KINGS UNDER FAVOR

They stood amid a long, airy hall. It had enormous full-wall wooden windows with yellowish vines. Ren looked around; we were invited to the study because the princess wanted to meet us.

Behind where they stood was a spiral staircase, leading to the balcony with bookshelves and a separate sitting area. Ren joined the others, who took seats on the sectional couches arranged on either side.

Amanda walked over to a wooden desk containing many documents. She sat down, skimming through the papers. 

“As you all know about the war crisis with the desert land,” glancing over at Ren, “I am sorry you will have to keep up.”
"Nah, not really." 
"Should we care?"
"I wanna go fight!"
"Can i stay behind—"
Ren glanced at others; they all sure are carefree.

Amanda smiled. "Let me rephrase that: as none of you care about the current crisis with the desert land, you will still have to join in on the fight, at least a few of you."
"Don't wanna."
"Yaaaaaaay!!!!"
"Please let us rest."
"Shsssh, she will say all we do is rest!"

In the center of the room, a symbol appeared.
"Okay, now stay quiet!" Amanda shouted.
The symbol illuminated, and a person wearing decorative clothes appeared.

"Ah, acting king of crystal land, Prince Carlos, I am glad you came," Amanda announced.

His hair was angular with elegant edges. The translucent crystalline hair reflected blue and violet hues. His smooth, matte white skin complemented his hair.

Can a person this crystalline exist?

Amanda bore a slightly crooked smile around the corner, while the prince's expression remained rigid yet delicate.
"No need for formalities, Amanda; bet you are trying to look cool in front of yet another new member."

Amanda kept her smile; her eye twitched as her glare deepened. “You are just jealous that I prefer them over you.”

She dropped the honorifics as if they were nothing.

The crystal prince raised his head, not breaking eye contact with her. “Ha, me, jealous? Heh, they finally drove you nuts.” Tilting his head, he sighed, followed by a smirk, “Not like you weren’t nuts.”

The princess rose from her seat. “Oh, Carlos, if you were a genius, you would have understood my level of intellect.”

I hope this doesn’t escalate.
Why isn’t anyone interfering?
He glanced over the rest of the members, who were uninterested in the matter, while the two royals groaned.

Suddenly, behind Carlos, there seemed to be a slight wind creating a bubble.
What is that thing?
The colour of this bubble darkened, turning black as it increased in size.
A hole formed in the center.
Ren leaned forward, peeking in the hole, and it looked like the cosmos.
What the hell?
There was a shadow lurking in it.
As Ren tried to take a closer look, its size abruptly enlarged.
He let out a scream, “What is that?”

Everyone turned to notice the hole; a person walked out of it.
His blond hair ruffled, and he closed his eyes to smile.
The hole shrank back to nothing.

“That is Hiroto, the book writer.” Ren saw Riley standing next to him, and she sat down.
There was some chuckling and giggling, but the commotion settled.
“That was a portal he makes.” She smiled, somewhat sadly.

So that thing was a portal.

Hiroto walked up to the desk. “Princess Amanda and Prince Carlos, the others arrived.”
He walked to Carlos and stood behind him.

So he was his subordinate.

Amanda and Carlos smiled, awaiting the visitors.

A glowing sigil appeared in the center; lightning rose with multiple shadowed figures within. The light subsided, revealing other royals.

As a person took a step forward, he noticed Carlos. “Prince Carlos is already here?”
His hair was blazing red, aflame by the tips.
He is burning.

“King Vitalex, of the flame kingdom,” Amanda announced.
The prince placed a hand over his chest and bowed.

Ren stood up to bow, but before he could, he noticed others were just leisurely sitting.
Riley pulled him back down.
“Don’t bow; the other members never bow, so it will make you stand out.”

“B-but they are royals, right?” as Ren stared at the shining crowns each one of them wore.

“Amanda said it's fine,” Riley said, shifting her gaze to the visitors.

“Flame prince—” a feminine voice resounded.
The flame prince turned to the speaker as she continued, “Prince Carlos must have access to vanish into the study.”
He took a few steps away as a girl dressed in blue walked past him.
Avoiding contact with her deep-sea blue hair, which seemed to be all water, with liquid falling off its tips. “They are childhood friends after all.”

So that’s why the bickering wasn’t much of an ordeal.

“Queen Lysander, of the water kingdom.”
The princess lifted her skirt from both sides, crossed her legs, and slightly bowed.

“Princess Amanda and Prince Carlos, pleasure meeting you both again.”
A girl dressed fully in white smiled. 
Dust of sparkling snow fell with each gesture.

“Queen Menisha of the ice kingdom.”

Blushing slightly, she bowed, casting snowflakes around due to the abrupt motion.

All the others followed her in a bow.

Princess Amanda is the ruler of the whole Star Area, while the rest are sub-kingdom rulers. So, except for Prince Carlos, the others show her respect.

Amanda rose. “I am thankful for your visits today.”

“Of course,” Carlos added as he and Amanda exchanged smiles.

“Prince Zyron, heir to the wind clan,” the prince dressed in a kimono-style robe spoke, a flag over his face, trying to hide his bashfulness.
His demeanor was like a maiden's, but his voice was deep.

“Your father couldn’t come?” Amanda asked with closed eyes.

 Yeah, everyone else is the ruler, but he is only an heir. Ren glanced at the heir.

Zyron removed the flag, revealing his feminine features.
“H-he is already at the battlefield and said he will fight while we all figure out the details.”

“He is a wise man; he has my regard.” Prince Carlos added, as he glanced over at the four rulers. “Right, the rock king, the princess fairy, the prince warrior, and the automaton queen are all already in the fight.”
He paused and looked at Amanda. “What about that stone king of yours?”

“What does he mean by ‘yours’?” whispered to Riley.

“The stone king is a Star Awesome member. Though he isn’t from this world, the stone fairy made him the king,” Riley whispered, “and Amanda supported him since the stone kingdom had no ruler.”

“You mean Nandru; his land has issues, and he will join me later.” Amanda waved her hand.

The other royals sighed, somewhat frustrated, but none of them spoke.

“Are they not happy about the new ruler?” whispering

“At first, they were okay, but due to Amanda’s clear favoritism, they don’t like it; she lets him off too easily.”

Come to think of it, she questioned Prince Zyron about his father but nonchalantly let Nandru off for some unsaid matter.

Seats appeared for the royals.