Cozy was standing behind Phiona as she was working at her desk. She seemed to be reading from a textbook on economics, with a guard helping her along the way. Cozy looked over her shoulder, and while she did know a fair bit about bartering, she didn’t want to interfere with the studying.

  The main reason she was here was to help with her speaking. Her economic theoreticals should be sound, and Cozy didn’t want to get too hands-on with her. From what Teddie told her, the bird wouldn’t like that. It was just learning how to project that heart out

  “I… I think I’m done!” Phiona stood up. “And we still… still have time to do some voice lessons too!”

  “That’s great,” Cozy said. “You’re pretty good at this.”

  “Eheh. I’ve studied for a while, and hard. I don’t… I don’t want to fall behind because the city needs me. And… knowing as much as… as I can is the best way to… to… help.”

  Cozy looked at the girl, who was very proud of her achievements so far. That was good, her being stressed was the last thing this entire city needed. But, she felt like this girl definitely needed some time outside.

  Standing on the balcony was a way better place for vocal lessons. The audience below them was there, even if they weren’t entirely paying attention right now. It was a good start, and soon her voice would have to ring across the entire city.

  “You’re good at memorizing, right?” Cozy asked, looking over the balcony.

  “Uhm… yeah. Yeah. That’s… something I think… I think I’m good at that,” Phiona nodded.

  “Recite the last text of the economics book you were reading.”

  “U-Uhm. To carry out a contractionary policy… the feds sell… bonds. In the bond market, shown in a panel… which I don’t have right now… it all… shifts into the right. The price of bonds and increasing the interest rate—”

  “Alright. I think I have an idea.” Cozy put her hand up to Phiona’s lip, cutting her off. “Tell me. What went through your mind when you recited that text?”

  “Just… just the words from it?”

  “Well. I know a girl who memorizes books way too often, and she’s pretty good at giving those speeches. Her own heart is like an open book, and she just needs to read from it.”

  Phiona stared silently at herself, a little bit confused. “How… how would I do that?”

  “Close your eyes. Imagine.”

  Cozy ordered, and the girl followed suit. “Now. The emotions you feel are already there, so all you need to do is read from it.”

  “I don’t get it.”

  Phiona’s eyes remained closed for a long time, while Cozy waited for her. It would probably take a bit of time, but she was hoping this idea would do something. At least, just a little bit to help her out. With that one line, there was a little bit of progress. Just needed to bring it out more.

  “Who do you want to be?” Cozy asked, simply.

  “The governor… of love…”

  “Who do you love?”

  “Everybody.”

  “And what does your heart say, in all of this?”

  “That… I hate seeing the city like this. I hate it, and it feels so sad. I want to see it become stronger, and better. People shouldn’t have to fight like this. I just want things to get better, and for people to live again. Please, just let everyone live again…!”

  “Bingo.” Cozy snapped her fingers, and Phiona’s eyes opened. “You spoke, and you didn’t stutter. That’s amazing.”

  “I… I did…?” Phiona took a deep breath, in surprise. “Did… d-did I do it… it…?”

  The girl was back to her stuttering self, as soon as she opened her eyes. But Cozy was satisfied, that was something she needed. It was something there, and it might just be what they have in the future.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  “You did. The issue is, I don’t know if we’ll have perfection so quickly, and we need you to be ready fast. If the city is being strangled, then we’ve only gotten so much time left to live.”

  “So… so… what should we do?” Phiona asked. “Keep practicing?”

  “Let’s try getting as close to perfect as we can, at least. We still have some time, after all.”

  The two of them practiced speech for as long as they could. Phiona’s strongest progress came when she closed her eyes, and she tried to speak. Her stutter only disappeared briefly, but it was better than anything she had said before.

  Phiona stood on the edge of the balcony, her eyes closed but her heart bared to the city. She spoke her thoughts, into the air, though she wasn’t sure if it was ready to hear it back.

  “”I want you to come back. No matter how hard… how difficult it may be. I can do it. We can do it… Loura…”

  Cozy watched from behind, as Phiona continued to speak. It seemed like she was speaking without Cozy’s help now, and the girl continued to talk to the skyline and at the moon that glimmered down on them. The merchant girl looked at the moon too, wondering if the man on the moon was still paying attention. They haven’t talked since Lune, but there wasn’t any hiding from someone who could see everything.

  As she did that, the door to the balcony opened and Max looked out. Phiona was still reciting her words to the city, so that just left Cozy to greet the guard.

  “Greetings,” Cozy said.

  “Wow. You’ve seemed to have gotten more out of her than we have,” Max said. “I’m impressed.”

  “It’s still a work in progress, but considering the trouble this city is in, I don’t know if we can fully fix it before she takes her helm as governor.”

  “Still. We’re in a much better position now with her than we ever were before. I suppose I have to thank you for that.”

  Cozy proudly puffed her chest up. “It’s no problem! Though, I do have to ask a few things, if you don’t mind. They kind of pertain to the current situation at hand.”

  “What is it?” Max stepped through the door and stood next to Cozy, listening to her questions as they came.

  “Well. The first thing is, how do I show the Lovebird our progress? Do I have to present her? Is that a whole ordeal I need to do?”

  “It should know. When it decides the new Governor, it makes a really big show of it. Plus, she’ll get some pretty strong magic as well,” Max responded.

  “Does it know about our progress?” Cozy asked. “Outside of what Teddie tells it. It might make it reconsider.”

  “I don’t know,” Max sighed. “This stuff is all so complicated for all of us. The bird knows what it knows.”

  Cozy frowned. Looks like they’ll have to keep on hitting at the wall, until some declaration of true love can be heard by the city loud and clear. That was going to be complicated, but they’ll need to get things to work.

  “Well. I guess you already said you don’t know what the bird thinks, but do you know why the previous governor got ousted? I really can’t imagine her being unworthy. Or… losing her worthiness.”

  “Governor Sarah, right? Yeah. I wouldn’t know either, and I haven’t seen her since she got ousted,” Max responded. “But, there was some strange timing involved. Her mood got worse after she took a visit to the capital. Shortly after, she was ousted and then we never saw her again. The bird came by to select Phiona, but not to give her any of her powers. So, it’s all frustration from there.”

  “A visit to the capital?”

  “Yeah. I wonder what happened. Governor Rebecca and Governor Sarah didn’t have a bad relationship at all, so…”

  Cozy wondered if that meant anything deeper, but it wasn’t something she could focus on right now. It piqued her curiosity though, especially since this entire mess was probably a result of that.

  “I see. That’s good to know.”

  As they finished talking, the two of them noticed Phiona walking towards the two of them.

  “You done your talks?” Cozy said.

  “Yes. Though, I want… I want to go outside of the safe zone—”

  “Woah, woah, woah!” Max immediately stepped forwards. “I’ve been letting you do some wild things but going outside of the safe zone is completely out of line.”

  “But… but… how am I… we… supposed to show the city that I love it… If I don’t… can’t… visit the entire city?” Phiona argued back.

  “There’s nothing out there besides bandits!” Max said. “You’re preaching to nothing. We are not letting you get attacked by bandits.”

  “Max. I think I have a solution. We won’t need to get close, but she can visit it.”

  Cozy interrupted the argument by raising her hand, before grabbing Phiona’s and taking her to the balcony.

  “Eh? What do you mean?” Max asked, looking confused. Phiona however, seemed to realize what Cozy was intending to do.

  “We can see the city from the best view possible. In the skies. We’ll be back soon,” Cozy smiled. Then, out of her back, her divine wings flowed outwards and lifted her off the ground, with Phiona held alongside her.

  “Oh… your wings…” Max said. Less opposed, and more with a simple frame of acceptance. He seemed skeptical, but both he and Cozy knew that this was necessary. There wasn’t another way for this city to be saved.

  “If you’re going to love this city, you’re going to need to love all of it,” Cozy said. “Don’t worry too much about us. I’ll keep her safe.”

  Max relented, and Cozy’s wings flapped. The two of them flew off into the skyline, to visit the city that once was.