Dianna's entire body shimmered brilliantly, yet she stared blankly out the window at the giant diamond.
As queen, her room wasn't far from the massive gem.
Yet right now, even her room felt dim.
Dianna watched the diamond hovering in midair, narrowing her eyes slightly.
Late last night, the diamond—stable until then—had suddenly begun flickering violently.
Like a lamp on the verge of burning out, the diamond's glow fluctuated rapidly.
Nearly half the Carbinks clearly heard sharp cracking sounds coming from it.
Hairline fractures that had been tiny deepened and expanded before everyone's eyes.
The giant diamond was reaching the end of its lifespan—on the verge of collapse.
As queen, Dianna immediately evacuated all Carbinks from the vicinity, just in case.
Fortunately, because of her quick response, no casualties occurred.
Unfortunately, Dianna knew she could no longer conceal this.
When cracks had first appeared, she'd made up excuses to cover them up.
Since nothing had come of it, the Carbinks hadn't objected.
The riot and panic she'd feared never occurred.
But now…
Putting aside the fact that every Carbink had seen the abnormal changes firsthand—even several nearby mineral veins had suffered varying degrees of collapse.
For Carbinks, whose lives depended on minerals, this was the most urgent kind of crisis.
Even if she tried, she couldn't conceal it. Questions were inevitable.
Thinking about this, Dianna felt a worsening headache.
She hadn't felt so helpless in years…
Should she come clean and announce the diamond's condition?
Then the fact that she no longer possessed the ability to create another diamond would be known by every Carbink.
That alone would spark widespread unrest—and possibly even affect Diancie.
But…
Pretending nothing happened was even less realistic.
"What should I do…?"
Leaning against the window, Dianna murmured weakly.
Just then—
Click.
After a soft sound, the wooden door opened slowly.
"Dianna, are you okay?"
Elias's concerned voice reached her ears.
Hearing that familiar voice, Dianna felt warmth flow through her chest, easing her mood considerably.
"Elias, why are you here?"
"Where are Diancie and the others?"
Pulling herself together, Dianna asked with a forced smile.
Anyone could tell it wasn't genuine.
"It's chaotic outside, so Diancie and Delphox are both in the courtyard with Cogita," Elias patiently explained, aware of Dianna's concerns.
At this, Dianna finally exhaled.
The Carbinks were undoubtedly in turmoil. If Diancie appeared now, as the princess, she'd certainly be questioned and overwhelmed.
With her temperament, she probably couldn't withstand that pressure.
Staying in the courtyard was safer…
"I'm sorry. I disturbed your rest."
Dianna rarely apologized, sounding small and vulnerable.
This sudden upheaval had shattered her confidence along with everything else.
Right now, she felt utterly helpless.
Seeing her like this, Elias zoned out for a moment.
For a second, he saw Diancie's shadow in the queen.
Unthinkingly, he almost reached out to pinch her cheek.
Fortunately…
He withdrew his hand just in time.
Dianna subtly tilted her head forward, but Elias didn't notice as he redirected the conversation.
"So, what's the diamond's current condition?"
"Can it still last the four or five years we estimated?"
Elias's expression became grave as he spoke.
If the diamond shattered now, that would be the worst news possible.
He still wasn't confident he could fully provoke Yveltal.
After all, to truly enrage a Legendary Pokémon, it usually needed to be cornered by overwhelming force.
Otherwise, an ordinary opponent was merely an irritating insect—annoying, perhaps, but not enraging.
What relieved Elias was Dianna's nod.
"The timeframe's shortened a bit, but around four years should still be manageable."
She could always sense the condition of a diamond she'd created herself.
"Then why do you look like this?"
Elias relaxed slightly, looking at her in confusion.
When he'd entered, she'd seemed close to tears.
There was even faint redness around her eyes, as if she'd suffered some great injustice.
Hearing this, Dianna's lips twitched slightly.
After a brief pause, she decided to confide her worries to Elias.
Though the chances were slim, she hoped he might have some useful advice.
Otherwise, the Carbinks' unrest alone could severely harm the Underground Kingdom.
After hearing her explanation, Elias also felt troubled.
She truly was caught in a difficult dilemma.
Whether she revealed the truth or concealed it, severe consequences were inevitable.
The only way to resolve this issue at its source was to create another giant diamond.
But unfortunately…
Neither she nor Diancie currently possessed that ability.
Thinking about this, Elias clenched his fist.
He'd overlooked this potential crisis—he should've reminded Dianna sooner.
Just then, Dianna spoke again.
She glanced at the diamond suspended in midair, saying helplessly, "Usually, past queens lose the ability to create a giant diamond at times like this."
"And when it reaches this stage, the princesses have usually grown strong enough to create a new diamond."
"It's meant to be a perfect opportunity to step down…"
Dianna explained seriously.
Elias listened and nodded along.
Allowing the new queen to establish authority while providing a valid reason to abdicate—it truly was a perfect transition.
But…
"With Diancie as she is now, due to her condition… she's still far from ready to take over."
"That's why things ended up like this."
Exhaustion filled Dianna's voice.
Only a miracle could help now—perhaps if Arceus suddenly appeared and granted Diancie the Pixie Plate.
Otherwise, the situation seemed unavoidable.
Diancie's strength and health wouldn't spontaneously recover.
This unrest… seemed inevitable.
Dianna looked at Elias and slowly voiced her thoughts.
---
T/N: heres ur updates :3 meeting the 4 chaps a week quota :3
bonus chaps
100 stones -> 1 chapter
200 stones -> 2 chapters
300 stones -> 3 chapters
and so on
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