"So, let me get this straight." Sylvia rubbed the temples of her forehead, "You demanded to see me at 2am to inform me about a threat to Operation Strix so important that I had to be seen in person...

AND THE THREAT IS THAT SOMEONE HAD A CRUSH ON YOUR WIFE?!"

"It's not just 'someone', it's the King." Loid explained calmly.

"And what exactly do you expect me to do about it?!"

"I'm going to need some reinforcement. Maybe around 150 men. Or 100 if resources are low. Their mission will be to become the new guards at the Westerling Palace. We'll need them to bug every inch of that okace, particularly the King's office study...and especially his bedroom. Maybe get someone to be the King's personal bodyguard so it won't look suspicious and they can watch over him and Yor. While we're at it, we could do something about the Charles child. I'm thinking it should be simple enough for me change his grades so he'll be kicked out of Eden or we could get one of our men to pose as a teacher and give him several Tonito."

"So, not only do you want us to take the King out, you want his six-year-old to go away, too?"

"Yes."

"...Twilight, get out. Now. Before I call Garden and send an assassin after you."

Sylvia Sherwood liked to think that she was a patient woman. Well, you had to be. You don't get to her position without knowing how to control yourself. But unlike most agents, Sylvia was wiser (no pun intended): she used to have a life. A

real

life outside of being a spy. Once, she was a daughter, a sister, a lover, a mother.

Then she worked with WISE and just like that, they all went away.

Yes, it took a lot of patience to go through what she did and still choose to live her life and dedicate herself to helping the world.

BUT THAT DID NOT INCLUDE HELPING A MAN IN HIS 30s FIGURE OUT HE HAS A CRUSH ON HIS WIFE!

"I don't understand why you're not taking this seriously. If the King gets involved with someone in Operation Strix, the mission will be in danger." Loid reasons.

"Really? How so?" She challenged, crossing her arms, "Tell me, Twilight, why would it matter if your

fake wife

ended up in love with the King, then went on to marry him and birth the new heirs after Operation Strix comes to an end?"

Loid cringed but for a millisecond. If Sylvia wasn't top of her field, she wouldn't have noticed. But nothing gets past her.

"You know as well as I do that the 'Charletons 'are basically glorified celebrities. They have no real influence."

"The King always listens to Heads of Government though and that includes the National Unity Party."

"Yes. The

King

. Not Yor Briar." Sylvia corrects. "In fact, the more I think about it, the more Yor being with the King is actually a good thing. After all, the King is less likely to wage war or do anything that jeoporadises the lives of innocent people if his wife uses her wiley charms."

Yor...wiley charms...on the King...

His eyes on her face. His hand on her hand. His lips on her skin.

The very thought of it made a pit in his stomach.

On one hand, the Handler actually had a point. But on the other...

"Eden takes pride in family values." He firmly 'realises. "They wouldn't accept Anya as an Imperial Scholar if she comes from a broken family. Besides, relying on Yor is risky. I don't doubt she'd protest if nefarious plans are being suggested, but there's no guarantee the King will listen. He might fold under Desmond's pressure."

"Your daughter's already in Eden. What determines her Imperial Scholar status will 'be her Stellas and her family doesn't matter anymore." Sylvia said rationally. "As for relying on Yor, true, there's no telling how much the King will take her word into consideration. But wouldn't our chances of intel increase if your daughter becomes an Imperial Scholar

and

Yor is his? You would be able to gather information from your daughter through her school

and

from your wife through the King. Well,

ex

-wife, I suppose."

'

Come on, Loid, take the bait.

'

Faster and with more inner fury than he intended to, Loid spoke, "She's

not

going to be my ex-wife."

On the inside, Sylvia grinned.

'Hook, line and sinker.'

The truth is, she had always wished Agent Twilight well. The man's had such a difficult life and gave up so much that it was only fair he'd find happiness one day. She decided that the day he did, she would help him maintain that happiness. He deserved it.

But in order for that to happen, the man had to stop being such a dumbass.

"Why so upset, Agent? Does the idea of Yor Briar not being yours upset you so?" She asked innocently.

"No. I don't care what Yor Forger decides to do." He says vehemently.

Sounded rehearsed, but okay.

"Well, then, you should have no trouble getting Yor

Briar

, to get closer with the King. After all, it'll be better for the mission, no?"

Loid's face remained stoic as he had always done so well. In front of the Handler and other fellow spies, he had been a bit more skilled in the art of acting. But whenever he was around his family, suddenly, he had a harder time. In fact, his happiness, his despair, his sadness, his laughs, they were all for Yor and Anya to see. Sometimes, he couldn't even contain it even if he tried.

So, in order to not show how he was panicking on the inside and the thought of Yor with the King made him want to contact Garden himself and arrange a hit-man, Loid simply asked, "Is that an order?"

"No, it's not." Sylvia answers with nonchalance, "I wouldn't say it's a necessity, but you should consider it as a viable course of action."

Secretly, she wished it wouldn't come to that. It would be immoral and despite everything she's done, Sylvia wasn't a fan of manipulating a woman to love someone. If Yor left Loid for the King, it wouldn't too bad. But 'she didn't really need for this to happen.

Really, she's only saying it because she's egging Loid on.

After all, at this age, he really should be more self-aware.

"I don't think it's a good idea. It's too risky. What if Yor tells the King that we were never her real family?" He asks.

"Then she'll explain you did it all for your 'dying wife'. Isn't that what you told her?" Sylvia asked. "Twilight, I'm going to ask you a question and I want you ' no, I

order

you, to tell me honestly: is your relationship with Yor Briar now as professional as it had been from the beginning?"

No. No, it wasn't.

And Loid knew that.

Everything had changed. The proof was what had happened a few nights ago.

This was not the first time Yor seemed to be insecure about her abilities. Before, it was because she was scared to be a failure as a mother and that she would be replaced by Agent Nightfall. Those days seemed like an eternity ago. The night that happened earlier this week and the first time Yor opened up to him months ago were so similar, yet different.

Both times, Yor was insecure. 'Before, the only reason he wanted to make her feel better was because he was afraid of the reputation they would get as a family if Yor looked unhappy all the time. Now, he did it even though she probably wouldn't have shown how upset she was outside of their home, just because he didn't like to see her upset.

Before, Yor needed to be inebriated to tell Loid how she felt. But now, they've developed a rapport of sorts, and she spoke to him about a secret she had never told before even though she didn 't need to.

Lastly, during that night so many months again, Loid fell asleep on Yor's lap. He didn't mean to, but that was the first time he noticed that perhaps he tended to put his guard down around her.

But that moment they shared only a few days ago? He initiated it. He purposely held her close and let her sleep on his chest the whole night. Back then, Loid and Yor blushed at the slightest accidental contact. Now it seemed like second nature...it was a comfort he hadn't felt before.

And if he was being honest, that embrace that he called 'practice' was just an excuse of some sort.

Because he didn't do anything of it for the mission. He did it because he wanted to.

He did it for

her.

The thought scared him.

The difference between 'then' and 'now' was as stark as day and night. Before, he had other motives when it came to choosing his family. ' Now, his first thoughts were always for them. When danger came, no longer did he wonder if the next agent could take over his missions.

He just wondered who would take care of his girls...

Yes, things were different now. 'But was that a good thing or a bad thing?

But of course, just because he was fond of Yor and wanted what was best for her doesn't mean anything. At least, not more than what a friend would want for another.

Yep. That's totally it.

"Before, I could have disposed of her easily, but now I see her as essential to the mission. Since she has been such an important part of its success, I believe it is only fair that she deserves fair compensation and protection from WISE."

There. That was a good answer, right? And it wasn't exactly a lie, it just wasn't the full truth, either.

Okay, granted, he didn't

really

answer it. But how could he? He didn't want to admit the reality of things to himself, much less the Handler.

"Uh-huh, sure." Sylvia said absent-mindedly as she began to gather her things and prepare to leave. '"You know, Twilight, lots of spies retire early, especially after their biggest missions. Just throwing it out there."

If Loid didn't know any better, he'd think that the Handler was pissed off at him. But surely, she wouldn't. Sure, he woke her up at 2am, but she woke up for a good cause. After all, Loid needed to signal any sort of danger to the mission and he's sure that she's probably glad to hear it.

Still, it begs the question of what to do with Yor and the King...

"And if I meet Desmond before Yor decides to leave?" Loid asked and Sylvia noted 'the slight glint in those eyes that looked hopeful.

Huh. Agent Twilight. Hopeful. It was a rare sentence, indeed.

"Then great. Yor Briar is free to do as she pleases and you won't need to encourage her to get closer to the King. But I'm going to guess that you'll do whatever ensures her happiness." She says it so casually that it floored poor Loid.

"I'll do what's right for the mission, not for Yor."

"Of course. If I were you, Agent Twilight, I'd tread carefully. And I don't just mean about the mission."

Important words from the Handler. You might even say they were...

wise

. However, as per usual, Loid decided to ignore the emotional side of things completely and instead, decided to try and find the best course of action: his options were plainly written to him. But it was a race against time.

One option, the original plan, was getting Anya to be an Imperial Scholar before Yor's relationship with the King reaches a point where she'd leave.

But how on earth could she get 7 Stellas? And putting pressure on her won't help. In fact it might do more harm than good. 'Although, he could encourage her to befriend the Desmond boy...perhaps a playdate would result and he could properly intercept Donovan Desmond in his own home.

He sighed. What was he doing? Why did he bother thinking up all these ways to keep Yor in the family when her leaving might make things simpler?

It was war or losing Yor forever.

The choice should have been obvious.

Yet Loid couldn't bring himself to agree.

"Go home, Twilight. Go check on your wife and daughter." the Handler said as she packed her things and began to walk out the door. Loid stayed in the office for a few more seconds, trying to gather his thoughts.

She knew he would.

So, she calls out his name and decides to give him a final piece of advice: "Oh and Loid? Even the greatest spy needs to figure out what makes them happy. It's what gives them strength."

When Loid turned around to look at her, as usual, the Handler's face was unreadable. But if he didn't know any better, he would have thought that she was encouraging him to pursue something other than his mission for once. He knew that the Handler had been a different 'boss' than most people in WISE. Everyone knew. They used to say she was soft, yet somehow, she was the best out of them all and outranked everyone faster than anyone ever has in WISE's history.

Based on that alone, Loid knew he couldn't just ignore her words. But Sylvia also knew he wouldn't necessarily understand its meaning yet. That's fine. He obviously needed time to admit that perhaps, the life of a spy isn't all there is. But she hopes he figures it out soon before it's too late.

You see, Sylvia owed her strength to what used to make her happy: every step she ever took, every action, every decision, was to make her daughter proud.

Even if she wasn't around anymore.

Shaking the thoughts in her head before she started to look too sad, she wore a grin. She was already out in the hallway, but she knew he could still hear her as she loudly said, "And get ahold of yourself, Agent! Jealousy is not an attractive quality in a man."

She couldn't see his reaction in the office, but she heard him say, "That's ridiculous! I am not jealous!"

"Yes, yes, whatever you say, Loid." she simply said. "Whatever you say."

It is times like these when she wonders if WISE would benefit from a mandatory therapy program.

Then perhaps she wouldn't have a grown manchild asking for 150 men to attack his wife's crush.

The Royal Family was a rather large one. But out of all of them, King William Charleton could only count on one hand the ones he loved and trusted the most. Once, it was his mother, the late Emmeline Charleton, who died abruptly after she had a sudden heart attack. She seemed perfectly fine days ago which is why it came as a shock. Barely being able to register his trauma, William became a King at only the age of 25, the youngest King that had ever ruled in Ostania.

But after his mother's death, his circle of trust became just three other Charleton members. Of course, there was his son, Charles, who was sure to make everyone proud one day. At six years old, he was already showing a certain maturity and flair for words that took most of the Royal Family years to have.

The second person was his sister, Charlotte Charleton, was...an unconventional royal: a notorious party girl who, to quote herself, 'had as much chill as a heatwave'. She was a bundle of energy when they were kids and she's a bundle of energy now: infamously loud, unashamed, willful and beautiful with her blonde hair and bright grey eyes. As the tabloids say, the Princess always seemed like she was experiencing a sugar high. Which, given her obsession with sweets, was unsurprising. Although he found her irresponsible at times, he knew he could always count on her.

Then there was the Duke of Castamere in Hungaria, Petyr Charleton. Petyr became like a father to William and he trusted him. So much so that he was one of his trusted advisors, if not his most.

Which is why 'everytime 'he came to visit, it warmed William's heart to see his son running towards his uncle. Petyr always looked the same, with his salt-and-pepper grey hair and short beard and despite being 60 years old, somehow managed to look 40. It's probably due to the Charleton genes of practically perfect symmetrical faces and piercing grey eyes. He was dressed in the traditional Charleton colours: royal blue and white, which, combined with his old age, only emphasised his wisdom and cunning.

"Uncle Pete!" Charles said, running to the normally composed Duke Petyr Charleton, who took Charles in his arms, "Ah, Charlie, you're getting so big! One day, you're going to be big and strong, like your Father."

"And a heartbreaker, apparently. Or so I hear." Petyr said, eyeing William. Although not Charles' Uncle (instead William's), he didn't mind the informal title the Little Prince gave him.

"Charles, why don't you go and tell Chef that Uncle Pete is here to visit and prepare those oysters he loves so much?" William quickly suggested.

"Yes, Father!" Charles jumped in excitement as he ran towards the kitchen.

William turned red and as soon as Charles was out of sight, he quickly set things straight, "Listen, it's not what you think. Yor's married and yes, I gave her a diamond bracelet, but I have no intentions and-"

"Yor? Who is Yor?" Petyr grinned. "I was talking about that actress, Catherine Colby. Were you not courting her?"

The King nodded, "that was two years ago uncle and 'i 'have not courted her since I noticed Charles didn't like her and vice versa. Anyone who doesn't approve of my son is not worthy of my time."

"Ah, fair enough. So...who is this Yor? And what's this about a present?" Petyr asked, his eyebrow raising curiously.

"She's my new clerk. I need one with all the work lately. Donovan Desmond and the Ministers are overwhelming me with their proposals." William sighed. "This is an important time in Charles' life. I need to spend time with him, so she's a huge help."

"I understand. But a diamond bracelet..." Petyr smiled, "Was it not your father that once said diamonds are a way to a woman's heart? As far as I know, you've never given other employees any diamonds."

"...She's just a good person, Uncle. Yor deserves nice things. She didn't grow up in easy circumstances, so I thought it would be a nice gift to someone who never get close to diamonds in her entire life." William explained, thanking himself for thinking of a reason.

Petyr shrugged, "If you say so, William."

"Anyways, I suppose you're here regarding the meeting in a few weeks?" William asked, changing the subject.

"Of course. I'm sure your new

friend

is more than efficient," Petyr teased, "But I figured you could use the extra help. Besides, it's always nice to spend time with my nephew and great-nephew."

William smiled, "Yes, and thank you so much for coming. You must be busy dealing with the Hungarian companies. I hear they're putting special pressure on you, although I must admit, I don't know the details."

"All in good time, my boy." Petyr smiled, putting his arm around his shoulder.

William smiled. But suddenly, his royal senses were tingling...

Something in the air felt different. Why did all the guards and maids suddenly look tired despite the day only starting? It was then he noticed something wasn't right: he smelled the scent of overly strong sweet caramel, fruit and vanilla. He sniffed in the air, cautiously. His face turned white in horror as he realised that he'd recognise that scent anywhere.

"She's here. Isn't she?"

Petyr laughed nervously, "Well..."

Suddenly, the door burst open and a loud explosion of vibrant pink and glitter (yes, literal glitter) immediately.

"OH, WILLYYYY!"

And just like that, Charlotte Charleton was back in Ostania.

May God help them all.

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