A few moments earlier, after forcing herself to calm down, Dianna had begun walking away with Amane at her side, and she refused to explain what had just happened at the gate.
Unable to hold it any longer, Amane asked, "Lady Dianna, please tell me what's happening. That was Princess Aisha, wasn't it? And the Imperial Army... what happened to the army we were promised?"
Dianna kept her eyes ahead and continued walking, her expression turning colder with every step. "Forget the army."
Amane's step paused. Dianna added, without looking back, "It was never going to be ours. We were played from the beginning."
Amane took the situation in, then picked up her pace to keep up, and this time the words came out broken. "Then what now? Don't tell me you're still going to fight for the throne knowing we've already lost."
"I don't have the choice to run," Dianna said. "Once you've registered yourself, there is no turning back. From this point on, it's either death or the throne."
