE THING..."
Sasha stopped and turned to look at Rugged Woman. Her voice slowed down as she asked, "Rugged Girl, tell me.... have you seen a stronger man than Zack?"
Rugged Woman suddenly stood straight, her posture military perfect. She answered without thinking, her voice firm. "Yes, I have!"
"What about smarter?"
"Yes, I have!"
"Better looking?"
"Yes, I have!"
"More kind?"
"Yes, I have!"
Sasha tilted her head. "Then why are you loving Zack when there are better men out there?"
Rugged Woman's eyes softened, and when she spoke, her voice was warm.... steady with conviction, there was no doubt in her eyes just love for the man she chooses for herself, for whom she is ready to throw everything.
"Because Boss accepted me for who I am," she said quietly. "He told me my past didn't matter. There was no disgust in his eyes, no judgment. He looked at me as a person.... an equal."
Her hand curled slightly against her chest as she continued.
"Even when his actions were harsh, they were always meant to protect me. He told me that as long as I was faithful to my man, then my past held no weight."
She lifted her head, her gaze unwavering.
"And my man is Boss. I love him.... truly, with all my heart, Big Sister."
The words came straight from her soul, and warmth bloomed in her chest as she spoke them. She has seen many men say that they liked her and loved her but she knew just from a glance that what they are saying and what they are really thinking about is not the same… But Zack…. He was different!!! He really thinks of her as a person capable of receiving love!! His eyes spoke more than his mouth; it told everything about his soul and his inner thoughts! She knew Zack was the only one for her!
"Hm." Sasha turned back to Natalia. "Do you see, Nat?"
She gestured subtly toward Rugged Woman.
"This is her reason for love. Even after being hurt before.... after everything she's endured.... she still rushed forward to protect you, because she knows Zack loves you and that for her is the most important thing to do!! Not for her selfish desire but because she knew you are Zack life"
Sasha's voice hardened slightly.
"She's willing to give her life for him. She chooses him again and again.... despite everything, despite having seen men better than my brother."
Her eyes held Natalia's, unwavering in her stare.
"That is what choosing someone truly look!!! Her priority is my Little Brother!! Not his body, not his power, not his action but only the man in front of her!!!"
Sasha's gaze sharpened.
"And I'm sure Miss Subordinate is the same as her. Now tell me, Nat.... WHY DO YOU LOVE ZACK???"
AGHH!!
Sasha's question hit her hard.
Natalia trembled. "I... I love him because he... he... he made me feel good?"
HUH?!
Hearing her own answer, Natalia shivered, her whole body going cold from the ridiculous answer.
"Hmm. Right answer. He made you feel good." Sasha smiled, but it wasn't a kind smile. "And I think you know by now why it did….Of course feeling good in itself is not wrong but if that is the only thing holding you to him then... it's a problem Princess Natalia!!"
She took one step forward, closing the distance.
"And why are you so agitated about choosing a man?" Sasha asked in gentle calm voice. "Did anyone ever say you weren't allowed to choose someone else?"
She tilted her head slightly.
"All anyone questioned was your feelings and action!!!!! On why are you choosing that man when Zack is not around. Why are you choosing another man when you didn't ask Zack. Why are you choosing him when you don't have feelings for him. Why did you accept his hand when clearly you never said anything about him before to anyone... All this question is running inside everyone heads and when they ask you question?.... All you ever say is: he's better, he does this, he solves that."
Her eyes softened.... not with kindness, but with clarity.
"Don't you think you're just using him?" Sasha continued quietly. "The same way you used Zack.... for comfort. And now you're using Little Man.... for your ambitions. Everyone can see it. That's why they're questioning your choice."
Natalia's eyes went blank, the color draining from her face.
But Sasha didn't stop.
She stepped forward, her voice growing colder, sharper with each word.
"Natalia… you're acting in a way where you play with toys. When one was taken away, you threw a tantrum. And when you found another interesting one, you grabbed it too.... wanting to keep both."
She paused for a moment, letting the silence do its work then spoke again.
"You're a selfish brat who thinks only of herself," Sasha said flatly. "You want to control them. You want them to orbit around you, to obey you, to exist for your sake. You get thrill when they become your yes man… In a relationship both partners have to respect each other and agreeing and disagreeing is a part of it but you don't like that, you only liked when Zack danced in your palm and follow every order of yours and was always present around you, always helping you out in various things, you love the feeling of getting all the attention!!! AND THAT IS WHY YOU ARE A WITCH!!!"
She leaned closer, her gaze piercing straight through Natalia.
"You realize it now, don't you?" she asked softly. "What kind of person you really are?"
Each word struck Natalia's heart, tearing it apart piece by piece, she couldn't say anything because she realized whatever she was saying was actually right!!!!
Sasha stepped even closer, her face just inches away.
"I would rather choose those two women who love my Zack with their whole hearts," she said coldly, "than a woman who remembers him only when she's lonely.... and shows no respect for the man she claims to love."
She turned and shouted loudly, "RUGGED GIRL! IF I ASK YOU TO GIVE UP YOUR STRENGTH AND BECOME A FRAIL, WEAK WOMAN, BUT YOU'LL GET ZACK.... WILL YOU DO IT?"
"YES, BIG SISTER! GLADLY!" Rugged Woman spoke without hesitation, ready to do anything for Zack.
"THEN WHAT ABOUT SUBORDINATE GIRL? IF I ASK HER BEAUTY, WILL SHE GIVE IT UP FOR ZACK?"
"YES, SHE WILL FOR SURE!" Rugged Woman nodded with complete confidence.
"Hmm. Good." Sasha turned back to Natalia; her face twisted in anger as she got close.... so close their noses almost touched. "Then, Natalia, will you give up your princess dream? Or your beauty? Or your mind? Or your NEW LOVE, the so-called LITTLE MAN? Can you give up any of those for Zack?"
"...Huh?"
Natalia wanted to say yes immediately. Her mouth opened.... but no sound came out. Her thoughts spun in frantic circles, grasping for an answer that felt painfully obvious, yet somehow just beyond her reach. Too many other thoughts crowded in, drowning it out.
Her eyes darted from side to side, restless, unfocused.... until they caught Sasha's smile.
It wasn't cruel.
It was disappointed.
The time had run out.
Sasha no longer waited for an answer. She turned away sharply, her voice cold.
"Go. Do whatever you want. I won't say anything to Zack. I've said everything I needed to say. Settle it between yourselves."
She didn't look back.
She walked straight to Big Guy and stopped beside him, facing forward. Her hand clenched around his shoulder.... tight, unmoving.... until her knuckles turned white.
The silence she left behind hurt more than any words.
.
"Natalia, let's go. We have to move." Little Man came inside and grabbed her hand, pulling her away.
Natalia followed, her feet moving but her mind somewhere far away.
.
The room was tense. Rugged Woman was scared to even move, her body frozen in place.
But then she heard suddenly, "I'm hungry, Big Sister Sasha. Miss Sverrisson made some food for us. I couldn't eat. Can you bring it to me before the consort moves?"
Big Guy's nonchalant question brought a shiver down Rugged Woman's spine.
WHAT ARE YOU ASKING NOW?! YOU STUPID HUNGRY BEAST! Rugged Woman cursed in her mind as she slowly turned her head and saw Sasha's face.... troubled, very troubled but she suddenly spoke
"KYAA! You should have said sooner!" Sasha exclaimed. "Oey, Rugged Girl, let's go! This guy can't function properly when his stomach is hungry!"
Sasha grabbed Rugged Woman's hand and ran, pulling her along. Big Guy also ran behind them while scratching his chin. "I can function properly, Big Sister! Don't be mean!" he pouted.
.
Seeing all this, Rugged Woman couldn't help but ask, confusion written all over her face. "Umm, Big Sister, what is this? You spoke so harshly to her, and now you're acting as though nothing happened. Are you guys not worried about what may happen?"
Hearing this, both Sasha and Big Guy smiled warmly and said in unison, "DON'T WORRY! BOTH OF THEM CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT EACH OTHER! HEHE!"
They laughed, completely confusing Rugged Woman.
Sasha added more, her voice softening. "Even if Natalia's way was wrong in her action, her love wasn't. We just have to wait and see what path she'll take. Zack told me to trust her, so I will. Don't worry."
Sasha smiled as they reached the room where the food was present.
.
"ARA! I thought you'd go without eating my food, but you're late, kiddo! Princess is going away." Miss Sverrisson spoke while pointing at a plate on the table and seeing the princess from her window.
Sasha squinted at the size of the plate, her eyes narrowing critically.
"NOT ENOUGH!" she declared.
In ease, she grabbed a container big enough to be held by Big Guy with both hands. She swiftly put everything inside in a proper way, adding levels of containers within containers.
"DONE!" She stepped back after completing the task swiftly, her expression completely satisfied.
Seeing her speed, everyone was shocked, their mouths hanging open.
"This much food? Does anyone else need it?" Miss Sverrisson asked in confusion.
Sasha placed the big container into Big Guy's hands. Her breath was hard just from carrying it for those few seconds. She huffed while speaking, "NO! THIS GUY CAN EAT IT ALL ALONE! HEHE!"
She laughed as Big Guy thanked everyone politely and went away, balancing the massive container carefully.
.
"Phewww." Sasha and the others watched as Princess Natalia's carriage went away, followed by other carriages in a long procession.
"Hmm, what happened suddenly?" Leader came inside, looking curious.
Everyone just shrugged their shoulders, unsure how to explain.
"Anyways, it seems the Queen ordered us to have another meeting in front of the Queen's palace," Leader continued. "I think she heard what happened here and said she'll take care of it. And that guy the so-called Master Zack will lead it!"
"Hehe! Yes, that's my brother for you!!! Hehehhe Let's go together!" Sasha happily jumped up and told them about her brother and the others plan.
"Hmm, I guess we can take a visit, right, dear?" Miss Sverrisson looked at her husband.
"Sighhh…... Fine, let's just see what happens." He shook his head, resigned his fate to the god.
"Hehe! Miss, let's take the food! Don't waste it.... everyone would be hungry there!" Sasha spoke enthusiastically.
"But Sasha, it's already become cold. It's of no use!" Miss Sverrisson spoke sadly, disappointed at her own bad decision.
"Don't worry, Miss. I'm sure everyone will love it! Right, Gloomy?" Sasha pointed at a sneaky Gloomy who had already stuffed lots of food inside his mouth, his cheeks puffed out.
"Ara! Such great kiddos! Haha. Fine, thank you, Sasha. I'll get everything ready." Miss Sverrisson smiled warmly seeing their genuine reaction of eating her food made her happy so she obliged.
"Hmm! Great! And you guys help her.... I'll go and bring Little Princess. I already heard where she is from the guards. I'll be swift!" Sasha waved and went away.
Rugged Woman helped Miss Sverrisson while Gloomy occasionally helped, though mostly he kept eating.
"GAH! I forgot I had to sneak into 1st Rock with Big Guy! Shit!!!" Gloomy paused mid-chew. "Well, whatever. I can go there anytime. Let's focus on food first."
He muttered to himself as he kept eating from time to time, unable to resist.
Leader, seeing all this, smiled warmly as he nodded in appreciation toward them.
.
"Huh? You came here?" Suddenly, Natalia's voice rang in the hall.
Leader looked back and saw Little Princess coming with many of her friends. And in the midst of them, his son was also present, with Alfie at the back quietly looking after Little Princess.
"GAH! Big Sister Sasha!" Little Princess had been enjoying her time when she saw Sasha smiling evilly while coming toward her in large strides.
She turned and chose to run, but Alfie appeared in front of her, blocking her path.
"KEKE! PLAYTIME'S OVER, LITTLE PRINCESS!!!" Alfie was actually very bored from not doing anything and just running around doing fun things, so he smiled wickedly when he saw Sasha.
"MOVE! FAST!" Little Princess tried to run past him.
"Ow! Ow!" Sasha grabbed her arm.
"Hey there! I see you're all okay. Why is the little sister of the princess loitering around here and there while her big sister is working her ass off? Come with me!" Sasha dragged Little Princess away, back to where everyone was present, and made her help Miss Sverrisson.
"Hahaha! Look at Hanna! She talks all mighty, but in front of her family, she's just a little princess! Hahah!" One young man laughed hard, joking with his friends.
But suddenly, his friends stopped laughing and said their goodbyes quickly, backing away.
"Ha... ha... ha..." The young man's eye twitched as he felt a huge presence behind him.
He turned around slowly, his neck giving a cracking sound.
"GOOD MORNING, FATHER!" he spoke embarrassingly, his face pale.
"GOOD AFTERNOON, BUDDY!"
"Ow! Ow! OW!!" The young man was dragged by Leader by his ear as he was also made to help his mother.
Alfie shook his head with a slight smile and went inside to help willingly!!!!
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END OF CHAPTER
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Author Blabbering
WHO IS THIS POKÉMON?!
Born from a small deceiver in the dark, I rose at level forty, cold and sharp. No flames can scare me, no steel can pierce, my body wears a living suit of curse. I strike with silent venom in the black, mixing toxin with a brutal hack. Battle Armor shields this brutal fiend, Sniper waits for the perfect opening.
I crush hope for legend trainers and new trainers alike with dark and poisoned art… You new guy, name the beast that owns the night's heart.
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