For her first party, Anna was glad it was in a post-apocalyptic world. Where else would she attend a party that had remnants of modern technology and new insane inventions that blew her mind? Like the music.

She had no idea where it came from, or even what language it was, but it still made her want to abandon all her worries and dance till her leg muscles gave up.

Inside the party hall was full of life. Colored neon lights flashed, the guests in their beautiful outfits shone like a sea of diamonds, and the strange music flowed through the air mixed with the cheers of the guests.

Anna’s jaw dropped and her eyes grew wide as she drank in the beauty. "It’s like a rave..."

"Will you wipe that drool off your cheek?! You’re the Princess Orchid. You’ve attended hundreds of these parties!"

"Yeah, but Anna Carson hasn’t." Anna replied with a grin.

A waiter walked by with a tray of drinks and Anna quickly grabbed one. "What is this?" She marveled at the pale green liquid fizzing with bubbles.

"Don’t drink that!"

"Why not?"

"It’s what alcohol would be after five thousands years of refinement."

Anna laughed. So there is still alcohol in this world. She wasn’t about to ponder on how it was produced, instead she raised the glass and chugged it down.

"You fool." AI Orchid hissed.

It tasted so good that Anna got another glass. And a third. On her fourth, a large hand gently held hers and lowered it.

"Your highness, the party hasn’t begun yet." Azul said softly.

Heat warmed Anna’s cheeks. Clearing her throat, she handed the glass over to him. "So I’m...I’m guessing you guys will go ahead and have fun."

"I will remain by your side." Azul said without wasting a beat.

"Me too." Kai said, his eyes on her as he gracefully plucked a glass from a passing waiter.

Anna sighed softly. She had no idea how this worked, how Princess Orchid behaved at parties, and she wasn’t about to ask the fuming hologram throwing death stares at her.

But one thing she knew was that she was about to have fun. All the fun she couldn’t have in her past life, all the parties she missed, she was gonna use this one to make up for it.

The song changed to a more upbeat one, and the crowd of guests reacted accordingly, screaming on top of their lungs, jumping to the beat, and laughing wildly. The energy possessed Anna and she immediately wanted to join them.

"Okayyyy! It’s an order now! You two, go and have fun! If I need help I’ll scream!" She said hastily, giving Kai and Azul a soft smile before she ran off and joined the dancing bodies.

The men stood back, watching her. She didn’t blend in, her gorgeous gown and striking features stood out even when surrounded by dozens of people.

Kai took a sip of his drink. "Good thing I’ve never been good with orders." He said, unable to tear his eyes away from her. The way she moved and danced was unlike anything he’d ever seen before. Her face was radiant with smiles, her crown crooked as she rocked to the music, her hair not a strand out of place. And Kai knew without a doubt; she’s not the princess.

Azul on the other hand held the glass carefully, worried he’d break it any second. In-between glancing down at it and making sure the princess was still in his line of sight, he wasn’t having a bad time. This too was the first time he’d attended a party like this. And while it was loud, too flashy, and slightly debased, as long as he focused on the Princess, everything else turned into background noise.

Anna was having the best time of her life.

Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe it was the freedom, or maybe the collective rave-like energy wrapping around her, but she didn’t want the night to end.

Why did I never attend any parties?! Is this what I’ve been missing?!

Just when she was getting into it, someone grabbed her wrist and pulled her.

"Your highness! What are you doing?!" A horrified voice gasped.

Anna turned to see Thalia, and the rest of Princess Orchid’s private council.

Speaking of Princess Orchid, the hologram made a strangled noise of mortification. "You’ve killed me. Social fucking suicide. I’ll never attend any parties again!"

Anna laughed. "Oh you big baby! You’ll be fine! Throw your own parties for all I fucking care!"

"Excuse me?!" Thalia whispered.

Anna shook her head. "Not you, I wasn’t talking to you."

Thalia looked around, as if asking her friends "you are seeing this too, right?" They all nodded grimly, confusion scattered across their faces.

With a heavy sigh, Anna tore herself away from the dancing crowd. "Why are you here? Aren’t you supposed to be having fun on your birthday?" She asked Thalia. A waiter walked back and she grabbed her fourth glass, drinking the sweet and tangy alcohol in three gulps. A heated buzz spread through her veins and she glanced longingly at the dance floor.

Meanwhile, Thalia was losing her mind. Who is this woman? Did the Princess hit her head so much and get a personality change?!

"Your highness, I didn’t know you were a dancer." Thalia said with a controlled smile.

Anna’s gaze traveled between the Private Council, reading their faces to the best of her abilities. She barely remembered their names. And since the first meeting she had with them, she had called off and postponed every single meeting.

She felt like this was a gang up. A very clever one. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

"If you’re hoping to have an emergency meeting here, you’ve failed." She said firmly, even as her head swirled and her vision blurred. With a wide grin that showed off her fangs, she slung an arm over Thalia’s shoulder and pulled the snake beastwoman close. "Today is my beautiful best friend’s birthday. And you want us to have a meeting? Are you that insensitive or what?"

The ox member cleared his throat and stepped forward. "Our apologies, your highness. We meant no harm, we only wanted to—"

"I know I know. Mutated uranium, bullshit outside the ruins. Have any of you been outside the ruins?"

Thalia tried to escape but Anna’s grip tightened.

The friends exchanged worried glances between each other.

Anna waited, loving the thrill of power that coursed through her body. "Well?"

"There’s no reason for any of us to go outside the ruins, your highness that’s why we have soldiers and slaves."

Anna’s eyes darkened.

"Soldiers? Slaves?" She repeated, her voice dropping an octave. The sounds of the party blurred into a discordant rhythm. The buzz of excitement in her veins was quickly replaced with growing anger.

She recalled just a few days ago, her experience outside the ruins. Her close brush with death. Leon’s cold hearted decision to watch her die.

"None of you know what it’s like." She laughed.

Thalia was the one that spoke up. "Your highness, is everything okay? You’re acting strange. Very strange."

Anna looked down at her. "Define strange."

Thalia blinked. "Sorry?"

"Do I need to repeat myself, Lia?"

Thalia gasped. Everyone gasped. Even the hologram.

Lia was the nickname only Princess Orchid used for Thalia. It was so rarely used that Thalia could count on one hand alone the number of times she’d been called Lia by the Princess.

"N-no! No of course not! You don’t need to!"

Anna released her. "Alright fine. Since you guys want a meeting so bad, fetch the uranium yourselves and I’ll give you a chance."

"What?!" Thalia shouted. "Your highness! That’s highly dangerous and—"

"Are you trying to get me to take my words back?" Anna smiled sweetly her head cocked to the side. Her crown slid down, but didn’t fall. "If that’s the case, then it would be quite unfortunate, my sweet Lia, that your birthday becomes your funeral."

Thalia’s pale face turned whiter than snow. Her mouth opened and closed with no sound coming out. She looked around her but no one would dare glance in her direction. Not even the Private Council.

"Awesome!" Anna giggled, clapping her hands excitedly. "Now, I’m going to go back to dancing, and you guys can decide when you’re visiting the ruins. Oh and I find out, which I will, that you guys didn’t get it yourselves, you will never return from the ruins. We good?"

Thalia looked up at her. "It’s my birthday, your highness." She said, her voice masking hatred and pain.

Anna pouted, her brows slanting down in mock sadness. "Is that so?" She turned to the private council and pointed at the androgynous beastwoman. "Kindly sing a birthday song for my dear Lia."

"I...your highness I don’t know how to sing,"

"It’s okay! I’ll teach you. It’s a very simple birthday song. Ready?" Anna went ahead, singing a choppy but melodic rendition of happy birthday to you. After three tries, the androgynous beastwoman nodded.

"I...I get it now."

She walked up to the stage, in the middle of the dancers, and began to sing.

The hall fell silent, all the music stopped and every guest turned to her.

Anna smiled dreamily, clapping and cheering for her. Some guests glanced at her, and the look on her face made all of them avert their eyes immediately.

"Awesome! That was wonderful my friend!" Anna cheered once she was done singing. "Everyone, continue! Please! Give my dear friend Thalia the best birthday of her life! Music! Party!"

The crowd didn’t need to be told twice. Life returned, and the music blasted higher. The lights flashed, and it was like nothing had happened.

Anna turned back to the Private Council. "Once again, happy birthday, Thalia." She blew a kiss at the snake beastwoman, before sauntering off.

"Look at you. I was worried for nothing." AI Orchid said, a hint of pride in her voice. "You’re adapting well to your role."

Anna grabbed another glass. Her hand trembled so badly she had to hold it with two hands. "Fuck yourself, Orchid."

AI Orchid laughed.

In that moment, a couple of things happened at once.

Thalia, humiliated and spiteful, spotted Azul across the crowds and smiled. She fixed her outfit, lowering her dress to make her cleavage show, before making her way over to him.

Kai, who had watched everything happening, was on his seventh glass of alcohol. The internal turmoil he’d been subject to for the past weeks boiled and spilled over. He chugged his eighth glass, knowing that the alcohol would barely affect him. Tonight. He needed to make absolute sure tonight. He feared that by tomorrow it would be too late.

And on the far end of the party, right where the front door was, a dashing lion beastman walked into the venue, dressed in full military regalia.