Ever since the madness that took place at the Church following the Sage of Fluff's Class Ceremony, Penelope had been terrified of what news would come of things. Her parents refused to tell her no matter how much she yelled and threatened them with what limited means she had.

  Her aids wouldn't tell her.

  The maids wouldn't tell her.

  And worse yet, she was being forbidden from leaving her room as if she was some kind of prisoner. It was only after a deafening explosion that Penelope was able to crawl her way out of her room and begin to look around to try and see what was happening. Were they under attack? Had the Archmage's forces rebelled? What was going on? The rabbit was quite terrified but regardless, went to check. But more importantly, she once again wanted to find out why was she being hidden away and kept in the dark.

  By the time she got to the main throneroom, she discovered that her father wasn't there, and instead everyone else present looked like they had been attacked. When she spotted her mother, Penelope ran up to her and tried to help her up, the older rabbit Queen shaking and barely able to get seated. Though as she looked at what she thought was her father's seat, all she could make out was a puddle of liquid on the floor and seat.

  "Enough of hiding things, mother, tell me what is happening…"

  She tried the soft approach once more before her mother looked at her and hugged her gently.

  "It would seem someone in this castle has committed a great misdeed, and the gods may soon bring punishment. Your father and I, the commanders of the Fang and Claw, and only a few others knew of the existence of an item granted us by the gods. To keep, never use, and someone seems to have used this chaos to steal it."

  –

  Of course, that wasn't quite what had happened, it was simply what the Queen knew. Eventually the King returned and pulled the Queen away, and whatever they were speaking of left the Queen to nearly faint in surprise. Her knees gave out and the maids nearby, as well as the guards, rushed to check on her.

  Though with how Penelope's father looked at her, she wondered what it had to do with. It was almost as if it was somehow connected to her.

  –

  In the weeks that followed, the eldest daughter of the King and Queen found herself railroaded through a great many things. Her eyes empty. Whiskers and ears droopy. It was obvious to anyone who knew her that she was simply going through the motions, empty inside.

  "Rou…"

  It would seem she had found out about the Sage of Fluff, shortly before she had been raised to the position of Queen, subjected to coronations and ceremonies that were delayed due to the rioting.

  –

  As the new Queen, she had even been visited by Creation. But strangely, she didn't seem to cower before him. Not as her mother and father had. Creation stood there in the elderly body of the mouse, looking at the young Queen curiously.

  "So you have been told what it was that caused this madness, I presume?"

  "The box of Black Slime that our kingdom was given. …by you, yes?"

  "Yes, indeed. Every Kingdom has one, and in all the years I have granted the Kingdoms such… only one was ever foolish enough to abuse it. And they no longer exist. A test of reason, a test of values. A limit, from the gods, to your kind. A box that may never be opened, but must always be kept. And now, young Queen, it falls to you."

  "No." her response was curt, surprising Creation.

  "My dear, this is not a request, I am informing you of your duties. This is my check upon the rulers of your world."

  "I will not take it. I do not want it. Whatever tradition, test or limitation you have tried to place upon us is your doing, and not my responsibility." The previous King and Queen were terrified as their daughter refused Creation himself. As they tried to claim she was too young to understand, Creation stood up a bit straighter and that same terror he tended to use to great effect once again made the previous King and Queen collapse. But Penelope?

  She simply stood there, looking at Creation, hands held together at her waist in front of her.

  "So you truly do not have any fear of me then? Not even a drop. Hmm hmm hmm." he chuckled softly, a bit surprised. "Why is that? I do not believe it is ignorance of who I am."

  "Because you acted to save the Sage of Fluff before you acted to punish the one who stole my father's box. Perhaps it was a whim to you, or some measure of guilt, but to me, he was my hope that perhaps one day I could choose someone I loved and wed them. And now, he is gone, is he not? Lost… forever." Finally the resolute young rabbit Queen shook a little, emotions getting the better of her. "I do not fear you because you are no threat to me. I will not be party to your game. As far as I am concerned, you are responsible for Rou's suffering by having ever allowed such a thing to exist in this world in the first place."

  Penelope spat at Creation's feet in disgust.

  And she turned, walking away, not even waiting to be dismissed by the god, walking by her parents as they knelt on the ground terrified.

  Creation, however, simply smiled a little and vanished.

  It was that day that, unknowingly to most nations in the world, that something was missing. In each nation, a single plain wooden box covered in layers of magical seals vanished from wherever it was.

  And instead, in the center of the world, Creation appeared. Deep within the confines of the planet, lay an impenetrable vault. A vault where he, personally, kept things that were too dangerous to ever leave, but could not be brought elsewhere as a result. And the wooden boxes were unceremoniously dumped to be forgotten to time itself, never to see the light of day again.

  –

  Penelope's first act as Queen? Was to destroy every statuette of Creation in every church in the nation. The Church protested, but the new Queen warned. Disobedience was death. They were not to be hidden or simply removed, they were to be taken out in public and destroyed.

  She had not lied. She blamed Creation. And Creation… did not respond, or punish her. She wasn't wrong. In a way, he had been responsible for the possibility of it happening.

  This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

  –

  "You are…" the voice belonged to Shiela as she stood there in the estate of her mothers that they had only just moved into. "Yes, I am. I have come to see Rou. Is he… well enough to visit?"

  Before long, the new Queen was led through the estate by Shiela towards the room in the back where Rou was. Given it was so soon after the events at the castle, his fur had not properly grown back yet after having been burned away by the dragon's fire. The sight of him laying there, seemingly braindead, surrounded by his father and even a mouse maid of theirs who seemed very worried for him, broke something in Penelope's heart and steeled her belief that he was gone.

  Nothing would likely ever bring him back.

  Which meant she had no more reason to hold onto that errant dream of hers. That she might live a happy life without worry of being a political favor. Not even saying anything further, just turning and walking out of the Erial estate.

  –

  "You make a beautiful queen."

  Rou's voice was gentle, a little amused, but also rather surprised even if he wasn't quite sure of the phrasing to use. With it having been over two years since he last saw Penelope, suddenly she went from the Kings daughter who was hugging his arm and hoping to get his attention to… well, she was still much the same judging by the adoration in her eyes, but now she was seated on the monarch's throne and was wearing a rather regal outfit instead of the more pretty, but simple ones she used to favor.

  "Thank you for your kind words." Clearly Penelope was trying very hard to maintain her image. Though as she noticed Rou look to the side and nod slightly in each direction at the others present, she giggled slightly and tried to pretend that she hadn't noticed before offering a soft 'ahem'. "If the court would be so kind as to afford the Sage of Fluff and myself a measure of privacy?"

  It didn't take long for the court to clear out, leaving Penelope to stand up off her throne and walk close. She was still a fair bit shorter than Rou even after a couple more years on her. But as Rou went to speak, Penelope cut him off by reaching up to grasp at the neckline of his shirt, tugging him down and kissing him.

  –

  Once she pulled back, Rou felt himself rather surprised to see that she had tears in her eyes. "I thought I would never be able to see you again. I resigned myself that your mind was gone forever, that… that if I did see you again, you would be broken at the very best."

  Penelope was shaking from the built-up frustration of it. Years of having believed Rou beyond saving. Even if Creation had personally claimed to be trying his best, if Creation says it's not reasonable to expect anything? It was stupid to get hope.

  Rou could see it all over her. The giddy love-struck teen had grown up in the few years more than she had ever wanted to, even now trying to maintain her image before Rou reached out and hugged her, leaving a shuddering ghost of frustration to escape as she finally started to work through those built-up emotions.

  She was twenty now, or close by this point, the ruler of a nation, and had grieved many things. But now, that hope that she never dreamed would be real stood in front of her, albeit injured. Like a soldier who went off to war, was reported dead, and somehow came back home after it all. Injured, but recovering.

  The queen finally recovered from her frustrations with a happy smile and caught the half-broken red panda by surprise with another kiss, this time he allowed it and even returned it ever so gently as his thoughts about her hadn't quite… caught up to things. It wasn't until she pulled away and gave a soft whistle, a maid trotting from a nearby hallway and approaching.

  "Your Majesty?"

  "I will be returning to my room. Help me change out of this? It is a bit too much for a private conversation."

  "Yes." the maid said simply before Penelope looked towards Rou and said softly, "Come along? I have wanted to speak with you for a while, if… your health permits?"

  Rou nodded at that, trusting her implicitly enough that he walked along, with a slight limp as he still hadn't quite managed to coordinate his body as best he could. Eventually he found himself seated outside the Queens chambers - not her parents' previous quarters, but another room that had been outfitted for her own purposes. A few chairs that were there for various purposes, but at the moment, he waited.

  –

  "The Queen wishes to speak with you now, you may enter, Sage."

  Rou nodded and stood up, walked inside and closed the door behind himself only to notice that Penelope had indeed changed. No longer in the formal attire of a ruler, but wearing a simple dress that looked much more comfortable.

  "What was it you wished to speak about? Not that I mind, I am happy just to see you after all."

  As Penelope walked closer, she reached to take Rou's hands in her own and held them while looking up at him with no small amount of adoration. "Now that I am the Queen, you know… if you maintain the betrothal you promised me, that would make you the King, yes?"

  "Phrasing. I don't believe I promised you anything, other than promising to consider it. And to make time to get to know you better after a couple of years." Rou reminded.

  "Oh, is that right? Well, look at the time. It has been a year or two at least, and here I am, looking to talk and for us to spend time together?" It seems she remembered /exactly/ the phrasing he used, and was quick to twist him up in it.

  "You know very well what she wants, silly, quit playing hard to get."

  Replying rather candidly mentally to Affection, Rou complained her way. "Hush. I told you then I don't…"

  "Go on, dummy. She has for a couple of years now resigned that she would never be able to choose her partner, that it would never be for love, and she would have to give herself away to someone she didn't even like for the sake of her nation, or simply remain alone for the rest of her life. But you came back."

  "I'm not a character in a dating sim, you don't need to see all the endings." once again Rou grumbled. It wasn't that he disliked Penelope, just…

  Penelope noticed his uncertainty and started to worry only for him to sigh and apologize. "I was lost in my own thoughts, I apologize. Since my time away, I think… slower at times. I keep having to remind myself that though time hasn't passed for me, it passed for everyone else. Just… let me ask something. And please be honest."

  "Yes?" The rabbit queens head tilted slightly as she heard Rou question, "Am I just a safe choice for a partner because you would rather have a choice at all?"

  What he hadn't expected was Penelope replying immediately. "You are, yes. You are cute, sweet, safe and make me feel like there is no one I would rather be wed to in the world. We haven't spent enough time to know each other, but I don't particularly mind." she let go of Rou's hands and turned to walk towards the bed, disrobing in the process and turning once there, fully exposed to him. "If you were me, wouldn't you do the same? Being alone, or being with someone you trust, and respect?"

  –

  Rou's eyes closed as he thought a bit, before finally stepping close, leaving Penelope uncertain what he was going to say before he cupped her cheeks and kissed her properly for the first time. Sure, she had kissed him earlier, but at the moment? This was a bit different. "I never realized I meant so much to you, for all those reasons. Thank you for your trust, and I accept the betrothal on a conditional basis. Besides… Affection clearly doesn't mind, so you have succeeded a little already." The last bit earned a giggle from Penelope who was glowing at this point, realizing she'd managed to secure something she'd always wanted.

  Her own choice for a husband. Almost.

  "Conditional?"

  "You may have won over Affection, but she isn't the hard one to pander to. You have to individually gain the blessing of each member of my family. My father, my mother, but more importantly… Millet. My maid, perhaps you have seen her before?"

  "The Mouse maid? Whyever would I care about your maid's opinion to whom you are betrothed?" The spoiled royal in her showed briefly.

  "Yes, her. She asked me to marry her first. But she wanted to become a noble first as she seems to think it would stain my honor to 'marry a maid'. I will only agree to marry you if you gain her blessing, while keeping in mind that I am not giving up on her either. It is not you over her. It is her, and you. Or only her. If you try and force me to choose, I will choose her."

  This news frustrated Penelope a little, realizing that she truly wasn't first in his heart. But that was fine. He was her shield, and… she also did have a crush on him. "So I just have to make her a noble, then take her as a concubine and marry you both? …so be it."

  "Penelope, please, you know that's not what I–mmm… I am not certain I like this side of you." Rou grumbled as he was silenced briefly by a kiss and Penelope taking both of his hands and pulling him to the bed. "Oh please, Rou, I am not blind. Your eyes weren't on my eyes when I disrobed, but elsewhere. You like my sides just fine, both backside and front, judging by where you were looking." Her cheekiness and amused expression left Rou short on a comeback.

  Affection laughed at him as he was busted, leaving Rou to realize he was caught, trying to maintain some level of insistence about his conditions. "I will not suffer her being conscripted as a concubine. Speak with her, gain her approval, and then you will have mine."

  The Queen sighed before giving in, "As you wish. But now for what I wish… let's share your blanket finally."

  –

  Rou eventually left the castle the next day, mentally grumbling about rabbits.