Kawaii princess's Arc

Chapter 72 of 74

The flipped sign post outside the palace bore a new charge in wet paint. Kawaii Princess read it once and walked past it to the grounds, where a tall pole rose above the gathered heads of her supporters. Bright fabric flags spread stiff in the wind at its top, marking the spot where her girls stood waiting in the cold. Across the yard, a dark iron column had been raised overnight. Frost clung to its sides. Engraved letters named her followers an unsanctioned faction. Guards were already counting heads at the gate, ready to turn them away. She climbed the steps of the brick tower where complaints were heard. Inside the chamber, her rival waited with a witness list. Kawaii Princess set down a tin of crown tokens, one for every girl beneath the banner pole. She asked the head scout to walk to the window and count the flags, then count the tokens. Each flag matched a token. Each token matched a registered name from past rounds. The head scout opened the window, counted, and struck the complaint. He sent a runner to chip her followers' names into the iron column itself, turning the charge into a roster. Her girls passed through the gate. But her rival was already at the painter's bucket outside, dipping a fresh brush.