Claimed By The King(s) Of Kings

Aina

”You will be taking me to the Iron Fang bash!” Molly smiled as she spun around, her mouth moving animatedly as she twirled across the room. ”I have the absolute perfect dress! At first, I thought it wouldn’t work because I bought it knowing the theme this year was countryside, but they changed it all of a sudden to a masquerade!” Molly let out a dramatic huff, completely failing to notice Aina’s mounting panic as she bit the raw edge of her fingernail.

Shoot, this is bad. This is so, so bad, Aina thought, her mind spiraling into a chaotic mess. My entire plan falls apart if I have to go with her.

If she was tethered to a royal princess all night, there would be no sneaking through the shadows, no blending into the background, and definitely no dodging Prince Malric and his vengeful schemes. ”Um... Molly?” Aina cleared her throat, shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot. ”Is it... is it a absolute must that I go with you?”

Molly stopped dead mid-spin. The cheerful flutter of her skirt collapsed against her legs as she turned slowly to face Aina. ”What’s that supposed to mean?” Molly asked, her brow furrowing. Her voice wasn’t aggressive or rude—just genuinely baffled, her bright eyes searching Aina’s face for an explanation.

Aina’s stomach dropped. Danger. Massive danger.

She could practically see her only real ally at this wretched academy slipping away. Losing Molly over a party invitation would be absolute suicide; she needed the girl’s protection, even if it came with a side of complete social exhaustion. She had to fix this right now before the princess took it personally.

”Oh! No, no, no, that’s not what I meant at all!” Aina scrambled, waving her hands in a flurry of nervous denial. ”I just... look, you know better than anyone that I’m not exactly on the best terms with your brothers.” Molly’s confused frown melted away in an instant. A massive sigh of relief escaped her lips, followed by a light, melodious laugh as she pressed a hand to her chest.

”Oh, thank Goddess!” Molly giggled, stepping closer. ”I thought you didn’t want to go with me for a second! I was genuinely worried. I mean, it wouldn’t be the first time a guy has stood me up...”

Aina forced a dry, awkward laugh, her chest tightening with guilt. ”Oh no, I would never do such a thing to you! Of course I want to go with you! I just... I’m honestly not sure if it’s safe for me. I have a very strong feeling your brother is planning to pull something terrible.”

It was a delicate blend of half-truth and outright lie. She didn’t want to go with her because she was worried about surviving the night without ending up in the academy cemetery. Molly, being the delightfully gullible princess she was, bought every single word. A warm, reassuring smile spread across her face as she stepped in and firmly placed both hands down on Aina’s shoulders.

The physical stance was utterly absurd to anyone looking on from the outside. Molly was a full foot taller than Aina’s disguised frame, forcing the princess to hunch over slightly while Aina had to tilt her head back just to make eye contact. It looked less like a romantic couple and more like a tall elder sister reassuring her tiny, nervous younger sibling.

”Calm down, Travis,” Molly said sweetly, her voice dripping with absolute confidence. ”My brothers will not touch a single hair on your head as long as you go with me to the party. I will personally tell them to leave you alone, and they always listen to me.”

Molly paused, leaning down a fraction closer to whisper in a conspiratorial tone, ”...well, most of the time.”

Aina blinked, processing the small caveat. Oh well... that’s actually somewhat reassuring, she thought to herself. If she can keep Malric at bay, then I won’t have to carry out my backup plan.

Her original, brilliant backup plan, hatched using her last remaining, overworking brain cell, had been to craft a costume so hideous and absurd that no one would ever associate it with Travis Whitelock. She had genuinely contemplated stealing every roll of toilet paper from the third-floor lavatory, linking them together, sewing them into her old dress, and wrapping her entire face like a budget mummy.

It was a masterpiece of a plan. Sure, she would have looked like a walking, flammable trash bag, but it would have kept her butt from getting kicked.

Weighing her options, looking like an unhinged toilet paper roll versus standing in the protective shadow of a giant, naive princess, Aina quickly decided that sticking with Molly was by far the superior strategy. ”If you’ll be there to protect me,” Aina said, summoning the most chivalrous smile she could manage, ”then I would love to go with you to the Masquerade bash. In fact... it would be an absolute honor, my lady.”

Molly squealed with delight, clapping her hands together before spinning back around and skipping down the carpeted hallway. Aina couldn’t help the small, genuine smile that tugged at her lips as she fell into step a few paces behind her. ”The Masquerade Ball is tomorrow night!” Molly announced, pulling her sleek phone out of her jacket pocket. ”We need to get ready right away! Luckily, I got my brothers to move it to Saturday instead of Friday, or none of us would be ready in time.”

Molly tapped the glass screen a few times, putting her group chat on speakerphone. Within seconds, a chorus of high-pitched squeals echoed from the tiny speaker.

”Can you believe it? We got invitations!” a voice piped up through the phone. ”Right?! I’m literally shaking!” another joined in.

Aina rolled her eyes silently behind Molly’s back. Why are they acting shocked? They’re literally the princess’s best friends. Of course they were getting invited.

It was the classic royal paradox: the girls claimed to despise the brutal, arrogant princes, yet the second an invitation to an exclusive royal gala was dangled in front of them, they lost their absolute minds. ”Girls!” Molly chimed in, holding the phone close to her face as she walked. ”Emergency meeting! We are going shopping right now!”

”Oh, thank Goddess!” Chloe replied. ”Let me just finish up with my campus club,I’m almost done and I’ll meet you guys right at the main gates!”

”I already have the most perfect dress,” Delilah gushed through the static. ”I just need to find the absolute perfect pair of heels and a matching silk mask!” Molly gasped loudly, slapping a hand over her heart. ”Me too! Oh my gosh, we are literally twining!” Molly turned around mid-stride, walking backward so she could look at Aina with a sly, sparkling wink.

”But I also need to help Travis pick out a proper suit,” Molly told the phone, her tone turning playful. ”Something that matches what I’m wearing. This is going to be our very first official outing together as a couple at a real party, and I want everything to be utterly perfect.” Aina offered a swift, polite nod, though inwardly, a cold sweat broke out across her neck. Please, sweet Goddess of mercy, just let the suit fit properly.

She was not above wearing formal menswear, but she desperately hoped they wouldn’t give her one of those ridiculous, traditional coats with tails that swept the floor like a broom. Being a foot shorter than everyone else meant long coats made her look ridiculous.

As they neared the end of the hallway, the energetic chatter between Molly and her friends continued to buzz through the phone speaker, filled with endless talk of velvet, lace, gemstones, and color palettes.

Aina fell quiet once again, hands tucked deep into her pockets, keeping her eyes fixed on the back of Molly’s extravagant hair. She forced herself to breathe, desperately clinging to the hope that sweet, innocent little Molly really did hold enough power to keep her savage brothers in check.

Because if Molly’s influence failed... Aina was going to have to find a whole lot of toilet paper, and fast.