Over the past year, life at the Wynfall mansion had grown both quieter and richer.
Quieter—because the palace sent fewer resources, fewer messengers, fewer signs that the king remembered them.
Richer—because Aster and Astra filled that silence with music, invention, and the warmth of people who loved them for who they were.
Their half-sisters, Seraphine and Lyria, visited often. They brought books, sweets, gossip, and affection. They played with Astra, teased Aster, and lifted Arlienne's spirits.
But their brothers…?
Aster saw them maybe once or twice. Always distant, always guarded. Not cruel, but distant in a way that felt sad.
And their father?
His appearances were rare. Fleeting. Almost fragile, as if approaching them risked breaking something unspoken between him and the queen.
***
When the news of the upcoming concert reached the palace, chaos followed.
"The prince and princess… performing for commoners?"
"This is unprecedented!"
"How shameful!"
"Royalty should not sing in the streets!"
"What are those children thinking?"
Nobles fussed. Ministers panicked. Guards whispered.
But above all, the queen raged.
"What insolence!" she shouted, smashing a porcelain cup against the marble floor. "What embarrassment! Royal children performing before peasants—peasants!"
Her maids flinched as she paced the room, one hand pressed to her slightly swollen stomach.
"But Your Majesty," a minister said timidly, "the people… seem excited."
"That only makes it worse!" she snapped. "The twins are drawing attention they shouldn't have."
She wrote three letters—each more furious than the last—ordering the concert to be canceled immediately.
All three were sent to Arlienne.
And all three received the same response:
**"I want my children to do what makes them happy." —Arlienne Wynfall**
The queen's face turned so red that the palace physicians genuinely feared for her health.
But as her pregnancy progressed, her ability to argue waned. Her anger remained, but she stopped sending letters.
Perhaps she was too tired.
Perhaps she was distracted by the life growing inside her.
Perhaps, deep down, even she understood she could not stop the twins anymore.
Or perhaps she was planning something else entirely.
***
A few nobles suggested sending palace guards or decor to the concert to "save royal face." But Arlienne refused politely.
"We have all the help we need," she told them. "My children's achievements are theirs alone."
Even when the king quietly sent a few attendants, Arlienne declined.
Her voice remained gentle.
Her resolve did not waver.
***
And so, with the palace watching nervously and the nobles whispering behind fans, the day of the concert finally arrived.
The capital was unrecognizable.
Banners fluttered from rooftops.
Magic lamps glowed in daylight, shifting between blue and white hues.
Vendors lined the streets leading to the plaza, selling snacks, ribbons, and hand-carved symbols of musical notes.
Children ran with wooden toy flutes, pretending to be "Aster the Singer Prince."
Girls wore pale-blue ribbons in their hair, calling themselves "Astra's Fans."
Posters and flyers—distributed across the kingdom—had drawn crowds from far beyond the capital.
Never in history had a public event been anticipated like this.
***
Backstage, Aster adjusted the collar of his outfit. Astra checked the ribbon in her hair for the twentieth time.
"You nervous?" Aster asked.
Astra nodded. "A little."
Aster smiled. "Good. That means you are serious."
Their mother placed a hand on each of their shoulders.
"You two… have already made me so proud," Arlienne said softly. "No matter what happens today, remember that this is your dream. Your gift."
Aster hugged her. Astra clung to her arm.
Seraphine poked her head in through the curtain. "Aster! Astra! The crowd is HUGE! I've never seen this many people outside a festival!"
Lyria stood behind her, eyes sparkling. "They're all shouting your names!"
Arlienne laughed softly. "Go on. Show them your light."
***
Meanwhile, some nobles also came to watch what was happening, but they couldn't get seats because , its already very crowded .
"Look at that turnout…"
"This is absurd."
"Why didn't the queen stop this?"
"She tried."
"The people… are really excited."
"Is this good or bad for the royal family?"
"I can't tell anymore."
The queen sat stiffly on her throne, fanning herself with barely concealed fury.
"This spectacle," she muttered, "will end in disaster."
But the king—who had been observing quietly—simply said:
"…Let's see what the children can do."
***
Backstage again, Aster peeked out one last time.
The entire plaza was packed.
Lanterns floated overhead.
Families held hands.
Friends laughed.
People waved signs with the twins' names.
Aster's heart raced.
*A whole year of work.
A whole year of planning.
A whole year of dreaming.*
This was it.
He turned to Astra.
"You ready?"
She nodded firmly. "Let's shine."
Aster stepped forward first.
Astra followed, clutching his hand.
And when they walked onto the stage—
A wave of cheers crashed over them like a living tide.
"Aster!"
"Astra!"
"The twins!"
"Sing for us!"
"We love you!"
The air sparkled with mana.
The amplification stones hummed.
The world felt like it held its breath.
Aster's silver eyes glowed.
"Thank you all for coming!" he shouted. "Today is a historic day—for Vornis, for Sound Magic, and for the people!"
Astra took a deep breath.
"Please enjoy our first official concert!"
The audience roared so loudly the stage shook.
Aster and Astra exchanged one last glance.
A nod.
A smile.
Then—
Aster raised his hand.
Mana surged.
And the concert that would echo across the entire nation…
finally began.