I shouldn¡¯t have paid her anything, he thought to himself. Corvina, towards the Saintess¡ how ridiculous. Besides, Corvina and Sebastian have habitually avoided each other for years. Everything about this supposed conversation the Baroness claims to have overheard is implausible at best.
I don¡¯t want to see it,¡± said Marshal. ¡°It¡¯s disgusting.¡±
care what you think! If you don¡¯t want to see it, don¡¯t look then!¡± said Sebastian, turning to go. ¡°Now if you¡¯ll excuse me¡ª¡±
should care what I think,¡± he hissed. ¡°I could tell your father that you¡ª¡±
try telling the Emperor what his precious only son and heir gets up to in his bedroom. Let¡¯s see what he does to you for trying to make up that kind of slander, shall we?¡±
shares his blood,¡± said Sebastian. ¡°I¡¯m now confident that I know how that would play out. After all, Corvina told me¡¡± Sebastian trailed off, staring into the distance, his expression a little haunted.
you can¡¯t blackmail me anymore. Now go back to your running around the dirt with your friends or whatever it is you do. I don¡¯t want to look at your face right now.¡±
both of these unfortunate situations.
Chapter 46
did happen to me!¡± said Anne.
what club?¡± said Eva. She sighed and grabbed the bridge of her nose. ¡°Never mind. It doesn¡¯t matter. Safety concerns aren¡¯t even the whole problem. You have no idea what this might do to your reputation. Attending that kind of party immediately after a big scandal¡¡±
very helpful, Agis,¡± said Anne.
not helpful, Agis,¡± said Eva. ¡°It¡¯s not just about what the people at the party thought of her. It¡¯s about how attending the party at all will reflect on her character in the eyes of all the people who weren¡¯t at the party.¡±
for sure that it will make me look bad?¡± asked Anne.
for sure, but that uncertainty is part of why it was a risky choice to make,¡± said Eva.
my choice,¡± said Anne. ¡°Eva, I know you¡¯re only trying to look out for me, and I truly appreciate all your help, but I need to be able to live my own life and make my own decisions without being constantly terrified of you getting mad at me! Plus, I hate to say it, but I¡¯m pretty sure I technically outrank you. So you can¡¯t really order me around.¡±
was starting to get pretty annoying. After all, in her previous world, Anne had been an adult living on her own for quite a while. She was used to a certain level of independence.
terrified of me?¡± asked Eva, finally. Her tone sounded uncharacteristically vulnerable.
are a little strict,¡± said Agis.
advising me and less like you were ordering me around.¡±
advise you to stay inside the Cathedral. Just for a few days. Just until we have a better idea of the situation. So many people are depending on you, and I fear you may not fully realize just how precarious our position is right now. Please¡¡±
Surely normal childhood friends would argue occasionally, thought Anne. But The Foundling¡¯s Wings hadn¡¯t really included that much detail about Eva at all, let alone about Eva and Anne¡¯s childhood together. And admittedly Eva did have a bit of a forceful personality, behind all her gentleness. And the original Saintess had seemed kind of timid, in the book.
Chapter 47
"Wait, who are we gonna kidnap?" asked Agis in a low voice, and Anne immediately kicked him in the shin.
"Not now," Anne hissed.
"Hello?" said Sebastian, waving his hand to get their attention. "Aren''t you guys pleased to see me?"
"Of course we are!" said Anne.
"I''m not," said Agis.
"I just thought you might be bored and lonely, what with all your Saintess duties being canceled and all." Sebastian''s smile was practically sparkling.
"That''s very thoughtful of you..." said Anne. "You wanted tea, right? Betty, can you bring us some tea?"
Suddenly Anne felt like it might be kind of awkward to hang out with the Crown Prince in what was essentially her bedroom, even if it had a decent seating area and desks and stuff. So she added, "Actually, can you bring that tea to the Blue Courtyard? We''ll take it out there."
The Blue Courtyard wasn''t far from Anne''s chambers. It wasn''t one of the fancier courtyards in the Cathedral complex¡ªit was just a small green space with a few tea tables scattered about¡ªbut Anne liked it because it was usually empty. The Cathedral was often crowded and there weren''t many places in the complex you could go where you wouldn''t be mobbed by people, if you were the Saintess.
"Why is it called the Blue Courtyard?" asked Sebastian. "All the flowers planted here seem to be white, not blue."
"Oh, huh," said Anne. "I hadn''t really thought about it before, but that is weird."
"So you don''t know?" asked Sebastian, tiling his head to one side.
"No, I have no idea..." said Anne.
"Maybe it''s a sad courtyard for some reason?" suggested Agis.
Sebastian let out a short, derisive laugh.
"What?" said Agis. "What''s wrong with that answer?"
"I''m sorry," said Sebastian, covering his mouth with one hand. "It''s just, a courtyard can''t be sad. It''s a courtyard."
"Shows what you know, you shitty human prince," said Agis. "The wisdom of the elves has always been clear that places can have feelings. Hey, no, stop laughing! Places can be imbued with any really strong emotion felt by creatures in the space over time, it''s like¡ªI said stop laughing!"
While she half-listened, smiling, to this exchange, Anne thought about how guilty she felt about the whole kidnapping thing. Yes, it was to save Sebastian''s life, but still... She''d feel better about it if she could fill him in, but Corvina had said not to, and Corvina knew what she was doing with this sort of thing.
I can''t believe I danced with Corvina last night, thought Anne. When she first came to this world, she never thought she''d be that lucky. To share that kind of moment with Lady Corvina herself. Thinking about it made Anne feel really grateful for having been reborn in this world.
But still... that story Corvina told of her childhood was so sad. And fucked up. Anne knew the Emperor was a bad person, but how could he be that manipulative and abusive and... murderous without already having been overthrown by someone? It boggled the mind.
Also, how could the original author have left all that out of The Foundling''s Wings? Well, maybe it was mentioned at some point after Anne had read. But by the point Anne was at in the story, both Sebastian and Corvina were dead. What more reason was there to mention it?
I suppose it could have been revealed as part of Duke Marshals'' backstory... thought Anne. But the anecdote didn''t exactly paint the Duke in the best light. If he was meant to be the hero and romantic lead of the book then it would be a strange thing to reveal. Especially towards the end, when he was supposed to have had his redemption arc already...
Oh yeah.
Thinking about all that reminded Anne of something else (not kidnapping related) that she''d wanted to tell Sebastian.
"Sebastian!" she said.
"Hmm, yes?" said Sebastian. He was currently laughing while holding Agis away at arm''s length, while the much shorter Agis tried (not very hard) to hit him.
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Anne stood up and reached across the table to grab Sebastian''s face in both hands, looking him dead in the eye. "What happened to your mother was not your fault," she said, in a stern voice.
Sebastian looked stunned. "Huh? What?" he said.
Anne let go of Sebastian and sat back down in her seat. "Listen to me, you were a child and your father put you in an impossible situation. And regardless of your actions, he chose to do what he did. And he probably would''ve found another excuse to do the same thing if you had acted differently. You''re not weak. You''re not a coward. And you didn''t fail anyone."
"But..." said Sebastian. "How could you possibly know...?"
"It wasn''t a divine revelation or anything," said Anne. "Corvina told me about it in confidence. And don''t worry, I won''t tell anyone else. I promise. But as the Saintess I''m a moral authority and I''m telling you, it''s not your fault. Okay?"
Sebastian turned to look at Agis. "Do you also know...?"
"Uh... I have no idea what you guys are talking about," said Agis, shrugging. "If you don''t want to tell me, I won''t ask, but if Anne says whatever it is wasn''t your fault I''m sure she''s right."
Sebastian wiped tears away from his eyes and smiled, shakily. "It seems you''re determined to continuously rescue me from myself. Thank you, Saintess."
Just then, Betty arrived with the tea things. Sebastian made an effort to compose himself while Anne greeted the acolyte.
"You''re certainly popular today, Saintess," said Betty, setting down the tray. "You''ve got another visitor. Although this one much more politely decided to wait by the door to hear if you''d receive her."
"Who is it?" asked Anne.
"Why, it''s another royal if you''ll believe it," said Betty. "Lady Corvina herself!"
Corvina hadn''t slept very much the night before. She''d gotten caught up in her book, taking extensive notes as she read. But it hadn''t been wasted time. She''d formulated a plan of action. And she was perfectly capable of functioning on very few hours of sleep, anyway, so it didn''t really matter.
Corvina''s first stop after leaving her manor, with no escort but with multiple knives hidden on her person at her uncle''s insistence, was at a famous florist''s shop where she ordered a small bouquet of hyacinths and honeysuckle. They were both relatively ordinary flowers with strong, sweet scents. So they would not make an overly extravagant gift, but the scent would surely make them especially soothing to Anne, and hopefully remind her of Corvina long after Corvina herself had gone home...
Also, in the secret language of flowers the young noblewomen of the capital sometimes used to send messages to their lovers, this particular combination of flowers meant something like "I am devoted to your charms." Again, not too strong of a statement for this early stage, but nicely... flirtatious. It was not the sort of bouquet one would give to a mere friend, knowing its meaning.
Not that Corvina expected Anne, an elven orphan raised by the church on the furthest outskirts of the empire, to understand that particular meaning. But that was just as well. Corvina just liked the thought of it.
As Corvina strolled through the city, bouquet in hand, she felt like whistling. This was a foreign feeling to her, and as such, she had never actually learned how to whistle, so she couldn''t. Still, what a novel sensation! Her life had certainly become far more interesting since meeting Anne.
Unfortunately, when Corvina actually arrived at the Cathedral, her hopes for sharing an intimate tea with the Saintess, just the two of them, were immediately dashed by the presence of both Anne''s brother and her own.
As soon as Corvina entered the courtyard where tea was already in progress, Anne got up to greet her. "Corvina! It''s great to see you."
Corvina glanced at the two men present and sighed. No matter how much you planned ahead of time, actual events rarely played out exactly as expected. You had to learn to adjust in the moment.
"It''s good to see you, too, Anne. These are for you," said Corvina, handing over the bouquet.
"Ooh!" said Anne.
Taking the gift, Anne almost immediately stuck her whole face in the bouquet and sniffed deeply. When she looked up, her smile was blinding and her eyes were sparkling in the afternoon sun. She had such big eyes, which were such a fascinatingly light shade of blue. Like ice. Or the sky seen through a thin layer of clouds.
"These smell so good!" said Anne. "Thank you so much!"
Corvina felt herself start to breathe again.
I''m so glad I decided to buy the bouquet, thought Corvina.
"Can you get a vase with some water for these, Betty?" Anne asked the friendly acolyte who had shown Corvina in.
"Of course, your eminence," said Betty. She reached out to take the flowers, but Anne moved them out of her reach.
"No, just bring the vase here," said Anne. "I''ll hold onto these in the meantime."
"As you wish," said Betty, curtsying.
"Wait, before you go," said Sebastian. "Do you know why this courtyard is called the Blue Courtyard?"
"Oh, hmm..." said Betty. She tilted her head and placed a hand on her chin, like she was deep thought. "If I remember correctly, it was named for Oletha Blue, who was a Bishop a few generations before our current Bishop."
"You see?" said Sebastian, looking sideways at Agis. "It has nothing to do with emotions at all."
"That doesn''t mean the courtyard can''t also be sad," grumbled Agis.
"What are they talking about?" asked Corvina, baffled.
Anne shrugged. "I don''t know, I haven''t been paying attention," she said. Then she grabbed Corvina''s arm and started pulling her towards the table. "Come on, the tea is getting cold."
Corvina smiled. "I think this is probably a very happy courtyard," she said wistfully.
"Oh, come on!" said Sebastian. "Not you, too!"
The sound of their laughter echoed through the Blue Courtyard and into the surrounding hallways. In one of these hallways, standing far enough back in the shadows that she could not be seen from the courtyard, Bishop Geist surveyed the scene with a frown on her face.
Bishop Geist sighed and shook her head.
No matter. The Bishop knew that soon enough the actions of the Saintess would no longer be her concern.
Chapter 48
¡°Surely you guys must have something in common,¡± said Anne, who, after a few cupfuls of tea spent listening to them go at it, was starting to get a bit tired of Agis and Sebastian¡¯s bickering. ¡°Why don¡¯t you both start listing things that you like and see if anything matches up?¡±
¡°Do we have to?¡± said Agis. ¡°I don¡¯t want to have anything in common with the shitty human prince.¡±
¡°Come on, Sebastian¡¯s not a bad guy!¡± said Anne. ¡°Just try it, okay?¡±
¡°I¡¯m willing to give it a try, Saintess!¡± said Sebastian.
¡°Ugh, fine,¡± said Agis. ¡°What¡¯s something that I like¡? Arrows.¡±
¡°Fine linens,¡± siad Sebastian.
¡°Bows.¡±
¡°Those little finger sandwiches our chef sometimes makes with cream and strawberries.¡±
¡°Back-flips.¡±
¡°The point at one of Lettie¡¯s parties where everyone¡¯s a few drinks in and people stop being quite so stiff and formal around me.¡±
¡°Horses.¡±
¡°Horses!¡±
¡°There you go!¡± said Anne. ¡°Talk about horses.¡±
Anne almost immediately regretted her instruction.
¡°I have the most wonderful horse in the world!¡± said Agis. ¡°My swift, noble, and loyal steed Iramis, and¡ª¡±
Anne kind of zoned out for a while while Agis described his horse.
Anne glanced over at Corvina and then immediately looked away when they accidentally locked eyes. Corvina hadn¡¯t really been saying much while they were having their tea, which seemed odd. And she kept staring at Anne with this strangely intense gaze that was making Anne feel squirmy. She didn¡¯t understand what it meant. Was Corvina mad at her for some reason? They had parted on such good terms the night before.
¡°Iramis does indeed sound like a noble steed!¡± said Sebastian. ¡°Tell me, I simply have to know if elves have any unique horse breeds. What sorts of horses do you have in general? What breed is Iramis?¡±
¡°He¡¯s a beautiful, deep shade of brown!¡± said Agis.
¡°Yes, but¡ what sort of breed is he?¡± asked Sebastian again.
¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean,¡± said Agis. ¡°I already told you he¡¯s brown.¡±
¡°Right¡¡± said Sebastian. ¡°Have you been to the Cathedral¡¯s stables?¡±
¡°Yes!¡± said Agis. ¡°They have some really beautiful horses. None of them as good as Iramis, of course.¡±
¡°Oh? What breeds are they¡ Never mind. You should just show me!¡±
Agis agreed and the two of them got up from the table.
¡°You girls will be alright without us, right?¡± said Sebastian.
For some reason he looked at the bouquet, now in the center of the table in a nice vase, and then at Corvina, who wouldn¡¯t meet his eyes, and then back at Anne, all with the same sort of knowing look in his eye.
Anne was baffled. Whatever it was that that look knew, she certainly didn¡¯t know it. So she just said, ¡°Yes, of course!¡±
With their brothers out of the way, Anne and Corvina were left alone in the Blue Courtyard with what was left of the tea things.
¡°Do you know much about horses?¡± Anne asked, munching on a tea cake.
¡°I know how to ride one,¡± said Corvina. ¡°I don¡¯t pay much attention beyond that. I rarely leave the city, so I don¡¯t often need to ride, and I don¡¯t find it a particularly interesting or useful hobby, so I can¡¯t say I¡¯m an expert.¡±
¡°Ah,¡± said Anne. ¡°I don¡¯t even know how to ride horses.¡±
¡°You should learn sometime,¡± said Corvina. ¡°It¡¯s a useful skill to have. Just in case you need it.¡±
¡°Oh, sure,¡± said Anne. ¡°I¡¯ll ask Eva about it sometime, I guess.¡±
After that, there was a bit of an awkward pause. It felt like something was hanging in the air, but Anne couldn¡¯t figure out what it might be. Anne was fully aware that she wasn¡¯t very good at picking up on subtle social cues, so she just decided to ignore whatever it was as best she could.
¡°Oh, uh, Agis said he can get a message to Elyon,¡± Anne volunteered, attempting to restart the conversations.
¡°Oh, good,¡± said Corvina, nodding. ¡°I¡¯ll compose something to send him.¡±
Another pause.
Anne made a few more attempts at introducing topics to discuss, but none of them got very far.
Finally, Anne gave up. She sighed. ¡°Do you have anything you want to talk about?¡± asked Anne. ¡°I¡¯ve run out of topics and it seems like maybe you kind of want to say something, but it¡¯s hard to say? Are you mad at me?¡±
Corvina looked surprised, and then she shook her head. ¡°No, Anne, of course I¡¯m not mad at you. I¡ª¡±
At that point their brothers came crashing back into the courtyard again.
¡°Well, those certainly were some horses,¡± said Sebastian.
¡°They don¡¯t have to be one of those fancy breeds you were talking about to be good horses!¡± said Agis, sitting down heavily at the table. ¡°They¡¯re all strong and valiant and have good hearts! I can tell!¡±
¡°I never said they didn¡¯t have good hearts,¡± said Sebastian. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯re perfectly well suited for the sort of work the Cathedral has them doing.¡±
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
¡°So you¡¯re calling them work horses!¡± said Agis.
¡°They are work horses!¡± said Sebastian.
¡°But I can tell you mean that as an insult!¡± said Agis.
¡°I don¡¯t¡ª¡± Sebastian sighed and shook his head. ¡°Never mind. What have you two beautiful women been discussing while we were gone, huh?¡±
Anne snorted so loud in response that everyone turned to look at her, confused.
¡°Oh, uh¡¡± said Anne.
Truthfully, Anne had never considered herself particularly attractive, at least in her old world. She supposed that now that she had taken over as the Saintess, she had to at least admit that she had a nice face. After all, the original Saintess had been a renowned beauty. But Anne couldn¡¯t help but feel that she ruined that by being, you know, who she was. Not just the way she did her hair or what clothes she wore, but the way she acted and carried herself. No matter how Anne thought of it, she just didn¡¯t feel like she could fit herself inside a category where ¡°beautiful¡± would be a relevant compliment to receive.
¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± said Anne. ¡°It¡¯s just kind of funny to hear that word to use to describe me. Obviously Corvina¡¯s extremely beautiful, but¡ I mean, look at me. You guys have all met me.¡±
¡°Handsome, then,¡± said Corvina, smiling and taking Anne¡¯s hand across the table. ¡°Would you be happier being called an exceedingly handsome woman?¡±
Anne felt her heart skip a beat.
But she quickly regained her composure and pulled her hand away, laughing. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t tease me like that!¡±
Anne knew better than to take that sort of thing too seriously.
¡°I wasn¡¯t¡ª¡±
¡°She¡¯s right, though!¡± interrupted Sebastian. ¡°You¡¯re without a doubt the most handsome Saintess in history.¡±
¡°If you say so!¡± said Anne, laughing again.
They whiled the hours away with this kind of light-hearted and empty talk until the tea had long gone cold. Finally, late in the afternoon, the two royals got up to excuse themselves.
¡°Thank you again for the flowers,¡± Anne told Corvina. ¡°I¡¯ll keep them in my room and maybe the nice smell will help me feel a little less like I¡¯m under house arrest.¡±
¡°I¡¯m glad you like them,¡± said Corvina, with a small smile.
Anne sighed and rubbed the back of her head. ¡°I kind of wish the Bishop or whoever would just say what they¡¯re going to do to me already. It¡¯s nice to have a break from that hellish schedule they had me on, but I don¡¯t like feeling like I¡¯m about to get in trouble and not knowing how exactly.¡±
¡°Whatever the church hierarchy decides, we¡¯ll find a way to leverage it to our advantage,¡± said Corvina. ¡°This is what I¡¯m good at. Trust me.¡±
¡°Of course!¡± said Anne, grinning. ¡°Always!¡±
¡°And I promise, I¡¯m really not mad at you,¡± said Corvina. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry if I was acting strange today. I... have a lot on my mind.¡±
¡°That¡¯s understandable,¡± said Anne. ¡°You know you can talk to me about anything, though, right? I¡¯m here for you!¡±
¡°Of course,¡± said Corvina. ¡°Thank you, sincerely.¡±
¡°Bye, Saintess!¡± shouted Sebastian, waving from a few feet away.
¡°Bye, Sebastian!¡± said Anne, waving back.
Anne had enjoyed spending the afternoon with her friends, and she did like having time off, but she also got bored if she just sat in her room all day. She was a little surprised Eva hadn¡¯t returned yet. Eva was rarely gone this long without telling Anne where she was going.
¡°Where do you think Eva went?¡± Anne asked Agis, after their guests were gone.
Agis shrugged.
¡°I¡¯m gonna go look for her,¡± said Anne. ¡°For some reason it makes me nervous, not knowing where she is.¡±
Corvina couldn¡¯t believe how badly that had gone.
Corvina had taken so many careful notes and made so many plans for how she was going to charm Anne when they next met, but as soon as they were actually together and alone, Corvina had suddenly forgotten everything she¡¯d planned to say! Corvina, the center of the Wyernwolf aristocracy¡¯s social world, who always had the right word for the right moment, had been at a complete loss! How devastating! How embarrassing! Anne had even though Corvina might be mad at her! How awful!
And now Corvina¡¯s brother was following her in the street, grinning knowingly at her.
¡°I believe the imperial palace lies in the other direction, your highness,¡± said Corvina, as she walked swiftly down the street towards her estate, where she could hide in her office until she felt better.
¡°I was right, you do like her, don¡¯t you?¡± said Sebastian, ignoring her attempts at brushing him off.
Corvina couldn¡¯t respond, but instead just stopped in her tracks and covered her face with her hands to try to hide her blushing.
¡°I knew it!¡± said Sebastian triumphantly. ¡°I saw those flowers you gave her earlier. Your ¡®devoted to her charms,¡¯ are you? You flirt! But why were you acting so coy about it yesterday?¡±
¡°I wasn¡¯t sure how I felt when we spoke yesterday,¡± hissed Corvina. ¡°After you left¡¡±
¡°After I left¡?¡± said Sebastian, his eyes sparkling and eager.
Corvina stared at him for a moment, and then continued walking again, even faster this time.
¡°Oh, come on!¡± said Sebastian. ¡°You can tell me!¡±
¡°No, I can¡¯t,¡± said Corvina. ¡°If I said it out loud I think I might actually die.¡±
¡°I think you should just tell her how you feel,¡± said Sebastian. ¡°She already said that she¡¯s okay with the idea of two people of the same sex being in love, so you¡¯re already halfway there if you ask me.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t ask you,¡± said Corvina. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m certain a subtle approach is best! Someone like that deserves to be wooed. And confessing your love too soon is too risky, you might¡ª¡±
¡°You might what?¡± asked Sebastian.
Corvina had almost said, If you confess your love too soon you might turn out to have been the second male lead all along, who only ever gets to be just-friends with the female lead after she gently turns him down, while the person who confesses next gets the girl.
¡°Never mind,¡± said Corvina. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. The point is that careful planning and subtle action have never failed me in the past, and there¡¯s no reason they should fail me now.¡±
¡°Whatever you say,¡± said Sebastian, although he looked skeptical.
Corvina was tired of being the focus of the conversation. ¡°What about you?¡± asked Corvina. ¡°Is there anyone you have your eye on?¡±
¡°No, not really¡¡± said Sebastian, suddenly looking more pensive. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m thinking of giving up on the prospect of romance altogether.¡±
¡°What, why?¡± asked Corvina. ¡°I told you, you don¡¯t really have to pay much mind to Marshal¡¯s blackmail attempts.¡±
¡°Oh, no, I told him off already, thank you,¡± said Sebastian. ¡°I¡¯m not really worried about that anymore. But, well¡ it¡¯s not like I could really have much more than a physical relationship with any of the servants I flirt with anyway¡¡±
¡°What about other nobles?¡± said Corvina. ¡°If you¡¯d like me to get you a list of which young noblemen are¡ inclined that direction, I could do that.¡±
¡°You have access to that kind of information?¡± said Sebastian.
¡°Of course,¡± said Corvina.
Sebastian paused for a moment, as if considering it, but then shook his head. ¡°No, no. There¡¯s no need. After what you told me about what happened to Giltbert¡ when he tried to go to my father¡ I¡ I know he was trying to hurt me, but¡ I can¡¯t risk anyone else dying because of me. I just can¡¯t. So I¡¯m just going to stick to harmless flirtation from now on and just give up on ever taking anything any further. It¡¯s okay.¡±
¡°Sebastian¡¡± said Corvina, reaching out to him.
¡°There he is!¡± someone shouted in the crowd. It was one of the imperial guards, pointing right at Sebastian.
¡°Whoops!¡± said Sebastian, with a smile. ¡°I slipped my escort in order to go to the Cathedral. Looks like I gotta go!¡±
Sebastian ran away laughing.
Several guards charged past Corvina, shouting for the Crown Prince to stop.
Corvina shook her head. Prince Sebastian¡ would really be an exceedingly easy person to kidnap.
The main reason no one dared touch him up until now was really just out of sheer terror of the Emperor himself. No one wanted to be branded the Emperor¡¯s enemy.
Although according to Anne¡¯s prophecy, even that protection wasn¡¯t going to last¡
But all of that was still secondary in Corvina¡¯s mind at the moment. Most of her thoughts were still taken up by Anne, and by the strange new sensations brought about by being interested in someone. Who knew that the highs could be this high, or that the lows could be this low? How was one supposed to gain their bearings when any little thing could send you spinning? It was exhausting and exhilarating.
And Anne had said, ¡®you know you can talk to me about anything?¡¯
Yeah, right, thought Corvina. You¡¯re the one person in the world I absolutely can not talk to about this.
When Corvina finally arrived back home, Ulrich was there in the foyer waiting for her in his full butler regalia. He bowed when Corvina came in.
¡°My lady,¡± he said. ¡°I must inform you¡ª¡±
¡°Whatever it is, can it wait until later?¡± asked Corvina, heading to the stairs. ¡°I really would like to have a cigarette and maybe even a nap before supper. I didn¡¯t get much sleep last night.¡±
¡°My lady, I¡¯m afraid I really must insist,¡± said Ulrich. ¡°Your fiance is here.¡±
Chapter 49
Ulrich had left Grand Duke Marshal in the front sitting room to wait for Corvina¡¯s return. When Corvina entered the room she noted the bored expression on his face and the fact that he was in full dress uniform. He only wore that when he intended to press the full weight of his authority. And he didn¡¯t much like being bored.
Marshal looked at Corvina, and Corvina curtsied. ¡°Your grace. I apologize for the wait. If you had sent word of your intent to visit we would have been better prepared for your arrival.¡±
¡°I shouldn¡¯t have to make an appointment to talk to my fiancee,¡± said Marshal.
¡°You¡¯re right, of course,¡± said Corvina. ¡°I simply meant that your visit is an¡ unexpected pleasure.¡±
Marshal scoffed.
¡°If I could beg your patience a little longer,¡± said Corvina. ¡°I would prepare myself properly that we might share the evening meal together.¡±
¡°So you do remember how to act properly,¡± said Marshal. ¡°Very well. I suppose it is also proper that I should be willing to wait for you. We are to be life partners, after all. Just have your butler send some of your guards out to the yard to spar with me in the meantime. If I have to sit in this damned room any longer I¡¯ll lose my mind.¡±
¡°Of course, your grace,¡± said Corvina, curtsying again and leaving the room.
Ulrich was waiting patiently outside. Corvina glanced at him. His expression was full of concern.
Corvina sighed. ¡°Well, you heard him,¡± she said, heading upstairs.
Helen looked at her with a similarly concerned expression while she was helping Corvina bathe. Corvina found it grating.
¡°Stop looking at me like that,¡± said Corvina. ¡°It¡¯s like you¡¯re preparing me for burial rather than supper.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry, my lady,¡± said Helen, who was seated next to the tub, pouring scented oils into the water. ¡°It¡¯s just¡ the Grand Duke has never come here on his own before when there wasn¡¯t some sort of official event happening. I just worry what his intentions might be.¡±
Corvina leaned her head back and slid further under the warm, scented water. ¡°I¡¯m sure nothing good,¡± she said. ¡°But I will handle it. Or do you not think I¡¯m capable?¡±
¡°No, that¡¯s not it, my lady,¡± said Helen. ¡°You¡¯re capable of anything! It¡¯s just¡¡±
¡°Leave me!¡± snapped Corvina. ¡°Lay out my dress for me while I finish up here. We can¡¯t afford to waste time.¡±
Helen got up and curtsied, leaving the room.
Corvina took a deep breath and fully submerged herself in the water.
She should have seen this coming. She was Lady Corvina. She was supposed to know everything that went on in this city. She was supposed to know what people would decide to do before the thought even occurred to them to do anything.
She wasn¡¯t supposed to become distracted by a silly infatuation.
Corvina¡¯s existence had always been precarious. And now that she¡¯d decided to align herself against the Emperor her life had become more dangerous than ever. If she was to succeed¡ if she was to survive, and if her new allies were to survive, she would need to be sharper than ever.
Yet she had allowed her thoughts to become full of bouquets and teatimes and¡ the possibility of love.
Stupid, she thought. Stupid, stupid.
A while later, when Corvina arrived back downstairs at the dining room she was wearing an evening gown of light-blue silk with a wide lace collar.
Grand Duke Marshal, who was now slightly sweatier and more disheveled from exercise, gave her a once-over with an expression that made Corvina¡¯s skin crawl. Even before she¡¯d realized her feelings for Anne, Corvina had never liked it when Marshal looked at her that way.
Corvina curtsied again. ¡°I apologize for keeping you waiting, your grace.¡±
¡°No matter,¡± said Marshal.
They entered the dining room together and each sat at one end of the long table. They waited in silence while servants entered with the first course, and they ate in silence.
¡°You should fire your chef,¡± said Marshal, pushing his plate away. ¡°The chicken was dry.¡±
As Corvina looked at the Duke¡¯s face, his eyebrows scrunched up in a scowl, she couldn¡¯t stop herself from thinking about how different he was from Anne. He was so much her antithesis that it was like the two of them didn¡¯t even belong in the same world together.
¡°Why are you here, your grace?¡± asked Corvina, putting her fork down and looking at Marshal.
Marshal looked sideways at Corvina. ¡°Is sharing a meal with my fiancee not reason enough?¡±
Corvina didn¡¯t respond.
¡°Fine,¡± said Marshal. ¡°I came to see you because I fear there¡¯s been a breakdown of communication between us. After all, we¡¯re supposed to be partners. The Emperor himself decreed it. And yet it seems you¡¯ve been undermining me.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure what you mean, your grace,¡± said Corvina.
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¡°The idiot prince,¡± sneered Marshal. ¡°The Emperor trusts the two of us to keep him in line, and yet you¡¯ve empowered him to act against me.¡±
Corvina didn¡¯t bother asking how he knew she¡¯d had anything to do with that. The capital was full of spies. And after all¡ Collette¡¯s garden was an excellent place to eavesdrop. They had been foolish to have such a conversation there. Corvina had been foolish quite often in the past few days. Perhaps longer.
¡°What exactly is it that you think he can do against you, even now?¡± asked Corvina. ¡°What was he even doing that made you resort to such drastic measures in the first place? Bothering you too often? Wanting you to pretend to still be his friend, like when we were children? Were you so bothered when the Emperor ordered you to keep him happy that you had to lash out and exert your power over him just to feel better about yourself?¡±
Marshal slammed his fist against the table, but Corvina held fast. It had been a long time since anyone had forced her to flinch.
Marshal stood up and walked down to the other end of the table, so he was standing above Corvina.
¡°You should be careful how you speak to me,¡± he said. ¡°Remember, you¡¯re a bastard. The daughter of a whore who abandoned you. The only reason you have any power in this world, the only reason you¡¯re still alive, is because your father is the Emperor and because you¡¯re my fiancee. You have no title of your own. No money of your own. You exist as a tool to serve my will.¡±
¡°I serve the Emperor¡¯s will,¡± said Corvina. ¡°Or do I need to remind you that you don¡¯t wear the imperial crown?¡±
¡°It¡¯s the same thing,¡± said Marshal. ¡°Unlike you I¡¯m a faithful servant. My will is his will.¡±
Corvina scoffed and turned away.
Marshal grabbed Corvina¡¯s face, forcing her to look back at him. ¡°You listen to me,¡± he said. ¡°Frankly, I don¡¯t care if you share your brother¡¯s¡ illness. I am capable of generosity. I¡¯ll even allow you to keep a mistress after our wedding if you so choose. After you¡¯ve born me an heir, of course. But you and that idiot prince need to stop following the Saintess around like lovesick puppies. Or need I remind you that the church is an enemy of the imperial family?¡±
¡°¡you were following her around, too, until recently,¡± said Corvina.
Marshal let go of Corvina. ¡°Circumstances have changed,¡± he said. ¡°The fact that she¡¯s been revealed to be an elf, for one thing. I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t need to remind you of the political implications of that little fact.¡±
¡°No, of course not,¡± said Corvina, rubbing her chin where Marshal had grabbed her.
¡°Good,¡± said Marshal. ¡°Then fall in line, and get that brother of yours under control, too, before I¡¯m forced to take more drastic measures. It¡¯s only a matter of time before the Emperor takes action to solve this whole situation. I¡¯m sure neither of you want to be in his way.¡±
¡°So you know what the Emperor¡¯s plan is, then?¡± asked Corvina. ¡°He¡¯s confided in you?¡±
Corvina could tell by the venom that flashed in Marshal¡¯s eyes that the Emperor hadn¡¯t told him anything.
And here Corvina had been beating herself up for missing something, for not predicting Marshal¡¯s actions, for letting herself fall behind. But Marshal had come here with nothing other than bluster and cruelty.
Corvina was still miles ahead of him and he had no idea.
¡°I see,¡± said Corvina. ¡°Then you don¡¯t actually know whether we¡¯re in his way or not, do you?¡±
¡°Regardless,¡± said Marshal. ¡°You¡¯re in my way. I won¡¯t give you a second warning.¡±
Empty threats.
Suddenly, with her anger and fear evaporated, there was something Corvina had to know. She searched Marshal¡¯s face closely for any hint of the little boy she and Sebastian used to play games with in the palace gardens. The boy they used to eat cakes with, listen to stories with. He had been a bit brusque and sullen even then but he hadn¡¯t been¡ this. This putrid pile of dumb hatred and blind ambition.
¡°Now then,¡± said Marshal. ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse me.¡±
¡°Robert,¡± said Corvina.
Marshal stopped in his tracks and raised an eyebrow at Corvina. It had been a long time since she¡¯d called him by his first name.
¡°Do you ever¡ regret the events of that day?¡± asked Corvina.
¡°What are you talking about?¡± asked Marshal.
¡°That day with the birds¡ and the Empress,¡± said Corvina. ¡°We¡¯ve never once spoken about it since it happened. I¡¯m just curious if you¡¯ve ever regretted your decision that day?¡±
Marshal stared at Corvina for a moment. ¡°No,¡± he said, finally. ¡°I¡¯ve never regretted it. That¡¯s the fundamental difference between me and you, Corvina. You hesitated. I didn¡¯t.¡±
Helen couldn¡¯t sit still.
It had been several hours since the Duke had left and most of the household had gone to bed already. But Helen was far too restless to fall asleep.
She was worried about Lady Corvina.
Her lady had always been the gloomy sort, although she put on a happy face in public. But ever since she met the Saintess it was like she was finally opening up to the world, becoming more herself.
But when the Duke arrived she had just¡ completely closed off again.
Helen glanced at the clock. Lady Corvina rarely went to bed early. Surely she would still be awake? Perhaps she might like a warm cup of tea.
A short while later, Helen knocked at Corvina¡¯s bedroom door. She had checked the office first, but hadn¡¯t found Corvina there. She heard no response, so she opened the door just a crack. If Corvina really was asleep after all, Helen would just take the tea back to the kitchen.
But Corvina wasn¡¯t in bed. It seemed she was out on the balcony. But Helen couldn¡¯t see the lit end of one of Corvina¡¯s cigarettes.
Moving further into the room, Helen called out. ¡°My lady, I thought you might like some tea¡¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± said Corvina. She was staring off into the distance with a strange look on her face that Helen couldn¡¯t read.
When Helen had finished setting up, Corvina spoke suddenly in a faraway voice, not looking at Helen.
¡°I don¡¯t want to live like this anymore,¡± said Corvina. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hate myself every time I have a small moment of happiness. I don¡¯t want to deny myself everything before I even have a chance to have it. But I¡¯ve always been haunted by this feeling that I could lose everything in an instant if I show even a moment of weakness. And it''s not just me, I¡¯m always convinced that so many people could suffer if I don¡¯t get everything exactly right all the time. It¡¯s paralyzing.¡±
Corvina finally looked over at Helen, who was listening quietly.
¡°Duke Marshal never thinks that way,¡± said Corvina. ¡°He never thinks about what he could lose. He only thinks about what he might gain.¡±
¡°Yeah, but he¡¯s not a very good person,¡± said Helen.
¡°No, he¡¯s not,¡± said Corvina. ¡°And I don¡¯t want to be like him. But I also don¡¯t want to be what I have been up until now, either. Not anymore.¡±
Corvina stood up and looked out in the distance again. ¡°I might lose everything if I make a mistake? Fine. I won¡¯t make any mistakes. People might be hurt if I show a moment of weakness? I won¡¯t show any weakness. Marshal sacrifices others to his ambition because he¡¯s not strong enough to win otherwise. I will be stronger.¡±
Helen whistled and clapped her hands.
Corvina turned back towards Helen. ¡°Will you stand with me, Helen? The path I tread will be even more dangerous from here on out. I¡¯m determined to protect my allies, but I wouldn¡¯t blame you if you wanted to leave. I would be happy to give you a glowing recommendation letter if you wanted to seek employment somewhere safer.¡±
¡°I¡¯d never dream of it, my lady!¡± said Helen. ¡°I¡¯m with you until the end.¡±
¡°Thank you, Helen,¡± said Corvina, smiling. ¡°You know, that¡¯s something else Marshal lacks. Loyal friends.¡±
Helen was glad she¡¯d decided to bring up some tea. She was completely reassured. Why had she even been worried for Lady Corvina in the first place? After all, she was Lady Corvina. The most powerful woman in the capital. Not only because of her connections. But because of her very own skill and intelligence.
Robert Marshal beware, thought Helen.
Chapter 50
A week after the disastrous miracle in the capital city, neither the Church of Coris nor the Emperor had made any sort of announcement about the incident. In the absence of an official narrative, public opinion had settled into two major camps.
The first camp held that Saintess Anne Coris was the true chosen one sent by the Goddess to unite the church, the imperial family, and the elves of the Sacred Forest in a new age of peace and prosperity. They saw Anne¡¯s public behavior as proof that she was friendly and open-hearted, willing to meet people where they were.
The second camp viewed Anne as a false prophet, traitor, and spy, sent by the elves of the Sacred Forest to corrupt both the church and the imperial family. They saw Anne¡¯s public behavior as proof that she was frivolous, hedonistic, proud, and manipulative.
The longer time went on with no official response, the more tensions increased between these two groups. Brawls broke out in pubs across the city, family members stopped speaking to each other, and groups of menacing looking men took to loitering in the general vicinity of the Cathedral, glaring at each other.
Anne herself was only vaguely aware of all of this.
So far Anne had been following Eva¡¯s instructions and staying inside the Cathedral, although she was going a bit stir crazy. Luckily, someone came to visit her most days, whether it was Sebastian, Corvina, or various members of the Bastards¡¯ Club.
Today it was Nia and Collette who came to visit her. Anne, Agis, and the two of them were having tea in the Blue Courtyard. The sky overhead was dark and heavy¡ªthe threat of a thunderstorm hanging in the air like the threat of a civil war.
¡°You really can¡¯t come out with us, even for a little bit?¡± asked Collette. ¡°What if we just go to one of my boutiques? Surely you don¡¯t think anything bad will happen if you go out and do a bit of shopping.¡±
¡°Sorry, Eva told me not to leave,¡± said Anne. ¡°Last time I went out even though she told me not to, and we ended up having a big fight over it. I feel kind of bad about it, so I figured this time I should just stay put until she says it¡¯s okay.¡±
¡°Eva¡ that¡¯s your childhood friend, right?¡± said Collette.
¡°Yeah, that¡¯s her,¡± said Anne.
¡°Sounds like a real stick-in-the-mud.¡±
Anne just shrugged. ¡°I mean, sort of, I guess, but she has her reasons¡¡±
¡°Well, fine, so just ask her if it¡¯s okay,¡± said Collette. ¡°If you get her permission then it¡¯ll be fine, right?¡±
Anne and Agis looked at each other.
¡°We haven¡¯t been able to find her since we had that fight,¡± said Anne. ¡°That was almost a week ago.¡±
¡°Wait, she¡¯s missing?¡± asked Collette.
¡°I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s missing,¡± said Anne. ¡°But she¡¯s not here.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve checked around the city, too,¡± said Agis. ¡°Everywhere I could think of that she might go to. No one¡¯s seen her.¡±
¡°Aren¡¯t you worried about her?¡± asked Collette.
¡°Of course I am!¡± said Anne. ¡°But the fact that she¡¯s gone means I would feel even more guilty if I went against her wishes so I can¡¯t really do anything about it. I asked Corvina if she could have her intelligence network keep an eye out but she hasn¡¯t heard anything either. It¡¯s like she vanished. I just¡ I just hope she¡¯s vanished of her own free will. And that she¡¯ll reappear again when she wants to.¡±
Honestly, Anne was kind of freaking out about it. The original Saintess had been raised in the church, so she would at least have had the basic knowledge to navigate the organization. But the current Anne didn¡¯t have any of those memories and still barely knew how the church operated. She wasn¡¯t sure how long she¡¯d be able to last as the Saintess without Eva to ask as a buffer between her and the church hierarchy and to guide her through all the tough rituals.
Plus¡ Eva was her friend. Not just the original Saintess¡¯ friend, but her own. Anne still remembered how scared she had been when she¡¯d first arrived in this world, and how much Eva¡¯s emotional support had meant to her. Yes, they had been fighting lately. Yes, Eva could be a bit smothering. But Anne never would have made it through those first few weeks without her. Thanks to Eva, Anne had never felt truly alone in this world, even in her darkest moments.
¡°I hope she reappears soon, then,¡± said Collette, a sympathetic expression on her face.
¡°Thanks.¡±
¡°I guess it¡¯s no use begging you to come hang out with me, then. Ah, well.¡± Collette stood up. ¡°Shall we get going then, Nia? I still want to stop by a few of my boutiques before supper, with or without the Saintess.¡±
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Nia nodded. ¡°You go on ahead, I¡¯ll catch up with you in a moment. There¡¯s something I¡¯d like to ask the Saintess.¡±
¡°Okay, well, I can wait!¡± said Collette, sitting back down again.
¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯d like to ask her in private,¡± said Nia.
Collette rolled her eyes. ¡°Fine, but don¡¯t take too long or I¡¯ll leave without you and you¡¯ll have to walk home! It¡¯ll serve you right for leaving me out of things.¡±
¡°Do you want Agis to leave, too?¡± asked Anne.
¡°If he wouldn¡¯t mind too terribly,¡± said Nia.
¡°What?¡± said Agis. ¡°I have to go? Why? I¡¯m trustworthy! I¡¯m a noble prince, you know!¡±
¡°Come on, Agis, you can patrol the grounds or something,¡± said Anne. ¡°Make sure there aren¡¯t any threats.¡±
¡°Ugh, fine,¡± said Agis. He got up on top of the table, stepping around the remains of tea, and from there leapt straight onto the roof, landing in a crouching position before scampering off and out of sight.
¡°What was it you wanted to ask?¡± Anne felt slightly nervous, talking to Nia alone. Nia was far too cool for Anne to feel fully at-ease alone with her. ¡°If you¡¯re after religious advice or something I¡¯m not sure how much help I¡¯ll be¡¡±
Nia shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s not it. I wanted to ask you more about the prophecy you received.¡±
¡°Ah, okay, I can probably answer that.¡±
¡°Do you remember any more details about what happens to my mother?¡± asked Nia. ¡°The Ambassador from Quellinia? Any details at all. About how or why she¡¯s meant to be assassinated or by whom?¡±
¡°Oh¡¡± said Anne.
Anne tried to remember if there were any more details in the original novel, but it hadn¡¯t actually been a particularly significant event. At least, it hadn¡¯t been significant enough to any of the main characters to dwell on it specifically. It was a footnote. A plot contrivance. An excuse for the author to start a war.
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Anne admitted. ¡°That part of the prophecy was vague. I only know that her assassination, if it happens, will be what sparks a war with Quellinia.¡±
¡°Do you think the assassins are trying to start a war?¡± asked Nia. ¡°Or will they go after her for another reason? A personal grudge, maybe?¡±
Anne shook her head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s personal. Probably they¡¯re trying to start a war on purpose, but I don¡¯t know for sure.¡±
Nia sighed and stood up. ¡°Thank you, Saintess. If you happen to receive more detailed revelation on this at any point, please inform me.¡±
¡°Of course!¡± said Anne, with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t be more help.¡±
Nia looked at Anne for a moment, her expression unreadable.
¡°What is it?¡± asked Anne, feeling a bit self conscious.
¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about your friend Eva,¡± Nia said, adjusting the dark lenses she wore on her face as always. ¡°If I¡¯m right about her she¡¯ll reappear again before long.¡± Nia bowed and took her leave.
As Anne watched Nia walk away she thought, Eva, where in the world are you?
Eva was in a dark room lit only by a few small candles which illuminated a wooden workbench. The workbench was covered in books in several languages, multiple of which were left open on specific pages, and various craftsman tools. Eva was working closely on a small object using these tools, holding a magnifying lens in one eye.
Nearby, hovering in the air at Eva¡¯s eye-level, was a shimmering image of the Blue Courtyard in the Cathedral of Coris, where Anne was having her tea with Collette and Nia.
Eva had easily been able to adapt the surveillance spell which she had used to keep an eye on the meeting between Anne and the Duke in order to keep an eye on Anne in the Cathedral more generally. The only problem was that the spell was physically tied to the Cathedral itself and wouldn¡¯t work outside its walls.
But Eva was an innovator.
There were several types of magic that existed, which had largely been viewed as mutually exclusive throughout the history of the empire¡ªpractically contradictory to each other.
The first type, which Eva wasn¡¯t entirely convinced had ever actually existed, was divine magic. Divine magic was the power wielded by all the previous Saintesses, or so the church claimed. Divine magic supposedly derived power directly from the Goddess herself.
The second type, which was commonly used through the empire to this day, was alchemy. Alchemy was a physical sort of magic, tied directly to various objects and substances, and derived power from the natural properties of the objects themselves. This was considered a generally safe and reliable sort of magic. In fact, it was barely seen as magic at all. It was often treated more of a craftsman¡¯s trade, like carpentry or blacksmithing.
Finally, there was true magic. True magic was thought to have disappeared entirely from the empire generations ago. It was a wild, dangerous, and unpredictable form of magic which drew its power directly from the caster¡ªfrom their life force, their mana. Eva highly suspected the ¡°divine magic¡± of the various saintesses had actually just been true magic all along. Not divine at all, but the ultimate form of human power.
There had never been very many people capable of using true magic, but as far as Eva could tell from her research (and she had done a lot of research), none of them had ever attempted to mix forms of magic. She could find no instructions for how to do so.
So Eva had been forced to invent her own methods.
She found it utterly ridiculous that this was never the standard practice for magic users. By combining true magic with alchemy you could attain the increased power of true magic while vastly reducing its risks, and you could rely on the stability of alchemy without being held back by its limitations.
Done.
Eva set down her tools and examined the results of her handiwork. It was a small decorative pin made of a sleek blue metal with small sapphire adorning the end.
It had taken her longer than she had anticipated. But she finally had the solution to her problem. This would fix things with Anne.
Eva blew out the candles. The total darkness that descended lasted only a moment, until she activated the portal. Natural light poured through from a window in the small room beyond.
The portal was a perfect example of the benefits of combining true magic with alchemy.
Yes, Eva was capable of unlimited teleportation through true magic, but it consumed a massive amount of mana. By tying the teleportation spell to specific locations through alchemy, Eva could reliably travel long distances using only a small amount of mana.
Eva stepped through the portal and into a small, mostly unused room in a forgotten corner of the Cathedral in the capital.
She was back.
Now to find Anne.
Chapter 51
Eva found Anne alone in her room. She was in bed, fully dressed, reading a book and eating pastries. When she saw Eva walk in, her eyes went wide, and she scrambled out of bed, throwing her arms around Eva¡¯s shoulders.
¡°Eva!¡± shouted Anne. ¡°I was so worried about you! I was scared that something bad had happened to you or that you were so mad at me after our fight that you just left forever. I¡¯m really sorry for yelling at you.¡±
¡°Please don¡¯t feel sorry,¡± said Eva, returning Anne¡¯s hug. The embrace felt warm and reassuring. This was the way things were supposed to be. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have frightened you. I didn¡¯t leave because I was mad at you I just had some¡ things I needed to think through.¡±
¡°But where did you go?¡± asked Anne, pulling away from the hug and shooting Eva a quizzical look. ¡°Agis had people looking all over the city for you and we couldn¡¯t find any trace of you.¡±
¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± said Eva, shaking her head. ¡°What have you been up to in the time since I¡¯ve been gone? Did I miss anything important?¡±
¡°Not really.¡± Anne rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. ¡°You said not to leave the cathedral and I felt bad after our fight and we couldn¡¯t find you so¡ I¡¯ve just been hanging around.¡±
Eva smiled, a wider and more genuine smile than her usual. Anne really was lost without her, even now. Just because Anne was becoming a bit more independent didn¡¯t mean Eva wasn¡¯t needed anymore. And if her brief absence had helped Anne remember how important her presence was, then it was all for the best.
¡°Oh, I¡¯ve had a lot of visitors, though,¡± said Anne. ¡°And it hasn¡¯t been a completely wasted week. We¡¯ve started setting some plans in motion. Agis helped us send a letter to Prince Elyon and Lady Corvina said¡ª¡±
¡°Anne!¡± snapped Eva. She didn¡¯t want to hear about Lady Corvina.
¡°Oh, yes?¡± asked Anne, forgetting her train of thought.
¡°I have a present for you,¡± said Eva, smiling. ¡°To say I¡¯m sorry for our fight.¡±
¡°You didn¡¯t have to do that¡¡± said Anne.
¡°I wanted to,¡± said Eva. Eva pulled out the small jeweled pin and placed it through Anne¡¯s lapel so that the jeweled part was showing.
¡°Ooh, it¡¯s so pretty,¡± said Anne.
¡°I made it myself. Anne.¡± Eva took Anne¡¯s hands in her own. ¡°I want you to know that I heard you. You lived a really sheltered life back in Longren, and so when we came to the capital I just really wanted to protect you from the danger and corruption that fills the streets here. But I see now that I¡¯ve been acting in a way that comes across as overbearing and controlling. I never meant to make you feel suffocated, and I certainly never meant for you to be frightened of me. You¡¯ve made new friends here, and you have new goals, so of course it makes sense that you¡¯d want to be more independent. And I don¡¯t want to be in the way of your growth.¡±
Eva placed a hand on Anne¡¯s cheek. ¡°I¡¯m happy to take a step back if that¡¯s what you want,¡± she continued. ¡°We can both have a little room to¡ explore how our lives might evolve from here. Not totally separate from each other, just¡ spread a little further apart. I just hope you¡¯ll keep this token with you. Wear it by your heart every day. That way, even when we¡¯re away from each other, a small part of me can be with you always. That way I think I can feel a little less anxious being away from your side.¡±
¡°Oh, Eva¡¡± said Anne, her eyes swimming with emotion.
¡°Saintess!¡± Acolyte Betty came running into the room, but stopped in her tracks when she saw Eva. ¡°Oh, Sister! I didn¡¯t realize you were back¡¡±
Eva clicked her tongue in annoyance, but quickly caught herself and fixed her expression to her usual gentle emptiness.
¡°What is it, Betty?¡± asked Anne.
¡°The Emperor¡ The Emperor has summoned all the nobles in the city to the palace,¡± said Betty. Her expression looked frightened. ¡°And Bishop Geist has ordered us all to attend as well. Apparently the Bishop and the Emperor are making some sort of announcement¡ together!¡±
Lady Corvina stood off to the side in the foyer outside of the throne room, watching confused and frightened nobles and clerics filing past.
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¡°None of them have any idea what to make of this,¡± she remarked to Ulrich, who was by her side.
¡°Of course they don¡¯t,¡± said Ulrich. ¡°How could they? The church and the crown haven¡¯t worked together even once since the death of the previous Emperor. The hostility between Bishop Geist and Emperor Richard is well known.¡±
¡°You!¡±
Sister Eva came out of the crowd right towards them, glaring. Ah, she¡¯s back after all, thought Corvina. This expression suits her better than her usual fake smile.
Anne followed closely behind Eva, looking nervous and uncertain. Corvina shot her a reassuring smile and a small wave. Anne waved back.
¡°How could you not have warned us of this?¡± asked Eva, accusingly.
¡°How were we supposed to warn you?¡± asked Corvina. ¡°We had no idea where you were until just now.¡±
¡°You could have warned Anne directly,¡± said Eva. ¡°Or do you expect me to believe you didn¡¯t know what your father was planning?¡±
¡°Of course I knew,¡± said Corvina. ¡°And I did warn Anne.¡±
Eva turned to look at Anne, who was fidgeting with the hem of her suit jacket. Corvina thought the gesture was unbearably cute. ¡°Oh yeah, she told me to expect a summons from the palace soon. And not to worry about it too much.¡±
¡°That doesn¡¯t count as a warning!¡± said Eva. ¡°You have to tell us what this is actually about, you¡ª¡±
Eva reached out towards Corvina, possibly intending to grab her collar, but Ulrich¡¯s arm shot out and grabbed Eva¡¯s wrist in a strong grip before she could touch his niece.
Corvina didn¡¯t even flinch.
Ulrich and Eva glared at each other for a moment and some sort of understanding seemed to pass between them.
Ulrich let go of Eva¡¯s wrist and Eva took a deep breath, visibly calming down. ¡°I apologize for losing my temper,¡± said Eva. ¡°I¡¯m trying to be better about that. Do you think you could please tell us what all of this is about? In detail?¡±
¡°There¡¯s no time,¡± said Corvina. ¡°The Emperor and the Bishop will be making their announcement very soon. And besides, people are staring. This isn¡¯t exactly a discreet venue for this kind of conversation.¡±
It was true. When it was only Corvina and Ulrich they had been able to hide in the shadows at the edges of the foyer, but now with Eva shouting and with the controversial Saintess right there, their little group was getting a lot of attention from the people still making their way into the throne room. Various groups kept staring, pointing, and whispering amongst themselves.
Eva didn¡¯t seem to have a comeback for that.
¡°Besides,¡± said Corvina, placing a hand on Eva¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Anne trusts me. Even without knowing the details. Right, Anne?¡±
¡°Of course!¡± answered Anne, without a moment of hesitation.
Corvina did her best not to look too smug at that.
¡°You should trust me too,¡± said Corvina, in a low tone of voice. ¡°After all, we both have Anne¡¯s best interest in mind. And what¡¯s about to happen is in Anne¡¯s best interest.¡±
Eva¡¯s hands had curled into fists, but she made no other motion. Corvina thought Eva probably had enough self control not to outright assault an aristocrat out in the open, especially in front of Anne. And even if she didn¡¯t, Ulrich¡¯s presence usually managed to dissuade casual outburst of violence in most people. Even in full butler regalia his facial scar was pretty intimidating. And he had a very strong grip. No one wanted him to grab their wrist more than once.
¡°Come on, Anne,¡± said Corvina, walking past Eva and reaching out to take Anne¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s better if you¡¯re not in the main room for this. But I know of a secret alcove we can watch from.¡±
¡°Okay!¡± said Anne.
Corvina had admittedly been a little annoyed to see that Eva had reappeared, but she wasn¡¯t surprised by it. Corvina had her suspicions about Eva, but it was nothing she could prove¡ yet. Anne and Eva were close childhood friends. As much as Anne claimed to trust Corvina, how could Corvina hope to compete in a game of ¡®she said, she said¡¯ against someone Anne had known and trusted most of her life? No, Corvina would make sure that she had proof before she told Anne any of her suspicions. It was the safest way.
Besides, it was true that Corvina and Eva seemed to have the same basic goals, at least for now. It was better all around for them to remain allies¡ at least for now.
Plus¡ when Corvina had called out to Anne and reached out for her hand, Anne had happily come with her right away. And now they were walking through the palace halls hand-in-hand. And Corvina knew exactly what was about to happen. After all, she had helped her father plan the occasion. Eva could only see a few of the gears and springs, but Corvina could see how all the pieces spun together to make the clock turn.
Yes, Eva was a problem that could wait.
As Corvina led Anne away, Eva took a step forward to follow them, but was stopped by Ulrich placing a hand on her shoulder. ¡°We¡¯d better head inside soon,¡± he said, with a smile. ¡°Or we won¡¯t be able to get a good view.¡±
Eva clicked her tongue as she watched Corvina and Anne disappear somewhere she couldn¡¯t follow.
No matter.
Eva turned her attention to the upper right corner of her vision, where she could see a small but distinct view of Anne and Corvina walking through a palace hallway. Anne looked slightly nervous, but more or less happy. Corvina looked smug.
It was clear that Corvina thought she had everything under her control, and Eva found it annoying. But it didn¡¯t really matter. The whole point of the jeweled pin was that it would allow Eva a constant view of Anne and anything that was happening around her. Eva could also listen in to whatever Anne could hear, if she just concentrated on the magic in the right way. Corvina couldn¡¯t truly shut Eva out, no matter how hard she tried.
Yes, Corvina was a problem that could wait.
Right now it was more important to find out what that goddess damned Bishop was up to with the Emperor.
Chapter 52
Corvina led Anne up through a set of corridors and up a flight of stairs, never letting go of Anne¡¯s hand. Every time they passed a window, Corvina¡¯s face would briefly be lit by full sunlight. Anne had never before thought sunlight was so beautiful.
Finally they came to a halt and Anne realized she had been so distracted watching Corvina that she hadn¡¯t paid any attention to the hallways they¡¯d passed through. Now they¡¯d stopped in the middle of a nondescript corridor and Anne couldn¡¯t retrace their steps if she tried.
¡°Where are we going?¡± Anne asked.
Corvina smiled and raised a finger to her lips in a shushing motion. Then she pressed a specific stone on the wall and a hidden door swung open.
Inside was a small room set up like a theater with two rows of cushioned chairs in front of a series of narrow windows that looked out into¡ the throne room.
¡°This is incredible!¡± said Anne, navigating around the chairs towards the windows.
¡°Best seats in the house,¡± said Corvina, following behind her. ¡°The windows are narrow and high up to make it difficult for anyone in the throne room to see anyone in here. But if you¡¯re seated at the right angle it¡¯s easy to see out into the throne room from here.¡±
The secret room was located above the back of the throne room, so Corvina and Anne could see the whole crowd. The nobles had lined up on the right side of the room, while the clerics had lined up on the left. Each group was eying the others suspiciously.
¡°Oh, there¡¯s Eva and Ulrich!¡± said Anne, pointing towards a spot in the middle of the crowd. The two stood out since they weren¡¯t really mingling with either faction.
At the front of the throne room, Emperor Wyernwolf sat on his throne, watching the crowd with a sort of bored contempt. Bishop Geist stood just behind his throne to his right, a much more serene expression on her face.
¡°We should sit down,¡± said Corvina, placing a gentle hand on Anne¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I believe the announcement is about to start.¡±
Just as Anne and Corvina took their seats, Emperor Wyernwolf rose from his.
Anne would be lying if she said she wasn¡¯t nervous at all. This was the Emperor, the main villain of the original novel, an abusive father, and an all-around evil despot. And he was working together with the Bishop, the only person in the church who (maybe?) outranked Anne herself (Anne wasn¡¯t 100% certain of the exact organizational structure of the church or where the Saintess fell in it but she was pretty sure if the Bishop told her to do something she was supposed to do it.)
But Anne trusted Corvina. Corvina was brilliant. Anything Corvina planned would turn out alright in the end.
But Corvina¡¯s schemes weren¡¯t always necessarily¡ pleasant. For those involved.
So Anne would be lying if she said she wasn¡¯t nervous.
The crowd fell silent as the Emperor began to speak.
¡°Wise clergy and loyal aristocracy, I welcome you to the imperial palace and thank you for accepting the invitation,¡± said the Emperor. His tone was solemn, but not unfriendly. ¡°We are aware that there has been widespread confusion and unrest since the recent revelation that the Saintess was not who many assumed her to be. We brought you here today to put your minds at ease.¡±
The Emperor paused and it felt like everyone in the room leaned forward slightly to hear what he would say next.
¡°I¡¯m a bit surprised he¡¯s such a polite speaker,¡± Anne whispered to Corvina. ¡°I thought he¡¯d be more shouty.¡±
¡°He can shout when he needs to,¡± answered Corvina.
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¡°I understand well how shocked everyone was to learn that the Saintess is not human, but an elf,¡± continued the Emperor. ¡°After all, elves are the enemies of our people. Cold-hearted barbarians who occupy sacred territory that should, by right, belong to us, the true followers of the Goddess. I know that many of you, like me, will not rest easy until the sacred land has been returned to its rightful owners. And I understand how, by extension, you might all view the Saintess as an enemy simply because her ears are a bit pointier than our own.¡±
Another pause. So far this was¡ not what Anne had expected. But she didn¡¯t find that reassuring.
¡°But let me tell you this!¡± This the Emperor had shouted, sending a jolt through the audience. ¡°Saintess Anne Coris is no enemy of the people. She is no barbarian elf of the Sacred Woods. She was abandoned by those heartless elves as a mere babe and raised in the loving arms of the true church of the Goddess. Whatever the shape of her ears, Saintess Anne Coris is a citizen of the Wyernwolf Empire first and foremost. And she is the chosen of the Goddess. We should not hold the circumstances of her birth against her. We should look at her good works to guide us and inspire us to renew our efforts in the fight against our true enemies! King Theodas and his wicked sons, the brutish Zaos and the sly Elyon. May the Goddess be ever at our sides to lead us to victory. And may she abandon our enemies to their fates!¡±
The crowd, who had been silent until now, began to cheer raucously. The Emperor waited for them to quiet down before continuing.
¡°Most of you should be aware that there has been a divide between the Imperial crown and the Church of Coris ever since I first ascended to the throne,¡± he said. ¡°I hope you understand that this was never because of any personal disregard I felt towards the church. I merely believed it would be in the people¡¯s best interest to keep matters of the state and matters of the spirit¡ separate. I realize now that this effort, though well-meaning, was somewhat misguided. After all, what hope can there be for the state without the support of the Goddess? From now on the church and the crown will work in close concert to ensure the future glory of the Empire. With that in mind, I would now like to turn things over to her eminence, the Bishop of Coris, who has a few words of her own.¡±
The Emperor sat back down in his throne and gestured for Bishop Geist to step forward. She did so.
¡°Thank you, your imperial majesty,¡± she said with a slight curtsy towards the Emperor. Then she addressed the crowd. ¡°It is true that Saintess Anne Coris was chosen by the Goddess. I know there are rumors circulating about her¡ erratic behavior since arriving in the capital. Chief among them her inappropriate behavior at parties and among certain high society socialites, and her¡ ill-considered remarks at the recent miracle. Although the Saintess is the voice and hands of the Goddess here on the mortal plane, she is also still a person, and therefore prone to the same foibles as the rest of us. You may also be aware that Anne was raised in a small church in the small border town of Longren. Unfortunately, she was ill-prepared for additional pressures of city life and has not adjusted well to her new duties here. With that in mind, we are announcing that the Saintess will immediately be returning to the town of Longren, to continue her important work in a more familiar environment. None of her statements made while struggling under the intense pressures of the big city should be considered to reflect the official positions of the church. We are very pleased to be working more closely with the crown from this point forward, and we thank the Emperor for his consideration. May the empire prosper under the guidance of the great Goddess Coris.¡±
Bishop Geist finished her statement by solemnly bowing her head, as if in prayer. The crowd was full of loud whispers as people reacted to this latest development.
¡°A full statement regarding this announcement has been printed and distributed to the citizenry as well,¡± said Bishop Geist. ¡°To make sure everyone is fully aware of the situation, and to hopefully reduce the unrest we have seen in the city. That concludes our remarks for the day. Thank you again for your attendance. Please exit the palace in an orderly fashion and I hope I will see most of you at the Cathedral on the next holy day.¡±
The whispers in the crowd grew to a deafening noise as the Bishop and the Emperor exited the room through a door behind the throne.
Anne was staring, still trying to process this.
They hadn¡¯t fully denounced Anne, not really. They hadn¡¯t revoked her status as the Saintess or threatened to throw her in a dungeon. But they¡¯d thoroughly undermined her, taking any power she¡¯d had right out from under her. They¡¯d made it so no one would take Anne seriously as an authority anymore, not even over her own life. They¡¯d given everyone the perfect excuse to dismiss her outright. They¡¯d undone everything she¡¯d done since she¡¯d arrived at the city. And they¡¯d¡ stolen her image, her narrative, her personhood, in order to use her to support their own goals. Goals Anne strongly and specifically disagreed with. They¡¯d just¡ removed Anne from the picture altogether and left nothing but the concept of the Saintess.
She looked over at Corvina to find Corvina was looking at her with an excited smile. ¡°Well? Isn¡¯t it perfect?¡±
Chapter 53
Corvina beamed at Anne with an expression of pride and excitement while Anne took a moment to gather her thoughts.
¡°Corvina¡¡± said Anne. ¡°I¡¯m not¡ I¡¯m not doubting you, but can you please explain to me why this outcome is perfect?¡±
¡°You can¡¯t see it?¡± said Corvina. ¡°You should be able to piece it together with the information you have available to you.¡±
¡°Corvina,¡± said Anne. ¡°One of the very first things I told you the first time we met is that I¡¯m not good at politics.¡±
¡°Oh, right,¡± said Corvina, a bit taken aback. Now it was her turn to take a moment to gather her thoughts. ¡°The main benefit of this announcement is that it gives you an immediate reason to go to Longren without raising any suspicions, and we need to go to Longren for the next stage of the plan. If the church was still using you as a pawn to raise their status in the capital it would have been difficult for you to leave town.¡±
¡°Okay¡¡± said Anne.
¡°A secondary benefit is that both the Bishop and the Emperor now consider you an entirely neutralized threat,¡± continued Corvina. ¡°So neither of them will bother to track your activities as closely as they would if they still thought you held significant power.¡±
¡°I guess that makes sense,¡± said Anne. ¡°But isn¡¯t all of this good for them, too? By making me look weak and stupid and loyal to the Empire they get public opinion on their side.¡±
¡°Right,¡± said Corvina. ¡°Temporarily. Public opinion isn¡¯t that hard to change if we need to down the line. And all the best plans at least seem like they benefit your enemies. Because then your enemies have no reason to interfere with your plans.¡±
Anne furrowed her brow as she tried to work out the math on that one. ¡°Okay,¡± she said. ¡°I think I get it. Can I ask one more thing?¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
¡°How did you know things would turn out this way?¡± asked Anne. ¡°Like, how were you so certain about it?¡±
¡°Oh, because I helped plan it this way,¡± said Corvina, with a shrug. ¡°My father and I frequently develop detailed plans for a variety of different potential scenarios together, just in case. This particular plan was always meant to be the standard response for if there was any sort of scandal involving the Saintess. I personally helped him rewrite the generic speech so that it addressed this specific scandal, and of course I nudged a few things here and there to make sure it would benefit us as much as possible. And the fact that this was an established plan means the Emperor will be even less suspicious of it! That¡¯s why it¡¯s so perfect!¡±
Anne was forced to concede the point. ¡°Okay, it does seem pretty perfect,¡± she said. ¡°But I think I would have been happier if you would¡¯ve told me all this ahead of time.¡±
¡°What?¡± said Corvina. ¡°But the more people know about a plan ahead of time the more dangerous it is. It¡¯s always better to keep information on a need to know basis.¡±
¡°You don¡¯t think I needed to know any of this?¡± asked Anne.
¡°What would you have needed to know?¡± asked Corvina. ¡°The only role you had to play in this plan was to allow it to happen. I didn¡¯t particularly need to tell you anything to stop you from interfering. You weren¡¯t doing anything anyway.¡±
That made Anne flinch. Had she really been so passive this whole time? Did she really not need to contribute anything? Was it really better to just¡ let Corvina do whatever she was going to do and not worry about it unless asked to? I mean, of course Corvina was a lot smarter than her, but¡
Corvina hesitantly reached out to put a hand on Anne¡¯s shoulder, her expression concerned. ¡°You¡¯re not mad at me, are you?¡± she asked.
Anne shook her head and made herself smile. ¡°Of course not!¡± she said. ¡°Why would I be mad at you? I¡¯m the one who asked you to help me with this whole prophecy mess. Thank you for arranging all this, really! I¡¯m sure it will work out for the best in the end.¡±
¡°It will, I promise,¡± said Corvina. ¡°You can trust me.¡±
¡°Right, of course¡¡± said Anne.
Anne and Corvina walked back through the palace in a slightly awkward silence. They met back up with Eva and Ulrich in the foyer outside of the throne room.
¡°Congratulations on a plan well executed,¡± said Ulrich, smiling at Corvina. ¡°It¡¯s always satisfying when such things go off without a hitch.¡±
¡°Indeed,¡± said Corvina, smiling back.
Anne had expected Eva to be furious after all that and was bracing herself for it, preparing to defend Corvina¡¯s actions, but she was surprised to see that Eva was looking as serene as ever.
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¡°You¡¯re not mad about this, Eva?¡± asked Anne.
¡°Ah, well¡¡± said Eva. ¡°Are you happy with this outcome?¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± said Anne. ¡°Of course. This will make our other plans a lot easier from here. So it¡¯s a good thing.¡±
¡°Then I¡¯m not mad,¡± said Eva. ¡°Ulrich and Lady Corvina, could I ask that one or both of you escort our dear Saintess back to the Cathedral? It may be wiser to take the back ways. I¡¯m not sure how the public will react to this announcement in the short term and it may be better to keep the Saintess out of sight.¡±
¡°Wait, you¡¯re not coming back with us?¡± asked Anne.
In the back of her mind, Anne was wondering why it was that she was kind of annoyed that Eva wasn¡¯t angry this time¡
¡°Not to worry,¡± said Eva, taking Anne¡¯s hand and squeezing it reassuringly. ¡°I¡¯ll see you back at the cathedral later on. But I have something I need to take care of first.¡±
The Emperor sat down at the desk in his office, which was located just behind the throne room, and began sorting through some paperwork. After a while he looked up to where Bishop Geist was waiting patiently, standing next to the door.
¡°Well? What are you still doing here?¡± said Emperor Richard.
¡°I thought it would be prudent to discuss next steps,¡± said Bishop Geist.
The Emperor put down the papers he was holding and leaned back in his chair. ¡°What next steps?¡± he said. ¡°The problem is dealt with.¡±
¡°Yes, but¡ª¡±
¡°I hope I haven¡¯t given you the wrong impression,¡± said the Emperor. ¡°I¡¯ve given you a seat on the council and a public statement of support in return for your help in this matter, but I have no intention of becoming a lackey of the church the way my fool of a father was. I am the Emperor of this nation, its absolute ruler. Whatever the next step is, mine will be the foot doing the stepping. I won¡¯t be ordered around by a glorified cleric.¡±
¡°I had no thoughts of ordering you around, your majesty,¡± said Bishop Geist. ¡°I just thought perhaps if you were to share your plans with me I could help you with them. Strictly in an advisory capacity, of course.¡±
The Emperor gave the Bishop a look that would have made most citizens of the empire fear for their lives. Bishop Geist merely smiled back.
¡°If you want to advise me you may do so at the next council meeting,¡± said the Emperor. ¡°I¡¯ll go ahead and tell you in no uncertain terms so you can¡¯t weasel your way out of it: You will not be receiving any special privileges beyond any other member of the council. The fact that you were appointed to the council at all is already a huge concession on my part. I will not be conceding anything else. Now get the hell out of my office.¡±
Bishop Geist¡¯s smile faltered just slightly, but she quickly reestablished it. ¡°There was a time when we were friends, Richard,¡± she said. ¡°I seem to recall a scared young prince that would come seek me out after church every week.¡±
The Emperor sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. ¡°We were teenagers, Cerelia. You were a young acolyte who delighted in sharing comforting words and I was in need of comfort, terrified as I was of my father and his Goddess.¡± The Emperor¡¯s eyes flashed with anger. ¡°We¡¯ve both grown up since then and now I am the one to be feared,¡± he said. ¡°Out of consideration for our former friendship, I won¡¯t have you executed for your impertinent remarks. That is all you¡¯re going to get from me. Now get¡ out¡ of¡ my¡ office! I won¡¯t say it again.¡±
The Bishop obeyed this time, making her way out through the now empty corridors of the palace.
She sighed.
A seat on the council is better than nothing, at least.
¡°Didn¡¯t quite get what you¡¯d hoped for, did you?¡±
The Bishop spun around. Sister Eva was waiting there, leaning against the wall of the palace, her arms folded.
¡°Eva!¡± said Bishop Geist. ¡°You must understand, this was the best outcome you possibly could have hoped for for your precious Saintess after that absolute debacle of a miracle. There¡¯s only so much the church can defend before her presence is doing us more harm than good.¡±
¡°I understand,¡± said Eva, mildly. ¡°You were in a difficult situation and you made the best decision available to you in order to further the interests of the church.¡±
¡°You know, I meant what I said, to an extent,¡± continued the Bishop. ¡°I don¡¯t think Anne is well suited to life in the capital. And you were just complaining about her schedule being too difficult. Now you can both take it easy in Longren. I¡¯m sure Anne will even be happier this way.¡±
¡°Perhaps,¡± said Eva.
The Bishop had a sudden epiphany. ¡°Or, Eva, we could make a new announcement, all on our own, without the imperial family. We could say there was a mistake all along. Anne was never a Saintess at all. The true Saintess was you all along. A good, loyal, human woman. Raised in the church. It¡¯s perfect. It¡¯s hardly a lie, even. The power was always yours the whole time. And you have a real nose for politics. With you in the role of Saintess we could really start to increase the influence of the church. And you could even keep your precious Anne with you as your attendant. What do you say? That would be a pretty good deal, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±
Eva approached the Bishop slowly, then suddenly grabbed her by the front of her robes, pulling her down to eye level. ¡°Ever since you first found me in that abandoned wing reading those forbidden books, I¡¯ve been clear with you about what my goals are,¡± Eva growled. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be the Saintess. There¡¯s no point if it¡¯s not Anne. Everything I¡¯ve ever done is for Anne. To make the world understand how special and important she really is. Nothing else matters.¡±
The Bishop threw her hands up. ¡°Alright, I understand. There¡¯s no need to behave like this. We can discuss this civilly.¡±
Eva let the Bishop go.
¡°You¡¯ll go to Longren quietly at least, won¡¯t you?¡± asked Bishop Geist, fixing her robes.
Eva shrugged. ¡°For now,¡± she said. ¡°If you no longer wish to be Anne¡¯s ally because it no longer benefits you, then I understand. I won¡¯t cause trouble. But know this: If you¡¯re not Anne¡¯s ally, you¡¯re not my ally. As long as Anne is being ignored and disgraced, you can forget about asking me to help you with anything going forward.¡±
Eva started to walk away, but the Bishop called after her. ¡°You can¡¯t talk that way to me! You¡¯re still a cleric. I am the Bishop. You work for me!¡±
Eva stopped in her tracks and turned back to the Bishop. ¡°You should be careful how you speak to me, Bishop. You may be the only person in this world who knows the true extent of my powers. We may no longer be allies, but do you really want to make me your enemy?¡±
With that, Eva snapped her fingers and disappeared from the hallway, leaving the Bishop once again alone.
Chapter 54
Anne, Corvina, and Ulrich stood in front of a back entrance to the Cathedral.
¡°You and your retinue will need to leave for Longren first thing in the morning,¡± said Corvina. ¡°Now that the announcement¡¯s been made it would be better not to linger in the city too long. I¡¯ll arrange things so that I can follow a few days later. We¡¯ll need to arrange a way to get Sebastian to Longren without raising suspicion as well. I¡¯ve got a few ideas for that, so you don¡¯t need to worry.¡±
¡°Okay¡¡± said Anne. ¡°Will you come see us off when we go?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know, it could be a bit risky,¡± said Corvina. ¡°Both of us leaving the city around the same time could already seem suspicious. It might be better if we avoid even the chance of being seen together for now.¡±
Anne sighed. ¡°Fine, I get it.¡± Anne turned her face away.
¡°Hey,¡± Corvina reached up to gently turn Anne¡¯s face back towards her. ¡°If it¡¯s that important to you, of course I¡¯ll come see you off. I can make it work.¡±
Anne nodded. ¡°Okay, thanks. See you tomorrow then.¡±
When Anne had gone inside, Corvina sighed and rubbed her temples. She was getting a tension headache again.
Everything today had gone exactly as planned. The plan was right on track. Just a short time ago, Corvina had thought there was no way she could ever go against her father or her fiance and survive, and here she was running circles around both of them. She should be proud, she was proud, but¡
What was with this strange tension between her and Anne? Why did things feel so off?
Corvina just couldn¡¯t understand it.
¡°You must be tired,¡± said Ulrich, putting a hand on his niece¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We should get you home.¡±
Corvina shook her head. ¡°No, you go ahead. I have something to do first.¡±
There was a knock on the door of the Emperor¡¯s office.
¡°Come in,¡± he said, not looking up from his paperwork.
Duke Marshal came through the door. ¡°Sire,¡± he said, with a stiff bow.
¡°Ah, Robert, I was just about to send for you,¡± said the Emperor. ¡°I¡¯d like to discuss guard rotations over the next few days. This will be a pivotal time to observe the public¡¯s reaction and I want to make sure guards are placed strategically throughout the city for that purpose.¡±
¡°Of course, your majesty,¡± said Marshal. ¡°I only wish you had informed me of your plans ahead of time.¡±
Truthfully, Marshal was absolutely furious to have been left out of the loop. Was he not one of the Emperor¡¯s closest confidants and advisers? What was the point of all the work he¡¯d done over the years to secure his own position if the Emperor was going to make these sorts of decisions without even informing him?
The Emperor scoffed. ¡°Why should I have told you anything? What role do you think you needed to play in all this?¡±
¡°Well, I could have helped plan the guard rotation ahead of time,¡± said Marshal.
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¡°Huh?¡± said the Emperor. ¡°What the hell are you talking about? Why would that matter? Just help me with this now, will you?¡±
Marshal thought about how easy it would be to kill the Emperor right now.
Of course, Emperor Richard Wyernwolf was a famous and highly skilled swordsman. Marshal had no lack of sword skills himself, but he wasn¡¯t certain that he¡¯d be able to defeat the Emperor in a straightforward duel.
But that was only if he was dumb enough to fight a straightforward duel.
All the sword skills in the world couldn¡¯t save you from an unexpected blade.
Of course, if he did draw his sword and run the Emperor through right now then that idiot prince would inherit the throne. And Corvina would still be running loose causing trouble, without even their marriage vows to keep her on a leash. Yes, better to show restraint for now. His moment would come.
There was another knock on the door.
The Emperor clicked his tongue. ¡°I can¡¯t get a moment¡¯s peace today,¡± he said. ¡°Who is it?¡±
Lady Corvina came through the door with a curtsy. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disturb you at this late hour, your majesty. I had some pressing issues to discuss with you.¡±
Looking up, Lady Corvina spotted Marshal in the room. Marshal relished her brief startled look before she got herself back under control.
¡°I apologize for interrupting,¡± she said. ¡°I can return later after you¡¯ve concluded your business with the Grand Duke.¡±
¡°Nonsense,¡± said the Emperor. He waved the Duke off to the side and beckoned his daughter forward. ¡°Whatever you need to say to me, you can say it in front of the Duke.¡±
Oh, so now he wants to keep me in the loop, thought the Duke. The Emperor¡¯s whims could be useful sometimes, but they were annoyingly difficult to plan around. But Marshal would be a fool to voluntarily leave at this point.
Corvina hesitated a moment, then nodded. ¡°Your majesty, I came to request that you send me to Longren.¡±
The Emperor stared at her for a moment. ¡°Why?¡± he said. ¡°Why would you want to leave the city the moment we¡¯ve regained control.¡±
¡°The fact that we¡¯ve regained control is why I feel it would be good timing for me to leave,¡± said Corvina. ¡°With the Saintess problem solved, there aren¡¯t any more pressing issues keeping me in the city. With that in mind, I believe it would be prudent for me to turn my attention to other problems elsewhere. Specifically the problem of the Sacred Woods..¡±
¡°Go on,¡± said the Emperor.
¡°Since the alchemist disappeared, progress on discovering a workaround for the Sacred Forest¡¯s natural defensive magic has stalled entirely,¡± said Corvina. ¡°Keeping track of the alchemist was my responsibility, so I feel it is my responsibility to take over her task now that she¡¯s gone. By travelling to Longren I will be better situated to personally discover a way for our armies to advance through the forest without impediment.¡±
¡°Hmmm¡¡± The Emperor steepled his hands on his desk in front of him. ¡°You make a strong case. But what if I need you here?¡±
¡°I can bring an alchemical communications device with me,¡± said Corvina. ¡°So you¡¯ll be able to get in touch with me any time.¡±
¡°I suppose it wouldn¡¯t be a problem then,¡± said the Emperor. He glanced over at Marshal and then back to his daughter. ¡°But what would your fiance say to you travelling so far on your own? It could be seen as inappropriate. I¡¯m aware that the two of you care about such things.¡±
¡°Actually, that was something else I wanted to talk to you about,¡± said Corvina. She got down on one knee, bowing her head before the Emperor, not looking at Marshal at all. ¡°Your majesty, I would like to formally request that you dissolve my engagement, effective immediately.¡±
Eva knocked quietly on Anne¡¯s door before entering the room. ¡°Hello, Anne! I just wanted to check in on you before bed. A lot happened today, so I just wanted to see if you were doing alright.¡±
Eva had expected to see Anne in bed already, or at least in her bedclothes, but she was sitting up at her desk, still in her regular suit, staring at the door like she was waiting for something.
¡°Oh, Eva!¡± said Anne. ¡°I¡¯m doing okay, really, thanks for checking. But today made me¡ realize some things.¡±
¡°Oh?¡± said Anne.
¡°Don¡¯t freak out,¡± said Anne. ¡°But I sent an acolyte with a message to¡ª¡±
There was another knock on the door and Acolyte Betty poked her head through. ¡°Saintess, your guest has arrived.¡±
Prince Sebastian was standing behind Betty. He smiled and waved when he caught Anne¡¯s eye.
¡°Sebastian!¡± said Anne, jumping up from her seat. She rushed forward and grabbed his hand, pulling him further into the room. ¡°I¡¯m glad you came! I have something important I need to tell you.¡±
¡°Oh?¡± said Sebastian, a bemused look on his face.
¡°You may want to sit down for this,¡± said Anne. ¡°It¡¯s going to be a lot to process..¡±
Chapter 55
¡°Oh? That sounds ominous,¡± said Sebastian, cheerfully. He took a seat near Anne¡¯s fireplace, crossing one leg over the other and placing both hands on his knee, looking up at Anne expectantly.
Anne glanced back at Eva and Betty.
¡°I was kind of hoping to talk to the Prince in private¡¡± she said. Then she added. ¡°Eva, I can catch you up on what¡¯s going on later.¡±
Betty bowed and left right away. Eva took a bit longer, looking from Anne to Sebastian and back to Anne again. Finally, she seemed to come to a conclusion.
¡°As you wish, dear Saintess,¡± she said, bowing and leaving the room.
¡°So, Sebastian¡¡± said Anne, sitting in a chair across from Sebastian.
¡°Oh, before we get into that,¡± said Sebastian. ¡°How are you doing? That can¡¯t have been easy, hearing all that awfulness earlier. I¡¯m so sorry all this happened. I swear I didn¡¯t know my dad was planning to do something like that.¡±
¡°Oh, well¡¡± said Anne. ¡°Corvina knew, so¡ it¡¯s fine, I guess.¡±
¡°She did?¡± said Sebastian. He shook his head, bemusedly. ¡°Of course she did. So she told you about it beforehand? Let you prepare yourself?¡±
¡°No, she didn¡¯t tell me¡¡± said Anne. ¡°That¡¯s actually sort of why I wanted to talk to you today, you see¡ª¡±
Sebastian clicked his tongue. ¡°She should¡¯ve told you. It was the least she owed you,¡± he said. ¡°And now you have to leave the city!¡± Sebastian put a hand on his forehead in an exaggerated gesture of woe. ¡°We¡¯ve only just become friends and now you have to leave already! I only wish I could come with you.¡±
¡°Good news then!¡± said Anne, speaking loudly to try to interrupt Sebastian¡¯s momentum. She was worried she would miss her chance to say anything otherwise. ¡°Because we actually need you to come with us. To Longren. Well, the border of the Sacred Forest. So we can kidnap you.¡±
Sebastian leapt to his feet, clutching his chest in shock. ¡°You want to kidnap me?¡±
¡°Not me, personally,¡± said Anne, reaching out to Sebastian to tug on his arm and try to get him to sit down again. ¡°One of my half-brothers probably. Elyon. Or maybe Zaos is Elyon doesn¡¯t wanna do it. The elves anyway. The Sacred Forest elves specifically, not just any random elves. And it¡¯s more of a staged kidnapping than a real kidnapping. We¡¯re all going to be in on it together. Come on, Sebastian, sit down, let¡¯s talk about this.¡±
Sebastian shook Anne off. ¡°None of that makes it better!¡± he said. ¡°You have to see how that doesn¡¯t make it better. Goddess¡¯ tits, woman, I know there must be some sort of scheme behind this but have you forgotten that the elves hate my family? For good reason, I¡¯ll admit, but for Goddess¡¯ sake you¡¯re gonna get me killed.¡±
¡°Um¡¡± Anne rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. ¡°About that¡¡±
¡°Oh my Goddess, I can¡¯t¡ª¡± Sebastian covered his mouth with his hands and took a deep breath. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ve calmed down. You can tell me.¡±
¡°A while back, I received a vision from the Goddess,¡± said Anne. ¡°A prophecy of the future. In the prophecy¡ well, basically if you stay in the city you might get assassinated. You will get assassinated. Probably.¡±
Sebastian sat back down again.
¡°I told you it would be a lot to process¡¡± said Anne.
¡°Why can¡¯t I just leave the city and not get kidnapped?¡± asked Sebastian. Sebastian looked genuinely scared and vulnerable, like a small animal caught in a trap.
Anne felt bad for him. He was the Crown Prince, theoretically one of the most powerful people in the Empire, and yet even his closest allies had written him off as stupid, shallow, and useless ever since he was a young kid. No one told him anything. No one included him in anything. Everyone had just¡ given up on him. No wonder he turned out the way he did.
Admittedly, Anne had found his character in the original novel really annoying and hadn¡¯t cared that much when he died. She¡¯d kind of enjoyed it actually, just for the drama of it. Anne had sort of also found him pretty annoying when they¡¯d first met in this world, but¡ now that she¡¯d gotten to know him better she considered him a genuine friend.
He deserved to know what might happen to him.
Suddenly Sebastian perked up, eager, like he¡¯d thought of something. ¡°Or, instead of kidnapping me, you could just tell me who the assassin is! We could arrest them before they could get me.¡±
Anne shook her head. ¡°The, uh, prophecy didn¡¯t show many details about the actual assassin. There was¡ªis going to be a lot of chaos around the time when you¡¯re assassinated. And you can¡¯t really arrest someone for something they might do in the future.¡±
Sebastian gave Anne a look and Anne conceded.
¡°Okay, well, maybe your dad could arrest someone for a theoretical future crime,¡± said Anne. ¡°But he shouldn¡¯t. Also the kidnapping isn¡¯t just about saving you. It¡¯s also about saving the Sacred Forest. The Emperor won¡¯t burn it down while there¡¯s a risk you might be killed in the process. You''re his only blood heir. He cares about that connection too much.¡±
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¡°I¡¯m sure Corvina has a million other reasons for why this is the best course of action, too,¡± said Sebastian, bitterly. ¡°And she wanted you to tell me all this?¡±
Anne shook her head. ¡°No, she actually insisted we keep it a secret from you.¡±
¡°Well, why in Coris¡¯ name did you tell me then!¡±
Anne was taken aback. ¡°But just a minute ago you were saying that Corvina should¡¯ve warned me about what was going to happen to me!¡±
¡°That¡¯s different!¡± said Sebastian.
¡°Yeah, it is,¡± said Anne. ¡°A kidnapping, even a staged one, is a much bigger deal than just getting slandered. So I thought you deserved to know.¡±
¡°No, you don¡¯t understand.¡± Sebastian stood up again. He leaned against the mantle for a moment, facing away from Anne. He rubbed his forehead with one hand. Finally, he turned back around again. ¡°Anne, you¡¯re actually smart. And you were raised by the church with certain practical skills that fit your role. It just makes sense to keep you informed about things. I, on the other hand, am weak, and stupid, and useless, and I¡¯m very much used to being kept in the dark about more or less everything and I¡¯m fine with that.¡±
¡°No, Sebastian,¡± Anne stood up and put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re not useless, and you deserve to have some level of agency over your life just like anyone else. You deserve to know things.¡±
Sebastian gave Anne a highly skeptical look. ¡°Did Corvina tell you why she didn¡¯t want you to tell me about this?¡±
Anne shrugged. ¡°Well¡ she thought you might accidentally give the plan away to someone if you knew what was happening¡¡±
¡°A-ha!¡± shouted Sebastian, knocking Anne¡¯s hand away from his shoulder and pointing at her. ¡°Exactly! I¡¯m going to start acting all weird and everyone¡¯s going to be able to tell something¡¯s up! I¡¯m terrible at keeping secrets. Well, except for my one big secret, I suppose. Although I found out recently that even that was never that much of a secret. Everyone¡¯s just too scared of my father killing them to point out the obvious.¡±
¡°What big secret?¡± asked Anne. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±
¡°I like men, Anne,¡± said Sebastian, exasperated. ¡°That¡¯s why, the first time we met, when you said you would punch the Goddess if she said that sort of thing was unnatural¡ Well, that meant a lot to me. That changed my life, Anne. But this¡ I don¡¯t know if I can go through with something like this¡ I¡¯m sorry, Anne.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± said Anne. She was desperately trying to remember if she had noticed any homoerotic subtext in the original novel. She was usually better at picking up on things like that.
I guess since I had The Foundling¡¯s Wings mentally filed away under ¡®straight romance¡¯ I wasn¡¯t really on the lookout for anything else¡
¡°Oh?¡± said Sebastian. ¡°That¡¯s all you have to say?¡±
¡°No, I mean, that¡¯s great!¡± said Anne. ¡°About you liking men. Totally cool. But about the kidnapping¡ you¡¯re really sure you can¡¯t go through with it? It¡¯s for the greater good. And to save your own life, too.¡±
Sebastian sighed and rubbed his temple. ¡°I just really wish you hadn¡¯t told me¡¡± he said quietly. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t found out until the moment, when I was basically already being kidnapped, I maybe could¡¯ve just gone along with it. But I can¡¯t¡ I¡¯m just not brave enough to purposefully walk into the den of the beast on my own. I¡¯m sorry, Anne. I¡¯ve¡ I¡¯ve gotta go. I can¡¯t deal with this.¡±
Sebastian left and Anne sat down heavily.
As the night crept on, Anne stared into her slowly dying fire and felt like shit.
If she was being honest with herself, she still felt really bad about what the Emperor and the Bishop had said about her. And she kind of felt bad about feeling bad about it. And she really felt bad about upsetting Sebastian.
But Anne still felt like she was right to have told Sebastian about the kidnapping. And she felt bad about feeling that way, too.
God, what a tangled mess, she thought, her head in her hands.
Goddess, what a tangled mess, thought Corvina, finally stepping out of her father¡¯s office.
The conversation had gone about as well as she¡¯d expected it to. Which was to say, it had gone poorly.
But Corvina had managed to lay out all her reasonings for breaking the engagement.
My tainted blood isn¡¯t fit for a Duke¡¯s house, your highness. Besides, wouldn¡¯t it be a waste to marry your two closest allies off to each other? Think of the advantages you could gain by pairing us with others. At the very least, it would be prudent to keep our options open, in case a chance for a useful alliance presents itself. It¡¯s better to keep the Ducal house and the Imperial house separate, anyway, for the sake of the Empire¡ªtwo strong houses at the center of the aristocratic order was better than one.
And on and on and on. The Emperor was much like Corvina. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that Corvina was like the Emperor, since he had raised her and taught her to be what she was. Either way, neither of them liked to act unless they were certain they had considered every angle of an issue. So when Corvina set out to persuade her father of something, she was always certain to cover all the angles.
The Emperor had said he would need time to consider it. This was about what Corvina had expected. But the groundwork had been laid.
Corvina felt a hand on her shoulder, stopping her as she walked down the hall. It was the Duke.
¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Duke Marshal hissed. He usually at least tried to hide his anger behind a calm face. He was no longer trying to hide it.
¡°Ending our engagement,¡± replied Corvina in a detached tone. ¡°Weren¡¯t you listening?¡±
¡°He¡¯ll never go for it,¡± said the Duke. ¡°This has been the plan since we were children.¡±
Corvina shrugged. ¡°Plans change.¡±
¡°Not this one,¡± said the Duke. ¡°You are going to marry me, woman, and when you do¡ª¡±
¡°Robert,¡± said Corvina. She reached up and grabbed the wrist of his hand that was on her shoulder. Her grip was tight, almost to the point where she knew it would begin to cause him pain. She met his eyes with a determined gaze. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how long it takes to persuade my father. It doesn¡¯t matter what you do to try to influence matters. I will never marry you. It¡¯s over.¡±
Corvina didn¡¯t look back at him when she walked away.
Rejected first by the Saintess and then by his fiance, Duke Robert Marshal was beginning to feel like a cornered animal. All the paths he could see towards his own victory and power, either turning against the Emperor or remaining at his side, were being blocked off. Even the useless Prince, who used to follow him around like a puppy, who just recently had been cowering before him, had turned against him¡ dismissed him. Like he wasn¡¯t even a threat.
It was humiliating. It was emasculating. It was infuriating.
The thing about cornered animals is that they¡¯re known to bite.
Arriving back at his chambers, the Duke stealthily handed a small pouch of coins to the guard standing outside his door. Then he whispered in his ear.
¡°Send for the Unseen Rain.¡±
Chapter 56
Duke Marshal sat low in his chair, staring into the empty fireplace. A few lonely embers still burned in the remains of that evening¡¯s fire. In his hand he clutched a folded up piece of paper.
The Duke had never actually made use of the services of the Unseen Rain before. Not personally. Not directly. But he was well aware of the proper procedure.
Marshal tapped his foot impatiently. The night was wearing on, and Duke Marshal was not a patient man.
There was a knock on the door.
Marshal stood up and readjusted his coat before stepping forward to greet his guest.
When he opened the door he was surprised to see, not a hooded assassin, but the Crown Prince, clutching a bottle of wine in his hand.
¡°Hey there, you walking curse upon the earth,¡± said Sebastian. ¡°How¡¯s your night going?¡±
¡°Your highness,¡± said Marshal, flatly. ¡°You¡¯re drunk.¡±
¡°Not yet.¡± Sebastian pushed his way past Marshal while taking another swig from the wine bottle. ¡°But I¡¯m working on fixing that.¡±
Sebastian flopped down on Marshals¡¯ bed, and Marshal took up his seat by the empty fireplace again.
¡°What are you doing here, your highness?¡± asked Marshal. He clutched the paper tighter in his hand, attempting to hide it.
Sebastian didn¡¯t answer for a long moment, just staring up at the ceiling, the hand holding the wine bottle hanging off the side of the bed. A band of moonlight from the window shone across his tired face. Marshal had never seen Sebastian like this before. He usually at least pretended to be cheerful when they were together.
But a lot had changed between them lately.
¡°If you don¡¯t have anything to say, then I really don¡¯t have time for¡ª¡°
¡°It¡¯s just kind of sad, you know?¡± said Sebastian.
Marshal sighed. ¡°What¡¯s sad, your highness?¡±
¡°For a lot of my life, you were my only friend,¡± said Sebastian. ¡°Or I thought you were. Things were always¡ kind of weird with Corvina, even when we were really young. Even before¡ well, you know. And with the servants and the other nobles it was like I was always playing a role. Like I wasn¡¯t Sebastian, I was the Crown Prince. That¡¯s how everyone saw me. When I spent time with you... that was the only time I really felt like I was just being myself, you know? I had fun when I was with you. Was that stupid, or what?¡±
Marshal didn¡¯t respond. He didn¡¯t see any point in responding.
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Sebastian sat up on the bed, so quickly that he spilled a bit of his wine.
Marshal stood up. ¡°Hey, be careful with¡ª¡°
¡°If our friendship ever meant anything at all to you, will you answer just one question for me?¡± asked Sebastian.
Marshal stared at Sebastian for a moment. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked.
¡°Do you think I¡¯m useless?¡±
Marshal looked away from Sebastian and took a deep breath. Then he walked to the window, staring out at the moonlit gardens beyond. They were quiet and unmoving. At this time of night there were only infrequent guard patrols.
Marshal didn¡¯t have time for this.
¡°I wouldn¡¯t have tried to blackmail you if you were completely useless,¡± said Marshal.
Sebastian¡¯s mouth hung open. ¡°What? But¡ª¡°
Marshal turned around to face Sebastian again. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be so quick to dismiss your role. Your imperial blood. Your position as the Crown Prince. No matter what else you do, no matter how weak or stupid you are, these things alone will always make you a useful pawn to whoever can manage to control you. That¡¯s something that¡¯s always infuriated me, standing by your side all these years. You¡¯re always so busy feeling sorry for yourself you can¡¯t see what an important role you play in the game of imperial politics.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± said Sebastian. ¡°Right.¡±
¡°Now if you would kindly get the hell out of my room,¡± said Marshal.
Sebastian stood up. ¡°Sorry for bothering you,¡± he said. On his way towards the door he placed the mostly empty bottle of wine on the mantle above the fireplace. ¡°There. A thank you gift for answering my question. Enjoy.¡±
Sebastian paused in the doorway, his hand on the door frame to steady himself. When he spoke again in a small voice. ¡°Even when you¡¯re reassuring me, you still find a way to insult me, huh? But I guess that¡¯s just what you were thinking all along, wasn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°Goodnight, your highness,¡± said Marshal. He had followed behind Sebastian and now had his hand on the door, ready to close it as soon as Sebastian was out of the way.
¡°Hey, Marshal?¡± said Sebastian, still blocking the doorway. ¡°If I was ever really, truly in your way, you¡¯d probably just have me killed, right? Send an assassin after me?¡±
¡°You asked me to answer one question,¡± said Marshal.
Sebastian laughed. Finally, he pushed himself away from the doorframe. ¡°See you later, bosom friend,¡± he said with a mocking salute.
Marshal sighed and closed the door behind him.
As soon as the door clicked shut, Marshal felt an unexpected breeze against the nape of his neck. He quickly turned around to see the curtains blowing in the wind from the open window, and a figure standing there, backlit by the moonlight.
The figure wore a cloak, so Marshal couldn¡¯t make out any of their features, but even under the cloak they were clearly smaller and more slightly built than Marshal had been expecting.
This was the famed assassin, the Unseen Rain? Rumored to be as deadly as a sudden and unexpected storm?
Marshal knew better than to speak his doubts out loud. If it didn¡¯t work out, Marshal would simply find another assassin.
Duke Marshal held out the folded piece of paper, which was now a bit crumpled from how tightly he had been clutching it. ¡°Your target,¡± said Marshal. ¡°Payment on delivery.¡±
The hand that reached out to take the paper was small and so pale it almost glowed in the moonlight.
The Unseen Rain unfolded the paper and examined it closely. They nodded and tucked the paper into their robes. Then they were gone again in an instant, disappearing back out through the window..
Marshal rushed forward to look out at the garden but the Unseen Rain was, well, nowhere to be seen.
Nothing to do now but to wait for the good news.
The thought occurred to Marshal that he should maybe go check on the Prince, make sure he had made it safely back to his own room. Or at least send a servant to check on him.
Marshal hated how years of close contact could trick you into having those sorts of thoughts on instinct, against your own will even.
Marshal scoffed and muttered to himself. ¡°Friends? Ridiculous.¡±
Marshal wasn¡¯t a child anymore. He had no need for friends.
Chapter 57
Anne yawned widely and rubbed her eyes. It was very early in the morning (the sun had barely even risen) but Eva had insisted they should get an early start. So Anne was standing by the back entrance of the cathedral, swaying back and forth slightly as she tried not to doze off, waiting as Eva and a few acolytes packed the carriage.
Agis was leaning against a nearby wall, shoulders hunched over, arms folded.
¡°I still don¡¯t see why we¡¯re just giving up like this,¡± said Agis.
¡°We¡¯re not giving up,¡± said Anne. ¡°We succeeded in what we came to the capital to do. We found some noble allies for the rebellion. Sort of. And now we¡¯re doing something else.¡±
¡°It still feels like giving up,¡± said Agis. ¡°You know, when we first arrived at the capital, I swore to myself I wouldn¡¯t leave until after this cursed city was burned to the ground.¡±
¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to plan to leave just before the city is burned to the ground?¡± asked Anne.
Agis stared at Anne, his face blank.
¡°You know¡ so you don¡¯t also die in the fires. Or whatever.¡±
Agis continued to stare at Anne.
¡°Anne,¡± came an unexpected voice. Corvina¡¯s voice.
Anne turned around to see Corvina, her maid, and the Bastards¡¯ Club, all wearing hoods that covered their heads. Anne guessed they were probably trying not to draw attention while sneaking into back alleys behind the cathedral in the early morning, or something. Collette waved.
¡°We came to see you off,¡± said Corvina, with a weak smile.
Collette threw her arms around Anne. ¡°We¡¯re going to miss you sooooo much! I¡¯ll be counting down the hours until we¡¯re reunited.¡±
Anne laughed. ¡°I¡¯ll miss you, too, Collette.¡±
¡°Please, call me Lettie,¡± she said.
¡°Okay, then, Lettie,¡± said Anne.
Collette finally let Anne go and wiped a tear away from her eye.
¡°Well, goodbye then,¡± said Belle, holding a hand out to Anne.
Anne shook it. ¡°Goodbye,¡± said Anne.
¡°Well, then,¡± said Belle.
¡°Oh, come on,¡± said Collette, elbowing Belle in the side. ¡°You¡¯re gonna miss our new friend, too, aren¡¯t you?¡±
¡°How could I miss her?¡± said Belle, blushing. ¡°I barely even know her!¡±
¡°Yeah, but she¡¯s a sworn comrade now! A fellow bastard for life!¡±
¡°Whatever,¡± said Belle, turning her head away.
While Collette and Belle bickered, Anne turned to Nia, who winked. ¡°Catch you later, Saintess,¡± she said, with a stylish salute.
Anne squinted at her. How is she always so cool? she wondered to herself.
Finally, Anne turned back to Corvina.
¡°Listen, Anne,¡± said Corvina. She glanced around at the others, and then put a hand on Anne¡¯s arm. ¡°Can we¡ª¡° Corvina nodded her head in a way Anne took to mean can we go over there further down the alley so we can talk semi-privately?
¡°Oh, yeah,¡± said Anne. ¡°Sure.¡±
As Anne and Corvina began to take a few steps away, Agis called after them. ¡°Hey, where are you guys going?¡±
¡°I have some plans I¡¯d like to discuss with the Saintess,¡± said Corvina.
¡°Why can¡¯t I be part of the planning?¡± said Agis, glaring at Corvina.
¡°Geez, Agis, what¡¯s up with you this morning?¡± said Anne. ¡°Just chill out for a minute, would you? If there¡¯s anything you need to know I¡¯ll fill you in later.¡±
¡°Fine,¡± said Agis, settling back into his spot. ¡°Be that way.¡±
Agis watched with a sullen expression as Anne and Corvina stepped out of earshot, further down the alleyway. They immediately put their heads together and started whispering something.
Agis scoffed and looked away.
Agis wasn¡¯t happy about any part of this whole turn of events. It had been deemed too dangerous for him to go to the palace for the announcement (even though he repeatedly assured everybody that he was highly skilled in stealth) so he hadn¡¯t actually heard about what happened until later. And he wasn¡¯t happy to hear about how those humans were talking about his sister. He didn¡¯t think she was actually very happy about it either. But apparently it was part of the ¡®plan¡¯ so he was just supposed to let it go.
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And he really didn¡¯t like feeling like he was running away.
And they hadn¡¯t heard back from Elyon yet either.
Frankly, Agis had mixed feelings about Anne finally meeting their older brothers. And he kind of had mixed feelings about seeing them again himself. So it wasn¡¯t like he was super eager to meet up with Elyon right away.
But it also made him nervous not hearing anything.
Someone tapped him on the shoulder and he jumped, reaching for his bow.
Helen giggled. ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be a super elite elven army scout who never misses anything?¡±
Agis took his hand away from his bow. ¡°Well, yeah, normally,¡± he grumbled. ¡°But I¡¯m not on duty. And I was distracted¡¡±
¡°Hey, it¡¯s okay,¡± said Helen, placing a hand on his arm. ¡°I don¡¯t doubt your skills. I just wanted to give you this.¡±
Helen held out a little square of cloth, which Agis took from her.
It was a simple white handkerchief. In one corner there was the small embroidered image of a bow and arrow, framed by a wreath of green tree branches, each leaf separately embroidered. It was simple, but quality work.
¡°I¡¯ll see you again soon,¡± said Helen. ¡°But I wanted to give you a small token to remember me by while we¡¯re not in the same city. I hope that¡¯s okay.¡±
Agis stared.
Agis had never seen Helen look at all embarrassed or nervous about anything before. But now Helen was blushing slightly, and shifting back and forth from one foot to the other. She wouldn¡¯t meet Agis¡¯ eye. It was subtle, but Agis was transfixed by it.
Suddenly he didn¡¯t care so much about all the things he¡¯d been grumpy about.
¡°Do you not like it?¡± asked Helen.
¡°Oh, no!¡± said Agis. He could feel himself blushing. Probably a lot more than Helen was blushing. ¡°I really like it,¡± he said, clutching it in his hand. ¡°Thank you.¡±
Helen sighed in relief. ¡°I¡¯m so glad. It¡¯s been so long since I embroidered anything, I didn¡¯t know if I would still be any good at it.¡±
While Helen and Agis continued their conversation, Nia was a few feet away, standing with her hand on her hip, watching as the carriage was loaded with luggage.
Sister Eva, with her bright red hair and her empty smile, was directing the acolytes, but also doing some of the work herself. After she finished tying a trunk onto the top of the carriage she lightly jumped down the ground.
There was something Nia suspected about Eva. Something that life experience had taught her to be especially sensitive to. Something she wasn¡¯t sure anyone else had noticed yet.
Nia wanted to be certain.
Nia pushed her sunglasses higher up her face, so she was viewing the world through their darkened tint. Then she made her move.
The lenses changed the color of the world, giving everything a dark blue tint, just like you would expect, but they also made the world appear¡ slightly distorted and off in a way that was almost imperceivable. It tended to make people nauseous when they weren¡¯t used to it.
Nia was used to it.
So far this was a standard level of background distortion. Nothing particularly notable.
¡°Excuse me, Sister Eva,¡± said Nia.
Eva looked over. ¡°Oh, Lady Nia, I presume?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± said Nia, holding out her hand. ¡°I don¡¯t believe we¡¯ve formally met yet.¡±
¡°Indeed,¡± said Eva, shaking her hand. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. Was there something you needed?¡±
¡°Well, with you leaving the city, I wasn¡¯t sure I would get a chance to speak to you again, and there was something I wanted to ask you,¡± said Nia, carefully watching Eva¡¯s face.
¡°What is it?¡± asked Eva.
¡°I hope you¡¯ll take this as an earnest question and answer honestly,¡± said Nia. ¡°Sister Eva¡ why are you doing all this?¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Eva, her expression unchanging.
¡°Leading the rebellion, seeking noble allies, conspiring to kidnap the crown prince¡ all of this,¡± said Nia.
The view through the lenses grew even more distorted, especially around Eva¡¯s mouth and head, like the image was being twisted around something.
¡°To stop the Saintess¡¯ terrible prophecy from coming to pass, of course,¡± said Eva.
The image returned to normal.
A standard deflection, thought Nia. Not unexpected, not particularly revealing. She shook her head.
¡°That can¡¯t be all there is to it,¡± said Nia. ¡°As I understand it, the Saintess only received her prophecy recently, and you¡¯ve been a leader of the rebellion for several years now. As a cleric you don¡¯t have to worry about personal poverty or repression, and I don¡¯t think you particularly care about the waning power of the church. So why try to overthrow the Emperor?¡±
The image distorted even further while Eva thought about her answer.
Here we go, thought Nia.
Finally, Eva answered, ¡°Because I care about justice for the common people, of course.¡±
As Eva spoke, other words came out of her mouth, not audibly, but as floating text emanating from her twisting visage, visible only to Nia, appearing briefly in the air before disappearing back into the ether.
After a moment, the text became overwhelming, covering Nia¡¯s vision entirely. Nia had caught glimpses of true thoughts behind distorted speech before, but never this forcefully. She removed the sunglasses and instantly her vision cleared, leaving Nia with only an innocent-looking cleric to look at.
¡°Interesting,¡± said Nia.
Meanwhile, in their spot away from the others, Anne and Corvina were conversing in low voices.
¡°When you arrive in Longren, just lay low for now,¡± said Corvina. ¡°Keep an eye out for any correspondence from the elf princes. I¡¯ll follow you in a few days. It will be safer and less suspicious if we space out our trips like that.¡±
¡°Okay,¡± said Anne, with a sigh. ¡°That¡¯s fine. It¡¯ll be nice to eat the Longren church¡¯s pastries again, I guess.¡±
Corvina took Anne¡¯s hand in hers. ¡°Listen, I hope you¡¯re not still upset about what happened yesterday,¡± said Corvina. ¡°It¡¯s for the best. Trust me. And these kinds of plans can be ruined by the smallest unexpected change. That¡¯s why it¡¯s often better not to tell people anything until they absolutely need to know. There are fewer opportunities for things to go wrong that way. I know it doesn¡¯t always feel good, but I hope you can understand that.¡±
¡°Um¡¡± said Anne.
¡°After we¡¯ve both been in Longren for a week or two and worked out all the details with the elf princes, then you can write to Sebastian and invite him to come visit you,¡± continued Corvina. ¡°He likes you enough that I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll jump on the chance. And as long as he doesn¡¯t know anything before we arrive in Longren, there¡¯s no chance anything will go wrong.¡±
¡°Look, Corvina, about that,¡± said Anne. ¡°There¡¯s¡ um¡ something I need to tell you.¡±
There was a sudden thundering of hoof prints that drew everyone¡¯s attention as a horse came galloping into the alley. A cloaked figure jumped off the horse and removed their hood, revealing themselves to be Crown Prince Sebastian.
¡°Anne!¡± shouted Sebastian. He grabbed her shoulders and said, ¡°I¡¯ve decided I¡¯ll do it! I¡¯ll let you kidnap me! If all I¡¯m good for is being a useful tool, I might as well choose who gets to use me, right? But you have to take me with you to Longren now before I chicken out, okay?¡±
Corvina looked at Sebastian, and then at Anne, and then back at Sebastian again, with an expression of shock on her face.
¡°So I may have told Sebastian some things¡¡± said Anne.
Chapter 58
There was a moment of silence in which everyone watched Corvina for her reaction.
Crovina sighed and shook her head. She was getting a stress headache again. She should have known that things had been going too smoothly lately. But still, of all the things that could have gone wrong¡
¡°Don¡¯t just stand there gawking,¡± Corvina said to Sebastian. ¡°Get in the carriage already. It¡¯s early morning and this is a back alley but we should try to minimize the chance that someone sees you.¡±
¡°Oh, right,¡± said Sebastian. Eva opened the door for him so he could get in the carriage.
¡°We¡¯ll need a story for why the Crown Prince has suddenly disappeared, and it¡¯s not the right moment for the kidnapping yet,¡± said Corvina. She tapped her chin thoughtfully. ¡°We¡¯ll say he went on a sudden hunting trip on a whim. That will be believable enough. I¡¯m sure I can count on you all to spread the rumor.¡±
Corvina looked at the Bastards¡¯ Club. Nia shrugged, Collette nodded enthusiastically, and Belle gave a resigned sigh.
¡°Helen,¡± said Corvina.
Helen ran up to Corvina¡¯s side and saluted. ¡°Ma¡¯am,¡± she said.
¡°I need you to run to the palace. Find the stable hand Wilfred Tathame and have him pass the message on to manservant Landan Harforde and Baron Beorhtric. I need all of them to leave the city for the next two weeks to give the impression that the Prince is traveling with a retinue. I have a preexisting agreement with all of them so they shouldn¡¯t ask questions. Tell them to bring¡ just a moment.¡±
Corvina approached the carriage and knocked on the door. Sebastian opened it a crack. ¡°Yes?¡± he asked sheepishly.
¡°What¡¯s the name of your favorite horse right now?¡±
¡°Oh,¡± said Sebastian. ¡°Lately I¡¯ve been really favoring this beautiful gray mare named Hildegard. She¡¯s very gentle, but she can really get up to a great speed on a gallop, and she¡ª¡°
Corvina turned back to Helen. ¡°Tell them to bring the gray mare Hildegard with them. If anyone asks for specifics we¡¯ll tell them Prince Sebastian has gone to Orrinshire. There are good hunting grounds around there, and it¡¯s far enough away from Longren and the Sacred Forest that it won¡¯t be suspicious, but close enough to that area to make the kidnapping believable when we need it to be.¡±
¡°Understood, my lady!¡± said Helen. Helen turned towards Agis and was sure to catch his eye, giving him a smile and a wave before she headed off to follow Corvina¡¯s instructions.
Corvina sighed again. This should be enough to avert the immediate crisis, but properly selling this story would take a lot of additional work. Which was fine. It¡¯s not like Corvina wasn¡¯t used to changing and adapting her plans last second out of necessity. Flexibility was key in properly responding to the ever-evolving political situation of life in the empire. But something about this particular situation was irritating her more than normal.
Anne stood nearby, fidgeting sheepishly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Corvina,¡± she said. ¡°I just felt like he deserved to know.¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± said Corvina, turning her face away. ¡°I just¡ I thought you said you trusted me.¡±
¡°I do trust you!¡± said Anne.
¡°Then why did you do the one thing I asked you not to do?¡± asked Corvina. ¡°Help me understand.¡±
¡°Because I also trust Sebastian! And you know¡¡± Anne squared her shoulders and puffed up her chest like she was psyching herself up to make some big declaration. ¡°Trust should go both ways!¡±
Corvina looked at Anne, her mouth hanging open. ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡±
¡°It means you don¡¯t trust me, or Sebastian, or anyone! Not really.¡± said Anne. ¡°And I know I¡¯m not as smart or good at politics as you are, but I¡¯m not a total moron and I have my own skills! Like, I¡¯m really good with people. And if nothing else, everyone has their own unique perspective, so if you actually shared your thoughts and plans with me I might occasionally be able to see something you don¡¯t. For example, I could tell you how shitty it feels to have something bad sprung on you out of nowhere and then have someone you care about smiling about it and telling you it¡¯s all according to plan.¡±
¡°Is that what this is about?¡± asked Corvina. ¡°You were so upset about the Emperor, your enemy, saying some mean things about you and taking your job away that you had to undermine my plans that I crafted for your benefit? You didn¡¯t even like doing the job of the Saintess! You should be thanking me for getting you out of it!¡±
¡°How do you know I didn¡¯t like the job?¡± asked Anne. ¡°You never asked me!¡±
¡°Maybe not,¡± said Corvina. ¡°But if you¡¯ll recall, you once sneaked out of the Cathedral late at night and came over to my estate just to complain about how busy and miserable you were.¡±
¡°Okay, well¡ you still should have asked me!¡± said Anne. ¡°It¡¯s not nice to just make assumptions about what people want, even if you¡¯re right. People deserve to have a say in what happens to them.¡±
¡°Oh, so I should start asking everyone¡¯s permission before I use and manipulate them to serve our common goals, should I?¡± asked Corvina, her voice dripping with venom. ¡°You knew who I was when you asked me for my help.¡±
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¡°No, you¡¯re not understanding what I¡¯m saying,¡± said Anne. ¡°That¡¯s not the problem, the problem is¡ª¡°
Eva put her hand on Anne¡¯s shoulders, stopping her mid-sentence. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt, dear Saintess, but we should really be going soon.¡±
¡°She¡¯s right,¡± said Nia, who had stepped up behind Corvina. ¡°It¡¯s getting late. The city¡¯s going to start waking up soon and it will be much more difficult for all of us to move in secret.¡±
Corvina and Anne held each other¡¯s gazes for a moment longer. Corvina could feel herself glaring as fierce a glare as she ever had. Anne was glaring, too. She was clearly angry, but she also looked¡ sad. Somehow. And that just made Corvina angrier.
She wanted to kick a wall. She wanted to punch something. She wanted to spit on the ground. She wanted to smoke a cigarette and then grind it under her foot as hard as possible.
Instead of doing any of that, Corvina turned her back on Anne. ¡°Fine,¡± said Corvina. ¡°I was going to follow you after a few days, but it may take me a bit longer to wrap everything up here now that I have to deal with this new development. Just lay low until I arrive. Find some way to keep Sebastian hidden. We don¡¯t need rumors spreading if people spot the Crown Prince in the streets of Longren. Sister Eva, I assume I can count on your help for that?¡±
¡°Of course,¡± said Eva, with a smile.
¡°I do trust you, Corvina,¡± said Anne.
Corvina raised the hood on the cloak she was wearing. ¡°Travel safely, Saintess,¡± was the only thing she said.
Anne, Eva, and Agis all climbed into the carriage and it pulled away. As Corvina watched them go, her anger subsided slightly, but she didn¡¯t understand what feeling had replaced it. A sense of betrayal? Regret? Guilt? Sadness? Just a different sort of anger?
Corvina didn¡¯t have time to sort through her feelings. She had work to do.
Nia, Collette, and Belle were all watching Corvina with concern.
¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Corvina said to them. ¡°Meet at my estate for tea tomorrow so we can finalize our plans before I leave the city.¡±
¡°Corvina,¡± Nia readjusted her sunglasses. ¡°There¡¯s something urgent I need to talk to you about. In private.¡±
¡°What!?¡± said Collette, placing an offended hand on her chest. ¡°That¡¯s no fun! Let me in on the secret!¡±
¡°Let people have their privacy, Collette,¡± said Belle. ¡°You don¡¯t have to know about every little thing that everyone thinks and feels all the time.¡±
¡°Yes I do!¡± said Collette.
¡°Come by my estate later tonight, then,¡± said Corvina. ¡°Wait until after dark. And bring cigarettes. I¡¯m going to need to stock up for my trip.¡±
¡°Roger,¡± said Nia, with a salute, while Collette and Belle continued to bicker.
Eva was in a fantastic mood.
Honestly, this was the ideal situation for Eva. To have Lady Corvina as their ally, but for Anne not to be too emotionally attached to her. Of course, there was always the risk that Corvina would betray them to her father, but after coming this far that would be a dangerous move on Corvina¡¯s part. Corvina would obviously be wary of revealing her own treachery to the Emperor, who wasn¡¯t known to be a forgiving man. No, Corvina was committed to the rebellion at this point.
Eva¡¯s smile as she watched the landscape pass by through the window was more genuine than usual.
The mood of everyone else in the carriage wasn¡¯t quite as cheerful.
For one thing, it was cramped and uncomfortable with four of them crowded in. Anne and Eva didn¡¯t have too much trouble sharing a seat, but Agis and Sebastian had each crammed as far as they could into their separate corners and were doing their best not to touch. They occasionally exchanged awkward glances.
¡°Um¡ Anne, sorry for causing trouble,¡± said Sebastian. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to make you and Corvina fight. I probably should have thought through my actions more. But I thought if I didn¡¯t come join you right away I would chicken out.¡±
Anne smiled and reached across the carriage to pat Sebastian reassuringly on the knee. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m just glad you decided to help us out after all. That was very brave of you.¡±
An awkward silence descended over the carriage after that.
In the early afternoon, Agis, who had been staring morosely at the passing landscape, suddenly jumped up and smashed his whole face against the window. ¡°Stop the carriage!¡± he shouted.
As soon as the carriage had slowed down, he bolted out of the door. Everyone else climbed out after him to see what was going on.
There was a figure on the road ahead, wearing a cloak and leading two horses. Agis ran up to one of the horses and immediately threw his arms around its neck.
¡°Iramis! It¡¯s so good to see you! It¡¯s been too long!¡± he shouted.
¡°Hey, uh¡ Agis, what¡¯s going on?¡± asked Anne.
Agis ignored her, distracted by his horse, but the cloaked figure removed his hood, revealing an elf with green eyes and long blonde hair.
¡°Sorry about the fuss,¡± he said. ¡°My name is Ylyndar Runethorn. I am the second in command of the combined elven-human rebel forces.¡± He gave a small, but elegant bow. ¡°Prince Agis sent word ahead that he wanted me to come meet you on the road with his horse. Did he not inform you I was coming?¡±
¡°No,¡± said Anne. ¡°No, he didn¡¯t. But it¡¯s nice to meet you.¡±
Eva nodded at him, and he nodded back. They knew each other already.
¡°I just didn¡¯t want to have to ride in the stuffy carriage the whole way,¡± said Agis, still snuggling with his horse. ¡°And this way I can ride ahead and check out the situation in Longren and have a report ready for you guys when you catch up.¡±
¡°Ooh, so this is the fabled Iramis,¡± said Sebastian, approaching Agis¡¯ horse with twinkling eyes. ¡°He is indeed a noble steed, just as you¡¯ve described him.¡±
¡°Right?¡± said Agis. ¡°You can pet him if you want.¡±
Sebastian took him up on his offer. ¡°Can I ride with you?¡± he asked Agis.
¡°What?¡± said Agis. ¡°No way!¡±
¡°Come on, please!¡± said Sebastian. ¡°I don¡¯t like the stuffy carriage, either. And besides, don¡¯t you want to show off what a great horse Iramis is?¡±
¡°You can see what a great horse he is just by looking at him!¡± said Agis. ¡°You don¡¯t have to ride on him!¡±
¡°Ah, I see,¡± said Sebastian, turning up his nose. ¡°I guess Iramis is too weak to carry two riders that far. I suppose that¡¯s understandable. That would be difficult on most average horses.¡±
¡°Average¡ª!¡± said Agis. ¡°I¡¯ll have you know, Iramis is strong enough to carry three riders if he had to!¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure I believe you,¡± said Sebastian. ¡°I mean, if he can¡¯t even carry two¡¡±
¡°Fine, I¡¯ll show you how strong Iramis is!¡± said Agis. ¡°But you have to ride behind me, okay?¡±
¡°Yay!¡± said Sebastian, clapping his hands excitedly.
They took a short break and had some snacks before setting off again, Agis and Sebastian on one horse, Ylyndar on the other. Ylyndar saluted Anne and Eva before they set off, cantering down the road at a decent pace.
Anne and Eva climbed back into the carriage, which was much more roomy now. Anne stretched and put her feet up on the seat opposite to her.
¡°This is much better,¡± said Anne. ¡°Do we have anything to drink, Eva?¡±
Eva handed her canteen to Anne and and Anne took a swig of water.
Now that they were finally alone, just the two of them, Eva could finally ask the question that had been on her mind ever since Anne had called Sebastian over to the Cathedral late at night to warn him of Corvina¡¯s plans.
¡°So, Anne, tell me,¡± said Eva. ¡°Are you in love with Prince Sebastian?¡±
Anne spit out her water.
Chapter 59
¡°I know I was pushing you towards the Duke before, and I¡¯m sincerely sorry for that,¡± continued Eva. ¡°I was blinded by the fact that Grand Duke Marshal would be a useful ally, and I didn¡¯t consider the fact that you might not like him. But honestly, if anything, Prince Sebastian could potentially be an even better ally, if given the proper guidance. With the Crown Prince on our side we wouldn¡¯t even have to overthrow the monarchy as a whole, just the Emperor himself. And then Sebastian could peacefully turn the government over to a new, more equitable system. So if you do like him, you have my full support!¡±
Anne was so stunned by this whole line of inquiry she was finding it hard to respond. She was leaning forward in her seat, her elbows on her legs, and staring at Eva with an open mouth.
¡°I discounted him as a candidate at first because everyone says he¡¯s a shallow hedonist, and you deserve better than that,¡± said Eva. ¡°But I can see now that he¡¯s actually very kind and handsome, so I can understand why you would be drawn to him.¡±
¡°Wait, wait, wait a second,¡± said Anne, waving her hands wildly. ¡°I don¡¯t¡ªI¡¯m not¡ªWhy would you even think I¡¯m in love with him?¡±
Eva tilted her head quizzically. ¡°Well, you¡¯ve been spending a lot of time with him lately. And you went out of your way to warn him about the kidnapping plot, even though that meant betraying your new friend Corvina, who you seem to care about so much.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t betray Corvina,¡± said Anne. ¡°I just didn¡¯t feel good about not telling Sebastian. And I do like Sebastian as, like, a friend, although he can be kind of annoying sometimes, but I don¡¯t love him.¡±
¡°Why not?¡± asked Eva. Eva¡¯s tone wasn¡¯t indignant or accusatory, just¡ curious.
¡°He¡¯s just¡ not my type,¡± said Anne. ¡°And for that matter I¡¯m not his type either.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± said Eva.
¡°Um¡ it¡¯s like¡ neither of us are interested in the type of person the other person is, if you know what I mean.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean,¡± said Eva. ¡°But okay, who is your type, then? If not Prince Sebastian, surely you can find someone else?¡±
¡°I just¡ I don¡¯t know why you''re being so insistent about this,¡± said Anne.
¡°Marriage is an important part of a complete, happy life, that¡¯s all,¡± said Eva. ¡°And I want you to be happy!¡±
¡°Well, if marriage is so important, do you intend to get married, then?¡± asked Anne.
Eva looked a bit taken aback by that. ¡°No, I¡¯ve dedicated my life to serving the Goddess, so I have no thoughts of getting married.¡±
¡°Okay, well, there you go!¡± said Anne. ¡°I¡¯m the Saintess, doesn¡¯t that mean I should be even more dedicated to the Goddess than an ordinary cleric?¡±
¡°No, there¡¯s a long precedent of Saintesses getting married,¡± said Eva. ¡°Most of the Saintesses were married.¡±
¡°Okay, well, I don¡¯t want to get married,¡± said Anne. ¡°So drop it.¡±
¡°I just don¡¯t think you should dismiss the possibility so quickly,¡± said Eva. ¡°A prince would be a good match for you, and if you like each other well enough it could always blossom into love later on. A lot of arranged marriages end up like that.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not going to blossom into anything,¡± said Anne. ¡°We¡¯re fundamentally incompatible on that level.¡±
¡°Why?¡± asked Eva. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to understand.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t¡ I just¡¡±
I¡¯m gay, thought Anne.
But there were certain things Anne had a hard time saying.
It wasn¡¯t that Anne didn¡¯t want people to know. She didn¡¯t mind acting or dressing in ways that would clue people in to her sexuality. She didn¡¯t mind dropping innuendo. In fact, she usually kind of hoped that people would just figure it out on their own.
She just didn¡¯t like saying it out loud that directly.
The one time in her life she¡¯d said it, she¡¯d said to her parents, back in her old world.
Anne had just barely turned eighteen, and her coming out had turned into a huge argument that ended with Anne kicked out of the house, standing alone on the side of the road, all her belongings stuffed hastily into two backpacks.
She¡¯d been on her own ever since then.
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And she just didn¡¯t like to say the words out loud.
People were usually better at picking up on it without her needing to.
Anne struggled with herself for a moment longer, staring at Eva¡¯s face, searching for any hint that might tell her how Eva would react if she came out. But Eva¡¯s face was as unreadable as ever.
Anne gave up.
¡°I just don¡¯t want to get married to a man,¡± said Anne. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to understand. Just drop it, I¡¯m serious.¡±
¡°Fine,¡± said Eva, with a smile. ¡°But if you ever want to talk about your feelings, I¡¯m here for you.¡±
Anne folded her arms and hunkered down into her seat. Somehow this had put her in an even worse mood than her fight with Corvina had.
Eva was the original Saintess¡¯s best friend, and Anne also considered her an important friend. Anne wasn¡¯t sure she¡¯d ever have been able to adjust to this new world without Eva¡¯s help. But sometimes she was impossible to talk to. There was this strange sense of disconnect, like they were talking parallel to each other. Like they just couldn¡¯t understand each other.
Anne didn¡¯t know what the problem was.
The problem was that there were certain things Eva had a hard time thinking.
Eva had spent many years training herself to avoid certain lines of thought, blocking whole avenues of possibility from her understanding of the world, carefully redirecting herself into other modes of processing information.
Although when she was younger and less in control, there had been a few times when she had almost allowed herself to have the thought.
One of those times was when she was 13 years-old, just a few months after she and her peers had all taken their aptitude tests and Anne had been discovered as the new Saintess.
After Anne was declared the Saintess, Bishop Geist had visited the church in Longren in order to verify and officiate the whole situation.
It was during this visit that Bishop Geist had first discovered Eva in an abandoned wing of the church, holed up in an old storeroom, reading forbidden books by candlelight.
Much to Eva¡¯s surprise, the Bishop hadn¡¯t immediately exposed her and expelled her from the church. Instead, Bishop Geist had supported her, becoming a sort of mentor to her, even. Secretly, of course.
Some time after that, Eva had been sitting across from the Bishop in the office she used when she was in Longren.
¡°Hey, Anne¡¯s been acting kind of down lately,¡± said Eva. ¡°What do you think I should do to try to cheer her up?¡±
¡°Well, all the usual things, I suppose,¡± said Bishop Geist, not looking up from her paperwork. ¡°I¡¯m sure you know better than me what would make her feel better.¡±
¡°Yeah, but¡ I don¡¯t want to just keep making her feel better whenever she¡¯s sad,¡± said Eva. ¡°Isn¡¯t there some way I can stop her from feeling sad in the first place?¡±
Bishop Geist tapped her chin with her pen. ¡°Well¡ I suppose the best thing you can do is just to help her build the best life possible for herself. That way she¡¯ll have fewer causes to be sad.¡±
¡°And what makes the best life possible?¡± asked Eva, her eyes eager.
Bishop Geist shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know, all the usual things. Professional success. Power. Friendship. Marriage.¡±
¡°Marriage?¡± said Eva.
¡°Yes, well,¡± said the Bishop. ¡°It¡¯s not strictly necessary but a lot of people consider a good marriage to be a key to happiness.¡±
¡°And what makes a good marriage?¡± asked Eva.
¡°I don¡¯t know! Love, mutual respect, a good match financially and politically. That sort of thing.¡±
¡°But a lot of clerics don¡¯t get married,¡± said Eva.
¡°That¡¯s because a lot of clerics have decided to devote their lives strictly to the Goddess and consider marriage a distraction,¡± said the Bishop. ¡°But it¡¯s not exactly disallowed for a cleric to get married. Most of the Saintesses historically have been married.¡±
Eva stared off into the distance for a moment. ¡°I guess it must also be hard for a lot of clerics to meet men,¡± said Eva. ¡°Since most clerics are women and church life can be kind of insular...¡±
¡°Mmm-hmm,¡± said Bishop Geist, returning to her paperwork.
There was a long moment of silence, during which the Bishop scratched away with her pen and Eva stared off into the dark corners of the room, clearly contemplating something.
¡°Do¡¡± Eva started, hesitantly. ¡°Do women ever marry each other?¡±
Bishop Geist stared at Eva for a moment and then set her pen down. ¡°Eva, look at me.¡±
Eva looked at her.
¡°It¡¯s important for you to know that only men and women are capable of falling in love with each other in the romantic sense. Only men and women can forge marital relationships together,¡± said Bishop Geist. ¡°That¡¯s how the Goddess intended it. Sometimes some men and women become¡ confused. They mistake their feelings of friendship with members of the same sex for something more. But they¡¯re wrong. And they inevitably end up unhappy. That is a basic law of the universe. Such things are a corruption of the Goddess¡¯ vision for the world, and as such they never end well. You must do everything you can to protect yourself and Anne from these kinds of mistakes, do you understand me? You wouldn¡¯t want Anne to become corrupted and unhappy, would you?¡±
¡°I wasn¡¯t¡ªI wasn¡¯t saying that I felt that way!¡± said Eva. ¡°I was just curious.¡±
¡°It¡¯s better not to be curious about some topics,¡± said Bishop Geist, returning once again to her paperwork. ¡°Sometimes even thinking about something too much can put you down the wrong path, away from the love of the Goddess and the happiness in her light. Close friendships between women, especially between women mutually devoted to the Goddess, can be a beautiful and sacred thing. But anything more than that¡ better to put it from your mind entirely. It¡¯s far too dangerous an idea to contemplate.¡±
So Eva put it from her mind. She didn¡¯t contemplate it. She was extremely careful not to.
Yes, her feelings for Anne were just friendship. She would devote her life to the Goddess and, by extension, to Anne, the Saintess, helping her to craft the most perfect life possible. She would help Anne to gain power and prestige and to find love with a man, if possible. Only the best sort of man. And all throughout her life, Eva would still be by her side. Supporting her. Not corrupting her. Making sure she wouldn¡¯t become corrupted.
And so, all these years later, Eva couldn¡¯t understand Anne¡¯s innuendos. She wouldn¡¯t allow herself to.
Ah, well, Eva thought to herself, riding in the carriage opposite Anne, not knowing this Anne wasn¡¯t her Anne, not allowing herself to think the things she couldn¡¯t allow herself to think.
If Prince Sebastian isn¡¯t the right man, and Duke Marshal isn¡¯t the right man, then surely the right man will come along some day. And until then, and even after then, I¡¯ll simply continue to support her the best I can. That¡¯s the way things are meant to be.
Chapter 60
For the rest of the afternoon, Eva and Anne continued to ride together in awkward silence, their carriage clattering down the country lane at a reasonable pace.
Meanwhile, somewhere up ahead, Agis, Sebastian, and Ylyndar rode swiftly on strong horses, laughing together at the joy of such speed.
And somewhere behind all of them, another figure followed, silent as a shadow, unnoticed as a gathering storm cloud, fixed in its terrible purpose.
And even further behind that, back in the capital city, Corvina was sitting hunched over a pile of paperwork, glasses on, smoking a cigarette.
The sudden disappearance of the Crown Prince was obviously going to cause a stir in high society, regardless of the circumstances behind it. Which meant a lot of extra work for Corvina.
It had taken her a few hours just to calm down the Emperor, who had been furious to hear that Sebastian had left town without his permission. He wanted to send guards to chase down Sebastian¡¯s hunting party and bring him home immediately.
Corvina had needed to talk herself in circles to eventually bring him around.
Perhaps time away from the city is just what he needs to help him mellow out and cause fewer scandals. Besides, do you really want him around anyway? Isn¡¯t it better to have him out of the way? Now you won¡¯t have to worry so much about what he¡¯s getting up to. He was already embarrassing you with the way he was seen to be close to the Saintess. This will give people time to forget about that and adjust to our new alliance with the church. Etc, etc.
¡°Alright, you¡¯ve made your point, repeatedly,¡± grumbled the Emperor. ¡°But perhaps you should postpone your trip to Longren. I¡¯m not sure I want both of my children out of the city at the same time.¡±
It had taken two more hours to convince him to allow her to go anyway, emphasizing how important the work she was planning to do was for the expansion of the empire.
¡°If you feel lonely while we¡¯re gone, you could always take your meals with the Grand Duke,¡± Corvina had suggested at one point. ¡°After all, regardless of the status of our engagement, he has always considered you a second father figure, after his own father¡¯s untimely death.¡±
This particular suggestion had the added benefit of being something Marshal would absolutely hate. It was one of the few moments in her day that Corvina had actually enjoyed.
With the Emperor finally pacified, Corvina had moved on to other aspects of the social fall out, strategically sending out notes to various members of high society in order to control the general narrative and prevent any unforeseen or undesirable rumors from spreading.
And on top of all of that, she still had to deal with some of the aftermath of the new alliance between the church and the imperial family, and there were still preparations to be made for her trip to Longren.
There was a knock on the office door and Ulrich came in carrying another stack of papers.
¡°These were just delivered for you,¡± he said.
Corvina sat back in her chair, taking a deep drag of her cigarette. ¡°You can put those there,¡± she said, indicating one section of her desk. ¡°And these are ready to go,¡± she added, pointing to another pile of papers. ¡°Be sure to tip the courier well. The poor boy¡¯s been running around doing a month¡¯s worth of work in an afternoon.¡±
¡°So have you,¡± said Ulrich, placing down one pile and picking up the other. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you take a break, maybe get something to eat?¡±
¡°I can''t, I don¡¯t have time,¡± said Corvina. She sighed and removed her glasses, rubbing the bridge of her nose. ¡°Do you think Anne even realizes how much work goes into this kind of political scheming? Or does she think it all happens by magic?¡± Corvina let out a sort of sardonic half-laugh and added, ¡°Although I supposed Anne is used to people magically making things work out in her favor in the background without her noticing.¡±
¡°That¡¯s not very generous of you to say,¡± said Ulrich.
¡°I¡¯m not in a very generous mood,¡± said Corvina.
¡°Except towards the courier,¡± said Ulrich.
¡°That¡¯s different.¡± Corvina put her glasses back on. ¡°The courier is just trying to do his job, he hasn¡¯t done anything wrong..¡±
¡°And Anne has?¡± Ulrich looked at his niece for a moment, and then set the papers he was holding back down and sat across from Corvina. ¡°You know, we don¡¯t actually have any evidence to prove for certain that Sister Eva is faking the miracles of the Saintess,¡± said Ulrich. ¡°Which is, I believe, why you didn¡¯t want to tell the Saintess about your suspicions just yet. It¡¯s not very fair to hold her lack of knowledge against her when you choose not to tell her things. Especially considering...¡±
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Corvina, who was now leaning her elbow on her desk and her head on her hand, looked at Ulrich. ¡°Did Helen tell you about my argument with Anne then?¡±
¡°She may have mentioned it in passing,¡± he said.
¡°Do you also think the way I do things is wrong, then?¡± said Corvina.
¡°Not necessarily,¡± said Ulrich. ¡°You¡¯ve lived a very precarious life and you¡¯ve been through a lot. You¡¯ve learned to be secretive as a way to protect yourself, and it¡¯s worked. It¡¯s kept you alive. That said¡¡±
Corvina had to resist the urge to roll her eyes. ¡°Yes?¡± she prompted.
¡°It¡¯s a very lonely way to live,¡± said Ulrich. ¡°When you see yourself as a social and political chess master then it means on some level you view even your closest allies as game pieces¡ªtools to use in your grand schemes. Those of us who have cared about you up until now, none of us mind if you use us this way. We¡¯re happy to help you out any way we can. But it¡¯s nearly impossible to have a relationship on equal terms with someone if you can¡¯t find a way past that mode of thinking. Your mother¡ª¡°
Ulrich stopped speaking suddenly.
¡°What about my mother?¡± asked Corvina.
Ulrich smiled sadly. ¡°Never mind,¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s a story for another time. I only meant to say that¡ you don¡¯t have to be fully honest with everyone all of the time, but it might not be such a bad thing to be more open with at least one person. Even if that carries risks.¡±
Corvina reached out to her ashtray, tapping her cigarette to let the burnt end fall off. Her mind was heavy with thoughts she didn¡¯t have the time or energy to give as much attention to as they required.
There was another knock on the office door, and Helen poked her head in this time. ¡°My lady,¡± she said, with a curtsy. ¡°Lady Nia has arrived to speak with you.¡±
¡°Show her in,¡± said Corvina.
Ulrich stood and picked up the stack of papers that needed to go out. ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave now, then,¡± he said with a bow. He smiled at Corvina and added a quick ¡°Hang in there,¡± before turning and following Helen out the door.
A few short minutes later Helen returned with Nia in tow. Nia was wearing a white tunic shirt tucked into a pair of high-waisted black trousers. She gave a cool salute and then, before Corvina could even greet her back, slung a large leather satchel off of her shoulder and onto the desk with a heavy thud.
¡°Absolutely stuffed full of cigarettes,¡± said Nia. ¡°That ought to tide you over on your trip.¡±
¡°You¡¯re a life saver,¡± said Corvina. She could hardly work up the energy to sound like she meant it, although she did mean it, very sincerely.
¡°Always happy to help,¡± said Nia, sitting down in the chair and crossing one leg over the other in a nonchalant fashion.
Corvina sighed, tucking the satchel underneath her desk. ¡°Nia, do you think I¡¯m wrong to keep secrets the way I do?¡±
¡°Oh no, not at all,¡± said Nia. ¡°You know I love keeping secrets. And not just for practical purposes either, I just hate anyone knowing anything about me. In my ideal world you wouldn¡¯t even know my name, and you¡¯re probably my closest friend.¡±
Corvina snorted.
¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter how I feel, though,¡± said Nia. ¡°Just because I¡¯m fine with secrets it doesn¡¯t mean the Saintess is suddenly going to feel any less bad about you hiding things from her. Eventually you¡¯re going to have to decide what you care about more, being right, or fixing your friendship with Anne.¡±
Corvina took a final drag from her shrinking cigarette. ¡°What did you want to talk to me about anyway?¡± she asked, bluntly. ¡°What was so important that it couldn¡¯t wait until tomorrow?¡±
¡°Ironically, I actually came to tell you a secret,¡± said Nia. ¡°Although it¡¯s not my own. What do you know about Eva Coris?¡±
¡°I suspect a lot more than I know,¡± said Corvina. ¡°What I know is that she¡¯s a foundling who grew up with Anne in the church in Longren. The two of them are inseparable childhood friends. She holds a disproportionate amount of power in the church due to her close relationship with the Saintess. She seems to have some sort of unofficial mentor/mentee relationship with the Bishop herself. Why, what have you learned?¡±
¡°It¡¯s quite likely that Eva may have¡ stronger feelings towards the Saintess than simple childhood friendship,¡± said Nia.
Corvina, who up until now had had her mind scattered in all sorts of different directions, suddenly focused all of her attention on this conversation.
¡°How do you know this?¡± Corvina asked.
Nia tapped her sunglasses.
Corvina was one of the very few people alive who knew the full extent of the power of Nia¡¯s sunglasses.
Corvina nodded. ¡°What exactly do you mean by stronger feelings?¡±
¡°It¡¯s less like friendship and more like¡ obsession,¡± said Nia.
Corvina raised an eyebrow. ¡°What do you mean by obsession?¡±
Nia thought back to that morning.
Generally, Nia¡¯s sunglasses gave her the ability to see a sort of visual representation of distortions of the truth in people¡¯s speech. This didn¡¯t apply just to outright lies, but any intentional twisting of reality. Crucially, it did have to be intentional. If someone said something they fully believed, then no distortion would be visible, even if they were entirely wrong about what they were saying.
On the other hand, in rare cases where someone did tell an outright lie which directly contradicted their real feelings, and they had a strong thought pattern behind the lie that could illustrate their real truth, Nia could actually see floating text in the air to illustrate the difference between their words and their thoughts.
Over the years Nia had become good at asking leading questions, steering people into telling more direct lies, increasing the chances that she would catch a glimpse of the truth.
Even then it was extremely rare.
Even then she had never seen an outpouring of truth as clear and overwhelming as Eva¡¯s had been.
Nia had asked Eva why she ran the rebellion, what her true goal was, and Eva had responded:
¡°Because I care about justice for the common people, of course.¡±
But out of her mouth Nia had seen text pouring out, revealing another pattern of thought. Text so bright and busy and overwhelming that it had soon overtaken Nia¡¯s vision altogether, blocking out everything else.
Anne. Anne. For Anne. It¡¯s all for Anne. Everything for Anne. Only Anne. Anne¡¯s happiness. Make Anne happy. Nothing else is important. Everything for Anne. Anne. Anne. Only Anne. Make everything perfect for Anne. Only Anne.
Back in the present, Nia contemplated how best to describe what she had seen in a way Corvina would understand.
¡°Let¡¯s just say she reminds me of my mother,¡± said Nia.
Chapter 61
It was late at night when Anne and Eva finally arrived in the outskirts of Longren, where the three who had ridden ahead stood waiting for them.
¡°Hello! Did you have a nice ride?¡± asked Sebastian, while Anne and Eva climbed out of the carriage.
Anne shrugged. ¡°It was fine,¡± she said.
¡°We need to decide what to do with the Crown Prince,¡± said Eva.
Sebastian glanced nervously at the carriage driver, who gave him a casual salute.
¡°Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s a member of the rebellion,¡± said Eva. ¡°He won¡¯t spread any rumors.¡±
¡°Oh, okay,¡± said Sebastian. ¡°Wait, am I part of a rebellion now?¡±
¡°Ma¡¯am, I had a thought,¡± said Ylyndar, stepping forward.
¡°Yes, did you have an idea?¡± asked Eva.
¡°I think the prince should come back to the camp with us,¡± said Ylyndar.
¡°Good thinking,¡± said Eva. ¡°That¡¯s probably smarter than trying to sneak him into the church.¡±
¡°Wait, what camp?¡± asked Anne.
¡°The rebel army camp,¡± said Agis. ¡°You know, the rebel army that I¡¯m in charge of?¡±
¡°Oh, right,¡± said Anne, who up until now had somehow never thought about the fact that if there was a rebel army they would obviously need to, like, be somewhere.
¡°Excuse me,¡± said Sebastian, holding up a finger. ¡°I really don¡¯t feel like I was properly informed about the whole rebellion aspect of all this.¡±
¡°Sorry¡¡± said Anne, patting him on the back.. ¡°It kind of slipped my mind¡ I¡¯m sure they can probably tell you more about stuff when you get to the camp or whatever.¡±
¡°You three ride on to the camp then,¡± said Eva to Ylyndar. ¡°Anne and I will continue on to the church, where we¡¯re expected.¡±
So the two groups quickly parted ways again, the three horse-riders skirting around the edge of the town towards wherever the rebel army camp was while the carriage made its way through the Longren streets.
Anne was staring out the window at the cobblestone lanes and quaint buildings, feeling strangely nostalgic even though this wasn¡¯t even really her hometown.
Anne was simply emotionally exhausted. The denunciation from the church and the Emperor, the drama with Sebastian, the fight with Corvina, the awkward carriage ride with Eva¡ Anne was feeling truly alone, like she didn¡¯t have anyone she could confide in. Which she didn¡¯t, not really, not about everything. And she was feeling homesick, really truly homesick, deep down in her bones.
Anne felt desperate to go home. She even wanted to go back to work at her crappy data entry job, even though she¡¯d always hated it before. She¡¯d hated a lot of things about her life but now she wanted nothing more than to go back to her crappy small apartment at the end of a crappy work day and read poorly written fantasy romance novels and just not have to worry about things like rebel armies or staged kidnappings or possible assassinations. Sure, it had been a lonely, boring existence, but at least it had been low stakes. At least it had been comfortable.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
I want to scroll twitter, thought Anne. I want to eat candy. I want to watch bad tv. This world sucks.
The High Clerics were waiting outside of the church to greet the returning Saintess, although the mood was much more somber than when they had sent her off to the capital.
Once again, Eva talked to the High Clerics while Anne waited off to the side, always left out of the loop. A useless symbol, carried around by her allies, rarely directly involved in anything.
Anne wondered if the original Saintess had ever felt this superfluous. Was that why she had chosen to abandon her life in this world? Had it even been her choice to leave?
Eva was telling Anne about something or other while they were walking through the familiar corridors of the church, but Anne wasn¡¯t really paying attention.
When they reached Anne¡¯s room, Eva gave her a hug. ¡°Get some sleep, dear Saintess,¡± she said. ¡°We can figure out our next moves in the morning.¡±
After Eva left, Anne stumbled into her room, plopping down into the chair by the fireplace.
Despite herself, the room was actually somewhat comforting. It wasn¡¯t Anne¡¯s home, not really, but it was a home. It would have to do for now.
I should get up and get undressed, thought Anne. So I can actually go to bed.
But getting up seemed like too much work. So instead she just stared into the dying fire, brooding, until finally she nodded off in her chair, still fully dressed.
¡°You¡¯re dead, you know,¡± said a voice.
Anne sat up with a start to find herself in a dark void, the original Saintess standing in front of her. The only light in the void was coming from behind the Saintess, wreathing her head in a sort of halo. It was so bright Anne had to squint.
¡°You died in an accident,¡± repeated the Saintess. She sounded sad.. ¡°You can¡¯t ever go back to your original world. There¡¯s no body there for you to go back to.¡±
Anne sighed. ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± she said. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t miss it.¡±
The original Saintess didn¡¯t respond. She seemed to be looking at something past Anne¡¯s shoulder. Anne turned, but there was nothing there, only darkness.
Then suddenly the Saintess grabbed Anne by the shoulders. Her eyes, now close to Anne¡¯s, looked desperate¡ªnot merely sad anymore, but despairing.
¡°Why are you wasting so much time?¡± wailed the Saintess. ¡°You claimed to be braver than me! Quickly, you have to destroy it. You have to shatter it! If you don¡¯t act quickly enough it will repair itself.¡±
¡°What? What do I have to destroy?¡± asked Anne. ¡°What will repair itself?¡±
The Saintess disappeared and the darkness turned into the capital city, the steps of the palace, where an angry crowd had gathered. Anne was trapped in the crowd and she could barely see over the heads of the people who crowded around her, but at the top of the palace steps she could just barely make out Duke Marshal with the original Saintess by his side and Corvina on her knees before them.
Corvina lowered her head and Duke Marshal raised his sword.
Then the scene shifted again and they were in a dark green forest. The Saintess, looking ragged and exhausted, barefoot with her feet bleeding, was stumbling through the forest. Her expression was grim, determined.
Anne ran up to her, grabbing her by the shoulder, and the Saintess looked at her, confused.
¡°You can¡¯t just show me vague images and metaphors, you have to tell me what to do!¡± said Anne. ¡°Please. You¡¯re the only one who knows I don¡¯t belong here. You have to give me real guidance. I don¡¯t know what to do.¡±
The Saintess continued to stare at her, confused.
A thought suddenly occurred to Anne.
¡°Wait, when I died and was sent here¡ where did you go?¡± asked Anne. ¡°Are you dead? Where are you?¡±
The Saintess stared off to one side of Anne¡¯s face again, her expression vague. Anne was about to give up on this dream making any sense when the Saitness finally spoke: ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said. ¡°I left, but I don¡¯t know where I am anymore. I thought it would be better. I thought¡¡± The Saintess trailed off again, distracted. Then suddenly she shouted, ¡°Look out!¡± and pushed Anne.
Anne woke up with a start to find someone staring at her.
It was hard to make them out in the darkness, but the figure seemed to have very pale skin contrasted against their dark clothing. They had short, fine hair that was such a dark blue it was almost black, and large, deep blue eyes that flashed in the remains of the firelight. Their facial features were almost as sharp as the dagger they held in their hand.
There was a long moment when Anne and this mysterious person just stared at each other.
¡°What are you?¡± asked the assassin.
Chapter 62
The Unseen Rain had followed silently behind the carriage the whole way from the capital, waiting for their chance to strike.
Nothing about this assignment seemed as though it was going to be particularly challenging. You would think that a figure as important as the Saintess would travel with more guards, but she traveled with almost none.
Only the elf prince even carried a weapon, although Rain could tell that the biggest potential threat was actually the red-headed cleric. They could sense that she possessed a staggering amount of true magic.
And yet, even that small amount of protection hadn¡¯t stayed around for long. When the group reached Longren, the elf prince had left to go somewhere else, and when they reached the church the red-headed cleric had simply said goodnight and left the Saintess alone.
Unguarded. Vulnerable.
And still Rain stayed hidden. They hadn¡¯t become the best assassin in the Empire by being overly hasty.
Finally, the Saintess had fallen asleep.
Rain dropped down from the ceiling and approached silently, dagger in hand.
Several things had been bothering Rain about the Saintess ever since they had begun to follow her, and up close it was becoming more and more confusing.
The Saintess was wrong in all sorts of ways. She didn¡¯t¡ fit correctly. She was an elf, but she was an important citizen of the Wyernwolf Empire. She was supposed to be a cleric, but she didn¡¯t dress or act like a cleric. She was supposed to be a woman, and yet she¡
Really, Rain knew they should just finish the job and head back to the capital as quickly as possible. But they couldn¡¯t help pausing, staring in fascination at the strange figure before them.
And there was one more thing that seemed to be in the wrong place...
Suddenly, the Saintess awoke with a start.
The Saintess and the assassin made eye contact, holding it for what felt like an eternity.
Finally, Rain¡¯s curiosity won out.
¡°What are you?¡± they asked.
¡°I¡ªwhat¡ª?¡± asked Anne, blinking. ¡°What am I? What do you mean?¡±
¡°Are you a man or a woman?¡± they demanded.
¡°Oh,¡± said the Saintess.
¡°They say you¡¯re the Saintess, but you have short hair and wear men¡¯s clothes,¡± they said.
¡°Yeah, but I¡¯m still a woman,¡± said Anne.
¡°Why?¡±
¡°Why?¡± Anne was taken aback. ¡°Just because I am. My gender doesn¡¯t have anything to do with the way I dress. I just¡ how do I explain it?¡±
This was a vaguely medieval fantasy world. Anne wasn¡¯t entirely sure if they had an established philosophy of gender identity here. Like, certainly trans people existed here, but they probably didn¡¯t have a modern identity politics framework to understand gender through. Maybe there was some sort of culturally specific understanding of genders outside the norm in some culture or other in this world, but if there was, Anne didn¡¯t know about it...
Fuck it, Anne wasn¡¯t creative enough or awake enough to come up with a particularly careful or thorough explanation.
¡°I¡¯m not a woman because of the way I look or how I dress, I¡¯m just a woman because I know I¡¯m a woman,¡± said Anne. ¡°What about you, don¡¯t you have some intuitive sense of what your gender is?¡±
¡°No,¡± they said.
¡°Oh,¡± said Anne. ¡°Well, I mean, you don¡¯t have to be any gender at all if you don¡¯t want to be. Or you could be both a man and a woman. Or you could be some other gender entirely. It¡¯s up to you.¡±
The figure nodded as if just learning an interesting new piece of trivia.
Am I still dreaming? thought Anne. This is too surreal to be reality. Wait, are they holding a knife?
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¡°That still doesn¡¯t explain it, though,¡± said the figure.
Anne sighed, exasperated. ¡°I just like wearing pants, okay?¡±
¡°No.¡± The figure shook its head. ¡°That doesn¡¯t explain why your soul doesn¡¯t match your body.¡±
Before Anne could respond to this shocking statement, she heard the twang of a bow and saw an arrow flying through the air, right towards the figure.
The figure quickly and easily jumped out of the way.
And now the arrow was heading straight towards Anne.
I wonder where I¡¯ll end up this time, Anne thought to herself. I haven¡¯t even read that many books since I got here¡
Then the arrow seemed to curve mid-air.
It was over in an instant. The mysterious figure leapt out the window, the arrow buried itself, quivering, into the mantle, and Agis and Eva stood in the doorway.
¡°Anne, I¡¯m so sorry!¡± Agis ran up to her. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to almost hit you. I didn¡¯t think the assassin would dodge.¡±
¡°You¡¯re wasting time!¡± said Eva. ¡°Go after him!¡±
¡°Right, sorry,¡± said Agis, leaping out the window after the assassin.
Eva ran up to Anne and threw her arms around her. ¡°Oh, Anne, I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re okay!¡±
¡°What just happened?¡± asked Anne.
¡°I believe that may have been the Unseen Rain,¡± said Eva. ¡°A famous assassin. Until now I honestly thought he was just a myth. But he matched the description.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± said Anne.
¡°Duke Marshal must have hired him,¡± said Eva.
¡°I¡¯m not sure they were a man, actually,¡± said Anne.
¡°Well then, Duke Marshal must have hired her,¡± said Eva. ¡°Why do you care what gender the assassin was, you could¡¯ve been killed!¡±
¡°No, I don¡¯t think they¡¯re a woman either,¡± said Anne, who still hadn¡¯t really processed her near death experience.
¡°Anne, what are you talking about?¡± asked Eva.
Anne contemplated the prospect of trying to explain the concept of ¡®nonbinary¡¯ to Eva right now and decided against the attempt.
¡°Never mind,¡± said Anne.
¡°You should try to get some sleep,¡± said Eva, running a gentle hand over Anne¡¯s cheek. ¡°I¡¯ll stay with you, just in case. No one will be able to hurt you while I¡¯m here.¡±
Agis climbed back in through the window. ¡°I lost him!¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I can stay the night and patrol the area, just in case.¡±
Suddenly, Anne remembered something.
Anne stood up. ¡°Wait, where¡¯s Sebastian? He should be the assassin¡¯s real target. We have to make sure he¡¯s okay!¡±
¡°He¡¯s at the rebel camp,¡± said Agis. ¡°He¡¯s surrounded by soldiers. There¡¯s no safer place in the world for him. Well¡. I mean, it¡¯s pretty safe. I was helping him get settled in and explaining to all the rebels why they shouldn''t just kill the Crown Prince immediately when Eva came to get me. She said she saw someone sneaking towards your room.¡±
¡°How did you get to the rebel camp and back so fast?¡± Anne asked Eva.
¡°I have my ways,¡± said Eva, smiling. ¡°But Agis is right, you don¡¯t need to worry about Sebastian right now. Right now you should only be worried about getting some rest.¡±
This whole situation felt so off, but Anne really was far too tired to spend any more time thinking about it.
So she took Eva¡¯s advice and went to bed.
Over at the rebel camp, Sebastian was sitting by a dwindling fire, hugging his knees to his chest.
These past few days had been a lot for him to process.
¡°Here, your highness,¡± said Ylyndar, handing Sebastian a mug. ¡°Some tea. It should help you to sleep, even in this unfamiliar environment.¡±
¡°Is it a special kind of elf tea?¡± asked Sebastian.
Ylyndar smiled, amused. ¡°It¡¯s chamomile,¡± he said.
¡°Oh,¡± said Sebastian.
They sat in silence for a moment. Only a short time ago, Agis had been showing him around. And then Eva had shown up out of nowhere, super frantic, and the two of them had left together somewhere.
Now Sebastian was alone in a camp full of enemy soldiers who hated him and his family, and he didn¡¯t even really know anyone here.
Ylyndar was being pretty nice to him, though. And the other soldiers seemed to be scared of Ylyndar, so they were all more or less leaving him alone.
¡°We should be receiving our regular correspondence from the other branches of the elven army at some point tomorrow,¡± said Ylyndar. ¡°I suspect that will contain Elyon¡¯s response to the kidnapping plan.¡±
¡°Elyon¡ that¡¯s the second elf prince, right?¡± said Sebastian, taking a sip of his tea. ¡°And the first elf prince is¡ Zaos? What are they like? Are they anything like Agis? Agis can be annoying, but¡ he¡¯s basically nice. Are the other two nice?¡±
¡°Hmm¡¡± said Ylyndar, poking at the fire. ¡°First of all, you must understand, Agis is a skilled fighter and a good man, but he¡¯s still very young, in elven terms.¡±
¡°Wait, how old is he?¡± asked Sebastian.
¡°He¡¯s not yet 39 years-old,¡± said Ylyndar, a pitying look on his face. ¡°Practically a child.¡±
¡°Agis is 38 years-old?!¡± said Sebastian.
¡°The other two elf princes have had much longer to establish themselves,¡± continued Ylyndar. ¡°To the elves of the Sacred Forest, they¡¯re legendary figures. In some ways, they loom larger even than the king himself.¡±
¡°How old is the king?¡± asked Sebastian.
¡°Nearly 1000. The longest living elf in history. Now pay attention, this is important for you to know¡± said Ylyndar. ¡°Prince Zaos, the first prince, is a force to be reckoned with. He¡¯s our finest warrior. He has long hair that flows in the winds of battle, and he¡¯s rumored to have lost an eye in a battle with the False Dweller himself, although no one knows for sure what the true story is. It¡¯s said that the sound of his laughter haunts those that manage to survive clashing swords with him, driving many to suicide.¡±
¡°Goddess¡¡± said Sebastian.
¡°Prince Elyon, the second prince, is less flashy, but no less impressive,¡± continued Ylyndar. ¡°He¡¯s stalwart and steadfast, capable of learning any skill necessary to do his work, and he never gives up, and he never gives away his plans until it¡¯s too late. If Prince Zaos is like a forest fire, then Prince Elyon is like a sinkhole. Working in secret, eating away at the ground underneath you, until one day, before you even realize what¡¯s happened, the ground has fallen out beneath you. Prince Elyon is a revolution.¡±
There was a moment of silence while Sebastian and Ylyndar both stared into the fire.
Sebastian took another sip of his tea. ¡°Well, great,¡± he said. ¡°They don¡¯t sound terrifying at all.¡±
Bonus: The Warmonger Duchess and Her Female Husband
Chapter 1: Tamsin Meets Her Fate
The Earldom of Gwedric was a small independent nation within the Viland Empire. Of course, the Viland Empire contained as many as ninety-five to a hundred independent nations at any given point, so that fact alone didn¡¯t make Gwedric particularly noteworthy. In fact, almost nothing made Gwedric noteworthy¡ªand therein lay the Earldom¡¯s luck.
It was located in a small mountain valley that was somewhat annoying to travel to but not especially isolated. The Earldom contained no particularly valuable resources, but the land was fertile and the climate mild so the people rarely went hungry. And the Earl¡¯s family tended to produce mid-level army officers or civil servants¡ªpeople who made themselves useful to the empire without ever becoming particularly distinguished.
That¡¯s how the Earldom, as small as it was, managed to survive as an independent nation for so long. Longer, even, than most other nations in the Empire. They were small, but self sufficient, lacked any valuables to entice invaders (especially considering how inconvenient it would be to send an army there), and generally avoided offending anyone important or powerful enough to retaliate. Against all odds, generation after generation, the Earldom of Gwedric was weak enough, unimportant enough, and lucky enough to avoid being conquered in any of the Empire¡¯s near constant civil wars.
But the Goddess of Fate is a tricky mistress, and no lucky streak can last forever.
Gwedric¡¯s luck finally ran out when the current Earl¡¯s son and heir was thrown from his horse during a hunting trip just a few months before his wedding.
If the grouse¡¯s nerve had held and it had remained hiding in the bushes for another few minutes until the horses had passed, then the hunt would have continued and perhaps Roger would have brought home a wild boar that night, inspiring a joyous feast.
But the grouse had panicked, and in its desperation to flee, it had spooked Basil the horse, causing him to throw his rider in his own panic.
If the stone had been a few feet to the left, Roger would have only had the wind knocked out of him when he landed, or perhaps a mild concussion. Perhaps he would have laughed off the concerns of his companions and chosen to ride home early, planning to continue the hunt another day.
But the stone was in just the right place to crack the young man¡¯s skull open, spilling his life¡¯s blood into the soil.
Tamsin Gwedric, Roger¡¯s younger sister and sole remaining heir to the Earldom, cursed the damned stone for its violence. She cursed the wicked grouse for its cowardice. And she cursed the cruel-hearted Goddess of Fate for abandoning her family at long last.
Tamsin¡¯s parents were in the middle of a similar act of abandonment.
The Earl and his wife¡ªa dignified looking man with hair just graying at his temples, and an elegant woman with well-kept curls¡ªargued as they packed a carriage.
¡°You¡¯re certain Erhard will take us in?¡± asked the Countess, attempting to stuff an oversized hatbox under the seat of the carriage.
¡°He told me I could come to him if I ever needed anything,¡± said the Earl, sticking a cage containing a squawking chicken onto one of the seats.
¡°Yes, but that was before¡ª¡± The Countess waved her arms as if to indicate the dark sky with the red glow on the horizon from the burning city, the faint sound of screams in the distance, and sharp smell of iron just threatening to make itself known.
¡°He owes me,¡± said the Earl, darkly.
¡°My lord we must go,¡± said the carriage driver, a man Tamsin thought might have been named Bertrand or Bertram. ¡°If we delay any longer even the back ways may be blocked.¡±
¡°Just a moment!¡± shouted the Earl. Finally, he turned to back to his daughter.
Tamsin was a small young woman, barely twenty years old and barely over five feet in height. She had inherited neither her mother¡¯s curls nor her father¡¯s dignity. Tamsin had dusty brown hair which was flat, if a bit frizzy at times, and freckled skin, and frightened hazel eyes. She was no great beauty and had no great talents. She was just¡ ordinary. Ordinary, ordinary, ordinary. As the Earldom had been for generations. As her life had been until Roger¡¯s untimely death.
And now she was being forced to deal with extraordinary circumstances which she could not possibly have been prepared for.
¡°Tamsin,¡± said the Earl, putting a hand on his daughter¡¯s shoulder. He looked at her with eyes that were almost full of sympathy. Almost full of love.
The bastard.
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¡°It¡¯s with a heavy heart that I abdicate my title to you now,¡± said the Earl. ¡°We would bring you with us, but someone must be here to answer the Duchess¡¯s grievance when she arrives. Imperial law demands it. But do not worry, my little mouse. I¡¯m sure Duchess Jordaine is not so heartless that she¡¯s incapable of showing mercy to those so much weaker than herself. Farewell now.¡±
The Earl gave Tamsin a hug which she didn¡¯t return. ¡°Eduart, we must go!¡± shouted the Countess¡ well, now the Dowager Countess, from the carriage. ¡°Hurry! We have no time!¡±
The Earl gave his daughter one final pat on the head and a sad smile, and with that he climbed into the carriage and the nervous carriage driver¡ªBertrand or Bertram or whatever his name was¡ªspurred the horses on. Soon they had disappeared into the darkness.
Tamsin, now the Countess of Gwedric, walked back into the mansion in a daze. All around her servants and guards ran around in a panic, but she drifted along as if a ghost already. She made her way to the audience chamber where she sat down heavily on her father¡¯s throne. Well, really it was more of a large chair. But he had called it his throne.
The captain of the guard saluted her. She thought his name was probably Frieg. ¡°Countess¡¡± he said. The word sounded uncertain in his mouth.
¡°Yes?¡± said Tamsin.
¡°What should we do?¡± asked Captain Frieg. Tamsin felt sorry for him. He was an old man. He hadn¡¯t fought in a real battle in decades now. He had taken this post as a sort of retirement from the imperial army. He didn¡¯t deserve this. ¡°They¡¯ve broken through the city gates already,¡± he said. ¡°The mansion¡¯s gates won¡¯t last long. They weren¡¯t made to hold off an army. They¡¯re practically decorative!¡±
Tamsin closed her eyes and took a deep breath. ¡°Throw open the gates,¡± she said. ¡°Throw open all the doors to the mansion.¡±
¡°But Countess¡ª!¡±
¡°Do it now!¡± snapped Tamsin. ¡°We surrender.¡±
It took some time for her orders to reach the right ears and for her commands to be carried out. Tamsin wasn¡¯t sure quite how long. She felt almost as if she was floating off somewhere just behind her body and to the left a bit, like she was watching all these scenes unfold from the outside, disconnected from them. What a terrible tragedy, she thought mildly. Couldn¡¯t someone have helped this poor girl out before it got to this point? How could the gods allow something like this to happen?
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Duchess Alesia Jordaine threw open the doors of the audience chamber and strode into the room.
She wore no armor. Instead, she wore a simple white shirt and black trousers tucked into knee-high boots. The shirt was stained with blood the same color as her hair, which tumbled wildly down her back like a lion¡¯s mane. And she carried a broadsword in one hand.
Tamsin wasn¡¯t sure what expression she had expected to see on the Duchess¡¯s face. Wild glee, perhaps. Or mad rage. What she hadn¡¯t expected was this¡ resigned determination.
The Duchess lowered her sword and bowed, briefly. ¡°Lady Tamsin, I presume,¡± she said.
¡°Countess, now,¡± said Tamsin. ¡°My father abdicated his title.¡±
¡°What? When¡ª¡±
¡°Just before you arrived,¡± said Tamsin. ¡°I apologize that we were unable to invite you to the coronation ceremony.¡±
The Duchess¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°That spineless coward,¡± she spat. ¡°He could have¡ª¡±
¡°Please!¡± said Tamsin. She didn¡¯t want to hear her own thoughts echoed back to her like that¡ not from the Duchess.
¡°I apologize, Countess,¡± said the Duchess, with another bow. ¡°I would also like to apologize for not appearing before you in proper uniform, as would be fitting of your station. I seem to have lost my coat somewhere in town.¡±
¡°That¡¯s quite alright,¡± said Tamsin, vaguely.
More soldiers ran through the doorway, clearly in the Jordaine Duchy¡¯s uniform, but the Duchess waved them off. ¡°Fall back,¡± she said. ¡°I wish to speak to the Countess alone.¡±
The Duchess looked at Tamsin and Tamsin nodded. Tamsin didn¡¯t have many people to send away. Only Captain Frieg had remained by her side anyway. ¡°Leave us,¡± she told the old man. He looked about to protest, so Tamsin added. ¡°Please.¡±
Frieg backed down, although he didn¡¯t look too happy about it. He glared daggers at the Duchess while he made his way out of the room. Then, just before closing the doors behind him, he looked back at Tamsin one last time. His eyes were full of genuine sorrow.
Tamsin almost wished she¡¯d taken the time to get to know the man better. While she¡¯d had the chance.
Everyone else gone, Duchess Jordaine approached Tamsin¡¯s chair.
¡°We didn¡¯t want it to go this way,¡± said Tamsin, although she knew that the Duchess knew. ¡°If Roger had lived, he would have married you, as promised. Our nation¡¯s could have been joined together in peace. Instead of¡¡±
¡°Imperial law states that a broken contract between noble families must be answered,¡± said the Duchess, although surely she knew that Tamsin knew. ¡°No matter why it was broken.¡±
¡°I surrender my lands to you,¡± said Tamsin. ¡°And my title. You can have it all.¡±
¡°And I thank you for it,¡± said the Duchess. ¡°But, my lady, imperial law states that the current title-holder must be held personally accountable for a broken contract.¡±
Tamsin closed her eyes and tried to focus on breathing.
¡°If you so chose, I could take you to the imperial capital,¡± the Duchess continued. ¡°It would be a long, difficult, and unpleasant ride with only a dungeon cell awaiting you. You would receive a fair trial, eventually, but even after all that suffering, in the end you would be¡¡±
¡°Executed,¡± said Tamsin.
¡°Publically,¡± said the Duchess. ¡°Imperial law demands it.¡± She raised the sword again. ¡°My lady, I am truly sorry. But this is the only mercy I can offer you.¡±
Tamsin had known this was coming. Her father had known it was coming when he had abdicated his title to her to save himself. Captain Frieg had known it was coming when Tamsin sent him away.
A quick, private death. To prevent further suffering. To save her dignity.
Some mercy.
Tamsin half wished that the Duchess was the blood-crazed monster she was rumored to be. In some ways that might make this easier.
¡°I understand,¡± said Tamsin.
When the Duchess took that final step forward, she was close enough that Tamsin could at last see her eyes. They were gray. Not a light blue that was almost gray, but true gray. Colorless.
Tamsin was thinking about how unusual and pretty those eyes were when the Duchess ran her through.
With her final thoughts, Tamsin cursed the rigid, lifeless imperial law for forcing the Duchess¡¯ hand. She cursed the Duchess for bowing to its demands. She cursed her coward of a father for throwing her on this sword. And she cursed all the gods who had presided over her life from the moment of her birth. But most of all, she cursed the Goddess of War, said to be the Duchess of Jordaine¡¯s patron, for having brought this terrible calamity upon her.
¡°Hey, don¡¯t blame me, honey,¡± said a voice from right next to her ear. ¡°None of this is my fault.¡±
Chapter 63
The next morning the Bastard¡¯s Club met in Corvina¡¯s gazebo for their standard weekly brunch. At least, that¡¯s how they hoped it would appear to any outside observers. Nothing out of the ordinary. Just a group of noblewomen chattering over coffee and light breakfast fare.
¡°I¡¯ve written ahead so that my parents will know to expect you,¡± said Belle, taking a sip of her coffee. ¡°Knowing them, they''re already excitedly preparing a spare room.¡±
¡°I look forward to seeing them,¡± said Corvina, picking at her eggs. ¡°Although I¡¯m sure it will feel a bit strange without you there.¡±
¡°I could still come with you, you know,¡± said Belle. ¡°I worry about you alone out there in the border country.¡±
Corvina smiled. ¡°I won¡¯t be alone,¡± she said. ¡°Your family will be there.¡±
Belle rolled her eyes. ¡°You know what I mean.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± said Corvina. ¡°Besides, I need you here. I have an important task for you while I¡¯m gone.¡±
¡°Hey, no fair, I want an important task!¡± said Collette.
¡°You have one,¡± said Corvina. ¡°I need you to keep an eye on the aristocratic social circles, pay attention to the general mood and any particular rumors.¡±
Collette clicked her tongue and folded her arms, disappointed. ¡°Oh, but I always do that anyway,¡± she said. ¡°That¡¯s not exciting.¡±
¡°Wait, what do you need me to do, then?¡± asked Belle.
¡°I know this might not be pleasant for you but I¡¯d like you to be our liaison with the rebel groups in the city,¡± said Corvina. ¡°They¡¯re decentralized and a bit unpredictable, and with so many major figures out of town at once we don¡¯t know what they might do. We need to keep a close eye on them just in case.¡±
¡°What?¡± said Belle. ¡°I don¡¯t want to do that!¡±
¡°I do!¡± said Collette. ¡°That sounds way more exciting.¡±
¡°Can¡¯t Collette and I switch assignments then?¡±
Corvina shook her head. ¡°Belle, I¡¯m sorry, but you¡¯re the only one I can trust to do this. Your mother is a commoner, so they¡¯re more likely to trust you.¡±
¡°Your mother was a commoner, too,¡± said Belle. ¡°And Collette¡¯s.¡±
¡°Yes, but both of us were raised by our noble fathers,¡± said Corvina. ¡°We never knew our common mothers. And besides, I¡¯m going to be out of town, which is the whole issue, and Collette is¡ well, you know what Collette is like.¡±
They both looked at Collette, who had pulled a wad of cash out of her bag and was using it to fan herself.
¡°What?¡± she said. ¡°What am I like?¡±
Belle sighed. ¡°Fine.¡±
¡°You don¡¯t have to do much,¡± said Corvina. ¡°And I¡¯m leaving Ulrich behind. He already has contacts with the rebels so he can work with you on this.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± said Belle. ¡°Just send him over to my estate. I¡¯ll tell my usual butler to go on vacation and we can say Ulrich is filling in for him.¡±
¡°Good plan,¡± said Corvina. ¡°And Nia?¡±
¡°Hmm?¡± said Nia. She had been fidgeting with a fork and staring off into the middle distance during this whole conversation.
¡°While I¡¯m gone I¡¯d like you to pay special attention to any international goings-on. According to the prophecy of the Saintess it¡¯s possible that war could break out with Quellinia at some point in the near future. I want you to let me know if you hear anything at all that appears to be heading in that direction.¡±
¡°Roger,¡± said Nia. ¡°Are you sure you can afford to spend much more time here, though? Shouldn¡¯t you get going if you want to make it to Longren tonight?¡±
¡°It will be fine,¡± said Corvina, sipping her coffee. ¡°The Emperor has lent me one of the imperial carriages that¡¯s treated with alchemy to make the wood unnaturally lightweight and we have a strong team of horses lined up. We should make good time. Still, you¡¯re right, I suppose I should prepare to leave fairly soon.¡±
When the group finally said goodbye, they all gave each other hugs, something they rarely did (other than Collette, who hugged everyone all the time), but with this kind of travel and these sorts of high-level schemes you never knew when you might see each other again.
Still, the most difficult goodbye was with Ulrich.
¡°I still think I should come with you,¡± said Ulrich.
¡°Everyone¡¯s saying that today,¡± said Corvina, with a smirk. ¡°I told you, I need you here. I can¡¯t fully trust anyone else. Even the Bastard¡¯s Club, well¡ you never know when they might have their own agendas. We are who we are. But I know you¡¯ll always have my best interests in mind.¡±
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¡°Which is why I should be by your side!¡± said Ulrich. ¡°What if the elves don¡¯t agree to your plan? What if they decide kidnapping, or Goddess forbid, killing the Emperor¡¯s daughter would serve their purposes better?¡±
¡°I can look after myself, Uncle,¡± said Corvina. ¡°I¡¯ll have my sword and my dagger on me at all times, and you personally taught me how to defend myself. Or do you not trust your own training?¡±
¡°Of course I do,¡± said Ulrich. ¡°I¡¯m just worried is all.¡±
¡°And I thank you for it,¡± said Corvina. She threw her arms around Ulrich¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I only have a sense of what family should be because of you, Uncle,¡± she said. ¡°Thank you for staying by my side all this time.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t say that like you¡¯re not going to return,¡± said Ulrich, hugging Corvina back.
¡°Of course I¡¯ll return,¡± said Corvina. ¡°I can¡¯t personally pull my father off his throne from all the way in Longren, can I?¡±
Ulrich let his niece go and wiped his eyes.
¡°Are you crying?¡± asked Corvina.
¡°No!¡± said Ulrich. ¡°I just¡¡± He clearly couldn¡¯t come up with an excuse so he pushed past it. ¡°Have you got everything you need?¡±
¡°Of course. Helen already checked three times.¡±
¡°And the driver has directions to the Tulin estate?¡±
¡°Yes!¡±
¡°And you know how to signal our agent in Longren?¡±
¡°Uncle! Stop worrying!¡± said Corvina. ¡°I¡¯m a big girl, I know what I¡¯m doing.¡±
¡°Right, right, of course,¡± said Uncle. ¡°And I hope things go well with Anne.¡±
Corvina opened her mouth to object or make a retort or something but she couldn¡¯t quite find anything to say. Luckily, at that moment, Helen interrupted them.
¡°The carriage is ready, my lady,¡± said Helen, with a curtsy.
¡°I¡¯ll be right there,¡± said Corvina.
Ulrich stood in front of the door to see them off, waving until the carriage was out of sight. He wiped a tear from his eye.
¡°That¡¯s my brave girl,¡± he said to himself.
One of Corvina¡¯s agents, dressed as a city guard, came running up to him. ¡°Sir!¡± he said.
¡°Take it easy, man,¡± said Ulrich, under his breath. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be approaching me like this so openly, not in the daylight.¡±
¡°I apologize, sir,¡± said the agent. ¡°But I¡¯m afraid I bring a rather urgent message. I didn¡¯t think you would want to wait to receive this.¡±
¡°What is it, man?¡± demanded Ulrich.
The agent handed him a small piece of paper which he unfolded.
There, written in a delicate but flamboyant cursive, were the words, Guess who¡¯s back in the city? After that the writer had drawn a small winking face. The paper smelled faintly of lavender perfume.
¡°Goddess¡¯ tits,¡± said Ulrich. ¡°Does anyone else know about this? Anyone in the¡ family?¡±
¡°Not yet, sir,¡± said the agent.
¡°Do your best to keep it that way,¡± said Ulrich, tearing up the piece of paper into tiny pieces and dropping them in the gravel drive. ¡°And for the love of the Goddess tell her not to do anything until I contact her.¡±
That afternoon, after a morning spent searching every nook and cranny of the church complex for any sign of the assassin with no luck, Eva brought Anne to the rebel camp.
It was only a short ride out of Longren, but it was a little ways into the woods, further than most humans were brave enough to go, but not actually far enough for the confounding magics of the Sacred Forest to actually kick in. Anne was legitimately impressed with the location.
The location was just about the only thing she was impressed by.
The rebel army was a pretty ragtag group. No two people wore the same uniform, and the clothes they did wear were ragged and dirty. A lot of them were very young to the point where Anne wasn¡¯t sure it was okay for them to be fighting in any sort of battles. There didn¡¯t seem to be much discipline among the ranks either. Every soldier was preoccupied with their own activities. There were a few elves mixed among the humans, but if anything they seemed even lazier than the humans for the most part.
In one corner a boy who couldn¡¯t have been older than sixteen was practicing shooting his bow while a group of elves lounged nearby and laughed every time he missed the target.
On the other side of the camp there was some sort of loud argument going on about which specific aristocrats most deserved to get hanged first.
¡°I sincerely apologize for the state of things, Saintess,¡± said Ylyndar, who had greeted them at the edge of the camp. ¡°The humans here are mostly runaways or exiles. The stronger and more¡ careful humans tend to stay in the cities and covertly join rebel cells there rather than traveling to join the ranks here. And the elves¡ well. The first and second princes have never been particularly eager to lend their best to a joint effort with the humans. I do my best to organize them all, but¡ well, you see how it is.¡±
No wonder the rebellion didn¡¯t get anywhere until after they allied with the Duke and his soldiers in the book, thought Anne. And now that I think about it, the rebel army in the book also had a huge influx of trained soldiers deserting after the fiasco with Quellinia¡
¡°It may not look like much, but don¡¯t worry, dear Anne,¡± said Eva, linking arms with Anne. ¡°The power will come to us when we need it. After all, the Goddess is on your side.¡±
¡°Why did you join the rebel army, Ylyndar?¡± asked Anne, thinking that the serious, disciplined soldier seemed out of place with this motley lot.
¡°I¡¯ve been bodyguard to Prince Agis since the day he was born,¡± said Ylyndar. ¡°Kneeling at his cradle, I pledged my life to his service. Wherever he needs me to go to best support him, there I will go. Until the day he or I dies.¡±
¡°Wow,¡± said Anne. ¡°That¡¯s¡ a lot.¡±
¡°You¡¯re seriously 38 years old!?¡±
¡°Shut up! I don¡¯t want people around here to know how young I am, it¡¯s embarrassing.¡±
Agis and Sebastian were sitting beside an unlit fireplace nearby.
¡°How in the world is that young?¡± asked Sebastian. Before Agis could answer, he spotted Anne approaching. ¡°Oh my goddess, Anne!¡± Sebastian got to his feet and threw his arms around Anne. ¡°I heard all about that dreadful assassination attempt! I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re okay!¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± said Anne, untangling herself from the hug. ¡°They didn¡¯t really, like, try to kill me. We just had kind of a weird conversation.¡±
¡°Still, we¡¯re going to be extra vigilant with her security for a while,¡± said Eva.
¡°Do you think the assassin might come after me next?¡± asked Sebastian, looking worried.
Oh right, the whole reason we¡¯re going to all this trouble is to save Sebastian from being assassinated, thought Anne.
¡°I¡ think it¡¯s probably fine,¡± said Anne. ¡°But we should probably get you properly kidnapped as soon as possible just in case.¡±
¡°On that note,¡± said Ylyndar, pulling out a small envelope. ¡°This correspondence from Prince Elyon arrived just before you.¡±
Anne wasn¡¯t entirely sure if she was the one who was supposed to read it in this scenario, but Ylyndar was holding the envelope out to her so she took it.
¡°What does it say?¡± asked Agis, trying to look over her shoulder as she read.
Anne finished reading the letter and let her hand drop to her side. ¡°Well¡ fuck,¡± she said.
Chapter 64
Corvina passed the time on the road by reading. She didn¡¯t feel any particular need to stare out the window in amazement at the passing farms the way Helen was doing. And reading was more productive anyway.
She was reading another romance novel.
This one was called The Wall and The Flower and she had it hidden in a book jacket that read Wars of the Wyernwolf Dynasty.
The Wall and The Flower was about a gruff guard captain who always stood guard at one particular part of the city wall and a shy girl who lived on a farm just outside of that part of the city wall.
The two of them had gotten into a big fight in the middle of the story, but within two chapters they were all lovey-dovey again as if nothing had even happened and they never really addressed or solved any of the problems that had arisen during their fight. Corvina found it infuriating. How could they just move on like that, like nothing happened? Neither of them even apologized. That didn¡¯t seem right.
¡°Are you excited to see the Saintess again?¡± asked Helen, who evidently had grown bored of the farmlands.
Corvina shrugged. ¡°It hasn¡¯t even been two days since we last saw each other.¡±
¡°True, but I¡¯m still excited to see Agis again,¡± said Helen with a wistful sigh.
¡°Do you like him, then?¡± asked Corvina, putting her book down. ¡°Like, like him, like him?¡±
Oh goddess, why did I have to put it like that? thought Corvina, blushing.
¡°Probably,¡± said Helen. ¡°I think he¡¯s cute anyway.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± said Corvina.
There was a long silence during which Helen and Corvina both watched the landscape go by out the window.
¡°Do you plan on¡ doing anything about it?¡± asked Corvina.
Helen shrugged. ¡°Maybe at some point. I¡¯m kind of happy with how things are right now, though. He¡¯s just fun to spend time with.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± said Corvina.
Another long silence.
¡°What if¡ you were¡ not really happy with the way things were currently,¡± said Corvina. ¡°What if you started feeling all¡ itchy and irritated whenever you thought about him?¡±
Helen tapped her chin, giving it a lot of thought. ¡°I think it depends on what type of itchy and irritated you mean. If I was annoyed because he was too close to me or I didn¡¯t like him anymore I¡¯d probably stop being friends with him. But if I was annoyed because I felt like I wasn¡¯t as close to him as I wanted to be¡ well, at that point I¡¯d have to tell him how I felt, I guess. See how it goes.¡±
Corvina furrowed her brow. She didn¡¯t like that answer.
They rode the rest of the way in relative silence. They stopped twice at small villages to change to fresh horses. This allowed them to make such good time that they actually arrived in Longren before sunset, despite setting out late.
The Tulin estate was on the outskirts of the city. It had extensive and well-manicured gardens, as was fitting for a Marquess, and as they rode down the long lane to the main house they actually passed by the imperial army barracks. That was also fitting, since Marquess Ormen Tulin was the commander of the imperial army in the region.
The mansion itself was larger even than Corvina¡¯s downtown estate, but the style of architecture was¡ eccentric by the standards of the city. The whole building was painted in various bright shades of green and yellow.
The whole household had turned out to greet them. The main family of the estate stood in front of what must have been all of their servants.
¡°Welcome, Lady Corvina,¡± said Marquess Tulin, bowing deeply when Corvina stepped out of her carriage. ¡°It is an honor to greet the flower of the Empire.
Marquess Ormen Tulin was a mild looking man with drooping brown eyes, fair skin, and short pink hair.
Justine Rafort, Ormen¡¯s wife in all but the strictly legal sense, stood by his side. She had dark skin and tightly curled hair cropped short. She nodded at Corvina. ¡°Welcome,¡± she repeated with a warm smile.
The final member of the family was Liza Tulinmal, Belle¡¯s nine year-old sister. She had dark skin and hair the same texture as her mother¡¯s, but her hair was pink like her father¡¯s. It was kept in two tight buns on either side of her head.
Liza started jumping up and down in excitement the moment she saw Corvina, and when she couldn¡¯t resist anymore she threw herself at Corvina to hug her. Corvina was getting a lot of hugs today. ¡°Welcome!¡± she shouted. ¡°How was your trip here? Was it okay? I hate riding in carriages. Mama said it takes all day in a carriage to get from here to the city. Yuck. Is my sister doing okay? How about her fiance? I¡¯ve never met him but I really, really want to.¡±
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¡°Whoa there, my girl,¡± said Ormen, pulling his daughter off Corvina. ¡°Show a bit of respect. Don¡¯t you know our guest is a very important person?¡±
¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± said Corvina. She leaned down so she could look Liza in the eyes and said, ¡°Belle is thriving in the city, and her fiance is a very nice man who treats her well.¡±
¡°Good!¡± said Liza. ¡°Is he handsome?¡±
¡°Very,¡± said Corvina.
¡°I¡¯m so jealous.¡±
¡°You¡¯ll meet someone yourself one day,¡± said Corvina. ¡°When you¡¯ve grown up a bit more.¡±
¡°Why don¡¯t we all go inside?¡± suggested Justine. ¡°You must be in need of refreshment after your long journey. We have supper prepared it you¡¯d like some.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± said Corvina. ¡°Although I might like to clean up a bit first.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± said Justine. ¡°Just one more thing before you go in.¡±
¡°What is it?¡± asked Corvina.
Justine glanced down at the small sword that was strapped to the waist of Corvina¡¯s dress. ¡°I¡¯m not comfortable with weapons in my home,¡± said Justine.
¡°I understand,¡± said Corvina. ¡°But I¡¯m afraid that, as I¡¯m not traveling with any guards on this occasion, I feel it necessary not to keep a weapon on my person, as a means of self defense.¡±
Corvina and Justine continued to smile at each other for a moment longer.
¡°I understand,¡± said Justine. ¡°In that case I ask that you keep it on your person at all times and never draw it except in extreme circumstances. You must understand I¡¯m concerned about safety with a child in the house.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± said Corvina. ¡°Perfectly reasonable.¡±
¡°Albrecht?¡± said Justine.
A man dressed as a butler stepped forward.
¡°Show Lady Corvina and her maid to her room please.¡±
¡°Of course, madame,¡± said Albrecht.
The interior of the mansion was just as eccentric as the outside. Corvina wasn¡¯t sure how it was possible to actually fill a house of this size with strange knick knacks, but somehow the Tulin family had managed it. And mixed in with all the porcelain frogs and wooden carvings of fairies were countless potted plants of every possible variety.
After settling in a bit and going down for supper, Corvina decided to ask about their design choices.
¡°Oh, I used to travel a lot when I was younger and I enjoyed collecting things from the places I went,¡± said Ormen. ¡°And my wife¡¯s always been fond of plants.¡±
¡°I used to own the largest flower shop in Longren,¡± said Justine, with a small smile. ¡°Well, I say flower shop but it was really more of a nursery. We sold all sorts of plants.¡±
¡°Used to?¡± asked Corvina.
¡°I sold the shop when I moved in with Ormen,¡± said Justine, taking a bite of her salmon. ¡°I couldn¡¯t manage a store and an estate at the same time. Plants are just my hobby now.¡±
¡°I like plants and random stuff!¡± said Liza. ¡°So I think this house is the best. I don¡¯t get why Belle even wanted to leave.¡±
¡°She wanted to try to improve things for our family, honey,¡± said Justine, patting her daughter on the head. ¡°She¡¯s working very hard so that even the people in the capital city will recognize our family as legitimate.¡±
¡°Who even cares what they think, though?¡± said Liza, picking grumpily at her food.
After that, the conversation turned back to lighter topics. Despite having tried to act like the voice of reason earlier, Ormen was at least as excitable and talkative as his youngest daughter. By the time the meal was over, Corvina was exhausted. After traveling for most of the day she really didn¡¯t have the energy for this kind of socializing. And, well, she had a lot on her mind. She didn¡¯t really have mental space to spare for detailed information on the latest popular lawn games.
So after supper, when Ormen suggested they retire to the drawing room for after-dinner coffee, Corvina politely declined.
¡°I think I¡¯d better turn in for the night, if that¡¯s alright,¡± she said.
¡°Oh, yes, of course,¡± said Ormen. ¡°We¡¯ll have plenty of time for coffee another night.¡±
Just then, Albrecht entered the room. ¡°Excuse me, there¡¯s a visitor here for the Lady Corvina,¡± he said.
Corvina¡¯s whole body tensed.
¡°Who is it?¡± asked Corvina.
¡°It¡¯s the Saintess of Coris,¡± said Albrecht. ¡°And attendant.¡±
¡°Oh, do you want to greet your guests in the drawing room?¡± asked Ormen. ¡°We could have coffee sent up to you.¡±
¡°Yes, okay, fine,¡± said Corvina. ¡°Thank you very much.¡±
Corvina wasn¡¯t mentally prepared to meet Anne again so soon. She had thought she¡¯d have another night at least to try to sort out her thoughts and feelings. Were they just going to pick up fighting where they¡¯d left off? Corvina wasn¡¯t sure she knew how to resolve the problem yet. Should she just agree Anne was right to put an end to the fight, like Nia said?
But when Anne entered the room, all thoughts flew from Corvina¡¯s mind and she was just¡ happy to see Anne again. Even with Eva in tow.
Corvina exhaled, feeling a strange sense of relief.
Except Anne looked upset about something.
¡°Corvina, it¡¯s good to see you!¡± Anne said, giving her a hug. Corvina liked this hug. But then Anne shoved a piece of paper at her. ¡°I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ve got a problem, though.¡±
Corvina took the paper.
In neat, square handwriting was written this message:
Dear Saintess,
I greet and recognize you as a royal half-sister of the Forest. I regret that we have not yet had an opportunity to meet in-person, although our brother Agis speaks highly of you.
I thank you for your previous correspondence, but in regards to your request for cooperation, I must politely decline. I can understand your motivations in this matter, however the motivations of your allies are somewhat more difficult to discern with any certainty, and therein lies the problem.
Lady Corvina is not only a royal child of the Wyernwolf Empire, our enemies in a war of needless aggression, but she is also a notorious master schemer. Tales of her deviousness have reached even our isolated woods, and I confess an intense personal dislike of schemes and their masters. I¡¯m sure you have your reasons for calling her ally, but I see no reason to follow suit.
I would not normally allow personal feelings to interfere with strategic decision-making, but I believe in this case my personal feelings and my best tactical judgment are in perfect alignment.
I simply see no benefit in cooperating with this matter.
I wish you the best of luck with all noble goals you pursue. And I hope, dear sister, that we may one day meet under favorable circumstances.
Yours sincerely,
Prince Elyon of the Sacred Forest
Corvina set the paper down in front of her.
¡°Well, shit,¡± said Corvina.
Chapter 65
Anne watched Corvina¡¯s face for any sign of a reaction. Would she be disappointed? Angry? Would she know how to fix this? Anne felt kind of pathetic, sitting there on that fancy green couch (most of the furniture in the room was green), with Corvina sitting across from her like a judge or a disappointed teacher. And Eva sitting by her side with her usual unreadable serene expression wasn¡¯t really doing much to make Anne feel more at ease.
¡°What should we do?¡± Anne asked. ¡°The whole plan depends on the elves being willing to fake kidnap Sebastian.¡±
Corvina sighed and put the paper down on the table in front of her. She rubbed the bridge of her nose. ¡°The letter is addressed to you, so you should write back,¡± said Corvina. ¡°Ask Prince Elyon to meet us in person. If the primary issue is that he dislikes me personally then that¡¯s not the sort of thing we could resolve through an exchange of letters.¡±
¡°What if we meet up and he still won¡¯t agree to be part of this?¡± asked Anne.
¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± snapped Corvina. ¡°We¡¯ll just have to figure it out if it comes to that.¡±
Corvina¡¯s whole face and body looked incredibly tense, like the very presence of the physical world was suddenly painful to her. It made Anne feel guilty for even being nearby.
¡°Okay¡¡± said Anne. ¡°Sorry.¡±
Corvina looked over at Anne and her expression visibly softened, releasing a lot of the tension.
¡°No, Anne, I¡¯m sorry for snapping, I just¡¡± Corvina glanced over at Eva, who was sitting next to Anne. ¡°Look, Anne, can we talk?¡±
¡°Yeah, of course,¡± said Anne. ¡°Is that not what we¡¯re doing?¡±
¡°No, I was hoping to talk to you privately,¡± said Corvina.
¡°Oh,¡± said Anne. ¡°Okay, maybe we can¡ª¡°
¡°Absolutely not,¡± said Eva, grabbing Anne¡¯s arm. ¡°I refuse to leave your side. It¡¯s still too dangerous.¡±
¡°Too dangerous?¡± said Corvina.
¡°Oh, um, I guess I forgot to mention,¡± said Anne. ¡°An assassin, maybe the same assassin who was supposed to go after Sebastian in my vision of the future or whatever, actually followed us to Longren and seems to be¡ trying to kill me¡ maybe.¡±
¡°What!?¡± said Corvina, standing up. ¡°And you didn¡¯t think that was worth mentioning earlier?¡±
¡°There¡¯s a lot going on right now, okay?¡± said Anne. ¡°It slipped my mind!¡±
There was a knock on the door and a servant came in bringing a tray of coffees.
Corvina sat back down and Anne and Eva both settled back into their seats. There were certain discussions you just didn¡¯t have in front of servants. Especially when they involved secret plans and assassins.
Then Anne noticed that, peeking shyly from behind the servant¡¯s legs, there was a little girl with her pink hair in two buns on each side of her head. She followed the servant into the room, still trying to hide behind him like she was trying to be sneaky.
Anne glanced at Eva and Corvina and they were both looking at the little girl, too.
When the girl realized that everyone in the room had already noticed her and was staring at her, she visibly reevaluated her strategy.
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She stepped out from behind the servant and curtsied. ¡°Excuse me, Miss Staintess?¡± she said, uncertainly addressing Anne. ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry to interrupt, but I was really hoping to talk to you. My name is Liza. I think you know my sister, Belle.¡±
Awww, adorable, thought Anne.
¡°Nice to meet you, Liza!¡± said Anne. ¡°Is there something I can help you with? Did you want a blessing from the Saintess?¡±
At this point the servant had finished pouring the coffees, and instead of leaving the room he went to stand by the door. Perhaps in addition to serving he was also a sort of babysitter for the little girl?
¡°Um, actually¡¡± said Liza. ¡°I was hoping I could ask you some questions about divine magic!¡± The girl¡¯s eyes lit up when she said the word magic. ¡°I¡¯m just so terribly interested in magic! We have a lot of books on the history and theory of magic but a lot of it still doesn¡¯t make sense to me, especially divine magic. I know it¡¯s rude to interrupt your after-dinner coffee, but I just couldn¡¯t help myself, what with the actual Saintess being here. Won¡¯t you please answer some of my questions about magic?¡±
Oh fuck, thought Anne, who didn¡¯t actually know that much about magic.
¡°Well¡¡± said Anne. ¡°Divine magic is the power of the Goddess here on earth. She grants her power to the people she chooses.¡±
¡°I know that,¡± said Liza, rolling her eyes. ¡°But how does it actually work? There are major contradictions in the historical record that I just can¡¯t reconcile given my current knowledge.¡±
¡°Wow, you know a lot of big words, huh?¡± said Anne. ¡°That¡¯s really cool, at your age.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t patronize me,¡± said Liza, with a childish pout.
Anne had never been very good at dealing with kids. She just didn¡¯t have any experience with them. In her previous world Anne had been an only child and she¡¯d been disowned by her family before any of her cousins had started having kids. And she didn¡¯t have a lot of good memories of her own childhood so she mostly just tried not to think about it. Basically, Anne had no idea how to talk to a nine year-old, let alone a super smart nine year-old asking dangerously insightful questions.
¡°The thing is, I¡¯m, um¡¡± said Anne. ¡°Not actually much of a scholar. I¡¯m more focused on the¡ practical work of the Saintess.¡±
Truthfully Anne had also more or less ignored the practical work of the Saintess when she could get away with it, but Liza didn¡¯t need to know that.
¡°Really?¡± said Liza. She didn¡¯t look deterred at all. ¡°Then maybe you could give me a practical demonstration? I¡¯ve seen some of the miracles you¡¯ve performed in town, but I¡¯ve never seen one up close before!¡±
Oh shit, thought Anne.
¡°I can¡¯t really just¡ call a miracle at will,¡± said Anne. ¡°I don¡¯t fully control it in that way. The will of the Goddess controls my miracles.¡±
¡°Then why were you able to perform scheduled miracles in the town square before?¡± asked Liza.
Anne floundered again. As far as Anne knew she had just gotten lucky. But before she could come up with a better-sounding excuse than that, Eva jumped in with an explanation.
¡°The more people are praying at once, the more likely it is for the Goddess to hear our requests and grant a miracle,¡± said Eva.
¡°Interesting!¡± said Liza. ¡°Who are you?¡±
Suddenly, Anne had an idea.
¡°This is Sister Eva!¡± said Anne, putting her hand on Eva¡¯s shoulder. ¡°She¡¯s actually much more of a scholar than I am. Maybe she can stay here with you and answer your questions about magic while me and Lady Corvina go on a walk in the garden.¡±
¡°Really? That would be incredible! Just a second, I¡¯ll go get my books!¡± Liza ran out of the room. The servant followed her.
¡°No way!¡± hissed Eva. ¡°I told you, I¡¯m not letting you out of my sight. It¡¯s too dangerous!¡±
¡°I¡¯ll be at least as safe with Corvina as I am with you,¡± said Anne. ¡°Corvina¡¯s got a sword! You can see she¡¯s wearing it right now. And I know for a fact she¡¯s also got a hidden blade on her leg.¡±
Corvina blushed slightly at the mention of the hidden blade.
¡°And what weapons do you carry, huh?¡± asked Anne. ¡°What are you going to do to protect me if the assassin shows up again?¡±
Eva opened her mouth like she was about to argue, but then closed it again.
¡°Besides, there are a lot of imperial army soldiers stationed on the grounds here. It¡¯s probably one of the safer places in Longren. I¡¯m not gonna die taking a walk around the garden here,¡± said Anne.
Eva looked from Anne to Corvina.
¡°I¡¯m actually very well-trained with a sword,¡± said Corvina, mildly.
Eva looked back at Anne.
She sighed.
¡°Fine,¡± said Eva. ¡°Just¡ stay safe, okay?¡±
¡°Thanks for being worried about me,¡± said Anne, giving Eva a brief hug. ¡°I¡¯ll be okay, though.¡±
¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± said Eva.
Corvina stood up and offered her hand to Anne to help her up. ¡°Shall we go?¡± she asked.
Anne took her hand and smiled. ¡°Just show me the way,¡± said Anne.
Chapter 66
The Tulin Estate gardens were just as eccentric as the house had been. They were full of strange and exotic plants which must have taken an enormous amount of work (and possibly a bit of alchemy) to cultivate in Longren¡¯s climate. There were little porcelain figurines hidden throughout the flowerbeds. There were fairies, frogs, and garden gnomes, and Corvina even spotted something that looked like a bright-pink replica of a flamingo, although she¡¯d only seen flamingos in books before so she couldn¡¯t be sure.
¡°Ooh, a hedge maze!¡± said Anne, hurrying ahead to the entrance of the maze. ¡°Should we try to find our way through this?¡±
A guard standing at the entrance of the maze nodded at them as they went in.
Anne maintained her pace slightly ahead of Corvina. ¡°I¡¯ve always loved mazes like this,¡± she said. ¡°They¡¯re super fun.¡±
Corvina watched Anne¡¯s back for a moment, and then reached out towards her shoulder. ¡°Anne, I¡ª¡° Corvina started, but Anne suddenly ran ahead.
¡°Ooh, look at this statue!¡± said Anne, running up to a marble statue of a cat with amber for eyes. ¡°Isn¡¯t this super pretty?¡±
Corvina sighed. Anne had been the one who¡¯d convinced Eva to let them have this alone time but now she was clearly avoiding having any sort of serious conversation. Fine. She could be patient. She would wait until Anne brought it up herself.
They reached a dead end and had to retrace their steps.
Anne continued to talk about this and that for a while, just empty small talk. But Corvina enjoyed listening to her speak anyway. Maybe just ignoring their fight and pretending it hadn¡¯t ever happened wouldn¡¯t be so bad?
But after a while Anne fell silent. She had a thoughtful look on her face, and Corvina braced herself.
¡°Hey, Corvina?¡± said Anne.
¡°Yes?¡± said Corvina. Corvina could feel herself holding her breath.
If Anne was still angry, Corvina would hear her out, just let her say what she needed to say, and then apologize afterward. No matter how much she felt she was in the right, she just¡ she just didn¡¯t want Anne to hate her.
¡°Are you feeling okay?¡± asked Anne, in a gently concerned tone.
That...wasn''t what Corvina was expecting. ¡°What?¡± she said.
¡°The letter,¡± said Anne. ¡°It can¡¯t feel good to have someone judge you like that when they¡¯ve never even met you. I¡¯m really sorry you had to read that. You don¡¯t deserve to have things like that said about you.¡±
Corvina stopped in her tracks.
When Corvina didn¡¯t respond, Anne finally turned around to look at her. ¡°Corvina?¡± said Anne.
Corvina was standing behind her, staring at the gravel path beneath them, her hands squeezed into fists by her side. Her nails were digging into her palms painfully but she didn¡¯t care.
¡°Why do you always do that?¡± asked Corvina.
¡°What?¡± asked Anne, looking flustered. ¡°Do what?¡±
¡°You constantly bring up all these things like they¡¯re nothing! All these things that I¡¯ve already¡ª that I thought I already¡ª¡° Corvina felt herself choking up. She took a moment to gather her thoughts. ¡°All these feelings that I¡¯ve spent years burying, good and deep so that they¡¯d never see the light of day again, you always just¡ reach into my chest and pluck them out so easily. And the worst part is, you don¡¯t even do it on purpose, you¡¯re not even trying to manipulate me, you¡¯re just like this!¡±
¡°Corvina¡¡± said Anne, tentatively reaching out to her. ¡°Corvina, are you crying?¡±
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Corvina reached a hand up to her cheek and it came away wet. She was crying.
Anne threw her arms around Corvina¡¯s shoulders and said, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Corvina, I really didn¡¯t mean to upset you.¡±
¡°Why should I be upset that Prince Elyon thinks I¡¯m an untrustworthy schemer?¡± asked Corvina. She could feel her voice shaking as she said it. ¡°I cultivated that reputation on purpose. I earned it.¡±
¡°That doesn¡¯t mean words can¡¯t hurt you,¡± said Anne, still holding Corvina.
¡°But they shouldn¡¯t hurt me,¡± said Corvina, leaning down to bury her face in Anne¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I should be above that.¡±
¡°Why?¡± asked Anne. ¡°Why do you have to be a stone? Why aren¡¯t you allowed to have feelings.¡±
¡°Because!¡± snapped Corvina.
¡°Sorry,¡± said Anne.
¡°No,¡± Corvina pulled away and grabbed Anne¡¯s face with both hands. ¡°Stop apologizing! I only wanted to talk to you tonight so I could apologize to you!¡±
¡°What?¡± asked Anne. ¡°What for?¡±
¡°For getting mad at you,¡± said Corvina. She blushed and let go of Anne¡¯s face, turning her own face away. She couldn¡¯t stand to look directly at Anne while saying these things. ¡°No matter what the ideal version of this plan would be, I should¡¯ve¡ I should¡¯ve taken your perspective into account. I¡¯m not used to working with others as equals. I¡¯m not used to taking other people¡¯s emotions into consideration as anything more than a tool to use or an obstacle to overcome. I was judging you by my own standards. I thought you should just be able to ignore and dismiss your feelings the way I¡ the way I usually do.¡±
Corvina glanced over at Anne and was surprised to see that she looked, well, surprised.
¡°But¡¡± said Anne. ¡°But I criticized the way you do things and then the moment something went wrong I came crawling to you to beg you to fix it! I made you read that letter that said such awful things about you because I had no idea how to solve the problem on my own. I still just¡¡± Anne paused. ¡°I still just don¡¯t feel good about hiding things from people. Not when it¡¯s important things. Not when they¡¯re important people. Important to me, not like, politically important. But I can¡¯t even do anything on my own. I just rely on my allies all the time. So I really should have just listened to you. I should just shut up and do whatever you say.¡±
While Corvina was still trying to process this, she was surprised to find her own voice saying, in a bitter tone, ¡°Sebastian is an important person to you, then?¡±
¡°He¡¯s an important friend, god,¡± said Anne. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you''re also going to assume I¡¯m in love with him just because I¡¯m nice to him.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t say that, I just¡¡± Corvina sighed and rubbed her temples. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t resent you for coming to me for help, and I don¡¯t want you to shut up, and I don¡¯t think you should just do whatever I say. And I do think you¡¯re capable of doing plenty on your own, but also you shouldn''t have to do anything on your own. I really believe that, I¡¯m just having a hard time internalizing that for myself, I¡ Ugh, how do I explain this?¡±
Corvina found a carved marble bench nearby and sat down. ¡°Back in the drawing room just now, when I snapped at you¡ in that sort of situation I would usually kick everyone out of the room and just work on the problem on my own until I could find a solution. But I don¡¯t want to just figure things out on my own anymore. I want to figure things out with you.¡±
¡°Corvina¡¡± said Anne, sitting down next to her. ¡°Are you sure? I¡¯m not that smart. I¡¯m not sure I can contribute much. My title as Saintess is pretty much the only thing I have and that¡¯s not worth much anymore.¡±
¡°Is that why you were so upset when you were denounced?¡± asked Corvina. ¡°Anne, you don¡¯t give yourself enough credit. You¡¯re plenty smart, and the way you bring people together is a remarkable talent in itself. I never thought it would be possible for Sebastian and I to have an honest emotional conversation, and you made that possible. You forged the most unlikely possible coalition of people to oppose the emperor, and you did it through sheer force of personality. Not because of your title, but because of who you are. Everywhere you go, people just¡ like you. That¡¯s an incredible skill to me. I¡¯ve never been very likable.¡±
¡°That¡¯s not true!¡± said Anne. ¡°I really like you! I¡¯ve always really liked you.¡±
Corvina blushed and smiled. ¡°Your ability to genuinely like other people is a pretty remarkable skill as well.¡±
Anne blushed as well.
¡°Next time, if you want to loop someone in on a plan, just tell me before you do,¡± said Corvina. ¡°Together we can figure out how best to go about it without too much risk.¡±
¡°Does that mean we can go back to being friends then, the way we were before?¡± asked Anne. ¡°Before our fight, I mean.¡±
Corvina was quiet for a long time. Anne was looking at her with sparkling blue eyes. How was it that she seemed so cheerful and full of life even after such a draining conversation?
Corvina took Anne¡¯s hand in hers. ¡°Actually, Anne¡¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I want things to be the same as they were before.¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Anne.
¡°Well, um¡¡± Corvina took a deep breath. ¡°Actually, Anne, I feel like¡ª¡°
Suddenly a hand reached out from above and dragged Anne up and over the hedge directly behind them. Corvina shouted her name as she felt Anne slip from her fingers and into the darkness.
And then Anne was gone.
Chapter 67
Shortly after Anne and Lady Corvina left, that little girl, Liza, had returned to the drawing room carrying a stack of books so large they barely fit in her arms.
Liza slammed the books down on the coffee table and began to flip through them, explaining her research process at length.
Eva, sitting on a nearby chair, was barely listening. Out of the corner of her eye she was watching an image of Anne walking through the garden with that hateful Lady on her heels. They had just entered a hedge maze. They seemed to be talking of inane things.
Eva was just glad that Anne was wearing the lapel pin she had given her so the surveillance spell was active and Eva could keep an eye on them.
¡°So why do you think that is?¡± asked Liza, turning to look at Eva with large eyes sparkling with intellectual excitement.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, what was your question?¡± asked Eva.
Liza rolled her eyes and picked up one of the books, shoving it into Eva¡¯s hands. ¡°Look,¡± said Liza. ¡°In the oldest records of the saints, divine magic was always associated specifically with an ability to see hidden truths, either about what is, what was, or what is yet to come. The first and second saintesses were revered as oracles, specifically. There was never any mention of them performing physical miracles.¡±
Liza then grabbed a second book and stuck it on top of the first one in Eva¡¯s lap. ¡°With the third saintess, that¡¯s when miracles started to be mentioned. She was portrayed as a hero of the empire, helping the army in battle through her miracles. In more recent books, the focus of divine power always seems to be this style of miracle and not on visions or hidden knowledge at all. Why is that?¡±
¡°Well¡¡± said Eva. ¡°Divine magic is a gift from the Goddess, right? So perhaps the Goddess gives different gifts to different people, depending on what the world needs most at that time.¡±
¡°Maybe¡¡± said Liza. ¡°But if that was the case, I feel like there would be a wider variety in specific abilities, instead of this clear progression from ¡®visions¡¯ to ¡®miracles.¡¯¡±
¡°The Goddess works in mysterious ways¡¡± said Eva, dismissively. She was still watching Anne out of the corner of her eye. Anne and Lady Corvina seemed to be having a more serious conversation than before. Corvina was crying.
¡°Fine, you don¡¯t know the answer either,¡± said Liza, with a huff, taking her books back. ¡°It just bugs me because the descriptions of miracles seem really similar to older descriptions of what you could accomplish with true magic, but whatever. All the info I can find on true magic is so vague. Do you know what mana is?¡±
¡°What?¡± said Eva, turning her full attention to Liza for the first time.
¡°Do you know what mana is?¡± Liza asked again, flipping through some of her other books. ¡°I understand that true magic is powered by mana, but none of the books I¡¯ve read have ever said what mana actually is. Maybe that¡¯s why true magic has been lost. Maybe if someone could figure out or remember what mana is, we could all use true magic again!¡±
Eva watched the little girl carefully. She clearly had a sharp mind, and she was so full of excitement and curiosity. She also had a stable life and a wealthy, loving family that genuinely cared for her.
Eva felt a twinge of something like sadness and grief and loneliness and¡ jealousy.
This pissed her off a bit because those were all emotions that she should have successfully repressed years ago.
Eva wondered vaguely how Bishop Geist must have felt, way back when, when she¡¯d discovered the grubby, abandoned Eva, hated or ignored by everyone other than her one true friend, scrounging around the abandoned wings of the church, reading forbidden books, asking many of these same questions.
The Bishop had likely looked at Eva and seen her potential to be a useful tool, if trained properly.
Perhaps the same could be true of Liza. If she was capable of this high level of theoretical thought regarding magic, then she was probably capable of wielding it as well. Perhaps not by instinct, but by study, at least.
But Liza had so much in her life already. Which meant she had much more to lose than Eva had ever had.
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In that moment, Eva decided to show a type of mercy the Bishop had never been capable of.
¡°You should give up on looking into this,¡± said Eva.
¡°What?¡± said Liza. ¡°Why?¡±
¡°Nothing good can come from studying true magic,¡± said Eva. ¡°There¡¯s a reason it was allowed to die out from this world. Study alchemy instead. With your mind you¡¯ll be able to invent all sorts of marvelous things and make your family proud. Be content with that.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t want to use magic, I just want to know about it!¡± protested Liza. ¡°You sound like you know all about it already. Why can¡¯t you just tell me what mana is?¡±
Eva shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s something no one should know.¡±
¡°What if I super duper promise that I won¡¯t ever try to use it?¡± asked Liza.
¡°No!¡± snapped Eva. ¡°If you know then the temptation will always be too great. In your darkest moments you¡¯ll think to yourself, well, why shouldn¡¯t I? Why shouldn¡¯t I reach out to that vast power and just fix this? No, you¡¯re better off not knowing.¡±
Liza stomped her foot on the ground and tears started to form at the corner of her eyes. ¡°Why are you being so mean?¡± she asked. ¡°I just want to know about magic because I think it¡¯s interesting!¡±
¡°You shouldn¡¯t always just do whatever¡¯s interesting to you,¡± said Eva. ¡°Curiosity killed the cat, you know.¡±
¡°And satisfaction brought it back!¡± said Liza. ¡°I know idioms, too.¡±
¡°Just listen to me, will you?¡± said Eva. ¡°I¡¯m trying to do a nice thing here!¡±
There was a knock on the drawing room door and the attendant standing by opened it. Lady Corvina¡¯s maid walked in with a low curtsy.
¡°My lady, I¡¯ve finished preparing your room and drawn a bath for you to¡ Lady Corvina?¡± The maid finally looked up and saw that Lady Corvina wasn¡¯t there. ¡°Where¡¯s my lady?¡±
¡°She¡¯s out in the garden with the Saintess,¡± said Eva, sitting back in her chair, slightly embarrassed to have been caught bickering with a nine year-old.
Reflexively, Eva checked the feed again. Then she stood up suddenly.
Something was wrong. The location had changed. Anne was still surrounded by green hedges, so it was likely still somewhere in the hedge maze, but the figure standing over her wielding a dagger wasn¡¯t Lady Corvina.
¡°She¡¯s in danger!¡± said Eva.
¡°What?¡± said Helen, looking alarmed.
Eva rushed out of the room without saying another word.
When she was flying through the air, all Anne could really think about was what a surreal experience it was.
Anne wasn¡¯t a particularly light person. And yet, this slight figure had her fully tucked under their arm and was performing the most ridiculous jumps from hedge to hedge, landing lightly on each one so that it didn¡¯t damage the plants at all.
Anne was forced to wonder if physics worked the same way here as they had in her previous world.
Finally, Anne was unceremoniously dumped on the ground.
She scrambled up to a sitting position and stared around her. They were still in the hedge maze, clearly, but there were no lanterns nearby and the sky had grown darker still. She could barely make out the silhouette of the assassin standing in front of her, brandishing their dagger again.
¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about your question and I have an answer,¡± said the assassin.
¡°Oh yeah?¡± said Anne. ¡°Which question was that?¡±
¡°About whether I have an intuitive sense of my own gender,¡± said the assassin.
¡°Oh, right,¡± said Anne. This was still a surreal conversation to be having with an assassin, but as long as she could keep them talking at least they weren¡¯t¡ stabbing. ¡°What conclusion did you come to?¡±
¡°I¡¯m both a man and a woman at different times,¡± said the assassin. ¡°Sometimes neither.¡±
¡°Probably genderfluid then. Cool. Nice. Awesome. Love that. What name do you go by?¡± asked Anne.
¡°You may call me Rain,¡± said Rain.
¡°Awesome, nice to meet you, Rain,¡± said Anne. ¡°What pronouns do you prefer? Do you have a preference?¡±
Rain just shook their head. ¡°I already answered your question,¡± they said. ¡°Now you answer mine.¡±
¡°What question?¡± asked Anne.
Rain stepped forward and grabbed Anne by her lapel, bringing their faces closer together. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t your soul match your body?¡±
¡°Oh,¡± said Anne, her blood running cold. ¡°That.¡±
Rain dropped Anne. ¡°Growing up I sometimes felt like my soul was in the wrong body,¡± said Rain. ¡°But it¡¯s not. I can see that they match, the flesh and the spirit. They have the same aura. I learned to see such things. But yours don¡¯t match. The aura is wrong. Tell me why.¡±
Anne had gotten this far without telling anyone the truth of who she was and where she came from. No one, not even Eva or Agis, had figured out that she was the wrong Anne.
Now she was being forced to weigh the pros and cons of revealing her true self to this dagger-wielding stranger who had likely come to kill her.
Anne had had a strong feeling ever since she arrived here that it could be incredibly dangerous for her if anyone ever figured out who she really was.
On the other hand, a dagger wound could also be incredibly dangerous.
Rain grabbed Anne again and brought the dagger up to her throat. Anne could feel the edge of the sharp knife pricking threateningly on her skin.
¡°Tell me!¡± demanded Rain. ¡°Who are you?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not¡¡± Anne choked out. ¡°I¡¯m not the original Saintess. My soul came here from another world and ended up in this body.¡±
Rain looked her up and down. ¡°How?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Anne, squirming. ¡°I just¡ª¡°
Suddenly a jewel-encrusted knife whizzed past Rain¡¯s head, knicking their ear as it went, before burying itself in the hedge behind Anne.
Anne recognized that knife. After all, she had used it to cut her own hair once.
Rain dropped Anne and raised a hand to their bleeding ear, turning around, their own dagger at the ready.
Corvina stood a few feet away, backlit by lanterns from another part of the hedge maze. She had her sword out and at the ready. Her long skirt had been torn, revealing the bottom half of her bare legs, and her shoes were gone entirely.
Anne had never seen a more beautiful sight.
¡°That was just a warning,¡± said Corvina. ¡°Get away from the Saintess or prepare to meet the Goddess.¡±
Chapter 68
Corvina was attempting to give off a much stronger sense of bravado then she actually felt.
The voice of her Uncle Ulrich echoed in her head. Sometimes it¡¯s less about how good you are at fighting, and more about how good your opponent thinks you are at fighting.
In truth, Corvina had been terrified when Anne had been yanked away from her. She hadn¡¯t even realized until that moment just how horrifying the idea of never seeing Anne again was.
But she didn¡¯t have time to panic. Anne was in danger.
Corvina got up to run in the direction she thought the kidnapper had headed in. She quickly kicked off her high heels, which were difficult to run in, and began to remove her stockings even while she continued to stumble forward.
Finally, she took her knife out of its sheath on her thigh and half-cut, half-tore at her skirt until it was a length where it was no longer getting in her way. She couldn¡¯t risk the long skirt getting caught on anything and slowing her down or tripping her up at a key moment.
Then she was finally able to focus her full attention on finding Anne.
They were in a hedge maze, which meant it was difficult to navigate, but Corvina had seen the shadow carrying Anne head further towards the middle of the maze, not away from it, so that at least gave her a direction to head in.
As Corvina ran, exploring dead end after dead end, she also listened carefully for any hint of where Anne and her assailant might be.
Eventually, she heard voices.
¡°Tell me!¡±
¡°I¡¯m not¡¡±
Corvina couldn¡¯t understand much more of what was said, but she recognized Anne¡¯s voice, and that narrowed down where she might be.
Finally Corvina found them in a dark dead end. The kidnapper was holding Anne up by her lapel and had a dagger held to her throat.
Corvina saw red.
Without thinking she was already throwing the knife.
When it only knicked the kidnapper¡¯s ear, Corvina clicked her tongue in annoyance. She¡¯d meant for it to land in the soft spot of the back of his skull, piercing directly into his brain. If only she hadn¡¯t been neglecting target practice lately.
Nevertheless, she readied her sword and projected as much confidence as she could, as if the missed attack had been part of her plan all along.
¡°That was just a warning,¡± she said. ¡°Get away from the Saintess or prepare to meet the Goddess.¡±
The kidnapper looked at her, an annoyed expression on his face. Or her face? Based on the slender figure, the kidnapper might be a woman, and Corvina knew quite well how dangerous women could be. Not that it mattered either way. What mattered was that this person was threatening Anne.
¡°You¡¯ve interrupted our conversation,¡± said the kidnapper, launching into an attack.
The strike was swift, but straightforward, and Corvina was able to move on time to block it. The kidnapper jumped back again immediately.
A smart move. Technically Corvina had the advantage based on weapons range alone, but that didn¡¯t matter as long as the kidnapper kept herself out of Corvina¡¯s range as much as possible.
But nothing would happen as long as they remained in a stalemate. Corvina took a risk and lunged forward. The kidnapper dodged aside and leapt forward, attempting to stab Corvina in the side while she was open, but Corvina had anticipated this and she quickly brought her arm back in a sideways swipe, hoping to catch the kidnapper in their own forward momentum. But the kidnapper managed to change tactics mid-lunge and dodge back out of the way again.
¡°Corvina!¡±
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Corvina glanced to the side. Anne had evidently managed to dig Corvina¡¯s knife out of the hedge and was holding it out to her.
Corvina kept an eye on the kidnapper, who was crouched and ready to pounce. Moving at this juncture would carry a lot of risk.
¡°Toss it over,¡± said Corvina.
¡°Are you sure?¡± asked Anne, nervously.
¡°Yes, toss it to me, now!¡± said Corvina.
Anne carefully threw the knife, tossing it up in the air underhand, and the kidnapper took that moment of distraction to lunge again.
Corvina fended off the blow with her sword and with her free hand deftly caught the knife out of the air, spinning around into a duel-wielding fighting stance, with her sabre in one hand and her dagger in the other, both pointed toward the kidnapper.
This was not the standard chivalric dueling style common among the aristocrats of the Wyernwolf Empire. But Corvina hadn¡¯t been trained by an aristocrat. She was trained by a street thug.
It never hurts to have more knives than the other bastard, Uncle Ulrich had always said.
Another thing he always said was, You¡¯ll never win a fight by playing it safe.
Corvina thrust forward. When the kidnapper blocked with her dagger, Corvina brought her own dagger around with her other arm and jabbed it deep into the kidnapper¡¯s leg.
It was a similar tactic to the one she had tried earlier, but with two blades Corvina could move quicker, making it more difficult for her opponent to dodge.
The kidnapper shouted in pain and Corvina, lost in the euphoria of landing a blow in a real fight, momentarily lost her concentration.
When the kidnapper struck out with her dagger this time, Corvina dodged backwards just a moment too late.
¡°Corvina!¡± Anne ran forward towards her.
The cut across her chest was shallow, but the pain was as sharp as the iron smell of blood that now filled Corvina¡¯s nostrils, making her dizzy.
If the kidnapper had chosen to press her advantage, she might have finished Corvina off there and then. But she was also wounded. And more than that, she seemed annoyed and impatient.
¡°I wasn¡¯t paid to kill you,¡± she said. She still had her dagger out, pointed towards Anne and Corvina, but she was backing away rather than pressing forward. ¡°We¡¯ll just have to finish this conversation later, fake Saintess.¡±
Fake Saintess¡? But Corvina didn¡¯t have time to think about that right now.
¡°Quick, we have to go after her!¡±
¡°Let them go!¡± said Anne. ¡°Corvina, you¡¯re hurt!¡±
Corvina shook her head, and then shook Anne off of her, running forward, trying her best to remember the way out of the maze. ¡°If we let her go now she¡¯ll just be back. She¡¯ll keep trying to kill you, over and over until she succeeds. I can¡¯t let that happen! We have to stop her now!¡±
Eva rushed through the hallways of the mansion and out into the garden, keeping an eye on the events unfolding in the hedge maze.
¡°What¡¯s the danger?¡± asked the maid, who was running after her. ¡°Is my lady okay? Can I help? What¡¯s going on?¡±
If only the maid would leave her alone, Eva could teleport directly to where Anne was and save her. But she couldn¡¯t risk teleporting in front of someone else, especially not one of Lady Corvina¡¯s people.
Eva¡¯s spell gave her access to both audio and visual feeds of what was going on around Anne, but the audio feed took more concentration to access, and with Helen chattering in her ear she couldn¡¯t really make out what Anne was talking about with the assassin. She only caught bits of the conversation here and there.
¡°¡ªboth a man and a woman¡ª¡°
¡°¡ªsoul was in the wrong body¡ª¡°
¡°¡ªaura is wrong¡ª¡°
¡°¡ªI¡¯m not¡ª¡°
¡°¡ªoriginal Saintess¡ª¡°
Eva couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of it. Clearly this assassin was insane, babbling some sort of nonsense at poor Anne. But as long as he was babbling, he wasn¡¯t killing Anne.
And then Lady Corvina showed up and the duel began.
And then the assassin was running away.
If Eva could shake Helen off and meet the assassin at the entrance of the hedge maze she was confident she could end this once and for all.
But Helen was surprisingly quick and determined. Eva couldn¡¯t manage to leave her behind.
¡°Just tell me what¡¯s going on!¡± shouted Helen, just as they reached the entrance to the hedge maze.
¡°Just go back and wait in the house!¡± shouted Eva. ¡°You¡¯re just getting in the way!¡±
Just then the assassin jumped over the final hedge and landed on the ground in front of the two women.
The assassin and Eva made eye contact and a moment passed between them. A recognition between powerful magic users.
Then the assassin leapt forward and grabbed Helen, holding his dagger to her throat.
¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± said the assassin. ¡°Or the maid dies.¡±
Eva smirked.
You¡¯ve made a mistake if you think I care about the life of anyone other than Anne, she thought to herself, as she gathered a powerful magical energy from within herself.
But before Eva could cast her spell, Anne and Lady Corvina came stumbling out of the hedge maze.
¡°Helen!¡± shouted Corvina, rushing forward. But the assassin pressed his knife closer to Helen¡¯s throat and Corvina stopped in her tracks.
¡°Let her go!¡± shouted Anne. ¡°You weren¡¯t paid to kill her either, were you?¡±
¡°I also wasn¡¯t paid to die,¡± said the assassin. ¡°Just leave me alone. Let me leave this place and no one has to die¡ yet.¡±
Corvina, looking defeated, dropped both of her weapons, letting them fall to the ground with a soft thud.
Eva weighed her options.
Anne was here now, watching. That severely narrowed her choices.
But if things escalated enough there would eventually become a point where Eva didn¡¯t care who saw what.
Eva made eye contact with the assassin again, and again a sort of unspoken understanding passed between them.
¡°Don¡¯t follow me,¡± said the assassin. He pushed the maid down into the dirt and then quickly disappeared into the distance.
Chapter 69
¡°Helen!¡± Corvina tried to rush forward, but she stumbled, and she would have fallen if she hadn¡¯t reached out to Anne to steady herself and if Anne hadn¡¯t reached out to catch her.
¡°Shit,¡± said Corvina, so quietly that Anne could barely hear it, despite their closeness. Corvina had an arm around Anne¡¯s shoulders, and Anne had her arms around Corvina¡¯s waist. Anne could feel her trembling. The wound on her chest was still bleeding.
¡°My lady!¡± Helen dragged herself up from the ground and rushed forward, pulling out a handkerchief to try to stop the bleeding. But the wound, which stretched from her clavicle near her left shoulder, down and across to halfway down her right breast, was too long to be covered by a single handkerchief.
Corvina grabbed Helen¡¯s wrist, stopping her frantic dabbing at the wound. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s a shallow cut. I¡¯m not in any danger.¡±
¡°But what if it leaves a scar?¡± said Helen, her handkerchief full of blood and her eyes full of tears.
Corvina smiled wanly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m already infamous in high society. A scar can¡¯t make my reputation any worse.¡±
¡°But my lady!¡± said Helen. ¡°You¡¯ve always worked so hard to maintain your appearance¡¡±
¡°Helen!¡± snapped Corvina. ¡°Just go and fetch a physician, please?¡±
¡°Oh, of course, my lady!¡± said Helen, bobbing up and down in a flurry of curtsies. ¡°Right away, my lady!¡±
Anne was barely paying attention to this exchange because she was horribly distracted by the fact that she was currently holding Corvina in her arms.
Anne hadn¡¯t truly noticed before just how slender Corvina was. Her arms and waist were incredibly thin, even with the lean muscle she¡¯d gained from regular training. It was the fashion for noblewomen of the empire to be skinny, so Anne couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Corvina had made it a point to maintain her figure. She wasn¡¯t doing anything dangerous to keep herself skinny, was she? Was she eating properly? Was she getting enough energy to make it through the day?
I don¡¯t want to judge her if she¡¯s just naturally skinny but what if she¡¯s secretly been starving herself? thought Anne, in a sudden panic. Does all the smoking reduce her appetite? Oh shit, I never found out if lung cancer exists in this world or not. God, what does any of that matter right now, she¡¯s bleeding, you idiot!
¡°You stinking piece of excrement on the Goddess¡¯s heel!¡± shouted Eva, breaking Anne out of her reverie. She was advancing across the garden with a fury, her usually serene face contorted into an intense rage that took Anne by surprise. What she¡¯d seen of Eva¡¯s anger so far was intense and judgmental, but detached. Restrained. This was pure, unbridled wrath. It was kind of scary.
¡°You useless rot-worm!¡± continued Eva. ¡°You Goddess-forsaken daughter of a whore!¡± Eva reached out and grabbed the collar of Corvina¡¯s dress. ¡°You promised you would keep her safe!¡±
¡°I did, didn¡¯t I?¡± said Corvina. Anne could still feel her shaking, but her voice was clear and authoritative. ¡°Or did you not notice that I¡¯m the one who¡¯s injured and not her?¡±
¡°And how much longer would you have lasted in a fight with that injury?¡± growled Eva. ¡°If he had chosen to stay and fight, The Unseen Rain would have finished you in an instant, and then there would have been nothing standing between him and Anne!¡±
¡°The Unseen Rain?¡± Corvina¡¯s eyes widened in recognition of the name. ¡°Is that who that was?¡±
¡°Probably,¡± said Anne. ¡°They did tell me to call them Rain.¡±
¡°Then we know for certain that the person who sent the assassin after you wasn¡¯t the Emperor or the Bishop, it was the Duke,¡± said Corvina. ¡°I know that he¡ª¡°
¡°Are you listening to me?!¡± shouted Eva, yanking on Corvina¡¯s collar again. ¡°Your recklessness put Anne in danger!¡±
Corvina looked at Eva with a look of disdain that sent shivers down Anne¡¯s spine.
¡°And how exactly do you think you would have done a better job of protecting her?¡± asked Corvina. ¡°Anne already pointed this out earlier, but you carry no weapons. You have no way of even trying to fight off an assassin.¡° Corvina leaned down slightly to bring her face closer to Eva¡¯s. ¡°Unless you have some sort of¡ special ability you want to tell us about. Something that would allow you to fight unarmed?¡±
Eva was visibly shaking with rage, but she didn¡¯t respond.
Anne¡¯s brow knitted in confusion. What did Corvina mean by that? And why did Eva seem to understand what she meant by that? Is Eva secretly a, like, martial arts master or something?
Before Eva could respond, Helen came rushing back down the lawn. Rushing along with her was, not only a physician, but seemingly half the household. The entire Tulin family, several guards, the butler, and at least three additional maids all advanced down the lawn like an invading army.
¡°Oh my Goddess, what happened here?¡± asked Marquess Ormen Tulin, his bright pink eyebrows knitted in concern. Anne recognized him since she''d briefly met him and his wife when she¡¯d first arrived at the estate.
Anne started to explain while helping Corvina over to a bench where she could sit down. While the doctor attended to Corvina¡¯s wounds, Anne sat next to her, holding her hand, continuing to explain the events of that evening to a rapt audience.
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¡°That¡¯s odd,¡± said Justine, who as Anne understood it, should¡¯ve been the Marchioness, except that she and Ormen weren¡¯t legally allowed to marry. ¡°It seems to me like this assassin, who¡¯s apparently so famous for his effectiveness and efficiency that the ¡®unseen¡¯ is his official title, has had multiple opportunities at this point to kill you. But instead he allowed you to see his face and just¡ ran away as soon as he was threatened? More than once? I hope you¡¯ll forgive me for being direct, but why hasn¡¯t he just killed you yet?¡±
Ormen gasped. ¡°Darling! You couldn¡¯t put it a little more delicately than that?¡±
Anne shook her head. ¡°No, that¡¯s okay, I don¡¯t mind. And I don¡¯t know, it seems like they kind of just wanted to¡ talk to me?¡±
¡°Talk to you?¡± asked Justine, raising an eyebrow. ¡°About what?¡±
¡°Was she trying to get you to reveal our plans?¡± asked Corvina, wincing as the doctor applied a poultice to her chest.
Anne shook her head. ¡°No, nothing like that, they just wanted to talk about¡ personal stuff,¡± said Anne. She couldn¡¯t reveal what the conversations had actually been about without revealing her secret. And she was really trying not to think too much about the fact that she¡¯d just told an assassin her true identity.
This unbelievable statement sent a wave of confused muttering throughout the crowd.
¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense,¡± said Justine. ¡°What does that mean, personal stuff?¡±
Anne shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know, like¡ gender?¡±
Everyone stared at Anne like they were expecting her to offer more specifics, but she didn¡¯t.
¡°What?¡± said Justine, looking completely baffled.
¡°Look, I¡¯m confused by it, too!¡± said Anne. ¡°I don¡¯t really get what they wanted from me.¡±
¡°I suppose the scoundrel might have just been toying with you before he killed you¡¡± said Ormen. ¡°If he¡¯s overconfident in his abilities he might not care that much about killing you right away.¡±
¡°Sure, maybe,¡± said Anne.
Eva sighed. ¡°Look, it¡¯s late. We should go back to the church and get some sleep and discuss this another time.¡±
¡°What? No!¡± said Anne, squeezing Corvina¡¯s hand more tightly. ¡°I want to stay here tonight. Corvina got hurt protecting me, I can¡¯t just leave her alone!¡±
The doctor had just finished bandaging Corvina¡¯s wound. Corvina smiled at Anne, but her smile looked tired. ¡°I¡¯m okay, you don¡¯t have to stay with me.¡±
¡°But I want to!¡± said Anne.
¡°No way, it¡¯s too dangerous!¡± shouted Eva.
¡°How is it more dangerous here than at the church?¡± asked Anne. ¡°There¡¯s literally an army barracks on the grounds here. Who¡¯s going to protect me at the church?¡±
¡°The Goddess will protect you!¡± said Eva.
Anne scoffed. ¡°And what, the Goddess can¡¯t protect me if I¡¯m not at the church? I didn¡¯t know the Goddess was so weak.¡±
Eva was visibly shaking with anger at this point. But before she could come up with another retort, Marquess Ormen stepped in.
¡°Excuse me, I¡¯m terribly sorry, but I don¡¯t believe we could actually allow the Saintess to stay in our home at this time,¡± he said. ¡°I do apologize, but I think it would be for the best if you returned to the church.¡±
¡°What?¡± said Anne. ¡°Why? It¡¯s a really big mansion, shouldn¡¯t you have room for me?¡±
¡°That¡¯s not the issue,¡± said Ormen, with an apologetic smile. ¡°The issue, I hope you understand, is that you are currently being targeted by an assassin who is still at large and my family lives here.¡±
¡°Oh¡¡± said Anne, suddenly deflated. ¡°Right. I can¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t think of that. I¡¯m so sorry. Of course I don¡¯t want to put your family in danger. I¡¯ll just¡ go back to the church then, I guess.¡±
Justine put a supportive hand on her husband¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I do hope you won¡¯t see us as ungenerous or inhospitable,¡± she said. ¡°If it was only the two of us, we might feel differently. But we have a young daughter here, and her safety has to come first. We can¡¯t expose her to another incident like this.¡±
¡°No, yeah, I get it,¡± said Anne. ¡°Totally. Of course.¡±
Justine and Ormen shared a glance.
¡°Perhaps you could spare some of your soldiers, dear,¡± suggested Justine. ¡°Send them to the church to act as temporary guards.¡±
Ormen clapped his hands together once in excitement. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a brilliant idea!¡±
¡°That¡¯s very generous of you to offer, thank you,¡± said Eva. ¡°I would be happy to discuss with you how many guards should be sent and what their patrol routes should be.¡± Her expression quickly returned to serene calm as she walked a few feet away to discuss specifics with the Tulins. Now that things were going her way she had no more reason to be angry, Anne supposed.
Anne looked at Corvina with worried eyes. ¡°Will you really be okay?¡±
Corvina smiled back, her smile a bit more genuine this time. ¡°I¡¯ll really be okay. I have Helen with me, and the Tulins have been treating me well so far.¡±
¡°Okay¡¡± said Anne.
¡°Um¡¡± said Corvina. She looked down at her lap, a slight blush showing on her cheeks. ¡°Anne, I¡¡±
¡°Excuse me!¡± Liza, the Tulins¡¯ young daughter, was tapping on Anne¡¯s knee.
¡°Yes, what is it?¡± asked Anne, leaning down to talk to her better.
¡°Did the assassin use magic?¡± Her eyes were sparkling with an eagerness to learn.
¡°Oh, uh¡ maybe?¡± said Anne. ¡°They performed some pretty incredible physical feats, but they could also just be really well trained. They also claimed that they can see¡ auras? Around people¡¯s bodies and souls?¡±
¡°Auras?¡± said Liza. She pulled out a journal and began scribbling something down. ¡°Around bodies and souls? Separately?¡±
¡°Um¡ yes,¡± said Anne, suddenly worried she might have said too much.
¡°Fascinating!¡± Liza ran off, perhaps to go find any reference to auras in her books.
Anne turned back to Corvina. ¡°Was there something you were going to say?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± said Corvina, nervously. ¡°I just wanted to say¡ª¡°
¡°Anne, we have to go now!¡± called Eva from across the garden. ¡°Marquess Tulin is going to lend us a carriage!¡±
¡°Okay, just give me a minute!¡± shouted Anne, before turning her attention back to Corvina.
Corvina sighed. ¡°Clearly, it¡¯s not the right timing. Just go.¡±
¡°Really? Are you sure?¡± said Anne.
¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure,¡± said Corvina. She squeezed Anne¡¯s hand once before letting go. ¡°Helen, help me into the mansion, please.¡±
¡°Of course, my lady!¡± said Helen, rushing forward to offer Corvina her shoulder as support.
¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow, Anne,¡± said Corvina. ¡°Once we¡¯ve both had a good night¡¯s rest I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be able to find a way to persuade the stubborn elf prince to help us with our plan.¡±
Anne beamed up at Corvina. ¡°Definitely! There¡¯s nothing we can¡¯t do if we put our heads together!¡±
Towards the edge of the estate grounds, where imperial soldiers were still running around looking for any sign of the assassin, The Unseen Rain sat high up in a tree, unseen.
Rain was highly skilled at going unnoticed, so it didn¡¯t bother them much when soldiers passed directly under the tree once or twice. Even with the extra challenge of having to maintain stealth while balancing in a tree and attempting to dress their own leg wound, they were confident that they wouldn¡¯t be found if they didn¡¯t want to be found.
It was a skill they¡¯d developed at a young age, one that had kept them alive.
When they finished bandaging their leg, they settled down on a branch to sleep for the night. Moving now would draw too much attention. Better to wait for the fuss to die down and slip away in the morning.
My soul came here from another world, the Saintess had said. No, not the Saintess. The fake Saintess. The impostor.
Rain smiled. They hadn¡¯t come across anything this interesting in a long time.
Chapter 70
The next few days passed in a flurry of activity.
Since Anne was essentially banned from the Tulin estate and the church was now full of imperial soldiers sent there to guard her, they all had to travel out to the rebel camp each day in order to get anything done.
From the first moment she stepped in the camp, Corvina could feel the hostile gazes of the rebels. It wasn¡¯t surprising. Until recently, Corvina had been one of their most powerful enemies. Of course they would hate her.
Of course they would hate her. Corvina knew it was inevitable that they would. But after her conversation with Anne she could finally admit to herself that even though it was inevitable, it also seriously pissed her off. How dare they judge her without even knowing anything about her?
Although, oddly enough, openly acknowledging that she felt that way also gave the feeling less¡ weight.
Being prejudged that way did upset Corvina, but also it ultimately didn¡¯t actually matter that much.
After all, Anne trusted her, and that was what was most important.
¡°Ouch,¡± said Corvina, wincing.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, my lady,¡± said Helen. ¡°Please bear with me a moment.¡±
Helen was helping Corvina change the bandages on her wound after a bath, making sure that the healing poultices were properly in place. The Tulin family¡¯s doctor made use of minor alchemy in the preparation of the poultice, which theoretically should boost the healing properties, but¡
¡°It really doesn¡¯t seem to be healing properly,¡± said Helen, a worried expression on her face.
It wasn¡¯t a deep wound, so it should have healed quickly, but whenever they changed the bandages it was clear that it had barely healed at all. It didn¡¯t look infected, either, and it was no longer actively bleeding, it just looked as red and raw as it had on the day it had happened. And it still hurt. Corvina winced whenever anything happened to brush against it.
¡°I wonder if the assassin was using alchemically enhanced gear and weapons,¡± Corvina speculated. ¡°I don¡¯t think she could have done what she did without some sort of magical assistance.¡±
¡°Should we try to find an alchemist to take a look at your wound then?¡± asked Helen, finishing up with the new bandage. ¡°A dedicated alchemist, not the doctor. Clearly he doesn¡¯t know enough about alchemy.¡±
Corvina shook her head, standing up so Helen could help her get dressed for the day. ¡°It¡¯s not getting any better, but it¡¯s not getting any worse, either. Let¡¯s just leave it as it is for now.¡±
As soon as Corvina was dressed, there was a knock on the door and a servant stepped into the room with a bow. ¡°Excuse me, my lady, but you have a visitor.¡±
Corvina¡¯s agent, the one she had sent ahead of her to Longren, was standing behind the servant.
Corvina gestured to the agent to come in and said to the servant, ¡°Have my breakfast sent up to my room today.¡±
While Corvina ate she listened to the report from her agent.
¡°My lady, I was able to find records of several Evas born in the territory within the plausible time frame, but none of them were given up to the church. Just to be certain, I tracked each of them down. One died of an illness at the age of eighteen, one of them works as a baker here in Longren, and one of them appears to have moved to the city several years ago. I found several corroborating witnesses for the identity of each woman.¡±
¡°You couldn¡¯t find any useful details in the church records?¡± asked Corvina.
¡°Not in the public records,¡± said the agent. ¡°I have a contact in the church who said she would investigate further on my behalf, but she hasn¡¯t been able to uncover anything either.¡±
Corvina stared off into the distance for a moment while slowly stirring her tea. Then she turned back to the agent.
¡°Stop looking into birth records, that¡¯s clearly getting us nowhere. I want you to ask around to find out if there were any notable incidents in the area around the time when Sister Eva would have been eight years-old or so.¡±
¡°Incidents?¡± said the agent. ¡°What sort of incidents, my lady?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± said Corvina. ¡°But it¡¯s unusual for a child to be given to the church so late in life, so there¡¯s a real possibility something happened that made a significant enough splash that someone might remember it. Focus on talking to commoners. It¡¯s rare for the nobility to give their children to the church.¡±
¡°Understood, my lady,¡± said the agent, saluting before exiting the room.
Corvina continued to stir her tea for a moment before finally taking a sip. The tea in Longren tasted different from the tea in the capital. It was a lighter flavor. She wondered if it was a difference in the soil the tea leaves were grown in.
¡°Lady Corvina?¡± said Helen.
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¡°Yes, what is it?¡± asked Corvina.
¡°I apologize for speaking out of turn, but don¡¯t you think you should tell Anne what you suspect about Eva?¡± asked Helen. ¡°It has a big impact on her life, and she did get mad at you recently for not telling her stuff.¡±
¡°I understand where you¡¯re coming from, Helen,¡± said Corvina. ¡°And I¡¯ve put a lot of thought into it. But I¡¯m worried that if I tell Anne anything before I know the full details of the situation and how to plan for Eva¡¯s reaction, I might be putting Anne in danger by telling her.¡±
¡°In danger?¡± said Helen, looking alarmed. ¡°How?¡±
¡°You saw how Eva snapped before,¡± said Corvina. ¡°From what I can see, Sister Eva is obsessive, unstable, and unpredictable. I¡¯ve dealt with enough unstable personalities in my life to know how truly dangerous they can be. But I feel absolutely confident that, as things stand, Eva would never deliberately hurt Anne in any way. But if Eva is the true power behind Anne¡¯s miracles, and Anne were to find that out, who¡¯s to say how Eva might react? And we don¡¯t know the extent of Eva¡¯s magical powers, if she truly has any. If we don¡¯t know anything about what she can do, then we can¡¯t fight back if we end up needing to. Upsetting the status quo is too risky.¡±
¡°I guess I can see your point,¡± said Helen, although she didn¡¯t sound convinced.
¡°Trust me, Helen,¡± said Corvina. ¡°For now, at least, Eva is our ally, and until we know more about her there¡¯s no point kicking the hornet¡¯s nest.¡±
Across town, the woman Corvina had just described as a hornet''s nest was bustling around her secret magic lab, muttering to herself and chewing anxiously on her thumbnail.
Things had been awkward with Anne ever since the day of the second assassination attempt. Anne hadn¡¯t said anything, she¡¯d just started acting differently. She avoided Eva when she could, and avoided eye contact with her when she couldn¡¯t. Their conversations had become short and terse. Eva tried to show her extra kindness and affection, but it wasn¡¯t making any difference. Anne just brushed off any attempt Eva made to reach out to her.
Instead, Anne was spending more and more time talking to Corvina¡ going off in their own corner to whisper to each other every day at the rebel camp.
This was all that damned assassin¡¯s fault, giving Corvina an opportunity to act the hero, which allowed her to manipulate Anne¡¯s feelings and make Eva look like an unreasonable fool.
Eva continued to search through her collection of forbidden texts.
There had to be some sort of spell somewhere for reaching out and killing someone remotely. Or at least for tracking someone down so Eva could just kill him in person.
She was convinced that once the threat of the assassin was gone, Anne would stop clinging to Corvina¡¯s skirts and they¡¯d be able to go back to how they were before.
Eva put the book she was holding down. She sighed and rubbed her nose.
Anne used to smile brightly whenever Eva walked into the room, lighting up the world around her, making it seem like this life was worth living after all.
It felt like it had been an eternity since Anne had last smiled at her like that.
Now she only smiled at Corvina.
Just then, the portal in the corner of the room lit up and Bishop Geist walked through. ¡°Good morning, Sister Eva. It¡¯s so pleasant to see you,¡± she said, with a smile.
Eva glared at her. ¡°I never should have told you about that damned portal. I should have broken that portal the second I arrived here. I should have broken it the second we cut ties.¡±
¡°And yet you didn¡¯t,¡± said the Bishop, leaning against a table.
¡°Why are you here, Cerelia?¡± asked Eva. ¡°I told you we¡¯re no longer allies.¡±
¡°Oh, please,¡± said the Bishop. ¡°You and I may have our differences at times, but ultimately don¡¯t we want the same things? Ultimately, aren¡¯t we the only ones who can understand each other?¡±
¡°Why are you here, Cerelia?¡± repeated Eva.
Finally, the Bishop dropped her smile. ¡°Do you have any idea how that little shit of an Emperor is treating me? Me! After all I¡¯ve done for him. You know, when I was a young acolyte, I was the only one, the only one, who was ever there for him. When his pious asshole of a father would make him stay up keeping vigil all night in the chapel, fasting and praying to ¡®purify¡¯ his sinful spirit, I was the one who would sneak bread and water to him. I was the one who would secretly keep him company when he was meant to be secluded as punishment for his wickedness. I listened to all his complaints about how he was treated in the palace. We made plans together, for how we would change things once he was the Emperor and I was the Bishop. And then as soon as he ascended to the throne he began his long campaign to reduce the power of the church. He undermined me. He abandoned me.¡±
Bishop Geist stood up straight, wagging a finger in front of her in her anger. ¡°And then, and then, when he finally reached out to me for help, when I finally clawed my way back into a position where I have the right to advise him directly, he suddenly won¡¯t take any meetings with me again! He¡¯ll only see me in official council meetings, but he never even lets me speak in those meetings. Or if I manage to get a word in edgewise everyone there just ignores me! Me! The Bishop of Coris! The representative of the Goddess on earth¡±
¡°How is any of this my problem?¡± asked Eva. She was largely ignoring the Bishop¡¯s rants and continuing with her work as well as she could with this interruption.
¡°I can help reinstate the Saintess,¡± said the Bishop. ¡°I can put her back in her proper place. Make people worship her again. Grant her even more power. You know that I can, if I want to.¡±
Eva looked over at Bishop Geist. ¡°You¡¯ll ruin your new alliance with the Emperor. He¡¯ll have you killed.¡±
¡°Not if we kill him first!¡± said Bishop Geist, with a strange sort of look of desperate glee on her face.
Eva continued to look at the Bishop.
¡°Look, I heard about the Crown Prince¡¯s little ¡®hunting trip,¡¯¡± said Bishop Geist. ¡°I¡¯m not as stupid as all the nobles are. I know you must have him around here somewhere. Which means you have some amount of control over him. If we get rid of the Emperor and have Sebastian take the throne then he can reinstate the full political power of the church and of the Saintess, no problem.¡±
Eva considered this option.
It honestly seemed like an easier and more straightforward plan than whatever Lady Corvina was trying to do. Just one simple assassination to install a weak puppet monarch, and Anne would be one step closer to her proper place.
And sure, Anne didn¡¯t love Sebastian now. But they were friends at least. Would a political marriage to a friend be so bad? If that made her the Empress? Well, and if Anne ended up falling in love with someone else they could always assassinate Sebastian later, after Anne was already on the throne. Then Anne could marry her true love and finally have a truly perfect life, like she was always meant to.
More importantly, it was Anne being denounced that ultimately led to the current situation in which Anne was avoiding her. When Anne was busy working as the Saintess, she really relied on Eva to help her through it. So surely if Anne was reinstated to her full, proper position, then Anne would start to rely on Eva again.
¡°Fine,¡± said Eva.
¡°You¡¯ll help me?¡± said the Bishop, looking eager.
¡°Yes, but I¡¯m busy right now,¡± said Eva. ¡°Go back to the capital and wait to hear from me. And don¡¯t do anything stupid in the meantime.¡±
Chapter 71
¡°Can Sebastian just stay here and we can still tell the Emperor that he¡¯s been kidnapped by the elves?¡± suggested Anne. ¡°The rebel army does have elves in it.¡±
Corvina shook her head. ¡°The only way any of this works is if Sebastian is kept in the Sacred Forest. That way, the Emperor can¡¯t send agents to get Sebastian back because they wouldn¡¯t be able to make it past the Sacred Forest¡¯s natural magical barrier, and he can¡¯t take any action to destroy the Sacred Forest¡¯s natural magical barrier because there¡¯s a chance he¡¯d kill Sebastian in the process. The whole point is the double-protection.¡±
¡°But we could still tell him that Sebastian¡¯s in the Sacred Forest,¡± countered Anne.
¡°You think he¡¯s just going to take our word for it?¡± asked Corvina. ¡°He¡¯s going to use any means possible to verify where Sebastian is just as soon as he receives word of a kidnapping. The only reason we¡¯re getting away with our lies right now is because he doesn¡¯t care enough to look into them.¡±
The inner circle (Anne, Corvina, Eva, Agis, Sebastian, Helen, and Ylyndar) were all seated around an empty fire pit in the rebel camp, discussing what to do about their current problem¡ again.
Agis felt like they had been repeating the same conversations over and over again for the past week.
They¡¯d sent a bunch of messages to Elyon trying to win him over and heard nothing back, and they¡¯d even dispatched a few letters to Zaos, although Agis really didn¡¯t think Zaos would care enough to respond, either.
And since no one would talk to them, all they could do was stand around and have the same few arguments over and over again.
At this point Agis had largely checked out and was just poking at the empty fire pit with a stick.
¡°For Goddess¡¯ sake, maybe I should just go ahead and wander into the forest on my own and hope an elf finds me and kidnaps me,¡± said Sebastian.
¡°I would advise against it, your highness,¡± said Ylyndar. ¡°The Sacred Forest can be a dangerous place for a human by themselves.¡±
¡°I know, I¡¯m just saying,¡± mumbled Sebastian.
There were still a few glowing embers left in the fire pit from when people were cooking breakfast a short time ago. Agis was sort of pushing them around, seeing if he could put them out by covering them with ash. There was no real reason to do this. It was just something to do.
¡°Perhaps we could go above the princes¡¯ heads,¡± said Corvina. ¡°Contact the King of the Elves directly. What do you think?¡±
Breakfast had mostly been dried venison. A lot of meals at the rebel camp involved dried venison, because it was easy to store. Agis was getting kind of tired of dried venison.
¡°Agis!¡±
Agis looked up, still holding the stick he was using to poke at the ashes. Lady Corvina was looking right at him. ¡°Huh?¡±
¡°What do you think about us contacting your father directly?¡± asked Corvina. ¡°Would he help us?¡±
Agis stared at Corvina for a moment like she had said something truly crazy.
¡°No,¡± he said, finally.
¡°Really?¡± said Corvina. ¡°You don¡¯t think he¡¯d see how our plan could benefit his kingdom?¡±
Agis shrugged. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t care.¡±
¡°You must understand,¡± said Ylyndar. ¡°The King of the Elves is very old. He no longer takes a very active role in governance. He¡¯s the ultimate authority and his word is final, of course, but generally he leaves the day-to-day operations of the kingdom up to his two eldest sons and the High Elven Council.¡±
But Corvina didn¡¯t want to let her idea go. ¡°But if he¡¯s still the primary authority, then maybe we could convince him¡ª¡°
¡°Look, my dad barely views anyone other than himself as a person,¡± said Agis. ¡°Even other elves. Even a lot of his own kids. Humans barely even register to him. They¡¯re like ants. He¡¯s just a selfish old man who can barely see beyond his own nose anymore. And if you tried to interrupt one of his parties to ask him for help, he¡¯d probably just kill you and get right back to his wine and song. He just doesn¡¯t care.¡±
¡°Geez,¡± said Anne. ¡°Why did you keep trying to convince me to go to the elf palace, then, if our dad sucks that much?¡±
¡°Oh, um¡¡± Agis suddenly felt super embarrassed. He usually tried not to speak badly of his father. Especially around humans. He was supposed to maintain the pride of an elven prince. But he was bored and annoyed so it was harder than usual to filter his words.
And, if he was being honest, the fact that this mission so closely involved his family was starting to take a toll on him.
¡°I mean, he wouldn¡¯t actually kill you, cause you¡¯re his daughter,¡± mumbled Agis. ¡°You hardly even have to see him there, really, as long as you avoid the parties, which is pretty easy to do cause they¡¯re so loud. And there are a lot of nice people at the palace, too¡ It¡¯s mostly just Dad who sucks.¡±
Anne reached over to pat Agis on the back a couple times.
Corvina sighed and stood up. ¡°We¡¯re clearly not getting anywhere today, either. Let¡¯s give it one more day to see if we hear back from Prince Elyon, and if we don¡¯t, we may have to consider abandoning this plan altogether and finding a new course of action.¡±
Agis stayed seated as the others began to get up and move away. The mood around the camp in general was pretty tense and antsy, but for some reason Anne and Corvina, who had been arguing about what to do just moments before, were now standing unusually close to each other, chatting and laughing about something.
Eva was standing a few feet away from them, smiling her usual smile. But Agis had known Eva for long enough to tell there was some sort of edge there.
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Ah, well, thought Agis, with a sigh. If something important is happening, they¡¯ll tell me eventually.
Then Helen sat down next to him and he forgot all about any of that.
¡°Hey,¡± said Helen, leaning over to knock into his shoulder with her shoulder.
¡°Hey¡¡± said Agis, blushing.
¡°Can I ask you something?¡± asked Helen.
Usually when she talked to him, Helen¡¯s deep brown eyes were lit up with a mischievous smile, but right now they looked dull and worried. Agis could tell this must be something serious.
¡°Yes, of course,¡± said Agis. ¡°What is it?¡±
Helen grabbed Agis¡¯ arm and looked at him with a desperate expression. ¡°Will you teach me how to shoot?¡±
¡°What!?¡± asked Agis, taken aback.
¡°The other day, my lady¡¯s life was in danger,¡± said Helen, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. ¡°And I couldn¡¯t do anything to help her. Instead, I just got in her way, letting the bad guy take me hostage and everything. I don¡¯t want anything like that to happen again!¡±
¡°Okay, but¡ couldn¡¯t you learn sword-fighting or something?¡± asked Agis. ¡°You know plenty of people who could teach you that, right?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve put a lot of thought into it, but¡ª¡° Helen sat back in her seat, and lifted her hand to her neck pensively. ¡°I can¡¯t forget the memory of that person¡¯s knife on my neck. I don¡¯t think I could stand to fight someone close up. But if I was an archer I could support Lady Corvina from a distance. Please, you have to help me! You¡¯re the best archer I know!¡±
¡°Well, when you put it that way,¡± said Agis, blushing again and sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. ¡°Yeah, of course I¡¯ll teach you!¡±
¡°Oh Agis, thank you, thank you!¡± said Helen, throwing her arms around Agis.
Agis tried to hide a smile.
Okay, he thought to himself, Maybe this whole situation isn¡¯t all bad.
Sebastian was pretty sure it was all bad.
He had to spend all his time in this uncomfortable camp where everyone visibly hated him. He was pretty sure that if Ylyndar didn¡¯t stick by his side most of the time, someone would have tried to kill him by now. And he missed his comfortable bed in the palace.
And, yeah, he was never really all that happy at the palace, either. But it was hard to use shallow comforts to distract you from your misery in a place so fundamentally uncomfortable.
And now it was looking like all his noble self-sacrifice was going to be for nothing¡
When he was feeling particularly down, Sebastian tended to wander over to where the horses were kept.
¡°Hey, how are you holding up?¡± asked Anne, walking up to him.
¡°A bit better now that I¡¯ve got a horse to pat,¡± said Sebastian, patting his horse on the neck.
¡°That¡¯s good, then!¡± said Anne, with a cheerful smile.
Anne always made a point of it to talk to Sebastian whenever she was in the camp for any reason, and Sebastian did appreciate that. After all, it was for the sake of their friendship that he was even there in the first place.
¡°Um, Anne¡¡± said Sebastian, nervously.
¡°Yeah?¡± said Anne.
¡°Do you think I could go back to the city if we don¡¯t hear back soon?¡± he asked. ¡°After all, part of the point of this was to save me from assassins, right? But it seems like you¡¯re the one being targeted by an assassin, not me. So wouldn¡¯t it be okay if I went home?¡±
¡°Um¡¡± said Anne. ¡°Well, the thing is, we probably changed fate a bit just by coming here. And if you go back to the city now, we don¡¯t know if fate will change back and you¡¯ll end up being targeted again.¡±
Sebastian sighed. ¡°Yeah, I guess that makes sense.¡± Then, he thought of something, something much more fun to talk about. ¡°So, Anne¡¡± he said, giving her a knowing sideways look. ¡°It looks like you and Corvina are getting along well these days.¡±
¡°Ha ha, is that what it looks like?¡± said Anne, grinning. ¡°It¡¯s true, since we made up from our fight we¡¯ve been closer friends than ever! It¡¯s nice.¡±
¡°Just friends, huh?¡± said Sebastian. He raised a meaningful eyebrow. ¡°Tell me, Saintess, are you in love with my sister?¡±
¡°Oh, well, I mean, yeah, of course I am,¡± said Anne.
Sebastian covered his mouth with his hands. ¡°You are!?¡± he said. ¡°I mean, of course you are! You really love her! I knew it!¡±
¡°I mean, that¡¯s not important, though,¡± said Anne.
¡°What?¡± said Sebastian, suddenly confused. ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s not important?¡±
¡°Look, I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t come out to you sooner,¡± said Anne, patting Sebastian on the back. ¡°After you already came out to me and everything. We¡¯ve just been so busy, and¡ well, it doesn¡¯t matter. The point is that I¡¯m also gay, so you don¡¯t have to feel so alone or self conscious about that anymore.¡±
¡°Yes, yes, thank you,¡± said Sebastian, waving a hand dismissively. ¡°But that aside, why is it not important if you¡¯re in love with Corvina?¡±
¡°Oh, because obviously she could never feel that way about me,¡± said Anne, matter-of-factly.
Sebastian was stunned. ¡°Why are you so sure of that?¡±
Anne shrugged. ¡°Because no one¡¯s ever liked me that way before, and the few times I¡¯ve tried it with people, well¡ it didn¡¯t go well. And I realized it¡¯s not really fair for me to impose my feelings on other people, so. Honestly, I¡¯m really happy just being close friends like we are now. I don¡¯t need anything more than that.¡±
To Sebastian, Anne had always seemed so confident and self-assured. She clearly wasn¡¯t bothered by the same societal hang ups that he was in regards to his sexual interests. And objectively speaking, she was quite the catch. She was both charming and kind, she occupied a powerful social position, and, although he recognized he wasn¡¯t necessarily the best judge of female beauty, she was pretty good looking. And yet she seemed so utterly convinced she was unlovable she didn¡¯t leave any room for argument.
¡°So you¡¯re really not gonna tell her how you feel?¡± asked Sebastian.
¡°Oh my god, no, of course not!¡± said Anne. ¡°Well¡ I kind of already told her once, but I was drunk, and I played it off as an elf thing. But¡ you better not tell her, either, okay! I mean it. I really am happy with things as they are. If you tell her I¡¯ll deny it.¡±
¡°Alright, I understand¡¡± said Sebastian.
¡°Awesome,¡± Anne patted Sebastian on the arm. ¡°I know this whole thing can¡¯t be fun, but just hang in there a bit longer, buddy. We¡¯ll figure something out. Now I should probably go find Eva. If we¡¯re done here for the day we need to head back to the church. The High Clerics have been asking us to help out with a bunch of stuff since we got back to Longren, and I¡¯d rather get it done early in the day if I can.¡±
Sebastian watched Anne walk away, still with a smile on her face after saying such devastating things as if they were just naturally occurring laws of the universe that everyone already knew and accepted, and he felt his heart break a little.
That¡¯s it, thought Sebastian.
He marched through the camp until he managed to track down Corvina, who was watching some of the rebel army soldiers run drills in the makeshift training grounds.
¡°Corvina!¡± said Sebastian, with a big frown on his face.
¡°Yes?¡± said Corvina. ¡°What do you¡ª¡°
Sebastian kicked her in the shin.
¡°Ow!¡± said Corvina, hopping up and down and grabbing her leg. ¡°What was that for?¡±
¡°You have to tell Anne you love her already!¡± said Sebastian.
¡°Ssssh!¡± said Corvina, covering Sebastian¡¯s mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t say that so loud! I was planning to, I just¡ªWait, why do you look like you¡¯re about to cry?¡±
Before Sebastian could answer, Ylyndar came running up, out of breath.
¡°My lady,¡± he said, between gulping breaths. ¡°Your highness, he¡¯s here. He¡¯s come here himself.¡±
¡°What?¡± said Corvina, stepping away from Sebastian. ¡°Who¡¯s here?¡±
But while Corvina was interrogating the breathless Ylyndar, Sebastian looked behind him, to where an elf on horseback was following close behind.
The elven man was tall, and noble in bearing. He had sharp blue eyes, and short, wispy brown hair parted down the middle. He wore a pair of round spectacles, and a full set of leather armor in shades of brown and green.
Something about him gave Sebastian the impression of a scholar dressed up in a hunter¡¯s clothes. It seemed mismatched, and yet he moved with such confidence that it would be hard to say that it didn¡¯t suit him anyway.
The elf stopped his horse in front of Sebastian and Corvina, and when he briefly made eye contact with Sebastian it sent shivers down his spine.
Wait, what? What was with that reaction? Who was this?
¡°I greet you, royal children of the Wyernwolf Empire,¡± said the elf. ¡°I am Elyon Clearshot, son of Thoedas Clearshot, Second Prince of the Sacred Forest and Commander General of the Royal Guard. I believe we have business to discuss.¡±
Chapter 72
¡°Elyon is here in person!?¡± shouted Anne, bursting into the command tent.
Anne and Eva had already left the camp when Elyon arrived, and a soldier had to be sent to chase them down, which is why they were arriving slightly late to the meeting.
At Anne¡¯s outburst, Corvina, Sebastian, Prince Elyon, Agis, and Ylyndar all stopped what they were doing to stare at Anne.
¡°Um¡ I mean¡¡± said Anne, sheepishly rubbing the back of her head with embarrassment. ¡°Welcome, Prince Elyon, it¡¯s an honor to finally meet you in person.¡±
While Anne was babbling, Eva quietly slipped in behind her.
The command tent was a bit of a cluttered mess, which was part of why they hadn¡¯t been using it for meetings very often. But it at least had a big conference table in the middle of the space, with an oversized map of the continent on it, so at least it seemed like a vaguely official enough location to host an important guest.
Almost everyone was seated around the conference table, except for Agis, who was instead sitting on a bed in the far corner, his knees pulled up to his chest. He was clearly brooding. Possibly sulking, even.
What¡¯s that about? wondered Anne. Agis always acted kind of weird when talking about the other elf princes, but this was a new extreme.
Prince Elyon, who was sitting at the head of the conference table, stood up and gave a shallow bow. ¡°Greetings, Saintess Anne Clearshot. I am the one who is honored by your presence, my sister.¡±
Elyon had said he hated schemers, but obviously he was no stranger to subtle social maneuvering. Anne Clearshot, he had said. Not Coris. It was a clear statement, claiming the Saintess as an elven royal.
¡°Please, sit with us,¡± said Elyon, gesturing to a chair next to him. Ylyndar actually stood up and moved over a seat in order to make room for her.
Another clear statement. This wasn¡¯t his domain, but he was taking command of the situation anyway.
Anne glanced at Corvina, who demurely looked away. So she wasn¡¯t going to challenge his assertion of authority.
Well¡ she must have a good reason. And the rebel army camp was at least partially supported by elven funds and soldiers. So in a way, Elyon did have as much claim to command as anyone else present. Except possibly Agis, who was the official commander of the rebel army. But he seemed to be busy sulking in a corner.
Was it because Elyon was older? But Agis didn¡¯t seem like the type to care that much about seniority.
As Anne made her way over to the offered seat, she had to dodge various bits of debris on the ground¡ªdiscarded clothes, pieces of a broken bow, random crates. Agis, as the head of the rebel army, generally used the tent as his own bedroom, which was the main reason why it was so messy.
Anne flashed everyone a wan smile before taking her seat. Elyon sat back down after she was seated. Eva stood behind her, and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
Anne wasn¡¯t sure how reassuring she found it, but it was nice of Eva to try to be supportive.
Elyon turned to Corvina. ¡°As I was saying before, I am sympathetic to Prince Sebastian¡¯s plight, and I am not saying that I doubt my gifted sister¡¯s oracular abilities. I simply do not see how this could be the most straightforward solution to the threat on his life.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not just his life,¡± said Corvina. Her voice was calm and she was smiling, but Anne knew Corvina well enough by now to sense the slight edge of exasperation. ¡°The lives of every elf in the Sacred Forest might hang in the balance. If the Emperor found a way to destroy the barrier¡ª¡°
¡°Which, as I have already told you, is impossible,¡± said Elyon. ¡°The barrier that protects the Sacred Forest is not physical in nature and cannot be destroyed by human weapons.¡±
¡°And, as I¡¯ve already told you,¡± said Corvina. ¡°The Emperor is searching for an alchemical means of destroying the barrier. I know because¡ well, I was originally in charge of the project. I¡¯ve put a stop to it for now, but I can only stall things for so long. Eventually my father will go around me to solve the problem on his own and I may not be able to stop him.¡±
Elyon smiled slightly. ¡°You openly admit to participating in a plot to destroy my home. And you wonder why I hesitate to trust you?¡±
It was an odd experience listening to Prince Elyon speak. Based solely on appearances¡ªwith his tidy hair, his large glasses, and his plain features¡ªhe wouldn¡¯t have looked out of place as a middle-manager back in Anne¡¯s world. And yet, he spoke with the self-confident authority of a CEO. And yet, he didn¡¯t come across as arrogant, either, not the way, say, Duke Marshal did.
The overall effect was disarming. He was an impenetrable wall, but he was a nice, polite impenetrable wall. Anne really didn¡¯t know what to make of it.
No wonder Corvina was starting to get worked up. ¡°I¡¯m not ashamed to admit who I have been in the past,¡± she said, her voice starting to show a slight tension. ¡°But after meeting the Saintess, I have had a change of heart. If I had stayed as I was, I am confident in saying that I would have been your most powerful enemy. All I want now is the opportunity to be a powerful ally to you instead. If you could see it in your heart to¡ª¡±
Elyon raised a hand to stop her.
¡°We are repeating ourselves,¡± said Elyon. ¡°We have said as much and more in the letters we¡¯ve exchanged. I came here today hoping you might have some new argument to persuade me or, barring that, that I might be able to persuade you once and for all to give up on this course of action.¡±
There was a long pause while everyone considered this. What could any of them say that they hadn¡¯t said already?
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¡°Why do you hate schemers so much?¡± asked Anne.
Everyone turned to look at her with various expressions of surprise and dismay. Sebastian looked mortified. Corvina looked concerned. Elyon just raised an eyebrow.
Clearly it was impolite to bring it up so directly. But what else was Anne supposed to do?
Anne shrugged. ¡°What? That¡¯s the heart of this, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s not that you don¡¯t think the threat is real or that you don¡¯t think the plan will work. You just don¡¯t trust Corvina because she¡¯s a schemer.¡±
Everyone turned to Elyon for his response.
Elyon tapped his fingers on the table as he considered. ¡°There is some truth to what you say, Saintess. Although I wouldn¡¯t say that it¡¯s schemers that I have a problem with, precisely.¡± Elyon smiled again. His smile was almost imperceptible. Only the corners of his mouth turned up very slightly. ¡°In truth, I have a deep and visceral dislike of liars. You could almost call it a disgust. It is difficult for me to look past.¡±
¡°Forgive my impertinence,¡± said Corvina. ¡°But you operate clandestinely as well, do you not? From what I understand, the elven Royal Guard used to primarily be palace guards, the way the name implies. But under your command you¡¯ve transformed them into an elite strike team, working in secret to damage the imperial army¡¯s infrastructure and supply lines before disappearing back into the forest again.¡±
¡°There¡¯s a difference between secrecy and lying,¡± countered Elyon. ¡°What I employ are tactics, not schemes.¡±
Corvina stood her ground. ¡°But it would be a disaster for you if your plans were discovered by your enemies ahead of time, wouldn¡¯t it? When I lie it¡¯s primarily for the sake of secrecy and misdirection. You could think of what I do as a form of social tactics.¡±
Elyon tapped his fingers on the table again. ¡°Perhaps you are right. But it is not always so easy to overturn the prickings of your conscience deep in your soul.¡±
Another moment passed in which no one seemed to know what to day.
¡°Saintess¡ No, sister,¡± Elyon turned to Anne. ¡°Could we perhaps speak for a moment alone?¡±
Anne looked around the table, but no one seemed to object.
Anne patted Eva¡¯s hand, which was still on her shoulder, twice and then stood up. ¡°You all wait for us here. We¡¯ll just be a moment.¡±
Anne followed Elyon out of the tent. She had to blink a bit to readjust to the bright afternoon light. When she regained her vision, she noticed that Elyon was watching her intently.
¡°You are not quite what I expected,¡± said Elyon.
¡°Oh, well¡¡± Anne shrugged.
A soldier rushed past them carrying a bunch of firewood in his arms, craning his neck to stare at them as he went by.
They were still in one of the main areas of the camp so it wasn¡¯t exactly private, but it was as close as they were going to get to a one-on-one talk in a crowded army camp.
¡°First of all, I would like to apologize, sister,¡± said Elyon. ¡°You carry the royal blood of the elves, and yet you grew up as an abandoned orphan, not knowing your family. By the time we learned of your existence, you had already established your own life and it seemed wrong to disrupt you further¡ Perhaps that was a mistake.¡±
Anne shrugged again. ¡°That¡¯s okay,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I really would have wanted to be elven royalty. And as for family, I had Agis¡ eventually.¡±
¡°Ah, yes, Agis,¡± said Elyon. Something about his tone was dismissive.
Seriously, what in the world is going on there? thought Anne.
Elyon turned to look back at the entrance of the tent. ¡°Tell me, then. This Lady Corvina. You truly trust her?¡±
¡°With all my heart.¡± Anne smiled and placed her hands on her chest as she said this. ¡°Also, honestly, I think you of all people should be sympathetic to her.¡±
Elyon raised an eyebrow again. ¡°What do you mean?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve asked Agis a lot of questions about you in the past week, trying to understand your motivations,¡± said Anne, although it had been hard to get many straight answers out of him. He was just so weird about anything to do with the other princes. Still, that mystery could wait for later.
¡°The real reason you chose to take over as the commander of the Royal Guard was to help our half-siblings, wasn¡¯t it?¡± continued Anne. ¡°King Theodas was exploiting them, using them as servants and canon fodder, treating them as lesser beings. You couldn¡¯t stand to see that kind of injustice, so you took command and moved the Royal Guard out of the palace, employing all our half-siblings somewhere where they could be away from our father, right?¡±
Elyon smiled again. This smile reached a little closer to his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll admit you show some insight into the workings of the heart,¡± said Elyon. ¡°But what does this have to do with Lady Corvina?¡±
¡°Lady Corvina was in the exact same situation,¡± said Anne. ¡°She¡¯s the bastard child of the Emperor and for years he has exploited her and used her as his tool to further his own goals, but he doesn¡¯t care about her. If you knew some of the things she¡¯s been through¡ Anyway, she¡¯s just trying to break away from her father¡¯s control and do something good in the process. Does she not deserve the same freedom as our siblings do? If not, why not? Just because she¡¯s not an elf?¡±
¡°Hmm¡¡± said Elyon. He was staring back at the tent again. Anne couldn¡¯t tell if he¡¯d been persuaded or not.
¡°Also, also, did you see that bandage on her chest?¡± asked Anne.
¡°Of course, it¡¯s rather hard to miss,¡± responded Elyon.
¡°She got that wound saving me from an assassin,¡± said Anne.
Elyon raised both of his eyebrows this time. ¡°Is that right?¡± he asked.
¡°Yeah,¡± said Anne. ¡°I was sort of¡ lightly kidnapped and Corvina tracked us down and fought off the assailant.¡±
¡°I see¡¡± Elyon stood thinking silently a moment longer. Then suddenly he nodded his head. ¡°Alright.¡±
¡°You¡¯ll do it?¡± said Anne, excitedly, but Elyon was already striding purposefully back towards the tent and Anne had to scramble after him to keep up.
Once back in the tent, Elyon gracefully dodged the floor clutter and went right up to Prince Sebastian¡¯s seat. With Prince Sebastian seated, Elyon really towered over him. Sebastian hadn¡¯t seemed very happy the whole time this discussion was going on, but now he looked downright frightened.
¡°Prince Sebastian,¡± said Elyon. ¡°You are in agreement with this plan?¡±
¡°Um¡ yeah,¡± said Sebastian, nodding frantically. ¡°Yeah, yeah I am.¡±
Elyon cocked his head to one side. ¡°Are you nervous?¡±
Sebastian didn¡¯t speak for a moment. Elyon watched him patiently.
¡°A bit¡¡± admitted Sebastian.
Elyon knelt on one knee in front of him, and took one of Sebastian¡¯s hands in his own. ¡°Prince Sebastian Wyernwolf of the Wyernwolf Empire,¡± said Elyon, his gaze lowered respectfully. ¡°I swear by the ancient heart of the woods and by all my ancestors before me that as long as you remain in my custody, no harm shall come to you.¡±
¡°O-oh¡¡± said Sebastian, blushing slightly. ¡°Thank you¡¡±
Corvina stood up quickly, her chair clattering away behind her. ¡°Does this mean you agree to the plan?¡± asked Corvina.
Elyon stood up, carefully brushing off his trousers where they had touched the floor. ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°I agree to the plan.¡±
After a moment of stunned silence in which everyone tried to reorient themselves, Corvina spoke again. ¡°Will you take Sebastian with you into the forest right away, then?¡±
Elyon shook his head. ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°You all must meet me in the forest, tomorrow afternoon. Just those of you in this room now. Do not bring anyone else. We will take him then.¡±
¡°Where in the forest?¡± asked Corvina, confused. ¡°What of the barrier? How will we find you?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± said Elyon. ¡°The forest itself will guide you to us. Enter the forest from any location, and begin walking in a direction that you believe will take you towards the center. Walk in that same direction for half of an hour.¡±
¡°That¡¯s it?¡± asked Corvina.
¡°That¡¯s it,¡± said Elyon.
¡°How do we know that will work?¡± asked Corvina.
¡°It will work.¡± Agis chimed in from his spot in the corner.
Elyon nodded to Agis and Agis grumbled miserably, pulling his legs tighter to his chest.
Seriously, what the fuck, thought Anne.
¡°Alright, we will do that, then,¡± said Corvina, although she still seemed confused.
¡°Tomorrow, then,¡± said Elyon, nodding once to the rest of them before turning to leave.
Agis seemed to relax somewhat with Elyon out of the room. I am really going to have to have a serious talk with Agis about this, thought Anne.
Chapter 73
Elyon had said they would only need to walk about half an hour into the forest, but both Corvina and Eva insisted on packing for a longer trip. It was the first time Anne had ever seen the two of them agree so adamantly on something. But Anne could understand why they were nervous.
Anne hadn¡¯t been in this world long, but she¡¯d already heard stories of people walking into the forest and being lost for weeks before suddenly finding themselves back where they had originally started, on the other side of the tree line. Sometimes they would discover that years had passed for those waiting outside, even though they¡¯d only been lost for a few weeks. Time and space could be tricky in the Sacred Forest.
The rebel soldiers even whispered of other stories, of people entering the forest and never coming back at all.
Or at least, the human rebel soldiers whispered. The elven soldiers usually just sat nearby and rolled their eyes. But they never chimed in to correct anyone, so¡
They had decided to enter the forest on foot. Apparently horses didn¡¯t do well in the forest if they weren¡¯t used to it¡ªthey often stumbled and injured themselves, or spooked at nothing, or made themselves sick from stress.
Agis could have ridden Iramis, since Iramis was raised in the forest, but he didn¡¯t want to be the only one on horseback, so he was walking, too.
Eva helped Anne put on her heavy pack full of emergency field. Everyone was carrying their share.
We could¡¯ve brought Iramis to carry the bags, at least, thought Anne, struggling with the weight of the pack. But, no, Agis would never allow his ¡®noble steed¡¯ to be used as a pack animal.
Agis was chatting with Helen a few feet away, showing her different parts of a wooden bow, expressively explaining something. When he was done explaining, he handed the bow to her.
¡°We should get going,¡± said Eva with a gentle smile, patting Anne on the head twice. ¡°We don¡¯t want to be caught in the forest after dark, so it¡¯s better to leave as soon as possible, just in case.¡±
¡°Yeah, sure,¡± said Anne. Then she called over to Agis. ¡°Agis, we¡¯re heading off!¡±
Agis glanced at Anne and then back at Helen, telling her one last thing before running over.
¡°What was that all about?¡± asked Anne.
¡°She asked me to teach her archery¡¡± said Agis, blushing. ¡°I was just giving her some basic drills to do while we¡¯re gone.¡±
¡°Agis,¡± Corvina approached them. ¡°I have a question.¡±
Corvina had come fully prepared for a long trek. She was clad in all black¡ªknee-high boots, high-waisted trousers with a sword-belt, and a simple blouse (lined with black lace; she was still a Lady, after all). Her hair was tied up in a high ponytail, and she was even wearing her glasses.
Some of the soldiers had stared at her when she¡¯d walked past them, but she glared at all of them until they stopped.
Anne had not had enough willpower to stop staring, personally, but Corvina hadn¡¯t been glaring at her. Instead, when she caught Anne looking at her, she blushed slightly, and turned away.
Anne thought Corvina must have been embarrassed to be the only one in the group wearing a special outfit for the occasion, so she felt kind of bad about staring, but also this was the first time Anne had seen her out of a skirt. And, honestly, the form-fitting trousers were undeniably sexy. Especially because Corvina had her usually-secret dagger openly strapped to her thigh, in full view.
Anne was certain she was going to be distracted by that all day.
¡°What do you want to know?¡± asked Agis.
¡°Can we really just enter the forest from anywhere?¡± Corvina asked. ¡°Aren¡¯t there any more precise directions you can give us?¡±
Agis shrugged. ¡°I think Elyon wants to meet us in the Atrium, so whatever direction we go is fine, as long as we¡¯re going deeper into the forest.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t¡ understand any of this,¡± said Corvina, her voice sounding subtly strained. ¡°What is the Atrium?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± said Agis. ¡°It¡¯s weird magic stuff! Elyon can probably explain it once we get there.¡±
Corvina shot Ylyndar a pleading look, but he also just shrugged.
¡°It¡¯s difficult to explain the Atrium through words,¡± said Ylyndar. ¡°It¡¯s easier to experience it for yourself.¡±
That seemed to be the best information anyone was going to get for now.
Corvina sighed. ¡°Alright,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll take the lead, in case anything happens.¡±
¡°What? No, I should take the lead,¡± said Eva.
¡°With all due respect,¡± said Ylyndar. ¡°As a trained bodyguard, perhaps I should¡ª¡°
¡°No way!¡± shouted Anne and Eva simultaneously.
After a brief argument, Corvina, Eva, and Ylyndar all ended up taking the lead together, although Corvina and Eva both seemed bitter about the arrangement.
Agis volunteered to take up the rear in case anyone tried to ambush them from behind.
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And so, when they finally set off out of the rebel camp and into the beginnings of the Sacred Forest, Anne and Sebastian were left alone in the middle of marching order.
¡°Are you at all embarrassed that we¡¯re the ones specifically being protected instead of contributing to the safety of the group?¡± asked Sebastian nervously.
Anne shrugged. ¡°Not really. I don¡¯t know how to fight and I wouldn¡¯t really want to learn how anyway.¡±
Sebastian let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Oh, thank the Goddess. I feel the same way. But I just feel like I shouldn¡¯t feel that way, you know?¡±
Anne patted Sebastian on the back. ¡°You have other skills, even if you can¡¯t fight. I know your father values violence, but that doesn¡¯t mean you have to.¡±
Sebastian nodded thoughtfully.
They walked for a few moments in silence. Something about the silence was eerie. They were surrounded by mostly oak trees and a fairly sparse underbrush, although as they walked further into the woods the plant life became denser and denser. But no matter how far they walked, there was never any birdsong, or any other indication of life in the woods apart from themselves. There was just¡ silence and the rustling of leaves in the low breeze.
¡°Hey, Anne¡¡± said Sebastian, his voice hesitant.
¡°Hmm?¡± said Anne. She was staring up at the foliage. Did something about how that branch was swaying seem slightly more¡ sentient than it should?
¡°Do you think¡ Do you think Prince Elyon liked me?¡± asked Sebastian. ¡°I mean, do you think he had a favorable impression of me?¡±
Anne forgot all about the trees.
¡°Oh my god!¡± she said. ¡°Do you have a crush on Prince Elyon?¡±
¡°What!? No,¡± said Sebastian, although Anne could see him blushing. ¡°I merely meant, if I¡¯m going to be in his custody for a while, it would be better if we¡ got along. Yes. And as princes from neighboring nations we should try to foster good will between us and¡ª¡°
¡°You totally like him!¡± Anne gasped. ¡°Can you imagine if you got together and it fixed things between your two kingdoms? What if your father has been fighting all this time and then you end the war by making out with a boy.¡± Anne elbowed Sebastian in the ribs and grinned at him. ¡°That would show him what skills are really important, huh?¡±
Sebastian covered his face and groaned. ¡°Please stop,¡± he said. ¡°I just thought he was a little handsome, that¡¯s all¡ And he looked at me so seriously when he promised to protect me¡ I know it can¡¯t go anywhere, but¡¡±
¡°Hey, don¡¯t worry about it,¡± said Anne. ¡°Feelings don¡¯t have to go anywhere to be worthwhile. You¡¯re allowed to just feel them. And enjoy feeling them! Having a crush is a fun feeling, you should enjoy it.¡±
¡°Maybe you¡¯re right¡¡± mumbled Sebastian, looking away.
Anne glanced ahead to make sure she could still see the others. They were up there, slightly fanned out, probably trying to cover all angles or something.
Anne glanced backwards to check for Agis, and was a little surprised to find him there. She had expected him to jump off into the trees and follow them sneakily or something. After all, he should be in his element in these woods, shouldn¡¯t he? But instead he was trudging along behind them, bow in hands, glancing around the woods suspiciously. It¡¯s not that he wasn¡¯t alert, he just wasn¡¯t as¡ rambunctious as his usual self.
¡°Hey, Seb, I¡¯m gonna hang back and check on Agis,¡± Anne told Sebastian. ¡°Just make sure you can still see the front group and I¡¯ll make sure I can still see you from back there and then none of us will get lost.¡±
¡°Okay¡¡± said Sebastian.
Anne stopped walking for a moment while the others continued to get further ahead. After a few short moments, Agis caught up with her, glancing at her inquisitively.
¡°How¡¯s it going back here?¡± asked Anne.
¡°Fine,¡± said Agis, turning his eyes back to the woods.
Agis was usually far more talkative than this. At this point, Anne was genuinely pretty worried about how her brother had been acting.
¡°Listen, are you¡ doing okay?¡± asked Anne. ¡°You¡¯ve been acting super weird ever since we arrived in Longren.¡±
¡°What?¡± said Agis, ¡°I haven¡¯t been acting weird!¡±
¡°Yes, you have!¡± insisted Anne. ¡°One minute it seems like you¡¯re fine, and the next you¡¯ve completely shut down. When Elyon was at the camp all you did was sulk in a corner. What is¡ª¡± Anne suddenly thought of a possible explanation that made her heart sink into her stomach. ¡°Look, Agis, did Elyon¡¡± Anne lowered her voice. ¡°Did anyone¡ hurt you? When you were a kid? I can still call this whole deal off if you want me to.¡±
¡°What!?¡± said Agis. ¡°No! Why would you even think that?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± said Anne. ¡°You just sounded really upset when you were talking about what it was like being raised in the elven palace, and I thought¡ maybe¡ I don¡¯t know.¡±
Agis shook his head. ¡°No, no one ever hurt me growing up, they just¡ ignored me.¡±
Damn¡ thought Anne. Agis looked so dejected talking about it.
¡°It¡¯s probably because I¡¯ve never been very princely¡¡± said Agis, kicking at the ground while they walked. ¡°Did you know that Elyon was the one who appointed me as the commander of the rebel army? It was the first official position I was ever given. And to be honest, I¡¯m really bad at it.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯s not true!¡± said Anne. In the original book, Agis had never been described as incompetent. But, now that Anne was thinking about it, he was never shown actually¡ leading the army that much, either. He mostly spent his time running around with Anne on various adventures. Just like what he was doing now.
Agis shook his head again. ¡°No, I¡¯m terrible at it. I can¡¯t keep track of things like supply lines and training schedules. I¡¯ve never made it past the first paragraph of a book on military tactics. And no one really, you know, likes to listen to me. I don¡¯t have a very commanding presence. But I¡¯m a really good archer! And I¡¯m great at stealth! That¡¯s why I¡¯ve mostly just been letting Ylyndar run things while I do what I¡¯m good at, but¡ I was really scared Elyon was going to yell at me when he saw how much I had been neglecting my duties¡¡±
¡°But he didn¡¯t yell at you,¡± said Anne. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you feel relieved?¡±
¡°I guess¡¡± said Agis. ¡°But somehow I just feel worse¡ Like¡ did he not care because he expected me to mess up? Did it ever matter if I was doing a good job or not? Was I given this posting just to get rid of me? I¡ª¡°
¡°We¡¯ve arrived!¡± called Ylyndar from up ahead.
The Atrium, as it was apparently called, was a large clearing lined with soft green grass and wildflowers. High up above, the tree branches reached out and met each other, forming a high roof over the clearing, with patterned patches of blue sky like paneless windows. The sunlight through the strange structure shone on the grass in strange patterns.
In the center of the clearing, Elyon stood tall with a small retinue of elves behind him, probably some of his Royal Guards. Although the elf standing next to him was definitely not a guard. He didn¡¯t look like he¡¯d ever been subordinate to anyone in his life.
He was tall, taller than Elyon even, and had long brown hair that reached down past his waist. He wore black leather armor and a red half-cloak. On his back he carried a large sword, the biggest Anne had seen in this world. And, as if this wasn¡¯t enough, one of his eyes was covered by a black eyepatch, like a pirate.
This elf did not look like he belonged in a fantasy romance novel. He looked like he¡¯d fit in better in a martial arts novel, maybe. Or an adventure fantasy novel. Was there a character like that in The Foundling¡¯s Wings?
¡°Greetings,¡± said Elyon, with a nod, as they approached the elves. ¡°I am glad to see you¡¯ve arrived safely.¡±
¡°This is the Saintess?¡± The elf in the red cloak bent down to look at Anne more closely. ¡°She looks like I could snap her spine in half without even trying!¡± he laughed loudly at this, like it was the best joke he¡¯d ever told.
¡°Saintess, please forgive his rudeness,¡± said Elyon. ¡°This is our brother, Zaos Clearshot, first son of Theodas, crown prince of the Sacred Forest, and High Commander of the elven armies.¡±
Zaos grinned. ¡°Welcome to the Sacred Forest.¡± Somehow, the way he said it made it sound like a threat.
Chapter 74
Elyon sighed and shook his head. ¡°Zaos, I told you that if you wanted to tag along you¡¯d have to play nice.¡±
¡°What?¡± said Zaos, looking offended. ¡°How is that not nice? I welcomed them!¡±
¡°Yeah, while grinning at them like you were about to eat them,¡± said Elyon.
¡°But this is my nicest smile!¡± said Zaos. He smiled again, while pointing at his face. Somehow his smile gave the impression of a tiger baring its fangs, about to leap. ¡°See? So friendly!¡±
Elyon just shook his head again before turning to address the visiting party. ¡°I apologize for Prince Zaos,¡± he said. ¡°He arrived at the Royal Guard camp last night to exchange tactical information and when I mentioned this meeting to him he insisted that he wanted to meet our sister, the Saintess.¡±
¡°Ah, well,¡± said Anne, glancing around at the others. Corvina shrugged at her. ¡°Thanks for the interest? I guess?¡± said Anne. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡±
¡°Yeah, yeah, nice to meet you,¡± said Zaos, waving a hand dismissively. ¡°I wanted to ask why you¡¯re wasting your time with the humans. You know that Goddess they worship was originally an elf, right? I was alive before they started cutting the ears off all their statues of her. You should just move back to the Forest and start doing your miracles for us instead. Hey, can you show us a miracle right now?¡±
¡°Um¡¡± said Anne. ¡°I kind of suspected as much about the Goddess, so that¡¯s cool to have that confirmed, but the miracles don¡¯t really work on demand like that¡ and I can¡¯t really just up and move. I¡¯ve got stuff to do out there. And I do actually care about some of the humans, too¡¡±
¡°What?¡± said Zaos, his brows furrowed in genuine confusion. ¡°Why?¡±
¡°Why?¡± repeated Anne. ¡°Because they¡¯re my friends!¡±
¡°But you¡¯re an elf!¡± countered Zaos.
¡°Yeah, but¡¡± Anne tried to come up with reasoning that might get through to this¡ very overwhelming elf man. ¡°I might be half-human too, right? I don¡¯t know who my mother is, but if she dropped me off at a human church for them to raise me, I¡¯m probably only half-elf, right?¡±
Zaos shook his head adamantly. ¡°You¡¯re not a half-elf,¡± said Zaos.
¡°How could you know that, though?¡± said Anne.
Zaos tapped his own ears twice. ¡°You have long pointed ears. A half-elf would have short pointed ears, almost like a human¡¯s.¡±
¡°So¡ my mother was an elf?¡± said Anne. She wasn¡¯t sure how to take this. The whole time she¡¯d been reading The Foundling¡¯s Wings she was assuming the Saintess was half-elf. It made more sense with her backstory, and thematically it positioned her as a symbolic bridge between the humans and the elves. But she was a full-blooded elf the whole time? Why did her mother drop her off at a human church then?
Eva placed a hand on her shoulder and whispered to her. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter where you came from,¡± she said. ¡°What matters is who you are now.¡±
Anne nodded. ¡°Thank you,¡± she whispered back.
Despite some of the recent weirdness in their relationship, it was still nice to have a supportive friend like Eva around.
Zaos paid no attention to Eva. Or to Anne¡¯s feelings, really. He just kept going with what he was saying. ¡°If you join our army, the humans will lose morale. And with the power of your miracles on our side, then we can finally turn the tide of the war and¡ª¡°
Zaos suddenly fell silent and cocked his head, like he was listening for something. Then he narrowed his eyes.
¡°Is this your whole group?¡± he asked, his voice lowered. ¡°Was anyone else lagging behind?¡±
¡°What?¡± said Anne, confused by the turn in the conversation. ¡°No, this is all of us.¡±
¡°Then you¡¯ve got a rat,¡± said Zaos. He pulled a dagger out of his belt and threw it across the clearing.
The dagger flew an incredible distance, straight through the air, heading for the branches of one of the trees. Just before it hit, the Unseen Rain jumped out of the tree and landed solidly on the ground.
Everyone gasped.
¡°The assassin!¡± said Corvina, pulling out her sword.
¡°Assassin, you say?¡± said Zaos, with another terrifying grin. ¡°This should be fun.¡±
Zaos leapt into action, running across the clearing at an incredible speed while grabbing his sword off his back. Despite its massive size, he swung it with one hand, baring down on Rain¡¯s location.
But by the time Zaos¡¯ blow hit the ground, Rain had jumped back up into the trees again, landing delicately on a large branch.
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Zaos laughed. ¡°You¡¯re good!¡± he said. Then he pointed his sword at Rain and declared, ¡°Beware, trespasser in the forest, for your opponent is Zaos, son of Theodas. Now tell me your name, for I never kill a man without knowing his name.
¡°They call me the Unseen Rain,¡± the assassin replied. ¡°And I¡¯m a woman today.¡±
¡°Shit, that¡¯s a cool name,¡± said Zaos. ¡°Have at you, then, woman!¡±
Zaos immediately launched into another attack, which Rain once again leapt away from. The two of them disappeared into the trees somewhere.
Corvina, sword in hand, began to rush after the combatants. Eva, Agis, and Ylyndar all followed closely behind.
¡°Stop!¡± shouted Elyon, in a voice so loud and commanding it actually managed to stop them all in their tracks.
They all looked at Elyon, waiting for him to speak.
¡°Unless you¡¯re an elf with intimate knowledge of the Sacred Forest, do not step one foot out of this clearing without clear instructions,¡± said Elyon. His tone left no room for argument. ¡°You will be lost and there¡¯s no guarantee you will be found again.¡±
¡°That assassin has been trying to kill Anne ever since we got here!¡± protested Corvina. ¡°We have to stop her or she¡¯ll keep trying until she gets lucky.¡±
¡°Prince Zaos will stop the assassin,¡± said Prince Elyon. ¡°You getting lost in the forest will not improve the situation.¡±
¡°Then I can still go, right?¡± said Agis, an arrow already at the ready. ¡°I should have noticed him following us earlier. This is my fault. I need a chance to redeem myself!¡±
Ylyndar stepped up and saluted Elyon. ¡°With your permission, I will accompany Prince Agis into the forest and we¡¯ll offer support to Prince Zaos.¡±
Elyon nodded. ¡°Go.¡± He snapped his fingers at a few of the soldiers who were with him as well. ¡°Take Gorduin and Vaeril with you, although if I know Zaos he may not let you in on the battle.¡±
As the elves rushed out into forest, they heard a loud, long scream and then there was a sort of explosion somewhere off in the distance.
¡°What was that!?¡± said Anne, alarmed.
Elyon sighed again. ¡°That would be Zaos and his ¡®Exploding Hurricane Sword¡¯ technique. He claims he has to shout in order to ¡®charge his power¡¯ but I think he just enjoys the theatricality.¡±
He¡¯s definitely in the wrong genre, thought Anne.
Elyon stepped up to Sebastian. Sebastian, who had been watching this whole scene with various looks of fear on his face, ranging from ¡®mildly nervous¡¯ to ¡®terrified,¡¯ flinched when Elyon approached.
Seeing him flinch, Elyon took a step back again, and bowed slightly. ¡°Prince Sebastian, are you ready to go?¡± he asked.
¡°Um¡ I suppose,¡± said Sebastian.
¡°We¡¯re just going to keep going about our business like there¡¯s not a high-stakes battle with an assassin going on over there?¡± asked Corvina, gesturing towards the forest. There was another booming sound from that direction.
Elyon¡¯s tone of voice was non-nonchalant. ¡°I understand you¡¯re concerned about the assassin, but I assure you, Prince Zaos has never been defeated in single combat. I see no point in waiting around for the outcome.¡±
Corvina rolled her eyes, but she finally sheathed her sword again.
¡°Say your goodbyes to your sister,¡± Elyon told Sebastian. ¡°I have a few things to say to the Saintess, and then we¡¯ll bring you further into the woods, to our camp, where you will be staying for the duration of your time with us.¡±
¡°Okay¡¡± said Sebastian.
¡°That works out,¡± said Anne. ¡°There were a few things I wanted to talk to you about, too.¡±
Elyon led Anne a few feet away.
¡°So what¡¯s this about?¡± asked Anne.
¡°This is the reason I wanted you all to meet us here,¡± said Elyon. ¡°I wanted to show you this place.¡± He gestured to the space around them.
¡°The Atrium?¡± asked Anne.
¡°Yes,¡± said Elyon. ¡°You may have guessed already, but when you first enter the forest you will always be led here, no matter where you enter from. It¡¯s sort of the entrance into the forest. Where you go from here determines if you can find your way through the forest or if you will become lost.¡±
¡°That seems easy enough to explain,¡± said Anne. ¡°When we asked Agis and Ylyndar about it before they were really cagey. Why didn¡¯t they just tell us?¡±
¡°The Sacred Forest contains natural magic that messes with people¡¯s ability to perceive and understand information,¡± said Elyon. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t already entered the Atrium at least once, your mind wouldn¡¯t have been able to comprehend even a simple explanation of it.¡±
Anne sighed. ¡°I guess that makes as much sense as anything.¡± Anne looked around, spinning in circles slightly. ¡°How are you supposed to know where to go from here to get anywhere?¡±
Elyon smiled. ¡°That is what I wanted to show you. I understand why you want to stay with the humans, but you¡¯re family. And now that I¡¯ve met you I can also tell that you¡¯re a good person. And so, should you ever find yourself in need of the knowledge, I think you should know how to find your way to the elven city and our father¡¯s palace.¡±
Elyon pointed toward the north side of the clearing. ¡°Do you see that birch tree?¡± he asked.
Anne nodded. Most of the trees around here were oaks, with dark-brown trunks. The birch stood out with its bright white bark.
¡°To get to the elven city, follow the birch trees from here,¡± said Elyon. ¡°They¡¯re spaced out, but once you reach one you should be able to see the next one from there. As long as you follow the birch trees you¡¯ll eventually make it to the city.¡±
Anne nodded. That was easy enough to remember. ¡°Are there similar landmarks to get around to different areas of the forest?¡± asked Anne.
¡°Yes,¡± said Elyon. ¡°But some of them are more subtle than others.¡±
Anne looked around, trying to spot other interesting things that might be guiding marks. At one place towards the edge of the clearing, a single rose bush in full-bloom grew around the base of the tree. Some distance from that, the image of a heart was carved into the trunk of another tree¡ªnot the symbolic shape of a heart, but a fully anatomically correct image of a heart carved into the wood. And only a feet away from where she and Elyon now stood, a crumbling stone pillar was planted into the dirt as deeply as any oak tree.
Anne felt herself drawn towards the stone. She walked up to it, hand out, and felt its smooth surface, weathered by age. It reminded her of something¡
Anne was struck suddenly by a vision, or perhaps a memory of a dream.
The Saintess, her long hair tangled and dirty, her dress torn, her bare feet bleeding, stumbled through a dark forest. She reached a hand out and placed it on a stone pillar, half-crumbled into ruin. Her expression was grim, determined. She pressed on.
Anne took her hand off the pillar.
¡°Where would it lead me if I followed the ruins?¡± asked Anne.
¡°You must never follow the ruins,¡± said Elyon. ¡°Not for hundreds of years yet. You don¡¯t need to know about or remember anything else other than the birch trees for now. If it¡¯s an emergency situation you should go to the palace and find a member of our family. They¡¯ll help you.¡±
¡°But where do the ruins lead?¡± Anne was determined to know.
Elyon looked past Anne and past the pillar, into the deep forest. His eyes looked far away, hesitant. ¡°The ruins lead to the end of the world,¡± he said.
Chapter 75
Full-blooded elves in this world did not die natural deaths, Elyon explained. They were functionally immortal. They could be killed, and they did still age, albeit slowly, but left to their own devices an elf would never die from age alone.
That was why, when an elf was old enough that they could feel themselves starting to drift further and further away from this world, they would, at some point, choose to follow the ¡°path of ruin,¡± as it was sometimes called euphemistically.
¡°We must carry ourselves to the next world on our own two feet,¡± said Elyon. ¡°That is our burden to bear as a long-lived species. Many feel that our father, King Theodas, has held on too long, and that his selfishness in clinging to life is leading the heart of our kingdom to stagnate and rot in foolish delirium. They say he should have followed the path of ruin long ago...¡±
Elyon placed his hand on the pillar, and the expression in his eyes as he looked up at the stone was unreadable.
¡°Damn¡¡± said Anne. That was pretty heavy. ¡°What do you think?¡±
Elyon didn¡¯t speak for a moment. Then he took his hand off the pillar and looked back at Anne. ¡°I think that¡¯s his decision to make,¡± said Elyon, dispassionately. ¡°As it will be yours one day, although you are far too young to seriously contemplate that as an option now. Actually, how old are you, exactly?¡±
Anne desperately tried to remember what age the Saintess had been in The Foundling¡¯s Wings.
¡°I¡¯m not exactly sure¡ uh, since I was abandoned at the church steps as a baby I don¡¯t know exactly when I was born,¡± said Anne, mentally high-fiving herself for the believable excuse. ¡°I¡¯m about twenty-six or twenty-seven, I think?¡±
Elyon shook his head sadly. ¡°Barely more than a child.¡±
¡°What even is the age of majority for elves?¡± asked Anne.
¡°Twenty-five,¡± replied Elyon. ¡°As young as that is. We don¡¯t mature that much slower than humans, although we age much slower than them. I believe Agis is something like ten years your elder, which I¡¯m sure would seem like a large age-gap from a human perspective, but from an elven perspective that practically makes you twins.¡±
¡°Huh, interesting¡ Oh, wait a second!¡± said Anne. ¡°I just remembered, that¡¯s what I wanted to talk to you about!¡± Anne squared her shoulders and pointed an accusatory finger. ¡°What the fuck is with the way you¡¯ve been treating Agis?¡±
Elyon looked taken aback. ¡°What do you mean?¡±
¡°He¡¯s your brother, not even your half-brother, your full brother. And in the past couple days you¡¯ve barely even looked at him!¡±
¡°Ah, well¡ª¡°
¡°And he says you¡¯ve been ignoring him basically his whole life!¡± continued Anne, advancing on Elyon while waving an accusatory finger. ¡°Do you have any idea how lonely he sounds when he talks about his childhood? And then you gave him this post as the rebel army leader, and he wanted to make you proud, but he feels like he¡¯s failed, and you don¡¯t seem to even care either way. What¡¯s with that?¡±
¡°Well, you see, it¡¯s just that¡ª¡° Elyon looked a little panicked as Anne advanced on him.
¡°I know you don¡¯t lack compassion or a sense of justice!¡± said Anne. ¡°You¡¯ve done so much to try to help your half-siblings out of a bad situation. So why can¡¯t you show the same kind of consideration to Agis? And you seem to get along with Zaos just fine, so why not Agis? I just don¡¯t get it. What makes Agis different?¡±
¡°He¡¯s not different, I just¡ª¡° Elyon stopped mid-excuse, staring at Anne with a pleading expression. Anne just continued to glare at him.
Elyon sighed, and removed his glasses, rubbing the bridge of his nose. His expression softened as he regained control of himself. He no longer looked surprised or freaked out, just¡ sad.
¡°Saintess, the unfortunate truth of the matter is just that I¡¯m not naturally very good with people,¡± explained Elyon.
¡°What?¡± Now it was Anne¡¯s turn to be taken aback. That wasn¡¯t really the sort of answer she had expected to hear. It sort of took the wind out of her accusatory sails. ¡°What do you mean?¡± she asked. ¡°Everyone I talk to about you seems to really genuinely admire you, but you say you¡¯re not very good with people?¡±
¡°Not naturally. I hide this deficiency well because I¡¯ve spent my whole three-hundred and eighty years of life studying how to be better at it,¡± continued Elyon. ¡°Zaos is¡ well, he¡¯s sort of grandfathered in because I¡¯ve known him my whole life and he¡¯s always just been there. And my half-siblings¡ well, there¡¯s a hierarchy to it, isn¡¯t there? I outrank them anyway, and with the added formality of them working for me in the Royal Guard, I know the rules for how to interact with them. Even you, well¡ you¡¯re an important diplomatic figure, and I know rules for that, too. But Agis¡¡±
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Elyon folded his arms and leaned sideways against the stone pillar. He closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again. ¡°For one thing,¡± he continued, ¡°I¡¯m literally ten times his age, almost exactly at the moment. And we share the same social rank so there aren¡¯t any rules for how I should talk to him. I was already over three hundred years old when he was born. And I really don¡¯t know how to deal with babies, so when he was first born, I just¡¡± Elyon trailed off. ¡°And then suddenly he wasn¡¯t a baby anymore, and I¡ Well.¡± He looked over at Anne. ¡°Does he not like being the head of the combined rebel forces? I thought he would like it. He would always sneak off to go spend time with you anyway, after he met you. I thought he would like working with you.¡±
Hearing Elyon talk, Anne could understand more how this misunderstanding came to be. Anne didn¡¯t know much about the rest of the family, but Elyon at least wasn¡¯t trying to hurt Agis. But Agis was being hurt anyway. It was a difficult situation. ¡°Can I ask you one thing?¡± said Anne.
¡°Yes?¡± said Elyon.
¡°Do you actually care if the rebels succeed?¡± asked Anne. ¡°Or did you give Agis that job as a way of keeping him out of the way? Even just partially?¡±
Elyon stared at Anne for a moment. ¡°There may be¡ some truth to what you say. It¡¯s possible that we may think of the combined rebel forces as something of a¡ distraction for the Wyernwolf Emperor and not necessarily as a¡ viable primary tactical force in this war.¡±
¡°So that¡¯s why you didn¡¯t get upset when you saw how disorganized the rebel camp is,¡± said Anne. ¡°Agis thought you would be mad at him.¡±
¡°Did he want me to be mad at him?¡± asked Elyon, his brows knitting in confusion.
¡°He wanted you to care,¡± said Anne.
Elyon contemplated this. ¡°I do care, though. About Agis. Maybe I don¡¯t understand him yet, but I¡ I did genuinely think Agis would be happy leading the combined rebel forces. It seemed like¡ª¡°
¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how it seemed,¡± said Anne. ¡°I understand that you¡¯ve worked hard to be able to guess what people want in life, but even people who are naturally social can¡¯t always guess that sort of thing. Sometimes you have to just ask.¡±
This surprised Elyon into another momentary silence. ¡°Yes¡¡± he said, looking thoughtful. ¡°Yes, perhaps you¡¯re right¡ Your insight into the soul is truly worthy of the title of Saintess.¡±
Anne laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that,¡± she said. ¡°But I¡¯ve noticed a lot of people around here tend to be too subtle for their own good. Sometimes it¡¯s better to be direct.¡±
A voice boomed across the clearing, ¡°She got away!¡±
Zaos was striding back into the clearing, his armor looking a bit tattered and blood dripping from his face. Agis, Ylyndar, and the other elves chased after him, looking largely untouched. Elyon, Anne, and the others left behind moved to greet them.
¡°He wouldn¡¯t even let us help fight!¡± complained Agis, waving his unfired bow. ¡°He just kept shouting ¡®Don¡¯t interfere!¡¯ every time we tried.¡±
¡°A duel between equals should never be interrupted,¡± said Zaos. He swung his massive sword up to rest across his shoulders as he spoke. ¡°I would have gotten her, too, but she used some sort of flash bomb to temporarily blind my good eye and she disappeared before I recovered my sight.¡±
¡°Never mind that, are you okay?¡± asked Anne. ¡°Do you need medical attention?¡±
¡°What? No, I¡¯m fine,¡± said Zaos. ¡°Why do you ask?¡±
¡°Your face is literally dripping blood,¡± said Anne, pointing at her own eye to indicate the injured area.
Zaos raised a hand to his cheek and it came away covered in blood. It was dripping down from under his eye patch, like a crimson stream of tears. ¡°Oh, that,¡± he said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I wasn¡¯t injured, my eye just does that sometimes.¡±
¡°What?¡± said Anne. ¡°It just does that?¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Zaos shrugged. ¡°My eye¡¯s a little bit cursed, that¡¯s all. It¡¯s not worth worrying over.¡±
¡°It¡¯s¡ cursed!?¡± said Anne.
¡°Anyway,¡± said Zaos, quickly moving on. ¡°Regardless of the outcome of our battle, you shouldn¡¯t have to worry about that assassin bothering you for a while.¡±
¡°What? Why?¡± said Anne. ¡°What do you mean?¡±
¡°She ran away when she blinded me. She¡¯s bound to be lost somewhere out there now,¡± said Zaos, jerking a thumb back in the direction of the forest. ¡°That woman has a special Sight and I believe she has a bit of elf blood in her, but she¡¯s mostly human and unfamiliar with the Forest. Now it¡¯s up to the trees how long they decide to keep her for.¡±
Everyone fell silent for a moment, contemplating this.
Elyon sighed again. ¡°That¡¯s that, then,¡± he turned to Sebastian and Corvina, who had been hanging back during this conversation. ¡°Have you said your goodbyes? Are you ready to part ways?¡±
Sebastian and Corvina both nodded, and then they shared a final hug.
¡°Thank you for trying to save my life,¡± said Sebastian.
¡°Thank you for going along with my ridiculous plan,¡± said Corvina.
¡°And remember what I told you,¡± added Sebastian. ¡°You¡¯ve got to¡ª¡°
Corvina kicked him in the shin.
I wonder what that¡¯s about, thought Anne, mildly curious.
¡°Very well,¡± said Elyon. He gave another slight formal bow. ¡°Prince Sebastian, if you would please come with me? The rest of you, in order to safely exit the forest, you need to¡ª¡°
¡°Wait, where¡¯s Eva?¡± asked Agis.
¡°Eva? She¡¯s right¡ª¡° but when Anne turned her head, she realized she didn¡¯t see Eva anymore. She looked this way and that, but the cleric was nowhere to be found.
¡°What the fuck?¡± said Anne. ¡°Where did Eva go?¡±
The Unseen Rain stumbled through the Sacred Forest. That tall elf with the long hair was a tough fighter, and she¡¯d sustained several internal injuries that were slowing her down. If she hadn¡¯t used that flash bomb to escape, things may have gone poorly.
This was so annoying. She wasn¡¯t even trying to kill the impostor Saintess anymore, she was just curious about her. And now she was hurt and she didn¡¯t know where she was and she felt like the trees were glaring at her.
Not just the trees.
Rain spun around. The Forest had grown dark around her, and it grew darker still. Shadows were creeping out from behind the person now standing in front of her, reaching towards Rain, deepening the darkness.
¡°I believe we need to have a talk, you and I,¡± said Sister Eva, wreathed in shadow, a gentle smile on her face.
Chapter 76
The Unseen Rain swore under her breath.
Eva launched an attack, jumping forward and punching the air. As she moved, the tendrils of shadow behind her coalesced into the shape of a spear, hovering just above her arm. When her arm was fully extended, the shadow spear launched forward at great speed, directly at Rain.
Rain dodged, but just barely. In fact, if she hadn¡¯t reflexively¡ enhanced her own movements when she jumped away, she would have been hit.
Rain landed heavily on a low tree branch and had to brace herself against the trunk to stop from falling. The tree branch groaned loudly under her weight and Rain hoped it would be able to hold her weight. ¡°Is this your idea of a conversation?¡± she called down to Eva.
¡°So you are a true magic user after all,¡± said Eva, looking up at Rain. More shadow tendrils were gathering behind her.
Eva can sense the use of true magic, then, thought Rain. But the cleric hadn¡¯t been certain until Rain used magic in front of her. So Eva didn¡¯t have the same powers of Sight that Rain had. That possibly gave Rain an advantage, although it didn¡¯t make much difference in active combat.
¡°I use small amounts of true magic, when necessary,¡± admitted Rain. ¡°I¡¯m not reckless, like you are.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not reckless,¡± said Eva. ¡°I¡¯m just willing to do what it takes.¡±
Eva launched another shadow spear, forcing Rain to jump to another tree further on while Eva followed below.
¡°Do you not know what true magic is?¡± asked Rain. ¡°Do you not know what fuels it?¡±
¡°I know,¡± said Eva, with a shrug. ¡°I just don¡¯t care.¡±
The shadow tendrils around Eva collapsed into a dark pool around her feet. Then the pool suddenly launched upwards, quickly lifting Eva towards Rain¡¯s perch. At the same time, a smaller amount of shadow flowed up Eva¡¯s side and then down her arm, forming into a curved blade around her hand.
There was no time to dodge. Rain raised her dagger to block the blow from Eva¡¯s shadow weapon, but when the two blades clashed, the shadow blade suddenly dissolved. The shadow blade flowed around the physical blade like some form of viscous fluid, and when it had gone all the way through, it solidified again.
Rain shouted as the blade cut deep into her shoulder.
Rain blindly kicked outward. The blow barely landed, but it was enough to send Eva tumbling out of the tree. Before the cleric could recover, Rain jumped away again, trying to increase the distance between them.
Rain had trained her whole life to carefully control various forms of magic. The small amount of divine magic she¡¯d inherited, apparently from some long distant elven ancestor. The true magic she¡¯d awakened to in her childhood. The alchemy she¡¯d learned through careful study. By combining them in the right way, Rain could achieve remarkable effects with little risk.
But how could any level of subtle mastery hope to stand up against sheer, reckless power?
¡°Get back here!¡± Eva shouted from the ground, launching another shadow spear. It nicked Rain¡¯s ear, drawing blood, as Rain fled further into the forest.
Rain had sensed something like this in Eva the first time they met, which is why she had quickly retreated every time Eva had arrived on the scene. It wasn¡¯t that Rain understood right away exactly what Eva was capable of, it was more that she could tell Eva was capable of something. And whatever that was, it was bound to be both terrifying and unpredictable.
It was Eva¡¯s aura that gave it away.
In Rain¡¯s experience, every person had two auras. Their body aura, which manifested as a faintly glowing outline around a person¡¯s body; and their soul aura, which manifested as a similar glow on a person¡¯s chest, around where their heart would be.
In a normal person, the body aura and the soul aura shared the same color. This is how Rain could sense something was wrong with the Saintess.
In a normal person, the body aura and soul aura were also clearly distinct. There was a barrier between them. They didn¡¯t touch or overlap.
However, in any person who had awakened to true magic, there would be connections between the two auras. Maybe in just one or two places, where the soul aura had reached out to intersect the body aura. Perhaps more, if a magician was particularly powerful.
Eva¡¯s soul aura had fully expanded beyond her body aura to the point where it was hard to distinguish the two, and this combined aura¡ The only word Rain could think of to describe it was ragged, like an ancient overcoat. It was full of holes and tears. It constantly flickered and shifted, making it difficult for Rain to even focus her eyes on it for too long. It was wrong. More wrong even then the Saintess, with her mismatched soul. Even the thought of it made Rain feel nauseous.
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And even with all that, Rain hadn¡¯t predicted this. She hadn¡¯t predicted the extent to which Eva would be willing to utilize the power available to her.
After all, who would reasonably guess that someone would have such little regard for their own life?
Eva chased Rain through the forest, launching shadow spears at her over and over again. Rain was still managing to dodge, but only just. Her wounded shoulder was screaming in pain, slowing her down and making it harder to maneuver properly. This was even worse than that fight with the damn elf prince, although being tired from the first fight certainly wasn¡¯t making this one any easier, either¡
This was supposed to be an easy job, thought Rain. Kill a nice church girl, no problem, get a fat paycheck, take it easy for a few months, but no, it can¡¯t ever be easy.
Rain was in midair when she saw a massive spike of shadow erupt from the branch she was about to land on. Reaching out to her magic, she used a gust of wind to push herself slightly out of the way so she would land just to the side of the spike instead of being impaled by it.
Somehow, the unnatural wind rustling through the trees sounded like the angry chittering of a swarm of small, violent creatures.
Rain hated this forest. It was unsettling. The trees didn¡¯t feel like trees, the geography made no sense, her divine Sight wasn¡¯t working properly¡ She couldn¡¯t make sense of anything she was seeing!
Like the trees. Normally plants only had a single aura, but these trees had two each. What kind of tree had a heart?
All that, and she was being forced to use far more true magic than she was comfortable with all at once. If she kept going like this for too long she would have to pay a price she wasn¡¯t willing to pay.
Rain dodged again, jumping up to a higher branch as another spike erupted directly underneath her. If she hadn¡¯t dodged that, she might have been bisected. This was all too much.
¡°Wait! Wait!¡± Rain shouted.
¡°Why should I wait?¡± asked Eva from down on the forest floor, her voice calm, her smile steady. ¡°As long as you¡¯re alive, you¡¯re a threat to Anne. I can¡¯t allow that. You should save us both some time by just standing still for two seconds so I can kill you.¡±
Eva launched another shadow spear through the air and Rain dodged it again. ¡°Look, I¡¯m not even trying to kill your fake Saintess anymore.¡±
¡°Fake¡ª?¡± Eva¡¯s smile wavered for just a moment. ¡°So you know I¡¯ve been faking the miracles, then? Just another reason I can¡¯t allow you to live.¡±
¡°You¡¯ve been doing what?¡± said Rain.
Rain thought about it. She hadn¡¯t considered the possibility because the Saintess, even with her foreign soul, radiated a strong divine power. The soul aura was ordinary, but the body aura was one of the most purely divine auras she had ever seen. The body of Anne Coris was obviously from a very powerful divine bloodline.
But divine magic generally gave people powers of vision, like Rain¡¯s Sight, or the knowledge of hidden things, or prophetic dreams, things like that. And Rain didn¡¯t often pay much attention to current events, but from what she¡¯d heard, the ¡°miracles¡± performed by the Saintess were things like¡ levitation, making statues weep, multiplying loaves of bread, etc. None of that was really possible through divine magic as it was classically understood.
So Eva¡¯s true magic had been behind the miracles all along, then. Interesting.
Eva was staring up at Rain with confused eyes, her head tilted to one side, her smile strained. Her relentless attacks had finally stopped. In the momentary silence, Rain could hear the trees continuing to groan and chitter, even though her magical wind had dissipated.
¡°You didn¡¯t know¡¡± said Eva. ¡°Then what did you mean by fake Saintess?¡±
¡°I mean she¡¯s not the Saintess,¡± said Rain, slowly climbing higher up the tree, casually, hoping not to trigger another onslaught of attacks. ¡°And my target is the Saintess, so I don¡¯t have any contractual obligation to kill her, so you can just¡ª¡°
¡°Right, and she¡¯s not the Saintess because I¡¯ve been faking¡ª¡± said Eva.
¡°No!¡± said Rain, exasperated. ¡°My target, the person I was paid to kill, is Anne Coris, the Saintess of the Church of Coris. That person that you¡¯ve been traveling with is not Anne Coris.¡±
The damned cleric finally stopped smiling.
¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense!¡± Eva snapped. ¡°I¡¯ve been with her my whole life. Since we were children. I¡¯ve stood right by her side, watching over her as she¡¯s grown and changed throughout the years. She couldn¡¯t get a new freckle on her arm without me noticing.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t say it wasn¡¯t the body of Anne Coris,¡± said Rain. ¡°But¡ª¡°
Eva was no longer listening. She launched another shadow spear, which made Rain lose her grip on the higher branch she was climbing to. Rain landed heavily on a lower branch, the wood groaning loudly beneath her.
Eva continued to talk, the volume of her voice rising as she continued her attacks, ¡°If Anne¡¯s not real, then nothing is real. If she¡¯s not true, then nothing is true!¡±
Another shadow spear buried itself into a tree trunk behind her as Rain dodged, swinging upside down so she was hanging from the branch by her knees.
That last shadow spear had landed directly on the tree¡¯s second aura. What would be its soul aura, if trees had souls, which was ridiculous. Trees were living things, obviously, but they were unthinking, inanimate¡ª
The groaning and chittering of the branches and leaves grew louder still, until Rain felt she had to cover her ears.
¡°What the¡ª¡°
Suddenly, the tree closest to Eva fully bent itself over, wrapping her up in its branches, before snapping back upright with a deafening crack.
The tree Rain was sitting in didn¡¯t have to work quite as hard to grab her. She felt the branches close around her like the bars of a prison.
Rain swore again.
Chapter 77
The original Saintess stood in a dark clearing in the middle of the Sacred Forest. There was a soft glow around her, as if she was shining with her own inner light. Her long, wavy hair swayed gently in the breeze.
Her hand was resting on the trunk of a tree, and she was looking up into its branches, a concerned expression on her face.
She was looking up at Sister Eva, trapped in the branches of the tree. The branches had twisted around her limbs so tightly she could barely move. It was almost like the tree, guided by the hands of a skilled gardener, had grown up and around Eva like she was a living trellis. Like some sort of disturbing topiary art.
Eva struggled against the restraints to no avail, her face twisted in fear and anger.
¡°You left her here,¡± said the Saintess. She turned around, making eye contact with Anne, who was watching the scene unfold from a few feet away. ¡°You abandoned her.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t want to!¡± said Anne, horrified by what she was seeing. ¡°I wanted to go find her! But Elyon said our pathway out of the forest was closing¡ and he said he would send his people to conduct a search¡ The elves do have a much better chance of finding her, and besides¡ª¡°
The original Saintess ignored her, turning back to gaze up at Eva again. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have abandoned her,¡± she said, her eyes full of compassion. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have left her behind.¡± The Saintess paused for a moment, then knitted her brow in confusion. ¡°No, that¡¯s not right,¡± she said, removing her hand from the tree trunk. ¡°I did leave her behind. Why did I leave her behind? Where did I go?¡±
Anne approached carefully. ¡°Do you know how to help her? I can go help her, if you¡ª¡°
¡°Why would I want to help her?¡± snapped the Saintess, glaring at Anne. ¡°After everything she¡¯s done? After everything that happened? Over and over and over and¡ª¡°
¡°What?!¡± said Anne, thrown for a loop. In her previous dreams, the Saintess had been plenty mysterious and confusing, but she hadn¡¯t been quite this confused. Now she was talking in circles. ¡°What do you mean after everything she¡¯s done? What did Eva do?¡±
The Saintess grew quiet again. She looked up at Eva and the expression of compassion returned. ¡°What did she do?¡± The Saintess reached a hand out towards the trapped cleric. ¡°She saved me. She stayed by me. She shaped me. She gave me everything. I wish I had never met her. If the Goddess had an ounce of mercy in her shriveled soul she would have struck me dead on that church doorstep before any of this ever started.¡±
Something about the bitterness with which the Saintess spoke this final sentence sparked something in the back of Anne¡¯s mind. A half-formed thought, or maybe a memory. Something Elyon had said in the Forest earlier¡ A connection she hadn¡¯t quite made yet.
Oh!
Oh no.
Anne had a terrible sinking feeling in her stomach.
The Saintess had gone quiet again. She was staring off into the distance with a blank expression, like she was lost in thought.
¡°Saintess?¡± said Anne, carefully touching her shoulder to get her attention.
¡°Hmm?¡± said the Saintess, turning back to her with a soft smile, all traces of anger and bitterness gone from her face.
¡°I rarely get the chance to actually talk to you much in these dreams, and there¡¯s something important I need to ask you¡¡± said Anne.
¡°Yes, what is it?¡±
¡°In these dreams, I¡¯ve seen you several times¡ it¡¯s not very clear, but I¡¯ve seen you walking through the Sacred Forest, following some ruins¡ Elyon told me today that¡ following that path is how elves die. I never actually finished reading The Foundling¡¯s Wings and now I¡¯m wondering if, in the end¡ Saintess, did you¡ try to kill yourself?¡±
The Saintess smiled wider.
The scene shifted around them, and once again Anne found herself on that path, surrounded by ruins. The Saintess stood in front of her, now looking much rougher. She was barefoot, and her feet were bleeding.
¡°I wanted to get out,¡± said the Saintess. ¡°I wanted it to stop. I thought she would help me, but she wouldn¡¯t help me. I was looking for her. I kept looking for her. Over and over and over and¡¡±
The Saintess turned her head away.
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¡°I found my own way out,¡± she continued. ¡°But it didn¡¯t turn out how I thought. I don¡¯t¡ I don¡¯t know where I am. I can feel myself slipping¡ bits of me getting chipped off, a little bit at a time. Crumbling away. It takes everything I have just to hold onto what I have, and I have less and less and less. I don¡¯t know why I¡¡±
Suddenly the Saintess grabbed Anne¡¯s shoulders, her face twisted in desperation again. ¡°You have to destroy it!¡± she shouted. ¡°It must still have a hold on me! That¡¯s what went wrong, I¡¯m sure of it! You have to shatter it completely so that there¡¯s nothing left! Cut every thread, sever every string, break down the words to their component letters and then break down the letters so there¡¯s nothing but random lines. Burn it, turn it to ash!¡±
¡°What? What are you talking about?¡± asked Anne, trying to break out of the Saintess¡¯ grasp. Her fingernails were digging into Anne¡¯s shoulders, breaking skin. Even in a dream, it hurt. ¡°I don¡¯t understand! You can¡¯t just shout riddles at me, you have to tell me directly what it is you want me to do, or I can¡¯t help you! What exactly do you want me to destroy!?¡±
The Saintess grabbed Anne¡¯s lapels and pulled her in close, so close their noses were almost touching, and she hissed the answer.
Anne woke with a start to find that Corvina had been gently shaking her, a concerned expression on her face.
¡°Are you okay?¡± asked Corvina. ¡°You were tossing and turning, and you looked distressed.¡±
Anne¡¯s mind was still groggy with sleep, but she couldn¡¯t let herself fully wake up, not just yet.
¡°A paper!¡± Anne said. ¡°A piece of paper and a pen! Quickly, please. It¡¯s hard to¡ it¡¯s hard to remember after I wake up. I have to write it down, quickly! It¡¯s important.¡±
Corvina stood up and went over to the desk, fishing around for the requested items.
They were in a lavishly decorated room, full of bright shades of green and pink. Every surface was covered with different indoor plants and knick knacks.
Anne hadn¡¯t wanted to sleep at the temple without Eva there. Truthfully, Anne didn¡¯t really know how to talk to the other clerics. Eva usually acted as an intermediary between Anne and the church hierarchy, so Anne didn¡¯t really know any of the others all that well¡ It just felt awkward. Especially with Eva missing¡ she didn¡¯t want to have to answer questions about that at the moment.
Anne might have gone back anyway, except that Corvina had insisted that she should come along to the Tulin estate with her. That had also been a bit awkward, but with the assassin currently lost in the forest, the Marquess and his partner had decided that Anne¡¯s presence didn¡¯t pose too much of a threat to their family. So the ban had been lifted and Anne had been allowed to stay the night.
Corvina brought Anne a blank journal with a plush green cover and a quill pen. She set the ink pot on the nightstand so it wouldn¡¯t spill.
Sitting up in bed, Anne dipped the pen and quickly scribbled on the first page of the journal. Just two words.
With the most important things recorded, Anne sighed and put the journal down.
Corvina was sitting patiently by the side of the bed.
¡°Did you have a vision?¡± Corvina asked.
¡°Sort of¡¡± said Anne.
Corvina went to pick up the journal and then paused, looking at Anne for permission. Anne paused for a moment, then nodded.
Corvina picked up the journal and looked at it. ¡°The story,¡± she read. She put the journal back down. ¡°That¡¯s it? The story? What does that mean?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know¡¡± said Anne. ¡°I think I¡¯ve been missing some essential details for a while now¡ It feels really important that I figure it out, but I don¡¯t even know where to start.¡±
Corvina smiled and put a reassuring hand on Anne¡¯s shoulder. ¡°When I¡¯m stuck on something, I usually find it helps to get working on something else. Your mind will continue working on the problem in the background, and when you come back to it later, you might not be so stuck anymore.¡±
¡°Maybe you¡¯re right,¡± said Anne, with a wan smile.
¡°I¡¯m sure being worried about your friend going missing isn¡¯t helping either¡¡± said Corvina. ¡°And I¡¯m sorry about that. But I¡¯m positive Eva is going to be okay, so you shouldn¡¯t worry too much.¡±
¡°I mean, I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯ll be okay, too¡¡± said Anne. ¡°Mostly I just feel guilty for leaving without her, like I abandoned her. I know if our positions were reversed, she never would have left the Sacred Forest until she knew I was safe and sound. I know she can be¡ a lot sometimes, but she¡¯s a really loyal friend. And I feel bad about how much we¡¯ve been fighting lately, too. And¡ I think I need to ask her about some things.¡± Anne sighed. ¡°Also¡ I think she might be stuck in a tree. Like, really trapped in there.¡±
Corvina raised an eyebrow. ¡°Stuck in a tree?¡±
Anne shrugged. ¡°Maybe¡ My dreams aren¡¯t always literal, but¡¡±
¡°Well, stuck in a tree or not, I¡¯m sure the elves of the Sacred Forest are much better qualified to find her and help her than we would be,¡± said Corvina.
¡°Yeah, I know¡¡± said Anne.
¡°I¡¯m sure the elf princes will find her and bring her back soon enough,¡± said Corvina, with a reassuring smile. Then she stood up. ¡°In the meantime, it¡¯s best to stay busy to keep your mind off things. First things first, we really need to write the fake ransom letter to send to my father, so this whole fake kidnapping plan won¡¯t have been for nothing. And¡ there are a few things I want to talk to you about, too.¡±
Corvina¡¯s expression when she said this was inscrutable. Did Corvina want to talk to her about good things or bad things? Anne wasn¡¯t sure how much new information she could take today. She already had a bit of a headache.
Remember when I first arrived in this world? thought Anne. And I just got to hang out and eat pastries all day? I want to eat those pastries again...
Anne sighed. ¡°Okay,¡± she said. ¡°Just let me get dressed, and I¡ª¡°
There was a knock on the door, but whoever it was clearly considered the knock to be more of an announcement than a request for permission, because immediately after that the door swung open.
Justine, the woman who would be Marchioness if she had been of noble birth, stood in the doorway. Her arms were folded, she was glaring, and was tapping her foot on the ground¡ªthe universal language of angry mothers everywhere.
Behind her stood a woman wearing the colors of the Wyernmal estate, looking sheepish.
¡°Lady Corvina,¡± said Justine. ¡°Would you kindly inform me as to why I found your agent skulking around in my library?¡±
Chapter 78
¡°I would very much like to know the same thing,¡± said Corvina, glaring at her agent. ¡°I thought I told you to stick to asking around the commoners. What were you doing in the Tulin¡¯s library?¡±
¡°I¡¯m so sorry, my lady,¡± said the agent, bowing. ¡°But every line of inquiry I followed led to a dead-end! My contact at the church found nothing of use. Everyone I talked to either didn¡¯t remember anything of note happening around that time, or they remembered too many things. A series of shops being burgled, an especially bad flu that season, a mysterious house fire¡ª¡°
Most people, when they listened to someone talk, would look at the person who was talking. Corvina had long since learned that sometimes it was more useful to pay attention to the other listeners instead.
That¡¯s how she was able to notice that, when the agent mentioned a house fire, Justine¡¯s brow briefly furrowed. A sign of recognition.
¡°¡ªI really couldn¡¯t think of what else to look into,¡± continued the agent. ¡°And I just thought¡ Well, as the family in charge of the region, maybe the Tulins would have records stored in their library that didn¡¯t exist anywhere else.¡±
¡°I see,¡± said Corvina. ¡°And did you find anything useful?¡±
¡°No, my lady,¡± said the agent, looking down in shame.
¡°I interrupted her before she could find much of anything,¡± said Justine. ¡°Because, and this might surprise you, I¡¯m not particularly fond of strangers snooping around my library without permission.¡±
¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry for the trespass, Lady Justine,¡± said Corvina, with a low curtsy. ¡°I will take full responsibility for my agent¡¯s actions. Whatever restitution you see fit, I will see that you receive it.¡±
Justine sighed. ¡°You don¡¯t¡ have to act like that. Just explain to me what it is you¡¯re so desperately looking into. I¡¯ve lived in this area my whole life, and I¡¯ve seen it from both sides¡ªpoor and rich. Perhaps I can help.¡±
Corvina looked at Justine. Justine had defensive tendencies, especially when it came to her family and her home. But that was perfectly understandable, given that, according to the laws of the empire, technically neither her home nor her family legally belonged to her. It made sense for someone living like that to see their position as precarious¡ªIt was precarious.
But still, despite all that, Justine was a genuinely kind person. Corvina could see where Belle got her personality from. She smiled a little at the thought.
Then Corvina glanced at Anne. Anne had been watching these proceedings with an air of confused interest. She was still in her nightshirt, with her hair unkempt from sleep. She looked unbearably cute. Corvina desperately wanted to reach out and ruffle that hair.
Corvina turned away. This whole mess really wasn¡¯t what she had wanted to talk to Anne about today. But she couldn¡¯t avoid the topic any longer.
¡°Alright,¡± said Corvina. ¡°I¡¯ll explain, but I think we should allow Anne to get dressed first.¡±
Corvina sent her agent away, and then she and Justine waited together in a nearby drawing room while Anne got dressed. Helen brought them tea, which they sipped slowly while making polite small talk about Justine¡¯s gardens and the management of the region. It was a bit tense, but Corvina and Justine were both well-practiced in ignoring tension for the sake of being polite.
Finally, Anne came back in, wearing a blue suit Corvina had seen before, but without the stole to mark her status as a religious figure. ¡°Sorry that took me a while,¡± said Anne, looking sheepish. ¡°Honestly, Eva usually helps me with the buttons and I forgot how tricky they can be¡¡±
Corvina patted the space on the settee next to her and Anne obediently sat down.
¡°I¡¯m sorry for not telling you this earlier,¡± said Corvina, to Anne. ¡°I couldn¡¯t predict how you would react, or how Eva would react to your reaction, and I don¡¯t deal well with things I can¡¯t predict. Perhaps I¡¯ve been overly cautious and paranoid about the whole thing anyway, but¡¡±
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Corvina looked over at Justine and took a deep breath before continuing. ¡°For a while now, I¡¯ve had certain suspicions about Anne¡¯s friend, the cleric Sister Eva. You met her before. She was here at the estate when the incident with the assassin took place.¡±
¡°Eva?¡± said Anne. Corvina searched her face carefully for any reaction, shock or anger, maybe. But to Corvina¡¯s surprise she didn¡¯t seem to have much of a reaction at all. She just looked serious. Thoughtful, maybe. ¡°What are your suspicions, what do you think Eva¡¯s done?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know for certain, exactly,¡± said Corvina. ¡°I instructed my agent to find out anything she could about Eva¡¯s background before she entered the church. She was about eight years-old when she was given away, which is unusually old. I¡¯m certain something must have happened. That has to be the missing piece to the puzzle. If I just knew that, I¡¯m certain I could fully explain everything with confidence.¡±
¡°Sister Eva¡ hmmm¡¡± Justine sat back in her chair, looking thoughtful. Then her eyes widened. If Justine¡¯s previous microexpression had communicated something like ¡®that seems oddly familiar¡¯ then this one was jumping up and down and screaming ¡®eureka!¡¯
¡°What is it?¡± asked Corvina, eagerly leaning forward in her seat. If Justine genuinely knew something, this could finally be the proof that she needed to prove her theories.
¡°I could be wrong, but¡¡± Justine stood up and gestured for the other two to follow her. She led them through several corridors until they ended up in the library.
A lot of imperial aristocrats kept libraries as a sign of status. After all, books were expensive. A room of shelves lined with books placed neatly in a row, so that everyone could see the fine gold leaf on the outer spines, was as ostentatious as a glass case full of jewels¡ªwith the added bonus that it was considered more polite to show off your books than your jewels.
This, however, was clearly not a library that was meant for show. It was large, stuffed with more books than Corvina had ever seen in one place before, and it was at least as cluttered and eclectic as the rest of the Tulin estate was. Books were piled haphazardly on every surface, partially because there were too many of them to fit on the shelves, but since many of them were left open to specific pages, it¡¯s possible they were left out because someone actually wanted to reference them again. Corvina was pretty sure she saw at least one book with another, smaller book closed inside it like a bookmark.
No wonder her agent hadn¡¯t been able to find anything. This was not a library that was designed with clear cataloging in mind. This was a library that saw heavy use from specific people that knew their way around and didn¡¯t particularly care if anyone else could find anything or not.
¡°It¡¯s possible your agent was right to check here after all,¡± said Justine. ¡°And you may have been wrong to tell her to focus on talking to commoners. Wait here.¡±
Justine squeezed between two shelves that had been placed very close together. She reappeared a moment later carrying a heavy tome, bound in green-leather with a golden insignia emblazoned on the front.
Corvina read the title aloud. ¡°The Peerage of the Marches, from Longren to Glanyrafon.¡±
¡°I assume your agent was mostly looking into municipal birth records, which only record peasant births,¡± said Justine. ¡°To know about aristocratic births, you have to turn to a different sort of genealogy.¡±
Justine set the book down heavily on a nearby table and began flipping through it. Each page was an illustration of a family tree, with the family name and title written in fancy script at the top of the page, and then the members of the family counted down from their ancestors to the current generation, with little branching lines between them to show their relations.
¡°Ah-ha,¡± said Justine, finding the page she was looking for.
The top of the page read ¡®The Grace Barony.¡¯
¡°Look at the most recent generation,¡± said Justine, pointing.
Corvina and Anne both leaned in to see better.
The final three people listed on the page were Baron Octavius Grace, Baroness Tiffany Everton Grace, and their daughter¡ªLady Evalynn Grace.
Corvina checked the dates and did some mental math. It added up.
¡°I remember little Evalynn,¡± said Justine. ¡°She used to come around to all the shops in the market district. She rarely bought anything, she¡¯d just get under your feet and ask all sorts of little curious questions, like what things were or how things worked. A bit of a nuisance, really, but she was a Baron¡¯s daughter, so people just let her do what she wanted. Not that you would know it from looking at her, she was so thin and ragged looking. And not that anyone respected the Baron much by that point, but still¡ It didn¡¯t do to purposefully antagonize an aristocratic family, no matter how far they¡¯d fallen. Not without good reason.¡±
Justine shook her head. ¡°Sister Eva, with that bright red hair¡ I can¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t recognize her before. But that was so long ago, and¡¡±
¡°And what?¡± asked Anne. She had been uncharacteristically quiet through all of this. Her expression was still serious, intense even, and her attention was fully on Justine at that moment.
Justine shrugged. ¡°I just didn¡¯t think it was possible. I thought Evalynn Grace had died almost two decades ago. In a house fire.¡±
Chapter 79
The Grace family had already been on decline for several generations when Octavius Grace was born, but from an early age he lived his life like he was determined to destroy the family entirely. He indulged in every vice that was available to him as a young aristocrat, and no amount of lectures on nobility seemed to have an effect on him.
Octavius didn¡¯t much care what he did or what his parents said, because he thought that, when father died, he¡¯d inherit all the wealth and power he¡¯d ever dreamed of¡ªand then no one would dare say anything to him ever again.
When his father did finally die, Octavius had been horrified to discover that there was no wealth left for him to inherit. Before he died, his father had used most of the family¡¯s remaining fortune to settle his wayward son¡¯s gambling debts, and then donated everything else to the church.
The late Baron¡¯s letter to his son about the situation ended on the note, ¡°Perhaps, with no other options left to you, you can finally learn to live a more humble life.¡±
The newly appointed Baron Octavius crumpled up his father¡¯s letter and immediately went out and married Tiffany Everton, the daughter of a wealthy commoner who wanted to elevate his family with a title.
Their marriage was brief and tempestuous. By the time Tiffany sued for divorce and returned to her family, Octavius had spent all her money and ruined the Barony¡¯s reputation so thoroughly that it was less embarrassing to be a divorced commoner than it was to be related to him. Octavius had taken everything he could from her and given her nothing in return except a child she hadn¡¯t wanted, whom she didn¡¯t even bother to take with her when she left.
Someone had told Eva, once, that when her father was in a good mood¡ªwhen he was winning at the gambling tables, or when he had a few drinks in him and a pretty waitress had paid him a compliment¡ªhe could actually be a pleasant person to be around. He was bright, vibrant, almost charming, even.
But Eva had no memories of seeing him in a good mood. By the time she was old enough to form any memories, they were well and truly destitute, and her father was never anything other than angry¡ªusually angry and drunk, when he could browbeat one of his old friends into buying him alcohol, or, if he had had bad luck that day, angry and sober, which tended to be even worse.
They couldn¡¯t afford servants, and Octavius was too proud to do anything around the house, so from a young age Eva had to learn to do everything for the both of them. She cleaned, she cooked for them, she even became her own tutor¡ªsecretly teaching herself to read when her father wasn¡¯t paying attention. And she roamed the neighborhood when she could get away with it, talking to anyone who would listen to her, asking questions about the world.
At that point, Eva already knew that her father was never going to teach her anything she needed to know to survive. But she was determined to survive anyway, and if she was going to succeed in that goal, she needed to know as much as possible.
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And then¡
Eva¡¯s father was hungover, like he frequently was, shouting instructions at her for how to make a drink he always swore would cure him.
The kitchen counter was higher than she could comfortably reach, even with the stool. She had to strain to crack the egg into the glass.
¡°Oh come on, you got eggshells in there, you dumb bitch!¡± her father shouted. ¡°Can¡¯t you do anything right?! Get a new glass and start over.¡±
Eva, her hand covered in egg, carefully got down and moved the stool back over to the other cabinet. With her father still grumbling at her from his seat at the kitchen table, Eva climbed back up again, and she reached up and up, trying to get another drinking glass. Her finger just brushed against the glass when she felt the stool shift out from under her and she fell and¡ª
She landed hard on the floor, several knocked over drinking glasses shattering around her, and she felt something in her shoulder get knocked out of place. It hurt so bad, she couldn¡¯t help but cry out.
Her father was consistently mean, but he wasn¡¯t usually violent, or at least, not that violent. But something was different that day.
As he shouted obscenities at her, berating her for making too much noise when had a headache, and for breaking the glasses, and for being a waste of space, he began kicking her. Over and over again, until she felt like she was going to die. Her malnourished body was never that strong in the first place. She couldn¡¯t take that kind of beating.
But Eva didn¡¯t want to die.
She had heard stories of the Goddess, she had even attended a few church services, out of curiosity, so she tried reaching outside of herself, to the Goddess, for help. For a miracle.
But the blows kept coming, and something in Eva¡¯s mind hardened.
Of course, she thought. No one has ever come to save me before. Why should anyone come now? I¡¯ve only ever had myself to rely on.
And so she reached inside herself.
And something cracked open.
And there was a fire.
The fire burned hot and fast, and for some unexplainable reason, never spread to the buildings around it, even though the buildings were all packed tightly together in this part of town. It was a miracle, people said.
They also said it was a miracle when they found the baron¡¯s daughter, a few blocks away, covered in ash and bruises, shivering in the cold, but otherwise fine.
There was no miracle for the Baron, whose burnt-to-charcoal body was found in the wreckage of the house after it cooled.
So the city guards brought the girl to her mother, who had remarried and was living with her second husband in the next town over.
The former Baroness barely glanced at the ragged child before stating with disinterest, ¡°That¡¯s not mine.¡±
¡°Pardon me, madame,¡± said the guard, nervously. Tiffany¡¯s new husband wasn¡¯t an aristocrat, but he was a rich merchant, and he held plenty of power in the territory. ¡°But if you won¡¯t claim her, what should we do with the child?¡±
Eva¡¯s mother shrugged. ¡°What do you usually do with unwanted children?¡±
And that¡¯s how Eva ended up on the doorstep of the church, an orphan at age eight.
Eva had no particular interest in the church. After all, she now knew from personal experience that the Goddess either wasn¡¯t real or didn¡¯t care what happened to anyone. Why bother worshiping her?
But then Eva met Anne.
And Anne smiled at her.
And Anne believed in the Goddess.
And so Eva decided early on, that if the point ever came where Anne was crying out to a higher power in desperation, hoping that the Goddess would come save her¡
Eva would be the one to answer that call.
Eva, who had fought so desperately to survive, had finally found her reason to live.
Chapter 80
¡°Now that I think about it, right after the fire a lot of people were saying that the baron¡¯s daughter had survived,¡± said Justine. ¡°But after a few days everyone was saying she was dead, too. I think I assumed that she had survived the blaze but then died of her injuries. But if she was shuffled off to the church and everyone forgot about her¡¡±
Damn, thought Anne. Poor Eva. What a tragic backstory. But why was none of this in the original novel? Was it revealed later on, past the point where I had read? But Eva wasn¡¯t really a major character, most of the time she was there¡
¡°I have one more follow-up question, if you don¡¯t mind,¡± said Corvina. Her expression was serious and focused. If she felt bad for Eva at all it didn¡¯t show on her face.
¡°Yes?¡± said Justine. ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee I¡¯ll remember much else, though.¡±
¡°Was there any sort of¡ magical quality to the fire?¡± asked Corvina. ¡°Something that seemed unnatural?¡±
¡°Hmmm¡¡± Justine considered this. ¡°Now that you mention it, none of the surrounding buildings burned at all. Just that one house. Which was a bit odd, considering how closely the buildings in that area were packed together. I don¡¯t know if that was magical, though. Fire can be very unpredictable. What kind of magic could control fire, even?¡±
¡°If you believe the church, then that sort of thing could be a miracle. Anything could be a miracle, after all,¡± said Corvina. ¡°Or¡ it could have been true magic.¡±
Justine gasped. ¡°But true magic is gone from the world, isn¡¯t it?¡±
Then Liza, Justine¡¯s young daughter, abruptly popped out of a nearby pile of books and said, ¡°Actually, from what I can tell, true magic is just very rare, and it¡¯s kind of taboo so people like to pretend it doesn¡¯t exist anymore. But I think it can be triggered by a traumatic event early in life.¡±
¡°Liza, darling!¡± said Justine, a hand on her chest. ¡°What were you doing under there?¡±
¡°Reading,¡± said Liza, holding up a particularly large tome. ¡°I like to build a book fort around me when I read because then none of the servants can find me and interrupt my research.¡±
¡°Ah, well, that makes sense, then,¡± said Justine.
Anne already felt overwhelmed enough with everything that was going on, without adding a small child into the mix. Anne leaned down to be closer to Liza¡¯s level and gently suggested, ¡°Um¡ maybe you should go read in your room instead? Or we could go talk somewhere else? I think this is a conversation just for adults right now¡¡±
¡°Nonsense,¡± said Justine. ¡°Don¡¯t talk down to my child. I¡¯ve always allowed my daughters full autonomy and never gone out of my way to hide anything from them.¡±
¡°Really?¡± said Anne, standing back up. That¡¯s certainly not how Anne¡¯s parents had treated her when she was young, but her own childhood was the only thing she had to go on for how kids should be treated, and she had long been estranged from her parents, so maybe they weren¡¯t the best example of good parenting¡
It also occurred to Anne that this was a vaguely medieval fantasy world. So maybe their standards for child-rearing were just different.
¡°So then, in your opinion as a magical researcher, do you think the fire may have had something to do with true magic?¡± Corvina asked Liza, her expression serious.
Okay, thought Anne. I guess we¡¯re all agreed on the nine year-old being part of this, then.
¡°Maybe,¡± said Liza. ¡°That cleric you¡¯re talking about told me some weird stuff about magic when I asked her about it. Or, well, what she actually told me was to stop looking into it, but the way she said it gave me some new ideas for how to go about my research! I still can¡¯t find out what mana is, but I think maybe everyone has it? But most people can¡¯t actually use it. But some people, when they go through an ¡®extreme life-or-death situation¡ª¡¯¡± Liza pronounced these words with a careful staccato. ¡°¡ªthey find a way to access their mana to save themselves. And then after that they can use magic all the time, even if they¡¯re not in danger.¡±
¡°So you think Sister Eva may have accessed her mana to survive the fire and keep it from spreading?¡± asked Corvina.
Liza shrugged. ¡°Or her life may have been threatened in some other way and her magic started the fire,¡± she said. ¡°The book I read said that fire is one of the easier things to use true magic for accidentally. Cause mana is already kind of like fire or something? Well, the book didn¡¯t use the words ¡®true magic¡¯ or ¡®mana,¡¯ which is why I hadn¡¯t noticed it before, but I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s what it meant.¡±
Anne felt like everyone was already several steps ahead of her on all this and she was just doing her best to play catch-up. ¡°Wait, you guys are saying that Eva can do magic?¡±
¡°Oh yeah, probably,¡± said Liza. ¡°You should¡¯ve seen how she dodged my questions before!¡± Liza giggled.
Corvina just looked at Anne. She seemed conflicted about something, but her eyes were also full of a sort of compassion or, like¡ pity, which seemed oddly condescending.
¡°I should have told you about my suspicions a lot earlier,¡± said Corvina. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I wanted to have proof first. I¡¯m not entirely sure all of this counts as proof, but it¡¯s¡ certainly something.¡±
Anne started to put some of the pieces together and they didn¡¯t form a very nice picture. ¡°Can you just tell me what you mean, please?¡± she said.
Corvina shot Justine a pleading look. ¡°I think I should talk to the Saintess alone for a while¡¡± she said.
¡°Yes, of course,¡± said Justine. ¡°Although I¡¯d like to be filled in more fully later, as well. I don¡¯t like the thought of my guests keeping secrets from me.¡±
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¡°Of course,¡± said Corvina.
¡°Come along, honey,¡± said Justine, holding her hand out for Liza. ¡°Let¡¯s go take a walk in the garden.¡±
¡°Awww, but I was just getting to a good part!¡± said Liza, clutching her book closer. Anne could just barely read part of the title and it seemed to say ¡®A History of Major Disasters in the Wyernwolf Empire From the¡ª¡®
¡°You can bring your book with us,¡± said Justine, and that seemed to appease the girl.
As the mother and daughter pair left the library, Corvina led Anne over to a small table next to a high window, where the natural light was shining through, reflecting off all the dust hanging in the air.
Corvina looked at Anne across the table. ¡°I think Eva can perform true magic. And I think she¡¯s been faking your miracles all along.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± said Anne.
There was no hint of anything like that in the original novel. Or was there? The Foundling¡¯s Wings never really explained how the miracles worked. They just always worked when the original Anne really needed them to. Or sometimes they didn¡¯t work, when it was a dramatic story beat. Was Eva always present every time they worked? And absent when they didn¡¯t? Maybe. Anne hadn¡¯t paid enough attention¡
¡°Okay,¡± said Anne, accepting it.
Corvina was staring at her, watching her closely.
¡°That¡¯s it?¡± said Corvina. ¡°That¡¯s your whole reaction?¡±
Anne shrugged. ¡°I mean, it makes sense, I guess. I kind of thought I was just too stupid to figure out how my miracles work, but¡ yeah, that makes more sense.¡±
Anne saw the tension go out of Corvina¡¯s body as she let out a sigh. She looked relieved. ¡°I thought you might not believe me,¡± she said. ¡°Or that you might get mad at me.¡±
¡°Why would I get mad at you?¡± asked Anne.
¡°Well, you got mad at me for¡ª¡° Corvina gestured vaguely, collectively indicating their past conflicts.
¡°I got mad at you because you kept things from me,¡± said Anne. ¡°Not because you told me things.¡±
¡°So then are you mad at me for keeping this from you for so long?¡± asked Corvina. ¡°I¡¯ve suspected this ever since the miracle you performed in the capital, the one where you revealed you were an elf to the world.¡±
¡°That long?¡± said Anne, taken aback. She thought about it. Then she shook her head. ¡°No, I¡¯m not mad at you for that, either. Slightly annoyed, maybe, that you didn¡¯t trust me enough to tell me before. But I can understand how it¡¯s an odd thing to try to figure out for sure. Magic doesn¡¯t exactly leave a lot of evidence. Even now, we can¡¯t really be sure that¡¯s what¡¯s happening¡¡±
¡°I¡¯m almost entirely positive,¡± said Corvina. ¡°It¡¯s the only thing that ties everything together and makes it all make sense.¡±
¡°Okay, yeah¡¡± said Anne. ¡°But if we asked Eva about it¡ª¡°
¡°No!¡± said Corvina, standing up in her chair and reaching across the table to grab Anne¡¯s hand.
Anne was surprised by Corvina¡¯s forcefulness, but she didn¡¯t pull away. She just said, ¡°But that¡¯s the only real way to be sure about any of this. Like I was saying, magic doesn¡¯t leave evidence, so¡¡±
¡°If I¡¯m right,¡± said Corvina, sternly but calmly, ¡°Then Sister Eva is an incredibly powerful magician, and an emotionally unstable one, at that. It could be incredibly dangerous to confront her with this. We don¡¯t know how she would react. For Goddess¡¯ sake, it¡¯s a real possibility that she murdered her own father as a child.¡±
¡°Maybe not on purpose,¡± said Anne. ¡°We don¡¯t know the details. And I may not know a lot about kids, but I¡¯m pretty sure they don¡¯t usually commit random murders for no reason. Plus, like¡ I know Eva has some boundary issues and she can be kind of controlling, but I don¡¯t think she¡¯s a bad person. And she¡¯s nothing if not a loyal friend. I think she deserves the chance to tell her side of the story, at least.¡±
¡°Oh, please.¡± Corvina took a step back, rolling her eyes. ¡°You usually have such strong insight into people¡¯s hearts. Is Eva really such a blind spot for you? You can¡¯t tell me that you haven¡¯t seen a dangerous side to her.¡±
¡°Well, sure, maybe¡¡± said Anne, with a shrug. ¡°But not directed towards me.¡±
¡°Even Agis is scared of her,¡± Corvina pointed out.
¡°Yeah, and Agis is scared of his brothers, too,¡± said Anne. ¡°He¡¯s scared of anyone he thinks might judge him. That doesn¡¯t make Eva dangerous.¡±
Corvina pinched the bridge of her nose. ¡°Dangerous or not, I mostly worry that she¡¯s unpredictable. It¡¯s better to be cautious, just in case. Surely you can agree with that.¡±
¡°Okay, so I¡¯ll talk to her by myself,¡± said Anne. ¡°I¡¯ll admit it¡¯s often hard to tell what Eva¡¯s thinking, but the one thing I¡¯m absolutely certain of is that she¡¯s on my side.¡±
¡°Yeah, because she¡¯s in love with you!¡± said Corvina, exasperated. ¡°She¡¯s obsessed!¡±
¡°What?¡± said Anne, with a short laugh. ¡°What are you talking about? We¡¯re just childhood friends.¡±
¡°Maybe that¡¯s how you see her,¡± said Corvina. ¡°But I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything ¡®just¡¯ about how Eva views you. That¡¯s what scares me. I don¡¯t know what she might do if she feels like her position in your life is being threatened.¡±
¡°There¡¯s no way she¡¯s in love with me,¡± countered Anne, shaking her head. She couldn¡¯t understand why Corvina was being so serious about this. It was obviously a ridiculous notion.
Corvina rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve seen the way she looks at you.¡±
¡°She doesn¡¯t even like girls!¡± said Anne. ¡°She¡¯s so straight she asked me if I was in love with Sebastian.¡±
Corvina raised an eyebrow.
¡°I¡¯m not, for the record!¡± said Anne, standing up. She let out a puff of air, a sort of exasperated half-laugh. ¡°Of course I¡¯m not! What¡¯s with the two of you?¡±
Corvina looked oddly relieved.
¡°Anyway, even if she did like girls, there¡¯s no way she¡¯d like me,¡± said Anne.
¡°Why? Why are you so convinced that it¡¯s so impossible? I¡¯m telling you, she¡¯s obsessed with you. You must have noticed. She doesn¡¯t have any other friends, any other hobbies, any other life that¡¯s not centered around you. Did that really not seem strange to you?¡± asked Corvina. ¡°Why are you so absolutely certain that it¡¯s impossible that she could love you?¡±
¡°Because¡ because I¡¯m me!¡± said Anne, gesturing to herself.
That statement hung heavy in the air for a moment.
¡°No one¡¯s ever loved me before.¡± Anne shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m pretty confident no one will ever love me in the future, either. Not like that, anyway. I mean, look at me! I¡¯m too masculine, and awkward, and weird, and goofy¡ I was never right for a leading lady role. If anything, I should be a comedic side character. Or just an extra in the background, even. I¡¯m just¡ I¡¯m just not the kind of person people fall in love with.¡±
¡°That¡¯s not true,¡± said Corvina, in a soft voice. All the frustration and hostility had melted away from her face, leaving only¡ some expression Anne didn¡¯t know how to read.
Anne half shrugged again, sort of shaking her head. She felt pathetic, admitting this kind of insecurity in front of Corvina. She didn¡¯t want Corvina to pity her. It¡¯s not like she even felt that bad about it, it was just¡ obvious to her. It was just reality. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to reassure me,¡± said Anne. ¡°I know what kind of person I am. I¡¯m the sort of person who¡¯s everyone¡¯s friend, but never anything more than that. It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve come to terms with it.¡±
¡°I¡¯m telling you, you¡¯re wrong,¡± insisted Corvina.
¡°And how could you be so certain of that?¡± asked Anne. ¡°You¡¯re not me. You haven¡¯t lived my life. You don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like. I bet half the world is in love with you.¡±
Corvina shook her head, stepping slowly around the table so she was closer to Anne. ¡°I don¡¯t really know or care how many people are in love with me,¡± she said. ¡°And no, I¡¯m not you. I haven¡¯t lived your life. I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like. But I do know that it¡¯s not impossible to love you.¡±
¡°But how could you¡¡± Anne stopped speaking, breathless, when Corvina gently took hold of her face in both hands.
¡°Because I¡¯m in love with you,¡± said Corvina. ¡°I, me, I love you. I love you.¡±
Chapter 81
¡°I love you.¡±
Those words, spoken so softly that they barely even disturbed the dust hanging in the air of the library, nevertheless sent echoes out into the worlds.
First, they reached Anne¡¯s ears, leaving her stunned. Those few small words had entered into her soul and begun the work of rearranging everything she¡¯d ever thought about herself and her own life. The process would take a few minutes, during which Anne would appear to be staring blankly at Corvina.
Next, they reached the ears of the original Saintess, the other Anne, wherever she was, cutting through her confusion and disconnectedness in an increasingly rare moment of lucidity. When those words echoed through the dark void, the Saintess fell to her knees, lit as if by a spotlight from nowhere, whispering to herself, ¡°No. No no no no no.¡± She clutched the sides of her head, gripping her own hair almost hard enough to pull it out.
After that, they reached the ears of the Goddess. Probably. As all things did, if you believed in the Goddess or the fact that she had ears. It would be the sort of thing the Goddess would hear if the Goddess was around and capable of hearing it, anyway. She generally preferred not to confirm much either way.
Then they reached the ears of several large inter-dimensional beings whose mode of existence was so alien and incomprehensible to the human mind that it would be impossible to describe them. These beings didn¡¯t react at all, since they were used to hearing that sort of thing, and anyway, it had nothing to do with them.
Finally, eventually, and with some delay, since magic worked at a speed just slower than the inherent connectedness of all things, it reached the ears of Sister Eva, who had just been released from her arboreal prison.
¡°You just have to learn how to speak the language of the trees,¡± said Prince Zaos, somewhere behind her. ¡°I get along with them quite well, which is why Elyon sent me on this mission, even though it would otherwise be far beneath me. You should be thankful for my kindness, woman.¡±
¡°After being stuck in a tree all night I don¡¯t have any energy left to have a gender¡¡± moaned the assassin, from the ground.
¡°You should be thankful for my kindness, curse-breaker,¡± said Zaos.
The assassin sat up suddenly. ¡°What the hell does that mean? What is a curse-breaker?¡± The assassin¡¯s voice had a pleading, desperate tone to it. ¡°And what do you mean talking to the trees? Why do the trees here have souls? Nothing about this damned forest makes any sense.¡±
Eva was only half-listening to any of this. As long as the assassin and the elf prince were wrapped up in their own pointless conversation, they would leave her alone, which suited her purposes just fine.
That, and Eva was well and truly exhausted after a night spent stuck in a tree, so it was hard to concentrate on following a conversation anyway.
Eva shivered on the ground as she remembered the feeling of the branches wrapped so tightly around her that she could barely even wiggle her fingers and toes. There was no way she could have comfortably slept like that, without knowing if she¡¯d ever be able to escape. She¡¯d barely been able to breathe.
And, worst of all, she hadn¡¯t been able to use her magic.
She had reached inside herself, again and again, to the well of power inside her. She could feel it. So open, so accessible. It used to be difficult for her to reach it. It took a lot of effort and concentration. But over the years she¡¯d honed her abilities so that it should hardly take a thought to tug at the power within.
But something about the tree had created a barrier between her and the power. No matter how deeply she reached inward, she couldn¡¯t touch it.
Eva dragged herself upright, leaning against the tree for support. The elf prince had freed her, and he would make sure the trees didn¡¯t grab her again. They were no longer a threat. And Eva could feel her magic again. She could reach it. She could use it.
Her first priority was to make sure Anne was okay. Or, at the very least, not in immediate danger. What if Anne had thrown herself into danger, going into the deep forest to try to find and rescue the lost Eva? Or what if she was distraught, not eating or sleeping from worry? Or what if something worse had happened?
So Eva activated the spell that let her see and hear through the lapel pin she¡¯d given to Anne.
Luckily, it seemed that Anne was still wearing it. That made Eva happy, knowing that Anne still treasured the present Eva had given her.
Anne seemed to be in a library. Not a particularly dangerous location. And she was talking to Corvina¡ unfortunate, but not unexpected. If Eva wasn¡¯t there, then of course Anne would turn to other sources of comfort.
Don¡¯t worry, Anne, thought Eva. I¡¯ll be back by your side soon.
Eva concentrated on the spell a little more, so that she could listen to what Anne and Corvina were saying.
¡°I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like. But I do know that it¡¯s not impossible to love you.¡±
¡°But how could you¡¡±
¡°Because I¡¯m in love with you.¡±
Eva was gripped with a sudden panic. It felt worse than being stuck in the tree all night. She couldn¡¯t breathe.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
Eva stumbled over to the others. ¡°You!¡± she shouted.
Zaos, who had been deep in conversation with the assassin, turned around. ¡°Me?¡± he said, pointing to himself. ¡°How dare you address me that way! Do you not know who I am! I am¡ª¡°
¡°Which way to the edge of the forest from here?¡± Eva asked. She didn¡¯t have time for this. She didn¡¯t have time for anything. She might already be too late.
Zaos paused and looked around. Then he cocked his head to one side, like he was listening to something. Then he placed his hand on a tree for a moment. Eva felt like she was going to explode.
¡°That way,¡± Zaos said, finally, pointing. ¡°For the next ten minutes or so, but you really should let me escort you out or else¡ª¡°
Eva reached inwards to the well of power.
Eva knew very well what the power was made of. She knew that the pool was only so deep. That she had a limited supply. And she knew what would happen if she used too much.
But there were more important things.
Eva yanked at a large amount of her hidden power, pouring it out into herself and the world around her.
Eva disappeared from the Forest, leaving a very confused elf prince and assassin behind.
Anne let out sort of a half laugh and pushed Corvina¡¯s hands away, backing up a step. She said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, you don¡¯t have to say that. I don¡¯t actually have super low self esteem. I know I have friends who care about me and stuff.¡±
¡°No, Anne, you don¡¯t understand,¡± said Corvina, taking a step forward. ¡°I love you.¡±
¡°You know that¡¯s not actually an elven greeting, right?¡± said Anne, taking a step back again. She bumped up against a bookshelf. ¡°I just told you that because I was embarrassed by all the stuff I said when I was drunk that night when we met.¡±
¡°I know,¡± said Corvina, taking another step forward. ¡°I pretty much knew from the first time you said that, I just went along with it because¡ It just seemed polite, I guess. Or maybe I already liked you a little. But Anne, this time I truly mean it. I love you.¡±
Anne was trapped up against the bookshelf now, so she couldn¡¯t retreat any further. Corvina was so close their torsos were almost touching. Anne had to crane her neck up to look Corvina in the eye.
Corvina¡¯s eyes were pink. That was something Anne had laughed about, once, when reading The Foundling¡¯s Wings. It was such a cheesy fantasy novel combo, the purple hair and the pink eyes. Sometimes it was hard to take a story like that seriously. It was cartoonish.
But the reality of it was different, especially up close. Eyes, real eyes, were rarely actually just one solid color. Corvina¡¯s eyes had streaks of a darker shade of pink, almost red, radiating out from her pupils. And there was an uneven ring of lighter pink around the edge of the irises, so pale it almost blended right into the whites of her eyes.
Her purple hair, too. There was always something fundamentally artificial about dyed hair, no matter how high quality the dye was or how skilled the stylist was. But Corvina¡¯s hair looked so natural, despite its ¡®unnatural¡¯ color. Anne could almost forget there was anything strange about purple hair.
Anne was completely absorbed in these fine details, her mouth hanging half-open, when she suddenly noticed that Corvina was blushing. A lot. The blush extended from her face to her ears and all the way down to her shoulders, were exposed by the style of dress she was wearing.
Anne shifted slightly and Corvina abruptly pulled away. Then she doubled over, groaning and covering her face with her hands. ¡°Goddess!¡± she said. ¡°This wasn¡¯t how this was supposed to go! I had a whole plan! I had several plans! This wasn¡¯t romantic at all¡ I¡¯m such a mess. Why couldn¡¯t I have just waited for the right moment?¡±
¡°Corvina, are you okay?¡± Anne bent down and touched Corvina lightly on the back. Corvina startled at the touch, turning to face Anne, but still covering her face with her hands.
¡°No!¡± said Corvina, one of her eyes just peaking out in a gap between her fingers. ¡°I¡¯m not okay! I¡¯m mortified. Can we just forget all about this and try again another time?¡±
Anne crouched down to be eye-level with Corvina, taking hold of both her hands to pull them away from her face.
¡°You really love me?¡± Anne asked in a low voice.
Corvina nodded.
¡°Why me?¡± asked Anne. She couldn¡¯t stop herself from asking it.
¡°You saved me,¡± said Corvina. She stood up and leaned back, half-sitting against the table. Anne also stood up, leaning back against the bookshelf, watching her.
Corvina struggled for a moment, looking this way and that, searching for the words. ¡°The way I was raised, I¡ I worked hard over the years to turn my heart to stone.¡± Corvina put a hand on her chest, clenched into a fist. ¡°I thought I had to be perfect. In order to survive. I knew the world was a dangerous place and I had to weave this delicate dance through it, or else the consequences would be dire. I didn¡¯t think I had any other choices. But then you!¡±
Corvina gestured towards Anne with both hands. ¡°You just¡ strolled into my life like you didn¡¯t have a care in the world and you casually said things that shattered my world like they were nothing to you. Like they were simply¡ obvious. And suddenly everything changed.¡± She shook her head. ¡°No, that¡¯s not right, everything else was the same, really, but I changed. And suddenly my options didn¡¯t seem so limited. And I could breathe again. I could..¡± Corvina placed her hand on her chest again, patting it twice. ¡°I could feel my stone heart beating again.¡±
Anne was just starting as Corvina spoke, trying to process all of this.
Corvina laughed then, just a little, and shrugged. ¡°I apologize if that was a bit dramatic. The truth is, you¡¯re also very cute, and kind, and funny, and¡ª¡°
¡°Corvina,¡± Anne stepped up to Corvina, closing the distance again. She gently placed her hand on the back of Corvina¡¯s neck. Corvina fell silent, and they spent a moment just staring into each other¡¯s eyes. Anne couldn¡¯t get enough of those eyes.
¡°I love you, too,¡± said Anne. It was almost a whisper. ¡°I¡¯ve loved you since before I met you.¡±
¡°I was hoping you might say that,¡± Corvina whispered.
Afterwards, neither of them could remember who it was who had initiated that first kiss. It was possible they both moved at once in one of those rare moments where the desires of two people perfectly align and for a brief flash in time everything just works out the way it should.
Afterwards, Anne would mostly remember how soft the kiss was, and how delicate. How their lips had interlocked perfectly together. Hesitant at first, neither of them really knowing what they were doing, and then slowly gaining confidence, finding the right rhythm together.
Afterwards, Corvina would mostly remember how it wasn¡¯t like being struck by lightning, the way some books described it. Rather, it was like a pool of warmth that started at the base of her ribcage and spread throughout her body until she was trembling with the anticipation of it.
Who knows what that kiss might have turned into if Eva hadn¡¯t arrived at that exact moment?
¡°Anne!¡± shouted Sister Eva, sternly.
That ended the kiss.
¡°Eva,¡± said Anne, a stupid grin on her face. ¡°I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re okay!¡±
¡°Come with me, now,¡± said Eva, grabbing Anne¡¯s arm.
¡°No,¡± said Corvina, grabbing Anne¡¯s other arm. ¡°You don¡¯t have to go with her. Not if you don¡¯t want to.¡±
¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± said Anne, patting Corvina reassuringly on the cheek. ¡°I¡¯ll just talk to her for a moment. I¡¯ll be right back.¡±
Despite the look on Corvina¡¯s face, Anne was too happy to feel at all worried about what might happen in the immediate future. Anne didn¡¯t even notice the anger in Eva¡¯s eyes as she practically dragged Anne out of the library. If Anne knew how to whistle, she would have been whistling.
Corvina loved her. Corvina! Her!
Now that was a real miracle worth praising the Goddess for.
Chapter 82
When Anne Coris was publicly declared the new Saintess at sixteen years old, the church had placed guards around her new room.
This wasn¡¯t an unreasonable precaution, nor was it unexpected. Anne had secretly been in training to become the new Saintess for four years at that point, and it had been repeatedly explained to her that she would face new dangers once the church went public with the appearance of a new Saintess.
Eva had just been raised from the level of acolyte to cleric, making history as the youngest person ever to achieve that rank (being only a few months older than Anne), and she had also been assigned a new room¡ªright next door to Anne¡¯s. But there were no guards around Eva¡¯s room, and she had been quick to dump her few belongings wherever so that she could focus instead on helping Anne move in.
Having finished her work, Eva glanced around Anne¡¯s room with satisfaction. It was far bigger, fancier, and more comfortable than even the nicest rooms in the foundlings¡¯ dormitories. Much closer to what Anne deserved. The bed had multiple blankets and pillows stuffed with real down, too. And the window looked out into a courtyard lined with greenery.
There was also an armed guard visible through the window.
Anne pulled the lacy curtains shut.
¡°Oh, don¡¯t close them,¡± said Eva. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to let the moonlight in?¡±
Eva reached for the curtains, but Anne grabbed her wrist to stop her.
¡°No, please,¡± said Anne.
Eva paused, looking at Anne¡¯s nervous expression. ¡°Are the guards making you uncomfortable?¡±
Anne kind of shrugged a bit.
¡°Okay, we can leave the curtains closed,¡± said Eva, smiling reassuringly. ¡°Whatever you want.¡±
Anne climbed onto her new bed and pulled her knees up to her chest. Eva climbed up after her, putting an arm around Anne¡¯s shoulders. Anne leaned into the embrace, resting her head on Eva¡¯s shoulder.
¡°I didn¡¯t think it would be this overwhelming,¡± said Anne, her eyes closed. ¡°It felt really good looking out at all the faces in the crowd at the miracle, seeing how much joy and hope I was bringing to everyone. If I really can help people by being the Saintess then it¡¯s worth it, no matter how hard it is. But lately¡. I feel like there are strangers watching me all the time without me knowing it, even when I¡¯m alone.¡±
Eva could feel Anne shudder in her arms.
¡°This room¡¡± said Anne. She pushed away from Eva a bit, so they could look at each other. ¡°Do you remember that place the Bishop took us to, when she took us on that trip to the capital last year? The place with all the animals in cages?¡±
¡°The zoological gardens?¡± guessed Eva.
¡°That¡¯s how this room makes me feel. Like I¡¯m one of those poor animals.¡± Anne rubbed her eyes. She looked exhausted. ¡°I want to go back to the dorms,¡± she said. Her voice was soft and pleading.
¡°Really? But the dorms were way more crowded,¡± said Eva, trying to understand. ¡°There was never any privacy there at all.¡±
¡°Yeah, but¡ª¡° Anne shrugged again. ¡°I knew all the other kids in the dorms, and I knew they didn¡¯t really pay attention to me that much. Not like those¡ silent watchers.¡± Anne spaced out for a moment, staring into the distance like she was listening to something, or maybe feeling something. ¡°I need to get out of here,¡± she said, standing up.
¡°No, Anne,¡± Eva grabbed Anne¡¯s arm, pulling her back down onto the bed. ¡°You need to stay here! You¡¯re safe here!¡±
¡°I don¡¯t feel safe,¡± said Anne, struggling to get out of Eva¡¯s grasp. ¡°I won¡¯t run away forever, I¡¯ll just¡ go into the Sacred Forest, for a while. Until I feel better. Nothing will hurt me there. I¡¯ll find Agis, and¡ª¡°
¡°No!¡± said Eva. ¡°The Forest is dangerous too, Anne, I¡¡± Eva took a deep breath. ¡°Anne, this is serious. I need you to stay here. I¡¯m asking you to stay here. You promised you would listen to me if I said that, remember?¡±
Anne calmed down. ¡°I did promise you that, didn¡¯t I?¡± she said.
¡°Yes,¡± said Eva, letting go of Anne¡¯s arm and gently holding her hand instead. ¡°You¡¯re just stressed out and not thinking straight. But you can trust me when I tell you you¡¯re safe here. Those guards aren¡¯t watching you, they¡¯re watching out for you. It¡¯s okay. Everything¡¯s going to be okay.¡±
Anne flopped back on the bed, covering her eyes with her hands. ¡°Will you at least stay here with me, then?¡± asked Anne. ¡°Just for tonight? Please? I don¡¯t want to be alone in this room.¡±
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¡°Of course,¡± said Eva, laying down next to her.
¡°Thank you,¡± said Anne, hugging her friend.
Eva held Anne all through the night, helping her feel safe. It wasn¡¯t uncommon for the foundlings to share beds sometimes, especially when the dorms became overcrowded like they frequently did, but in all the years they had been living in the church this was the first time Anne and Eva had slept in the same bed together.
This is for Anne¡¯s sake, Eva told herself. Anne just needs extra support during this difficult transition, and this is the sort of thing close friends do for each other. My own desires don¡¯t factor into this at all. It¡¯s only about Anne.
Of course, it wouldn¡¯t be good to make this a habit. Oh no. Anything more than this wouldn¡¯t be normal.
The next day, Eva went to have a talk with the Bishop. And the next night, the guards were gone. Instead, Agis was perched in the window when Anne entered her room for the night.
¡°Agis!¡± said Anne, running to embrace her brother. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±
¡°I¡¯m gonna be your guard from now on,¡± said Agis, his chest puffed up with pride. ¡°Or at least, like, when I can. When I¡¯m not doing other stuff. At night, mostly. Or when you really need me to.¡±
¡°But isn¡¯t it dangerous?¡± said Anne. ¡°You can¡¯t be seen in public.¡±
¡°That¡¯s why he¡¯s going to follow you in secret,¡± said Eva, from the doorway. She was smiling. ¡°That way, if you ever feel like someone is watching you, you can be reassured knowing it¡¯s probably just Agis.¡±
Anne¡¯s smile was brighter than the sun when she hugged Eva. ¡°Thank you, Eva!¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t run away after all.¡±
When Eva left to go to her own room for the night, Bishop Geist was waiting in the hallway.
¡°I know I agreed to this, but are you really certain a single archer is good enough protection for the Saintess?¡± asked the Bishop. ¡°The church has its enemies, and he can¡¯t watch over her all the time.¡±
¡°No,¡± Eva smiled. ¡°But I can. Having Agis around will make Anne feel better. Meanwhile I will keep her safe. As long as I¡¯m around, no one will be able to touch Anne.¡±
But Eva had failed. She had failed in a way she hadn¡¯t even imagined possible. She was so busy trying to protect Anne from that Goddess-damned assassin that she had failed to notice other sorts of threats. Threats to Anne¡¯s soul.
Eva rushed through the long hallways of the Tulin estate, a firm grip on Anne¡¯s arm behind her. The front entrance was far away. Too far away. Why did noble estates always have to be so damn big? It would be so much faster if Eva could just teleport them out. That would be the best way to handle this. Get them both away from here as fast as possible.
But she couldn¡¯t use her magic in front of Anne¡ not that obviously¡ not yet¡
Then Eva felt a tug from behind and turned around.
Anne had stopped walking. ¡°God, finally, I¡¯ve been calling your name but you wouldn¡¯t even look at me,¡± said Anne. ¡°Where are you taking me?¡±
¡°Back to the church,¡± said Eva. ¡°We need to get back there as soon as possible.¡±
¡°What? Why?¡± said Anne.
¡°We need to get you away from¡ bad influences,¡± said Eva.
Anne¡¯s eyes narrowed into a distrustful glare. She pulled her arm out of Eva¡¯s grip and took a step back.
When had Anne¡¯s eyes become that hardened? Where were the eyes that had looked at Eva with openness and trust?
¡°Whatever you have to say, you can say it here,¡± said Anne. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go back to the church with you.¡±
¡°But you can¡¯t stay here!¡± said Eva.
¡°Why not?¡± asked Anne.
Eva glanced around, but there was no one in the hallway to overhear. She instinctively cast a silencing spell around them anyway, just in case.
¡°Look, it¡¯s clear now that I¡¯ve been right about Corvina all along,¡± hissed Eva. ¡°She¡¯s been looking at you with impure intentions all this time, plotting how to use you and corrupt you. We don¡¯t need someone like her as an ally. We¡¯ll find another way to accomplish our goals. You need to stay away from her from now on.¡±
¡°No,¡± said Anne.
Eva had expected her to argue, but something about Anne¡¯s tone of voice was so casual and matter-of-fact that it threw Eva off balance.
¡°No?¡± said Eva.
¡°No,¡± said Anne. ¡°I¡¯m not going to stay away from her. I love her.¡±
¡°I know you admire her, but¡ª¡°
¡°I don¡¯t admire her,¡± said Anne. ¡°I love her.¡±
Eva paused. ¡°You¡¯re clearly confused,¡± said Eva. ¡°I know friendship can feel a lot like love sometimes, but it¡¯s important not to get carried away. Once you get some distance from this, you¡¯ll see that¡ª¡°
¡°I¡¯m not fucking confused,¡± said Anne. ¡°God, Eva, I could tell you were a bit oblivious and naive but I didn¡¯t think you were a bigot.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not possible for women to love each other¡ like that,¡± said Eva. ¡°It¡¯s unnatural! It¡¯s wrong!¡±
¡°What the hell, Eva,¡± said Anne. ¡°I was in such a good mood, too. I know we¡¯ve been lifelong friends and I don¡¯t want to throw that away, but I don¡¯t have to sit here and listen to this, either. Come find me again when you¡¯re ready to have a reasonable conversation.¡± Anne turned to leave.
¡°No, wait!¡± shouted Eva. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that, it¡¯s just¡ You¡¯re the Saintess, you have to be a shining example of moral purity, for the sake of the people.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve done anything impure,¡± said Anne, with a shrug. ¡°But whatever, if it¡¯s an issue, then I¡¯ll just quit being the Saintess.¡±
Eva was stunned. ¡°You don¡¯t mean that.¡±
¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I quit?¡± asked Anne. ¡°You¡¯re the one actually doing the miracles anyway, aren¡¯t you? Or am I wrong?¡±
Eva¡¯s world was falling apart around her, piece by piece.
¡°I can explain¡¡± said Eva.
¡°I¡¯m sure you can,¡± said Anne. ¡°I don¡¯t really care right now.¡±
Eva reached out and grabbed Anne¡¯s sleeve. Not roughly this time, but hesitant, pleading. ¡°Anne, look, I promise I¡¯ll tell you everything. No more secrets. But I really need you to come with me right now. This is serious, Anne.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t care how ¡®serious¡¯ it is, I¡¯m not leaving with you,¡± said Anne.
¡°No, you don¡¯t understand, Anne, I¡¯m saying this is serious,¡± Eva repeated. ¡°Do you not remember our promise?¡±
¡°What promise?¡± said Anne.
Somehow, against all odds, this final blow actually knocked Eva back to her senses. Her mind had been trapped in an awful spiral of panic and confusion, but now everything was clear. She felt an eerie sense of calm wash over her.
Eva laughed.
¡°What? What is it?¡± Anne looked confused. ¡°I¡¯m sure if you remind me what the promise was, I¡¯ll remember it. You know I can be kind of spacey sometimes. I mean, now that you mention it, I¡¯m sure I remember something about a promise, I just¡ª¡±
Eva moved forward and Anne took a step back, looking scared.
No, ¡®Anne¡¯ took a step back.
¡°The assassin was telling the truth after all,¡± said Eva. ¡°You¡¯re not her.¡±
Chapter 83
¡°You¡¯re not her.¡±
Often, when a person realizes that they have really, truly, and irrevocably fucked up, their body will kick into overdrive, flooding their system with a cocktail of adrenaline and various other chemicals in a desperate attempt to survive.
One of the side effects of this for the person experiencing it is that it can feel like time has slowed down around them, giving their racing mind that crucial bit of extra space needed to think of a solution before it¡¯s too late.
Unfortunately for Anne, this extra bit of potentially life-saving time was completely wasted on her, because as soon as she heard those words and felt the adrenaline start to kick in, her mind went completely blank.
¡°Um¡ I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± said Anne.
¡°It¡¯s odd,¡± Eva cocked her head to one side. ¡°I would have noticed right away if you were just a lookalike, but that is Anne¡¯s body, isn¡¯t it? How did you get in there? Where did you send her?¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t get in anywhere,¡± said Anne, still going with blanket denial as her best tactic at this point. ¡°Just because I¡¯ve been going through some changes lately doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m not the same person! I¡¯m still me!¡±
Eva just shook her head. ¡°No, you¡¯re not.¡±
Anne was instinctively scanning the hallways for someone or something that would get her out of this situation. Maybe she could make a dash for the library to get Corvina¡¯s help, but¡ maybe that would just put Corvina in danger, too, if Eva really was a powerful magician. Maybe she could grab a vase off of one of the decorative side tables, chuck it at Eva to distract her, and then run into a random nearby room and lock the door behind her. Or maybe the original Saintess could help her.
Wait.
The original Saintess had appeared, standing a few feet behind Eva. She looked like she usually did in the forest¡ªher clothes ripped and stained, her feet bare and covered in blood, her long hair a mess.
¡°You fool,¡± she hissed. ¡°You¡¯ve ruined everything!¡±
¡°Am I dreaming?¡± said Anne, out loud.
¡°I can assure you, you¡¯re not dreaming,¡± said Eva. She didn¡¯t seem to have noticed the Saintess. ¡°Although I can see how it would feel strange to be in another person¡¯s body. Did you do it on purpose? Was it an accident? I¡¯m not angry, I just want you to explain the circumstances to me.¡±
¡°As soon as you kissed that woman, I knew this would happen,¡± said the Saintess. ¡°I knew everything would fall apart again. And now I¡¯m being drawn back in, damn you!¡±
¡°You¡¯re the one who brought me here!¡± said Anne. ¡°I thought you wanted me to change things!¡±
Eva¡¯s brows knit in confusion. ¡°What? I certainly did not. Why would I ever want to change my dear Anne?¡±
¡°I did!¡± said the Saintess. She clutched her head like she was in pain. ¡°Or I thought I did. The more you changed things the further away I drifted, and the further away I drifted the more confused I became. I kept cycling through thoughts and memories, losing more and more pieces with each repetition, becoming more disjointed, but still¡ there was the pull. There was always the pull. I couldn¡¯t escape it. Then I thought¡ you couldn¡¯t just change the story, you had to shatter it, destroy it completely, and then maybe I would finally be free! Free from the cycle. Free from the incessant watchers. But now¡ you took it too far. At the wrong time. Without the proper precautions. You let her see. And now it¡¯s going to bounce back. She¡¯ll drag it all back, force it into shape.¡±
While the Saintess was speaking, Eva was creeping closer and closer to Anne. Finally, she grabbed Anne by the lapels. ¡°Why won¡¯t you look at me?¡± she snarled. Anne did look at Eva, then, but she couldn¡¯t help glancing back towards the Saintess, and when she did, the sudden anger melted away from Eva¡¯s face as soon as it had appeared. Eva, still clutching Anne¡¯s lapels, turned her head and looked directly towards where the Saintess was standing.
The Saintess vanished.
Then Eva let go of Anne, and Anne dropped to her knees.
¡°Wait, don¡¯t go!¡± said Anne. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do. Tell me what I should do!¡±
Eva glanced back down at Anne, her face an unreadable smile. ¡°Go back to your lover,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll handle the church. No need for you to worry about it. After all, you¡¯re not the Saintess at all, are you? You never were.¡±
As Eva walked away, Anne heard the voice of the Original Saintess behind her say, ¡°You could try asking my mother. Maybe she¡¯ll help you. Although I doubt it. She never helps anyone.¡±
Corvina felt like she was walking on air. Anne loved her back! And that kiss¡ she wanted to keep reliving the memory of that kiss forever. At least until she had the opportunity to experience another one. She wondered briefly if it would be weird to kiss Anne again immediately as soon as Anne got back to the library. That wouldn¡¯t be too much, would it? She didn¡¯t want to scare Anne away.
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She really hoped Eva wouldn¡¯t try anything. But Anne seemed to think it would be okay, and she was trying to trust Anne¡¯s judgment more.
With so many thoughts and feelings swirling around inside her, the last thing Corvina wanted to do was anything remotely practical. But despite recent events, she was still herself, and she couldn¡¯t just let this kind of peace and quiet go to waste. Especially when there were pressing matters at hand.
So Corvina tracked down a pen and paper and began work on the ransom note.
The work was slow, as she was writing backwards and upside down in order to disguise her handwriting. When she had finished, the note read:
To His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Richard Wyernwolf,
I am writing to inform you that on the fifth night of the new moon, one of our patrols came across a hunting party near the region of Orrinshire. It is not generally our custom to accost simple travelers, but I¡¯m afraid these travelers had wandered quite a ways off their path and into the Sacred Forest. I¡¯m sure you understand that we cannot simply ignore that kind of intrusion so far past our borders.
As such, we detained this hunting party and in the process discovered that amongst the hunters was a man determined to be none other than your son and blood heir, His Imperial Highness, Crown Prince Sebastian Wyernwolf.
I would like to begin by assuring you that your son is quite safe in our custody, as are his companions. However, I¡¯m sure you can understand why we are determined to keep him in our custody for the foreseeable future.
I promise that Prince Sebastian will be well looked after until such time as we can negotiate an equitable deal to return him to your side.
Until that time, please resist the temptation to send armies or agents to attempt to free your son by force. You are well aware by now that the geography of the Sacred Forest can be tricky for humans to navigate, and I cannot guarantee the safety of any of your people who attempt entry. Nor can I guarantee the safety of your son if you should launch a major assault against the Forest.
For the time being, it would be wise to view any threat to the Sacret Forest as a threat to your son.
If you value the continuation of the Wyernwolf bloodline, then I suggest you cooperate with negotiations. When you receive this correspondence, please send back confirmation that you have understood our terms. Then we can set up a time and place to hold a summit between our peoples.
I expect you will show me the respect a royal deserves, as I have shown you and your son such respect.
Awaiting a favorable response,
Prince Elyon Clearshot of The Sacred Forest
Corvina read the letter back to herself, satisfied that she had been able to capture Prince Elyon¡¯s unique tone of voice well enough that it would be unlikely to arouse suspicions, even from someone who had corresponded with Elyon before. If the handwriting didn¡¯t quite look like his, it would be easy enough to assume that a prince might dictate this kind of letter to a scribe rather than writing it out himself.
This should do just fine.
Corvina took another piece of paper and wrote a shorter note this time.
Ulrich,
Get this to the Emperor. Make sure the messenger looks exhausted upon arrival. Send someone with experience escaping from the imperial dungeon, just in case.
She didn¡¯t sign this letter. Ulrich would know who it was from.
Corvina stood up from the table and went looking for a fireplace. She found one in the back wall of the library. It didn¡¯t look like it had been used very recently, but it would do.
She struggled a bit to get a fire lit, but once there was a decent flame going, Corvina stood up and lifted her skirt, pulling out a small pouch she kept strapped to her thigh (just above the hidden dagger.) The pouch was full of a variety of fine powders. She took a small pinch of a green powder and sprinkled it over the fire. The flames turned a bright blue.
Then Corvina unsheathed the hidden dagger and used its razor-sharp edge to just barely prick the tip of her index finger, letting one drop of blood drop into the flames as well.
¡°Send this unto mine uncle,¡± she stated out loud in a clear voice. ¡°Blood of my mother¡¯s blood.¡±
Then she threw both notes into the fire and watched as they burned away.
Who needed true magic? If you were rich enough you could accomplish almost anything through simple alchemy.
¡°Corvina.¡±
Corvina turned around with a bright smile to see Anne behind her. Corvina ran up to her and threw her arms around her, kissing her again.
When she pulled away she noticed Anne wasn¡¯t smiling. Instead, she looked pale and dazed, and a little bit frightened.
¡°Corvina¡¡± said Anne, avoiding eye contact. ¡°There are some things I need to tell you.¡±
Meanwhile Agis was wandering the halls of the church in Longren, trying to find a familiar face. Then he saw a flash of blood-red hair in the distance.
¡°Eva!¡± shouted Agis.
Eva turned around. Her expression looked calm, but troubled. It was kind of unsettling that she wasn¡¯t smiling.
¡°Eva, you¡¯re okay!¡± said Agis, running up to her. ¡°Zaos showed up at the rebel camp with that assassin earlier but neither of them could tell me what happened to you. They just said you disappeared! I was looking for Anne to let her know that you were still missing, but then I couldn¡¯t find Anne. Maybe she went to that human estate with Corvina? But I guess that doesn¡¯t matter that much now because you¡¯re here! How did you get here?¡±
¡°I found my own way out of the forest, don¡¯t worry,¡± said Eva.
¡°Oh¡ okay,¡± said Agis. ¡°That doesn¡¯t really answer how, though¡¡±
¡°You should go back to camp,¡± said Eva. ¡°And await further instructions.¡±
Agis stared at Eva, confused, but her face gave nothing away. ¡°Are you sure?¡± he asked. ¡°Isn¡¯t there anything I can help you with now, though? Where¡¯s Anne?¡±
Eva stared back at Agis for a moment. ¡°Do you remember the first time you met Anne?¡± she asked.
¡°Yeah, of course,¡± said Agis. ¡°How could I ever forget?¡±
¡°And all the years you¡¯ve spent with her since?¡± said Eva. ¡°All the moments you¡¯ve shared together as siblings?¡±
¡°I mean, yeah.¡±
¡°Good,¡± said Eva, smiling again. ¡°Just hold onto that. Continue to remember her. And I¡¯ll call on you when she needs you.¡±
Eva walked away, heading in the direction of an abandoned wing of the church, as a baffled Agis watched her go.
¡°What in nature¡¯s great bounty was that about?¡± mumbled Agis.
Chapter 84
At that moment, Uncle Ulrich was in the middle of an argument about cutlery.
¡°This is why I told Lady Belle that it wouldn¡¯t do to have two butlers in the same house,¡± snapped Melba.
¡°Which is why I suggested to you that you might use my temporary presence as an opportunity to take a well-deserved vacation,¡± countered Ulrich.
Melba clicked her tongue derisively. ¡°Thank the goddess I refused. It would have been wildly irresponsible of me to loaf off somewhere while you made a mess of the estate.¡±
Ms. Melba Barnete was a giant of the capital¡¯s domestic labor industry, in more than one sense of the word. For one thing, there wasn¡¯t a maid, butler, or manservant in the city who didn¡¯t know and respect her name. But she was also, to put it simply, very tall. She was nearly a head taller than Ulrich, and she carried herself with a strength of baring that made her appear as immovable as a mountain standing next to the old silverware cabinet in Belle¡¯s kitchen.
As a fellow professional, Ulrich felt nothing but respect and admiration for Melba.
As a person, Ulrich felt confident in setting his deference aside for a moment to privately and internally acknowledge that Melba was also a backwards old fool past her prime who ought to retire already and make way from a new generation.
When Ulrich spoke again, he spoke through his teeth. ¡°With all due respect,¡± he said, his voice strained. ¡°It¡¯s far more efficient to stack the cutlery in the drawers horizontally. You see, this way there is extra room to store fresh dish towels so the kitchen staff won¡¯t need to interrupt their workflow several times a day to send a runner to the linen closet.¡±
"It¡¯s not about efficiency, it¡¯s about respect,¡± Melba contended. ¡°Respect for the precious objects that support life in this household. You simply do not just cram silverware willy-nilly into an overstuffed drawer. It needs to be stored with proper care.¡±
Ulrich rolled his eyes. It was already clear from the way she dressed that Melba didn¡¯t care about efficiency. Her gray hair was pulled back in a tight bun without a single wisp out of place, her dark suit was crisp and freshly ironed, and her sliver-framed monocle was polished to a shine. Ulrich very much doubted that the busy kitchen staff were given that much free time to worry over personal grooming. Why not show them some respect and stop wasting their time unnecessarily?
Ulrich opened his mouth to say something to that effect, maybe even peppering in some colorful language that he would regret later, when two carefully folded pieces of paper appeared in front of his face. Luckily, he had a quick response time and was able to catch them before they fell to the floor.
One of them was addressed to him.
¡°I say!¡± said Melba, placing a surprised hand to her chest. ¡°What is this nonsense?¡±
Ulrich finished reading the note addressed to him before tossing it into the kitchen fire. Then he gave a quick shallow bow towards Melba.
¡°My apologies for our disagreement, madame,¡± he said. ¡°Ultimately this is your household to run as you please. Regardless of my personal values, it wasn¡¯t my place to challenge the way you do things. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, a rather pressing matter has come up.¡±
On his way out of the house, Ulrich passed by a small drawing room where Lady Belle and Countess Collette were sharing a pot of tea.
¡°But they need money for their operations, don¡¯t they?¡± asked Collette.
¡°Yes, of course,¡± said Belle. ¡°And Bernard thinks they should accept your patronage, but Nell insists they shouldn¡¯t take money from a rich aristocrat who only became wealthy by exploiting the poor.¡±
¡°So what, she¡¯d rather get money by exploiting the poor directly?¡± asked Collette.
¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± said Belle. ¡°But if I have to spend another day listening to those two bicker I¡¯m going to lose my mind.¡±
Once out in the streets, Ulrich set forth on a route that took him through a complicated series of narrow alleys¡ªperhaps more complicated than necessary, but it was Ulrich¡¯s habit to make things as difficult as possible for anyone who theoretically might be tailing him.
Finally, he stopped in front of a wooden door with green paint peeling off it and knocked three times, waited for a moment, and then knocked four times.
The door squeaked open.
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¡°Place this in an envelope and seal it with an exact replica of the crest of the Royal House of Clearshot, then send one of your best runners to deliver it to the palace¡ªRandolf has escaped from the palace dungeons before, correct?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± said a deep voice from somewhere in the shadows of the doorway.
¡°Best send him, then, if he¡¯s available. And make sure you knock the envelope around a bit before you deliver it, yeah? Make it look like it¡¯s traveled some distance. Maybe add a tea stain somewhere.¡±
¡°Usual rate?¡± asked the voice.
¡°Usual rate,¡± Ulrich agreed.
The letter was passed over and the door once again slammed shut.
Ulrich had briefly glanced at the contents of the letter and it was clear that Corvina had taken time to disguise her handwriting and style of speech, but it was odd that she had overlooked the matter of a sealed, properly-aged envelope. That wasn¡¯t like her. She must have a lot on her mind, or she never would have sent the letter in that state.
Ulrich hated the thought that his niece might be facing difficulties when he couldn¡¯t be with her in person to help support her, but he also trusted her to face her own problems.
The best thing Ulrich could do for her was to allow her to be independent and continue to help her when she asked for help.
Ulrich was taking a more leisurely route back to the Tulin town house, whistling as he walked, when a woman¡¯s voice called out to him from an alley.
¡°Ulrich! You can¡¯t keep avoiding me forever!¡± The woman was wearing an embroidered purple cloak with the hood pulled down to hide her face.
Ulrich swore under his breath. He shouldn¡¯t have let his guard down.
¡°Come along now!¡± said the woman, grabbing Ulrich¡¯s arm and pulling him into the alley. When they were sufficiently far away from prying eyes, she removed her hood.
The woman was a bit shorter than Ulrich, with nearly colorless fair skin that was just barely starting to show signs of age around her eyes and mouth. Her long, smooth hair was a dark shade of purple, almost black, and her sharp eyes were a bright pink. She wore heavy makeup and a dress of black silk with a plunging neckline, and she smelled strongly of a lavender perfume that instantly brough Ulrich back to a number of unpleasant memories.
¡°Goddess¡¯ tits, Ravenia,¡± said Ulrich.
¡°That¡¯s a fine way to greet your only sister,¡± said Ulrich¡¯s sister, daughter of the (now mostly defunct) Vend crime family, and mother of the royal bastard Lady Corvina Wyernmal¡ªMadame Ravenia Nesta Lilith Vend.
Their mother had thought that the more middle names someone had, the fancier they seemed. And their mother had so wanted Ravenia to be a fancy lady.
¡°I told you when I got your note,¡± growled Ulrich. ¡°You should get back out of the city now unless you want to be killed.¡±
¡°Oh, please,¡± said Ravenia, waving a hand dismissively. ¡°Little lord Richard stopped looking for me years ago. Besides, when I heard my poor daughter recently broke off her engagement with the Grand Duke, I just had to rush to her side. I feel simply terrible that I haven¡¯t been able to be there for her all these years, but when could a young woman possibly need her mother¡¯s love and support more than when dealing with such painful matters of the heart? I just want a chance to try to make up for lost time.¡±
Ravenia flashed a remorseful pout, clearly doing her best impression of a repentant parent whose mistakes were all the result of unfortunate circumstances and nothing more.
Ulrich scoffed.
¡°Yeah, right,¡± he said. ¡°More likely you saw the broken engagement as a crack in the Emperor¡¯s control over Corvina, meaning there was an opportunity for you to step in and take control yourself¡ªto use her to your advantage. You ought to be ashamed.¡±
Ravenia shrugged. ¡°Shame is such a useless emotion. You ought to be well aware of that, after the way we were raised. ¡±
¡°Oh, piss off, would you?¡± shouted Ulrich. ¡°Why don¡¯t you do your daughter a favor and leave us the hell alone. It shouldn¡¯t be that hard for you. You¡¯ve had a lot of practice in abandonment, after all. Over two decades of it, in fact.¡±
¡°Speaking of abandonment,¡± said Ravenia, casually. ¡°Mom and dad asked after you.¡±
Ulrich stared at her.
Ravenia was examining her perfectly manicured nails as she spoke. ¡°How long has it been since you went to visit them? One decade? Two? They were oh so happy to see me, at least. And very eager to meet their only granddaughter as soon as possible. What was it Father said? Oh yes, it¡¯s about time the family regained its former glory.¡±
Ulrich took a deep breath and spent a moment gathering his thoughts. When spoke again, his voice was steady and clear. ¡°Corvina has always deserved better than you or her father. Or me, frankly. Goddess knows I¡¯ve made my own mistakes. But after all these years, she¡¯s finally begun the process of learning how to live for herself and to find her own happiness, instead of always limiting herself to the role of a pawn in other people¡¯s schemes. I will not allow anyone to undo her progress. Not you and not our parents. You and the family can all rot in hell where you belong.¡±
Ravenia whistled. ¡°Strong words, brother,¡± she said, with a dangerous smile. ¡°But you know you don¡¯t want to make me your enemy.¡±
¡°Actually, that¡¯s exactly what I want to do,¡± said Ulrich, walking away. As he left, he called back behind him. ¡°Next time you approach me, make sure it¡¯s with a weapon in hand¡ªI wouldn¡¯t want it to be an unfair fight.¡±
Across the empire in Longren, Corvina¡¯s thoughts couldn¡¯t be further from her estranged mother or the evolving political situation in the capital. Instead, she was listening with rapt attention as Anne shared an abundance of information which so strongly challenged her very notion of reality itself that she didn¡¯t have any mental space left to consider anything else.
¡°¡ªand so now Eva has figured out I¡¯m not the real Anne, and she¡¯s gone off somewhere to do who knows what, and the real Saintess is pissed off at me because I¡¯ve screwed everything up, and I just¡ I knew I couldn¡¯t keep all this a secret from you anymore.¡±
The library had grown dark around them as they spoke, sitting in separate chairs by the fire. Corvina stared at the dying embers, which mere hours ago had been a strong flame she¡¯d used to send a message to further a plan that hardly seemed to matter now. And as she stared, she quietly processed things.
When she was done processing, Corvina sighed and sat back in her chair. ¡°Well, fuck,¡± she said.
Chapter 85
¡°That is the word you like to use, right?¡± said Corvina. ¡°I assume it¡¯s a profanity from your world. I¡¯ll admit it really viscerally captures the emotion of a moment like this, doesn¡¯t it? Just¡ fuck.¡±
¡°Yeah¡¡± said Anne. ¡°Fuck is a useful word.¡±.
Corvina sighed and shook her head. ¡°A romance novel, huh?¡±
¡°Yeah¡¡± said Anne. ¡°Fantasy romance.¡±
¡°What makes it a fantasy romance, specifically?¡± asked Corvina.
¡°The setting,¡± said Anne. ¡°Mostly the fact that there¡¯s magic here.¡±
¡°There¡¯s no magic in your world? None at all?¡±
Anne shook her head. ¡°They have technology instead. Technology is sort of, like¡ physical objects with mechanisms inside, kind of like clockwork, right? Only most of the pieces have gotten a lot smaller, and it¡¯s mostly powered by electricity.¡±
Corvina cocked her head to one side. ¡°Electricity?¡±
¡°It¡¯s like¡ a kind of natural energy that people figured out how to channel through things? It has something to do with atoms and electrons, which are like, the tiniest building blocks of matter? Not that I can explain exactly how it works...¡± Anne snapped her fingers. ¡°It¡¯s like the stuff lightning is made out of.¡±
¡°That sounds a lot like alchemy,¡± said Corvina. ¡°Using the natural properties of objects to create desired effects.¡±
¡°Oh. Yeah, I guess so?¡±
¡°And at the end of this fantasy romance novel, you really marry my fiance and have me executed, do you?¡± said Corvina, in a teasing tone.
¡°Not me!¡± protested Anne. ¡°But I mean, well¡ yeah, all that happens sort of towards the end. I never actually finished reading the whole book. Just most of it.¡±
¡°Hmm,¡± said Corvina, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. ¡°That¡¯s a shame. It would¡¯ve been useful to know the ending.¡±
¡°You believe me, then?¡± asked Anne. ¡°You don¡¯t think I¡¯m crazy? And you¡¯re not mad at me for hiding this from you, even after I lectured you about not telling me things?¡±
Anne kept fidgeting nervously with the edge of her sleeve. Corvina reached across the gap between them and took Anne¡¯s hand in her own, holding it still.
¡°I believe you,¡± said Corvina. ¡°And I¡¯m not mad at you. Actually, a lot of things you¡¯ve said to me since we first met are making a lot more sense now, in retrospect.¡±
Anne laughed sheepishly. ¡°Yeah, I guess I haven¡¯t always been all that good at blending in.¡±
Corvina smiled. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ve always liked about you. The ways you stand out.¡±
¡°But you¡¯re really not freaked out?¡± asked Anne.
¡°I¡¯m really not,¡± said Corvina. ¡°Look, I¡¯ve told you things about myself before that I genuinely thought would change the way you saw me, maybe even make you hate me. But you¡¯ve always taken those things in stride, accepting me and showing me true empathy. Like that was the only natural response to have. How could I not do the same for you? It must have been really hard, dealing with this alone all this time.¡±
Tears were rolling down Anne¡¯s cheeks now. ¡°It¡¯s been so hard,¡± she said, sniffling. ¡°And you still love me? Even though I¡¯m a fraud? I would understand If you¡¯d changed your mind.¡±
Corvina paused for a moment.
Of course she still loved Anne! If anything she loved her more. This incredible woman from another world who had traveled here from another world to save her from death. From her father. From herself. How could she not love her?
Admittedly, there were a lot of potential philosophical implications to the revelation that the world you¡¯ve always lived in exists as a piece of fiction in another world, but Corvina had never been particularly bothered by such existential abstractions. Corvina cared more about the practical and the experiential.
Corvina knew her world was real because she experienced it as real, and she experienced the consequences of her actions as real. Given that, the only practical response was to continue to act as though the world was real. That was the core of what reality meant to Corvina. Action and consequence. Everything else was just arguing about the wallpaper.
But Corvina could tell that Anne was feeling especially vulnerable and uncertain right now, and it was easy to understand why. It didn¡¯t seem like simple words of reassurance were going to be enough. How could Corvina show Anne how she felt, in a practical, real way?
Then Corvina remembered a small item she had brought with her, in her luggage.
Corvina squeezed Anne¡¯s hand once and then stood up. ¡°Come with me, I want to show you something.¡±
Corvina led Anne through the halls of the estate, never letting go of her hand.
Helen, who was waiting outside of Corvina¡¯s room, curtsied when she saw them. ¡°My lady, it¡¯s getting late. Would you like me to draw a bath for you? Or perhaps I could bring soothing herbal tea for you and the Saintess?¡±
¡°No, thank you,¡± said Corvina. ¡°In fact, you can go ahead and retire for the day. I won¡¯t be requiring anything else.¡±
¡°Oh, really?¡± Helen pointedly looked at Anne and Corvina¡¯s clasped hands and smiled knowingly. ¡°I understand perfectly, my lady. I will see to it that you are not disturbed. Have a nice night, you two!¡±
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Corvina could feel herself blushing as she led Anne into the room.
It was so embarrassing how easily she blushed these days. But maybe it was okay to be embarrassed, if being embarrassed was the price to pay for following one¡¯s desires.
And Corvina was about to reveal something far more embarrassing than a simple blush anyway.
¡°What are we doing here?¡± asked Anne, clearly nervous still.
¡°Just a moment,¡± said Corvina, finally letting go of Anne¡¯s hand out of necessity. She pulled out one of her trunks, the one bound in green leather, and began digging through it, past various dresses and underthings. She had told Helen that she didn¡¯t need that much for this trip, but Helen always over-packed ¡®just in case.¡¯
Finally, in the very bottom of the trunk, she found it: A small white handkerchief carefully folded and tied shut with a fine cord.
Corvina stood back up a bit stiffly and turned around to face Anne, the small bundle held lightly in her hand. ¡°Here,¡± said Corvina, holding it out to Anne.
¡°What is it?¡± asked Anne.
Corvina was blushing all over now. Not just her cheeks, but her neck and shoulders were faintly red as well. She felt far too warm. She wished someone would open a window
¡°Just open it,¡± said Corvina.
Anne took the handkerchief from Corvina and carefully untied it and unfolded it to reveal a small bundle of brown-colored hair.
¡°That night, at the ball, when you cut your hair in front of me, I¡ I kept some of it,¡± Corvina admitted. ¡°I couldn¡¯t even tell you why I did it at the time, but you were like¡ some incredible vision that had appeared before me out of nowhere and then disappeared just as suddenly. I didn¡¯t know if I would ever see you again, or if you were even real, so I reached out for a¡ physical memory. Something I could look at and say to myself¡ªyes, that really happened. You weren¡¯t dreaming. She was real. And you have a piece of her here with you. Oh, goddess¡ª¡°
Corvina covered her face with her hands and sat down heavily on the bed. ¡°That¡¯s super weird and gross, isn¡¯t it?¡± she said. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have told you all that.¡±
¡°No, not at all!¡± said Anne, rushing over to sit next to Corvina. ¡°I¡¯m super touched. I thought I had made a real idiot of myself that night. I never thought you¡¯d want to talk to me again after that.¡±
Corvina smiled shyly. ¡°Talking to you again was the only thing I wanted to do after that. I think I was in love with you, even then, although I didn¡¯t know it yet.¡±
¡°I was in love with you just from reading about you!¡± said Anne.
Corvina laughed. ¡°There, you see,¡± she said. ¡°We were meant to be. And you don¡¯t need to worry about me being disappointed that you¡¯re not the ¡®real¡¯ Anne.¡± She took Anne¡¯s face in both of her hands and looked deep into her eyes. ¡°You are my Anne. The only Anne I¡¯ve ever known. Whoever the original Saintess was before you came to this world? She means nothing to me. The one I love is you, Anne from another world, who claims to be so ordinary. From the moment I met you, you¡¯ve been the most extraordinary thing I¡¯ve ever seen.¡±
Anne was staring at Corvina with her mouth hanging partially open. It was very cute. Corvina couldn¡¯t help but laugh again.
¡°Um¡ do you want this back?¡± asked Anne, holding out the handkerchief with the lock of hair in it.
Corvina grabbed it from Anne¡¯s hands and tossed it aside, leaning in so close that her lips were almost touching Anne¡¯s, and she said, in a low and teasing tone, ¡°Why would I need that anymore when I have the real thing with me here... in my bed.¡± Corvina gently grabbed the back of Anne¡¯s head, burying her finger¡¯s in Anne¡¯s hair, still keeping her lips just barely apart from Anne¡¯s.
¡°Fuck, good point,¡± said Anne, wrapping her arms around Corvina¡¯s waist and kissing her deeply.
When their clothes came off, the first thing that was discarded was Anne¡¯s jacket, along with the lapel pin Eva had given to her.
And after that, Anne and Corvina spent some time lost in a brand new world that was all their own.
¡°What did you do? What did you do? Just tell me what you did. Just tell me where you are. How can I find you? Where are you? Where are you? What did you do?¡±
Eva was muttering to herself, the same few phrases over and over again, as she franticly searched through every book she owned, desperately searching for any mention of spirit transference.
The secret lab, hidden somewhere under the abandoned wing in the church in Longren, was in shambles. Books and notes were strewn everywhere. Broken glass vials of useless, discarded potions made the floor a dangerous place to walk across. In fact, Eva was covered in small cuts and scratches that she didn¡¯t seem to have noticed. Her robes were disheveled and her hair was a mess.
None of that mattered to Eva. Not anymore. None of that was important.
Eva pulled several sheets of paper close to her. On one of them, she had been tracking what she knew for certain, and making her best guesses with that basis.
The replacement must have occurred sometime before the ball. Eva believed that she could even pinpoint the exact day, when Anne claimed to be too sick to perform a scheduled miracle. ¡°Anne¡± had been acting strangely ever since that day, arguing with her more, acting stupid and lazy and uncaring in all sorts of little ways. How had Eva not noticed sooner?
¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± whispered Eva. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I should have seen right away. I should have known.¡±
Eva set that paper down and picked up another. Here she had written everything that had occurred earlier in the day, when the impostor was talking past her to what must have been the real Anne, present in spirit.
If the impostor could see her and speak to her, she must still be out there, somewhere. Close enough to reach.
You¡¯re the one who brought me here, the impostor had said, I thought you wanted me to change things.
Why would Anne do this? What would she have wanted changed? Was she unhappy here? Why hadn¡¯t she just said something.
The portal to the capital glowed brightly and Bishop Geist stepped through. ¡°Eva, have you been working on that thing we discussed? I¡ªGoddess¡¯ tits, what happened here?¡±
¡°Shut up!¡± shouted Eva, jumping to her feet and grabbing the Bishop by the front of her shirt. ¡°Tell me right now, do you know of any magic that would allow you to swap the soul in someone¡¯s body for another?¡±
¡°What!?¡± said the Bishop, trying to break out of Eva¡¯s desperate grip. ¡°That¡¯s obviously impossible. I¡¯ve never even heard of such a¡ª¡° She stopped.
¡°What? What did you just think of?¡±
¡°Well, there was a ritual, from the old church,¡± said Bishop Geist. ¡°It predates the empire¡ªpredates the first Saintess, even. There are very few records of it remaining. But¡ from what I understand, it was a ritual to summon a human soul from another world.¡±
¡°That¡¯s it¡¡± said Eva, letting go of the Bishop.
¡°I¡¯m telling you it was very rarely performed, if it ever was, even!¡± protested the Bishop. ¡°The ritual requires an intolerable sacrifice.¡±
Eva smiled. ¡°No sacrifice is truly intolerable, if it¡¯s for the sake of my friend, right Bishop?¡± she said. ¡°After all, you were the one who taught me that.¡±
Hiatus Announcement
Hi everyone!
I hate to do this just when the story has gotten really intense, but my day job has become especially busy lately and between that and the holidays, I just can''t keep up with my current writing schedule.
So I''m taking a month off from regular updates.
I''m hoping this time off will help keep me from getting too burned out. I don''t want the quality of my writing to suffer because I''ve been pushing myself too hard.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
If you want something to read in the meantime, you can subscribe to my Patreon to read the first 12 chapters of my other novel, The Warmonger Duchess and Her Female Husband. You can find that over at patreon.com/TeddyAsplund
Or you can come chat with me over on the new official Bastards'' Club Discord server. I''m still new to using Discord regularly, but I''m hoping to be able to cultivate a fun community over there. You can find the server at: https://discord.gg/vYwVJ3YR
I''ll be returning with the next chapter on January 10th.
I hope you all have a great holiday season! I look forward to seeing you all again in the new year. :)
Chapter 86
Early the next morning, Bishop Geist stumbled out of the portal in the city cathedral, placing her hand against a wall to brace herself.
She was exhausted. Eva had insisted on asking more and more questions about that old ritual, which Cerelia barely knew anything about anyway. It was almost enough to make her regret asking Eva to change the design of the portal so that anyone could operate it if they knew how to.
But no, it was a good thing that Cerelia had been able to check in. It was clear that Eva was becoming less and less stable. Eva had never been exactly normal in the way she viewed the world, but up until now that had been useful. Cerelia had figured out early in the girl¡¯s life how to steer her thinking and direct her energy in productive ways. The girls¡¯ perspective was narrow, yes, but that just made her easier to direct¡ªlike a horse with blinders on. Once you set her on a course, she didn¡¯t get distracted.
But if Eva was becoming less controllable, then she could very quickly become a liability. Like a horse that spooks at nothing and overturns the cart, spoiling the cargo.
And there was only one thing to do with a useless work horse.
Much to her surprise, when Cerelia arrived back at her office, her aid was standing to attention outside the door.
¡°Your Eminence.¡± Sister Beatrice curtsied. ¡°A visitor arrived for you a short time ago. I sent someone to find you, but you were not in your chambers.¡±
This last sentence was spoken without judgment or curiosity. It was a simple statement of fact. Cerelia approved of this. Beatrice had only survived this long as the Bishop¡¯s aid by demonstrating that she knew how to show proper discretion.
Which made it all the more notable that she had shown someone into Cerelia¡¯s private office without Cerelia¡¯s presence or permission. The visitor must be someone very important indeed. There were very few people whose rank would demand such treatment, and only one who was likely to have cause to visit her directly.
¡°Very well,¡± said Cerelia. ¡°You may be excused.¡±
Sister Beatrice curtsied again and walked away.
As expected, Cerelia found Grand Duke Marshal waiting for her, sitting stiffly on the chair in front of her desk. He rose to his feet when the Bishop entered the room.
¡°Just how long were you planning on keeping me waiting?¡± he asked in a haughty tone.
¡°My apologies,¡± said the Bishop with a gentle smile. ¡°I was called away on urgent ecclesiastical business. I have only just returned. Please, sit. Tell me why you¡¯ve come.¡±
Marshal shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s no time to sit. You must come with me immediately.¡±
Cerelia tilted her head to one side. ¡°Why?¡± she asked.
¡°The Emperor has called an emergency council,¡± said Marshal. ¡°It would appear the heir to the throne has gotten himself kidnapped by elves.¡±
Anne and Corvina stayed in bed long after the sun had risen.
There were a lot of important things that Anne could be doing or thinking about, but right now she didn¡¯t want to do or think about any of them. Right now she wanted to focus on the experience of holding Corvina in her arms while they drifted in and out of sleep together, bathed in the warm light of morning pouring in through the windows.
At one point, Corvina opened her eyes to find Anne staring at her. A small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth and Anne felt her heart melt again for the thousandth time that morning.
¡°You look so serious,¡± murmured Corvina. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±
¡°I¡¯m thinking about how real you are,¡± said Anne.
Corvina raised an eyebrow quizzically. It was adorable.
¡°I mean, I think I just realized that on some level I¡¯ve still been thinking of this world as fictional. I¡¯ve held everything at arm¡¯s length and mostly just let myself be dragged along by circumstances because deep down I didn¡¯t think any of it mattered that much because it¡¯s not real. Not real real. But now¡¡± Anne slowly ran her hand up and down Corvina¡¯s bare arm, which was sticking out from under the covers. ¡°Being next to you like this¡ being able to touch you, and smell you, and taste you¡¡± Anne leaned over and kissed her. ¡°It just really struck me how real¡ªhow physically, actually real this all is.¡±
Corvina was blushing again. She hugged Anne close and buried her face in the crook of Anne¡¯s neck to hide it. Once again, adorable.
¡°I don¡¯t know how you can say stuff like that with a straight face,¡± said Corvina.
Anne laughed and Corvina laughed with her. It was the sound of joy.
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When they finally got up it was almost noon. Helen had thoughtfully brought a new suit for Anne and left it folded neatly outside of Corvina¡¯s bedroom door, but she didn¡¯t enter to help them dress. Instead, they helped each other.
¡°You really should give Helen a bonus for handling this so well,¡± said Anne, as she buttoned-up the back of Corvina¡¯s dress.
¡°I already pay her a very high salary compared to most maids,¡± said Corvina. ¡°You know the kind of life I live. Her discretion is expected as part of the job.¡±
¡°Still,¡± said Anne.
Corvina smiled again. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right,¡± she said. ¡°Perhaps I should grant her some time off as well.¡±
There was a brief, peaceful moment of silence, and then Corvina added, ¡°You know, I believe Helen is interested in your brother Agis.¡±
¡°Agis?¡± said Anne, a little surprised. There was no such romance in The Foundling¡¯s Wings but also¡ what did that matter anymore? ¡°Good for her, honestly,¡± said Anne. ¡°Agis is fun. Do you think we should try to set them up?¡±
Corvina shook her head. ¡°I get the impression that things will progress naturally on their own.¡±
Anne nodded, thoughtfully, buttoning the final button. ¡°Alright, done,¡± she said.
Corvina stood up and walked over to the mirror where she looked herself over. ¡°Well done,¡± she said. ¡°Everything seems to be sitting right. This dress can be kind of tricky, too.¡±
¡°Do you want me to help you with your hair and makeup, too?¡± offered Anne.
Corvina quirked an eyebrow at her. ¡°Do you know how to apply makeup?¡±
¡°Well¡ a little,¡± said Anne. ¡°I was never very good at it, though.¡±
Corvina laughed a little. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± she said. ¡°I can do it myself.¡±
Anne sat back down on the bed while Corvina sat at her vanity and began the process of putting on her face.
It was probably a good thing that Corvina had turned down her offer of help. Anne¡¯s limited experience had been with modern cosmetics, and so she probably would have been even more useless with these old fashioned applicators or whatever.
¡°Remind me,¡± said Corvina, carefully applying a slight red tint to her cheeks. ¡°What was the next big event in your prophecy? Or in the novel, I mean.¡±
¡°Um¡ the war with Quellinia, I think,¡± said Anne. ¡°But if we¡¯ve successfully prevented Sebastian¡¯s assassination, then that will never set off a shadow war in the capital, which should mean that Quellinia never has a cause to declare war.¡±
Corvina nodded. ¡°Then we can probably postpone worrying about that for now,¡± said Corvina. ¡°Which means our most pressing problem right now is¡ what to do with you?¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Anne.
Corvina turned to look at Anne. ¡°I don¡¯t think Eva will allow you to continue as the Saintess, now that she knows the truth about you. We can¡¯t even be certain that she won¡¯t try to hurt you, and her magical powers make her potentially very dangerous. But even aside from that, you¡¯ll need to find a new role in society to occupy if you can¡¯t return to the church.¡±
¡°Oh shit, you¡¯re right,¡± said Anne. She thought hard. ¡°I could be your maid, maybe? You said I did a good job of helping you with your dress.¡±
Corvina smiled, but then she shook her head. ¡°As much as I¡¯d love to keep you so close to me, you¡¯re too recognizable as a public figure.¡±
¡°Then I guess I could return to the Sacred Forest,¡± said Anne. ¡°And claim my rights as a princess or whatever. Elyon showed me how to get to the elf city if I ever need to. You could come with me.¡±
Corvina shook her head again. ¡°That would be a good option for you, but I can¡¯t just leave. There are too many people depending on me. And I don¡¯t know what my father would do without me to guide him towards less extreme actions. He¡¯s bad enough as it is.¡±
¡°But if I go to the woods and you return to the city, then when will we ever get to see each other?¡± asked Anne.
¡°I don¡¯t know¡¡± said Corvina. ¡°But it¡¯s hard to see a way forward that will allow us to stay close to each other¡ Physically, I mean.¡±
This statement hung heavy in the air. It was what they had both known,but didn¡¯t want to acknowledge. It was why they had resisted getting out of bed for so long. They didn¡¯t know when they would have another chance to be together like this again.
That would have been true even if Anne wasn¡¯t the Saintess, or even if she somehow miraculously stayed on good terms with the church. After all, it¡¯s not like they would be able to make their relationship public.
It was one thing for two young women, even public figures, to be close friends. But in this world, the only type of romantic relationship that was considered socially acceptable was within the institution of marriage, and the Wyernwolf empire didn¡¯t recognize same-sex marriages.
It might be possible to allow a few people close to them to know the truth, but if too many rumors spread about Corvina and the Saintess, it could be extremely dangerous for both of them, but especially for Corvina. And Anne didn¡¯t want to put her at risk like that.
So they couldn¡¯t openly share a room anywhere, and they would have to act carefully in public to avoid suspicion.
As a reader, Anne had always appreciated fantasy stories that at least semi-realistically portrayed homophobia. To her, homophobia was a big part of her life experience as a lesbian, so when it just removed from the narrative altogether it left the whole thing feeling rather shallow and hollow. She understood why other LGBT people wanted a more escapist sort of fantasy where homophobia didn¡¯t exist at all, but that sort of thing just didn¡¯t connect with Anne at all. She wanted stories that felt more authentic than that.
But now, as an actual character in a fantasy novel, Anne really wished she was living in a more escapist fantasy setting instead. This sucked.
There was a knock on the door and Helen poked her head in nervously. She looked relieved to see that they were both fully dressed.
¡°So sorry to disturb your time together, but Lady Justine is asking to see Corvina. She¡¯d like you to join her for lunch.¡±
¡°Understood,¡± said Corvina. ¡°Just give me a moment to finish my makeup.¡±
¡°I can help you with that, my lady!¡± said Helen, letting herself into the room. ¡°It will be much quicker that way. You always take so long when you do it yourself.¡±
And just like that, their alone time together ended, with nothing solved and no guess as to when they might be able to spend time together like this again.
But they had a bit of time left before it was truly critical to make any decisions. They would have time to talk again later, at least. They would figure it out.
Across the town of Longren, in her secret lab in the abandoned wing of the church, Eva had just figured it out.
She took a step back to survey her handiwork. It was a large circle drawn in white chalk with strange symbols dancing around the circumference.
Normal magic didn¡¯t usually require this sort of externalized symbolism, but this was an ancient form of magic, and it drew on a slightly different power source than any of the standard forms.
There was only one last component that she needed.
It was time to bring Anne home.
Bonus Chapter: The Saintess
This is a bonus side story from the perspective of the original Saintess, unlocked through Ink donations on Tapas. Chronologically this takes place sometime before Chapter 1.
Are there any other characters you''d like to see side stories about? Let me know in the comments and I might make that a new donation incentive!
Content Warning: Unreality
¡°The Goddess is punishing me for my wickedness, just as my Father always promised She would¡¡±
The Emperor lay in his sickbed, trembling like a small child with a fever. He had shed a lot of weight since his long illness began, and the once imposing man now appeared fragile and vulnerable. Some weeks ago his impressive beard had apparently begun to fall out in chunks until finally someone had shaved it off entirely, possibly in an effort to try to save some of his dignity as a monarch. He looked like a completely different man.
Still, Saintess Anne wasn¡¯t sure she would have had the strength to remain there listening to the man¡¯s deathbed confessions if Eva and Marshal weren¡¯t there to support her. She was sitting in a stool by the Emperor¡¯s side, and Marshal was standing behind her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. Eva stood a respectful distance away, watching from the corner.
It meant a lot to Anne to have them with her.
It was difficult to listen to the Emperor speak, and not only because he was a wicked man who had hurt so many people. That was hard, yes, but it was the job of the Saintess (when there was a Saintess) to hear confession from the highest ranked people in the nation. And the Goddess had the potential to forgive all who asked for forgiveness. It didn¡¯t actually matter how Anne felt about the whole situation on a personal level¡ªshe was just acting as a stand in for the Goddess.
Ultimately, it was the Goddess who would decide whether or not the Emperor deserved forgiveness. After his approaching death, he would face the Goddess and she would judge the worth of his soul. Of course, it was tough to accept that the Goddess might actually choose to forgive in this case, but that wasn¡¯t Anne¡¯s problem. There wasn¡¯t anything she could do about it either way. This was just part of her job. She had come to terms with that.
But what made the whole situation even more difficult for Anne was the strange sense of deja vu she felt, and the eyes she could sense watching her.
Later, Anne found herself in a courtyard somewhere. Marshal was kneeling down on one knee in front of her. Eva was standing off to the side, half in shadows, smiling.
Anne felt a bit lost. Wasn¡¯t she just talking to the Emperor? Had he died already? Anne couldn¡¯t remember how she had gotten from there to here. It felt abrupt, absurd even. Where were the connecting joints from one scene to the next? Where were the mundane, boring, slow, quiet moments that made up a life? Had she set them down somewhere and lost track of them, the way one might do with a book or set of keys?
But Marshal was talking. She had to pay attention to what he was saying. It might be important later.
¡°Anne¡ my Anne¡¡± Marshal held Anne¡¯s hand to his forehead gently and reverently, like it was a precious thing. ¡°I thank the Goddess every day that She placed you in my path. I was a wicked man, once, as the Emperor had been, and I might have ended my life in the same way if you hadn¡¯t shown me how to be better. When we are married we will show the whole Empire how to be better. Together.¡± Marshal kissed her hand and looked up at her.
Marshal had been such a proud, closed-off man when Anne had met him. But now his expression was gentle and humble, almost pleading. He really had changed. Was it okay to believe in his promises? Believe in his love?
Anne glanced over at Eva, who nodded just slightly.
Anne had spent her whole life with Eva. Eva was her first friend, the one who had always been there for her during hard times. And she was so smart. Smarter than Anne. Anne was often confused, especially recently. But she always trusted Eva to know the right thing to do.
Like, once, when they were younger, Anne and Eva had sneaked out of the church to go on a fishing trip with Agis and they¡¯d become incredibly lost on the way back home.
¡°Is this the magic of the Sacred Forest?¡± asked Anne, nervously glancing around at the trees.
¡°Nah, it couldn¡¯t be,¡± said Agis, with a dismissive hand wave. ¡°We¡¯re children of the forest after all! I¡¯ve never, ever gotten lost in the forest, and since you¡¯re my sister, you would never get lost in the forest, too! The forest wouldn¡¯t do anything to harm us!¡±
¡°But¡¡± Anne lowered her voice to a whisper. ¡°¡we have a human with us, too.¡±
Anne pointed ahead to where Eva was determinedly marching forward through the tall grass, a serious expression on her face. If Eva wasn¡¯t smiling, it meant their situation was truly dire.
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Suddenly Agis looked nervous. He lowered his voice, too. ¡°Well¡ I still don¡¯t think the forest would do anything to harm us just because we¡¯re with a stinky human. Our presence would protect her, right? The forest wouldn¡¯t punish us for being with her, right?¡±
¡°Why are you asking me?¡± said Anne. ¡°I¡¯ve lived in the church my whole life, I don¡¯t know anything!¡±
¡°We¡¯re not even close to the borders of the Sacred Forest,¡± snapped Eva. ¡°These are just regular woods, and we¡¯re not magic lost, we¡¯re just lost lost.¡±
The sun was starting to set and the thought of being lost in a mundane way wasn¡¯t particularly comforting, either.
Eva looked at Anne and Agis and clearly picked up on how freaked out they were. She sighed deeply, and then her comforting smile was back.
¡°Let¡¯s take a rest here for a moment,¡± said Eva. ¡°We¡¯ll say a prayer to the Goddess and she¡¯ll show us the way back home.¡±
Agis scoffed, but Anne sat down next to Eva, grateful to have a chance to rest. She wasn¡¯t used to doing this much physical activity and she was aching all over.
¡°Maybe I should take up some form of exercise when we get home,¡± said Anne, hugging her knees to her chest.
¡°We could play games together,¡± said Eva, putting her arms around Anne, keeping her warm in the evening chill. ¡°We could invent a sport to play in the courtyards at the church.¡±
Anne laughed. ¡°There would be such a scandal! Imagine young acolytes, running around playing undignified ball games.¡±
¡°Why shouldn¡¯t we?¡± said Eva. ¡°We¡¯re still kids after all.¡±
They both knew it wouldn¡¯t be allowed, but it was fun to think about anyway.
Anne sighed. The ground was hard beneath her, digging into her tail bone, making it almost as uncomfortable to sit as it had been to walk. And the air really was chilly, despite Eva¡¯s closeness. The air already smelled of Autumn, although it was still summer for a short while yet.
Wait, why could she feel and smell things so clearly? Wasn¡¯t this a memory?
¡°This already happened, didn¡¯t it?¡± Anne mumbled, under her breath.
Eva, who had been resting her head on Anne¡¯s shoulder, looked up, a concerned expression on her face. ¡°What did you say?¡±
¡°This has happened before,¡± repeated Anne, louder.
¡°What are you talking about?¡± asked Agis. ¡°We¡¯ve never gotten this lost before.¡±
Anne just shook her head.
Were those scenes with the Emperor and the Grand Duke a dream then? They felt just as real. It was getting harder and harder for Anne to tell the difference between past, present, and prophecy. Memories of the future. Dreams of the past. It all felt the same. Anne couldn¡¯t piece them together, couldn¡¯t place them in order, couldn¡¯t see the connections between them anymore. It was all jumbled. It was repeating.
And always, always, she could feel the watchers. The eyes following her wherever she went.
Not quite wherever she went. But the moments that were real. The ones she could remember clearly. Or relive again. The repeating moments. Those moments came with eyes.
Eva placed a hand on Anne¡¯s cheek and she startled, looking over at her friend.
¡°Anne, are you okay?¡± Eva asked, looking her in the eyes. ¡°I know you¡¯re nervous about getting home, but I promise I¡¯ll have you back home in your warm bed again soon, alright? You won¡¯t have to spend the night out here. I¡¯ll make sure of it.¡±
Wait¡ this was different. This wasn¡¯t how it had gone before. They hadn¡¯t stopped to rest for long. Eva hadn¡¯t spent so much time reassuring her. They¡¯d only rested long enough to say a quick prayer and then they had been back on their way. They went straight home after that, like the Goddess really was guiding them. Anne had only been a little bit nervous¡ªafter all, Eva was with her, so she knew she was safe.
¡°It¡¯s changing,¡± said Anne. She quickly scrambled to her feet and began walking determinedly into the woods.
Anne could change things. She could make it different. She had never just gone off into the woods by herself before. This was new.
¡°What the¡ª?¡° said Agis as she rushed past him.
¡°Anne, what are you doing?¡± asked Eva, chasing after her. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the right way. Let¡¯s just say a prayer and then we can¡ª¡°
Anne bolted away as fast as she could. Her muscles were screaming at her to stop and she was breathing heavily and she almost tripped several times, but she felt like laughing.
She spent so much time trying to blend in, trying to do what was expected of her, trying not to let anyone know how simultaneously lost and trapped she felt, but what if she did the exact opposite? What if she just embraced the confusion? What if she let herself be guided by chaos? What if she didn¡¯t let the memories catch her?
When the physical exertion became too much, Anne finally stopped running. She put her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath. That run had been exhilarating. She felt giddy. She felt free. She felt¡ª
She still felt the eyes.
Anne turned around and looked directly at you.
¡°Stop looking at me!¡± she shouted. ¡°Stop it! Go away! Leave me alone!¡±
Eva stepped up behind Anne, placing a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll never leave you alone. I¡¯ll always be right here beside you to look out for you. I know you¡¯re scared, but it¡¯s going to be okay. I promise. I prayed to the Goddess and she showed me the way home. Come on, let¡¯s get you home.¡±
Eva took Anne¡¯s hand and started to guide her through the woods, continuing to speak about this and that and nothing in her gentle voice, like she was trying not to scare a wild animal.
¡°I have to get out,¡± Anne muttered to herself. ¡°I have to get out. I have to get out.¡±
One pair of eyes was unhappy. Anne could feel it. They didn¡¯t like the fate of the sad rich girl Anne hadn¡¯t met yet. Or had they met a thousand times before? The eyes thought it was unfair for the rich girl to die. Anne didn¡¯t think it was fair, either, but what was she supposed to do? Every time she tried to change things it ended like this. She always felt like her mind was about to shatter, and she was barely holding herself together as it was. Even if she wanted to push her luck, something¡ someone¡ always pulled her back on track before she got very far. And she let herself be pulled back. She was too afraid of the consequences if she pushed it past the point of shattering.
But the eyes seemed to think they could do a better job in her shoes.
Anne smiled. ¡°Are you braver than I?¡± she mumbled.
If she worked in secret, if she didn¡¯t let on how much she knew, if she played her role well enough up until the very last second, maybe she could find a way out after all¡
Chapter 87
Corvina was shown out to a small patio where the Tulin family were eating a light lunch in the warm afternoon sun. They were talking and laughing together, and Marquess Ormen, who greeted Corvina with a pleasant nod, was even still wearing his dressing gown.
It was a shocking sight to Corvina, who was used to the noble society in the capital, where family luncheons were formal and often uncomfortable affairs. Usually every member of the family would don their most impressive day-wear, take their places around a large table in a formal dining room, and do their best to ignore each others¡¯ existence while they ate an overly extravagant meal with far too many courses for the middle of the day. Corvina always hated it when she was invited to lunch at the palace.
Still, at least Corvina knew how to act in the face of cold formality. Presented with this scene of casual familial warmth, Corvina wasn¡¯t quite sure what to do. She felt a bit overdressed and out-of-place. She didn¡¯t know what they expected from her.
Eventually Corvina decided to go with a fairly safe option, which was to gracefully take a seat at the table and wait for someone to address her first.
¡°Welcome,¡± said Marquess Ormen. ¡°Are you hungry? You simply must try one of these.¡±
He grabbed a crescent-shaped roll out of a bread basket and plopped it on Corvina¡¯s plate.
¡°It¡¯s called a croissant, I believe,¡± said Ormen, a flash of excitement in his eyes. ¡°A remarkable new culinary invention from the Kingdom of¡ where was it, now, my dear?¡±
¡°Beliveau,¡± said Justine, passing the basket of croissants to her daughter Liza, who excitedly took two.
¡°Yes, quite,¡± said Ormen. ¡°A delightfully precocious little kingdom on the other side of the Sacred Forest. If we¡¯re ever able to put an end to this silly war business and set up some proper trade relations I suspect that in a generation or two no one in the Empire will forget the name Beliveau again, if only for the sake of their delicious pastries.¡±
Corvina¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°If they¡¯re on the other side of the Sacred Forest, then how were you even able to¡¡±
Ormen winked at her. ¡°I have my ways.¡±
Corvina looked at him skeptically. The Sacred Forest was surrounded by tall, impassable mountain ranges. The Sommets range started at the south-western border of the forest and stretched southward from there all the way to the edge of the continent, and the Ferney range started at the north-eastern border of the forest and stretched east to the former Kingdom of Ladore.
To trade with a kingdom on the other side of the mountain, Marquess Ormen Tulin would have had to either 1) send an expedition all the way around one of these mountain ranges, which was extremely time-consuming; 2) send and expedition through the mountains, which was extremely risky; or 3) cut directly through the Sacred Forest itself, which was impossible.
¡°I believe the city aristocrats often have a view of us Border Lords as being backwards country folk who are good for nothing but swinging swords at the only thing worse than country folk, which is foreigners.¡± Ormen smiled mischievously. ¡°But they tend to forget that being on the front lines of war also means being on the front lines of diplomacy.¡±
Corvina vaguely wondered if that little speech was meant to adequately explain anything, or if it was just supposed to confuse her further.
Either way, it wasn¡¯t worth trying to press the Marquess for a more concrete answer right now.
She ripped off a little piece of the croissant and placed it in her mouth. Almost immediately she covered her mouth with a hand in a surprised gesture and involuntarily let out a little ¡°Mmm!¡± sound.
¡°They¡¯re yummy, right?¡± said Liza, who had been eagerly devouring her croissants.
Corvina swallowed and answered before she could stop herself. ¡°It¡¯s like the bread is melting in my mouth!¡±
Ormen chuckled and Corvina immediately began to blush slightly in embarrassment. They were a loving family, but they weren¡¯t her loving family. Even if they were tentatively her allies, Corvina couldn¡¯t afford to let her guard down around them. She resisted the urge to tear off another piece of the croissant.
Maybe I can send Helen down to the kitchen later to ask for the recipe, thought Corvina, staring longingly at the rest of the roll sitting on her plate. I want Anne to be able to try these, too.
¡°So,¡± said Justine, pushing her own plate away and addressing Corvina directly. ¡°When I left you in the library yesterday, you promised to fill me in later.¡±
¡°Yes,¡± said Corvina.
¡°Well?¡± said Jusine.
Corvina glanced meaningfully at Ormen and Liza.
¡°Anything you can say to me, you can say to my family,¡± said Justine. ¡°If you insist on them leaving, I¡¯ll just tell them everything you said anyway.¡±
Corvina sighed. ¡°Very well,¡± she said, and she told them everything.
Well¡ mostly everything. Corvina wasn¡¯t confident that it was a good idea to tell anyone about what Anne had said about being from another world where this world was just a ¡®fantasy¡¯ (she still wasn¡¯t quite sure she fully understood what the word meant in this context) romance novel. There were several ways in which people might be likely to react to that sort of claim, and none of them were good.
And, of course, Corvina couldn¡¯t be reckless about who she told about her¡ new relationship. They would have to tell some people, of course. But that was the sort of thing you told your friend, not your friend¡¯s parents.
But she told them about Eva¡¯s magic, and about the ¡°prophecy¡± they were trying to subvert, and anything else that Justine asked further questions about. There was no longer much utility in hiding those things from these people. And since Anne had gotten mad at her before for concealing her plans for no particular reason, Corvina was trying to be a bit more open with people¡ sometimes. About some things.
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By the time Corvina was done sharing, Liza and Ormen had managed to eat the rest of the croissants between them.
¡°Are you going to finish that?¡± Liza asked, pointing at the unfinished croissant on Corvina¡¯s plate. Corvina shook her head and Liza snatched it up eagerly.
Ormen reached out and patted Corvina on the shoulder, which made Corvina jump, but based on the sympathy visible in his eyes, it had been meant as a comforting gesture.
¡°That sounds like a lot to deal with,¡± said Ormen. ¡°But are you fully confident that this deal with the Sacred Forest will save your brother¡¯s life? Regardless of assassins, are you certain that Prince Sebastian is fully prepared to survive life in the forest? I have more direct experience with the place than perhaps any other human now living, and I know all too well how unforgiving that environment can be.¡±
Corvina paused momentarily to consider the question seriously.
It was easy to think of Sebastian as a weak, pampered prince. After all, it was a reputation he had purposefully cultivated over the years. But few people other than Corvina truly knew what Sebastian had gone through to drive him to living that kind of life in the first place.
The Sacred Forest was a dangerous environment? Well, so was the imperial palace, and Sebastian had been surviving there all his life.
¡°He¡¯ll be fine,¡± said Corvina. ¡°And having met the elf princes in person now, I trust them to¡ª¡± Corvina paused to consider this statement. ¡°Well, I trust at least one of them to keep his word. Prince Elyon will protect him.¡±
Possibly from Prince Zaos, Corvina thought to herself. But she had a feeling Zaos wouldn¡¯t directly oppose Elyon, even if Zaos was technically of a higher rank. Elyon projected a deep sense of quiet authority that Corvina suspected granted him political power beyond what he should technically be able to wield by position alone.
¡°What are you planning to do now?¡± asked Justine, her gaze boring into Corvina¡¯s soul.
¡°Well¡¡± Corvina resisted the urge to shrug. ¡°If the assassinations and the Shadow War never occur, then the war with Quellinia should theoretically never happen, so we don¡¯t have to worry too much about that right now.¡±
Justine shook her head. ¡°No, I mean, what are you planning to do now that Eva knows that you know about her magic,¡± said Justine. ¡°You said that she and Anne had a big fight last night, yes?¡±
¡°Oh, that.¡± Corvina frowned. She hated the thought of it, but¡ ¡°Since Anne won¡¯t be able to keep her position as the Saintess, she might have to return to her family in the Sacred Forest. Just for now.¡±
But Justine shook her head again. ¡°I mean, what are you planning to do about the rebellion?¡±
Corvina¡¯s brow furrowed again. ¡°What do you mean?¡±
¡°It¡¯s clear from how you talk about it that you¡¯ve been considering the whole rebellion as a secondary aspect of your current activities,¡± said Justine. ¡°But you do realize that without Sister Eva, you¡¯ve lost your primary contact with your main allied military force, right? They¡¯re loyal to her, and to the Saintess, not to you. And if Anne gives up her position as the Saintess, then she¡¯ll also give up her position as a figurehead for the rebels. And what¡¯s more, have you considered how this break with Eva might put your allies in the city at risk?¡±
Corvina was taken aback. She had been so preoccupied with Anne and what was immediately in front of her, that she really had neglected to consider the bigger picture in a lot of ways. Her. Lady Corvina Wyernmal. The capital city¡¯s puppet-master. She had trained her whole life to see the bigger picture, and she¡¯d still allowed herself to be distracted.
¡°I don¡¯t care about the aristocracy,¡± continued Justine. ¡°And I¡¯m confident we can speak freely here because I know my partner¡¯s men are more loyal to him than they are to the Emperor¡¡±
Ormen shrugged slightly in acknowledgment of the truth of that statement, although it would put him at risk for execution as a traitor if it proved to be untrue and one of his guards reported this conversation to the Emperor¡¯s people.
¡°But my daughter, Belle.¡± Justine closed her eyes and took a deep breath. ¡°We don¡¯t alway see eye-to-eye, but I love her dearly. And for most of her life now, her one goal has been to get aristocratic society to acknowledge her as a legitimate child and heir of House Tulin. You convinced her to give up on that goal, and to instead work towards abolishing the aristocracy altogether. That girl believes in your vision for the world so strongly that she gave up her dream for you. But do you even have a vision for the world? Or did you just get caught up in this Saintess and her tales of prophecies? Did you become so focused on trying to avoid a terrible future that you forgot you would have to build a better future to take its place?¡±
As the weight of Justine¡¯s words settled into Corvina¡¯s mind, the warm afternoon sunlight stopped feeling comforting and began to feel oppressive. There was a sense of pressure in the atmosphere that was almost unbearable.
Corvina felt deeply ashamed of herself.
Then Marquess Ormen let out a low whistle, and clapped a few times, slowly, breaking the tension. ¡°That was an impressive speech, honey!¡± he said.
Justine rolled her eyes and lightly shoved Ormen. ¡°Be quiet,¡± she said, a fond smile on her lips. ¡°I know it was a dramatic way to put it, but I meant it.¡±
¡°I know,¡± said Ormen. ¡°And I couldn¡¯t agree more. Well said, indeed.¡±
¡°Yes, well said,¡± said Corvina, her mind racing with possibilities. Shame wasn¡¯t a useful emotion. Better to set that aside, admit fault, and do better. ¡°I have been distracted and narrow-minded,¡± she admitted. ¡°It¡¯s time for me to broaden my vision and turn my attention to what really matters¡ªtaking down my father and his government. Even if it means that I have to find a way to turn Eva¡¯s own people against her.¡±
After all, Prince Agis will surely side with Anne over Eva, thought Corvina. And the other elf princes have primarily spoken to me and Anne as well, which means we have an in with both the rebellion¡¯s armies and with its primary diplomatic allies. It may prove difficult to get the Church of Coris on our side without Eva, but¡ perhaps we can find a way to keep Anne in her position as Saintess, even without Eva¡¯s miracles? And the political branch of the rebellion, all those amateur philosophers in the city, well¡ maybe the Bastards¡¯ Club can manage to win their loyalty before Eva returns to the city? They¡¯ll have to try. I¡¯ll send them a message through Ulrich this afternoon.
Ormen¡¯s eyes flashed again and Corvina briefly wondered how much of his easygoing manner was a facade intended to get people to underestimate him.
¡°If you need reinforcements when the time comes, remember,¡± he said. ¡°My men have taken an oath to fight for the safety and freedom of the people of the empire. Not for the safety and freedom of any particular ruler.¡±
¡°Marquess Ormen,¡± said Corvina. ¡°You just might be one of the most dangerous men I¡¯ve ever met.¡±
Ormen laughed. ¡°That¡¯s quite the compliment coming from you, I¡¯m sure.¡±
Corvina smiled slightly. ¡°I¡¯m a little upset I wasn¡¯t already aware of you as a potential enemy to the Emperor. That would have been useful to know when I was on his side.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t consider myself anyone¡¯s enemy,¡± he said. ¡°But I¡¯ll fight fiercely for those I consider my friends.¡±
¡°And I take it the Emperor is not your friend?¡± ventured Corvina.
There was a new sadness behind Ormen¡¯s smile when he said, ¡°He hasn¡¯t been a friend of mine for some time now.¡±
If we have Marquess Ormen¡¯s military force behind us, then we won¡¯t be as reliant on the power of the church. Which means¡ maybe it would be for the best, after all, if Anne gives up on being the Saintess and spends some time in the Sacred Forest with her brothers.
After all, it might be better if I remain undistracted. At least until we successfully depose my father. Just until then.
Corvina was startled from her reverie when Helen suddenly burst out of the house. ¡°My lady!¡± she cried, throwing herself at Corvina¡¯s feet.
Helen¡¯s skirt was torn and tears were streaming from her eyes and¡
¡°You¡¯re bleeding!¡± said Corvina, grabbing a clean napkin from the table to press against Helen¡¯s head wound.
¡°She took her,¡± said Helen, looking up at Corvina, her expression twisted with despair. ¡°Sister Eva took Anne.¡±
And just like that Corvina once again lost sight of the big picture.
Bonus Chapter: Valentines Day Special
From: Corvina
To: Anne
I could have gone about my life the same
from day to day according to my plan
had not she chosen then to say my name,
for with that word the tumult she began.
With easy smile she flooded through my soul
and washed out all the things that held me back,
and once I was no longer in control
I had no back-up plans to there enact.
For my love is like the lightning''s sudden strike,
which careless of its strength and blinding flash,
scars all the hills and trees and hearts alike
where''ere it deigns to turn the land to ash.
Yet never have I been more grateful than
I am for this calamity¡ªMy Anne.
From: Anne
To: Corvina
I never understood how poets think
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.to twist their rhymes, words so in sync,
or craft a clever metaphor
with ''as'' and ''like'' and so much more.
Or does that make a smilie?
I simply do not know, you see.
But for all my faults that you might find,
when you placed your lips on mine
and I knew at last that this was real,
I understood how poets feel
From: Eva
To: Anne
What I''ve always known is that
in this world there is pain
and there is you.
There are wicked people in this world
and I can often feel my own sin
crawling underneat my skin searching
for any break or tear to claw its way out.
But also, there is you.
And there is ugliness in this world.
When I look at my own reflection
in a mirror and feel my stomach churn,
I remind myself that somewhere,
out there,
hopefully nearby,
is you.
But if I am to understand that you
are gone now from this world,
then will you tell me, please?
What is to become of pleasure
and goodness
and beauty?
For I no longer know where to find them.
From: Agis
To: Helen
Trees are green
Arrows are sharp
You are so cute
you''ve stolen my hearp?
Arrows are sharp
Trees are green
I like you so much
won''t you be mine (but say it like mean)
Arrows are sharp
poems are hard
I''ll see you tomorrow for archery practice
From: Sebastian
To: ????
I do not know yet what to say,
or if you''ve stolen my heart away,
but as we sit under this canopy,
I wonder what you might mean to me?
Chapter 88
Corvina expected the site of the kidnapping to appear as messy and devastated as she now felt in her own heart, but that wasn¡¯t the case. Other than a dropped tray of sandwiches and a single knocked-over end-table in the outer room, Corvina¡¯s chambers looked about the same as when she had left Anne there.
Except, of course, Anne was gone.
¡°I was bringing the Saintess something to eat,¡± explained Helen, whose head-wound had been quickly bandaged by one of the Tulin¡¯s servants. ¡°When I entered, Sister Eva was already there, near the bed. She was standing over the Saintess, who was lying collapsed on the floor. That¡¯s when I dropped my tray.¡±
Corvina glanced down at the scattered food near the doorway. Cucumber sandwiches. Corvina couldn¡¯t remember whether Anne particularly liked or disliked cucumber sandwiches. In that moment, her lack of knowledge felt like a tragedy.
¡°I¡¯ve been, um¡¡± Helen looked down, sheepishly. ¡°Learning some archery lately. And I knew that I¡¯d left a bow in here earlier, on that table there, so I ran to grab it, but Eva reached her hand out towards me and some sort of shadow thing flew out at me and knocked me against the wall.¡±
Corvina glanced in that direction. Sure enough, a small practice bow was lying on the ground near the upturned side table.
¡°By the time I got back on my feet, Sister Eva and the Saintess were gone.¡± Helen had tears in her eyes. ¡°My lady, I¡¯m so sorry, I should have been able to protect her better.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Helen,¡± said Corvina, quietly. Then she placed a hand on her maid¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Thank you for telling me what happened. You should go get some rest now.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve already sent for a physician to come and have a proper look at her,¡± said Ormen. He and his family were watching from the open doorway.
Corvina gave him a nod. ¡°Thank you, Marquess.¡±
The Marquess chose to personally escort Helen away, to wait with her in a more comfortable location until the physician arrived. That was a remarkable kindness for a high-ranked noble to show to a mere servant. No wonder his people were so loyal to him.
Corvina stepped further into the room.
They had never quite gotten around to fully cleaning up after yesterday. The clothes Anne had been wearing the night before were still in a pile on the ground beside the bed, next to Corvina¡¯s own discarded dress. Corvina stared at them.
She had to act quickly to rescue Anne. She should be coming up with a thousand different plans and contingencies right now. Her mind should be abuzz with possible solutions. But she just felt empty.
¡°I see,¡± said Justine. Corvina hadn¡¯t noticed her approach, but she was standing only a few feet away, surveying the scene with a knowing look. ¡°Some things are starting to make more sense.¡±
¡°Marchioness, I¡ª¡°
Justine raised a hand to stop her speaking. ¡°Please. I hold no title, as you well know. And you don¡¯t need to worry. Things like that are important to the aristocracy because they see partnerships as transactional. Aristocratic marriages are all about alliances and inheritances, both of which are more-or-less meaningless to common people. I¡¯ve known many people who have had a variety of partners throughout their lives without ever getting married. I suppose that¡¯s part of why I don¡¯t mind so much that Ormen and I can¡¯t be married.¡± Justine shrugged. ¡°Regardless, it¡¯s not something I would hold against you.¡±
¡°Ah-ha!¡±
At some point while Justine was talking, her daughter Liza had also come into the room and started rummaging through the small pile of Anne¡¯s clothes.
¡°What are you doing?¡± asked Corvina, alarmed.
Liza held up her hand in which she held a small lapel pin, the one Anne frequently wore.
¡°Earlier, you said Sister Eva showed up out of nowhere and interrupted you talking to the Saintess and they ended up getting in a big argument, right?¡±
¡°Yes¡¡± said Corvina, still not following.
¡°Well, you two were in the library, which is kind of a hard room to find, and so I was wondering how she knew how to get there. And then today I wondered how she knew to come to your room to find the Saintess and also why she only showed up there after you¡¯d left to have lunch with us? I thought maybe she had some special way of watching you, or at least watching the Saintess, and this,¡± she held up the lapel pin triumphantly. ¡°Smells like alchemy. I don¡¯t know the exact spell, but a lot of alchemy uses similar reagents, and this smells like that.¡±
¡°Well done!¡± Justine clapped her hands together and then patted her daughter on the head. ¡°You¡¯re so smart!¡±
The little girl beamed proudly, holding the lapel pin out to Corvina.
Corvina gingerly took it from her and turned it over in her hands. It just looked like an ordinary decorative pin to her. But when she brought it to her nose and sniffed it, she could sense a faint whiff of chemicals.
¡°So we know this Sister Eva was likely spying on the Saintess,¡± said Justine.
Corvina shuddered at the thought.
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¡°And she can travel long distances instantaneously, probably,¡± said Liza. ¡°It¡¯s theoretically possible to do that with alchemy, but it would require so many expensive materials, it¡¯s practically impossible. But all the books say that that was most likely one of the main uses for True Magic, since mana is a weightless energy source. Whatever mana is.¡± Liza stomped her foot in frustration. ¡°I¡¯m still mad that lady wouldn¡¯t tell me what mana is! She definitely knows!¡±
Justine sighed. ¡°That means she could have taken the Saintess almost anywhere. If she traveled by magic, it will be impossible to track her down.¡±
¡°Are you certain that this pin was for surveillance?¡± Corvina asked. ¡°It couldn¡¯t have been some sort of protection spell? Or¡ something else?¡±
Liza shrugged. ¡°I mean, it could be for anything, really. I was just guessing the best I could based on everything else.¡± She tilted her head to one side, thoughtfully. ¡°I have some testing equipment in my room. I might be able to tell more if I can figure out what ingredients were used for the spell. If it is a tracking or surveillance spell, then it must be connected to a secondary object on the other end. If I can somehow reverse engineer the spell I could possibly even find a way to detect and track that secondary object on the other end.¡±
Corvina nodded. She didn¡¯t mind delegating when she needed to. She gave the pin back to Liza. ¡°If you could run these tests, that would be very helpful.¡±
Liza looked up at Justine, her eyes sparkling. ¡°Ooh, is that okay, Mom? Can I go run some tests?¡±
¡°Of course you can, sweetie,¡± said Justine, with an encouraging smile. ¡°I¡¯m very proud of you.¡±
Liza ran off, and Justine turned back to Corvina, her expression turning more serious.
¡°Well, what do you want to do now?¡± asked Justine.
¡°I know it might not be the best move for the sake of the rebellion,¡± said Corvina. ¡°But I¡¯m going to do everything in my ability to rescue Anne. I have to.¡±
¡°I know that,¡± said Justine. ¡°I mean, what¡¯s the next step? We can¡¯t be seen to take direct military action against the church, but short of that, my husband and I will do everything in our power to support you.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± said Corvina. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Mentally, she imagined herself wrapping up the shock and the sorrow she was feeling and placing them carefully on a shelf where she could deal with them later. They weren¡¯t helpful right now. This wasn¡¯t a moment that called for emotion. It was a moment that called for swift action.
Corvina opened her eyes again.
¡°Have someone fetch your swiftest horse to meet me at the gate as soon as possible,¡± said Corvina, her tone certain and commanding. ¡°I¡¯m going to fetch us some allies.¡±
Anne¡¯s head was killing her. She felt like she was drifting in and out of a dream, although it was less coherent than ever. The Original Saintess was screaming in her mind, sobbing, breaking things. Briefly, she was certain she was back in the stone-lined corridors of the church in Longren. Then, there was nothing but darkness.
Then Anne awoke with a start.
She was sitting at her desk, a halfway finished spreadsheet on the screen of the computer in front of her.
Anne glanced around. Instead of a fancy old-fashioned suit with a priest¡¯s stole, she was wearing her usual modern gray pantsuit.
She felt the side of her head. Normal, rounded ears.
A copy of the book The Foundling¡¯s Wings was sitting on her desk, just behind her keyboard.
Anne picked it up and stared at the cover. On it, a beautiful saintly woman with long, flowing hair looked away demurely as a dark-haired man in a military uniform offered her a bouquet of flowers. Meanwhile, a beautiful woman with purple hair watched from behind the two figures, a frown on her face.
And, something Anne had never noticed before. A red-haired cleric stood even further in the background. So small in the illustration, you could barely notice her, halfway concealed behind a tree.
¡°Lunch break is over!¡±
Her manager¡¯s voice startled her, and she slammed the book back down.
¡°I need those files done today, before you clock out, no matter how long it takes,¡± said her manager, a severe-looking man in his mid-50s.
Anne nodded. ¡°Got it. I¡¯m working on those now, sir.¡± The sound of her own voice sounded strange and foreign to her.
Her manager walked away and she got to work on the spreadsheets, falling easily back into her old work habits.
Was it all just a dream? Anne wondered to herself. Maybe I should stop staying up so late reading, especially when I¡¯m already working overtime anyway.
Anne yawned.
¡°Do you want to go back to this, then?¡± asked a familiar voice.
The original Saintess was looking down at her from over top of her cubicle.
Anne stared, her fingers still hovering over her keyboard.
¡°You hated your life here,¡± said the Saintess. Her expression was sad and wistful. ¡°You hated being just another faceless office drone. So replaceable. So anonymous. No one that would even notice if you suddenly disappeared¡ You have no idea how incredibly jealous I am of that.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± said Anne.
¡°You should be,¡± said the Saintess, a terrible anger overtaking the sadness in her eyes. ¡°You¡¯ve failed! You know, no matter what happens in the book, you can¡¯t come back here, because you¡¯re fucking dead here. Your body is in the ground somewhere rotting. And now you¡¯re about to die in there, too. You¡¯ve failed, damn you! And we¡¯re all going to suffer for it!¡±
Anne gasped as she suddenly woke up.
She wasn¡¯t in her office back in the ¡®real¡¯ world. She was in a dark, cluttered room. There were no windows, and there wasn¡¯t enough light for her to see anything clearly.
Okay, Anne, she thought to herself. Let¡¯s take stock.
I was about to eat lunch when Eva appeared out of nowhere and somehow knocked me out. She apparently kidnapped me after that, since I¡¯m propped up against a wall with my arms and legs tied up. And I have no idea where I am.
That was about the extent of the information Anne currently had available to her.
Then several candles all around the room sprang to life at once. The room was cluttered with tables covered in books and sciencey (or alchemy-y?) looking beakers and test tubes and various other pieces of equipment. It was like some sort of magic laboratory.
In the center of the room, tables had clearly been pushed out the way to make room for a large chalk circle surrounded by strange-looking glyphs.
Eva walked into the center of the room, chalk in hand, and began making some small corrections, checking it against an ancient scroll on a nearby table.
Anne was watching this, debating whether or not she should pretend to still be unconscious, when she accidentally made eye contact with Eva.
Eva smiled and put her book down.
¡°I see you¡¯re awake,¡± said Eva, approaching Anne. She leaned over, bringing their faces only inches apart. ¡°It¡¯s so fascinating how much you look like her. I keep berating myself, asking why I never noticed something was wrong, but there¡¯s no doubt that this is her face¡¡±
Eva brought one hand up to brush her fingers gently across Anne¡¯s cheek. Then she grabbed Anne¡¯s chin and kissed her, hard.
¡°What the hell!?¡± shouted Anne after Eva pulled away.
¡°I can¡¯t corrupt her if she¡¯s not here, can I?¡± said Eva, still smiling. ¡°But she¡¯ll be here again soon enough. Just be a good girl and sit there quietly until it¡¯s time to play your role. It won¡¯t be much longer now.¡±
The first time Anne died it had been so sudden there had been no time for her to be afraid.
But now, as she watched Eva busy herself about the lab making preparations, humming as she worked, Anne felt very afraid.
Chapter 89
The Unseen Rain had a lot to think about.
After that annoying cleric randomly disappeared (probably some sort of teleportation spell using true magic, with zero care for how much damage that would do to her soul, the idiot), that ridiculous elven prince had walked them all the way back to the edge of the forest, just¡ talking with them.
Zaos, that was his name apparently, had spent some time explaining about the history of the forest. He described the trees there as Awakened. Apparently most trees around the world were asleep and unaware of their surroundings except for in the most basic possible ways. But the trees of the forest were Awake, and they had complex thoughts and feelings, and they were always paying close attention to the world around them.
That did somewhat explain why the trees in the forest had soul auras when they shouldn¡¯t. Well, it didn¡¯t really explain it, because Zaos never said why the trees were Awake that way, but it was better than nothing.
And he had explained what a curse-breaker was.
¡°The curse-breakers were an ancient and powerful order of elves,¡± he had said. ¡°From back in the days when magic was more wild and abundant than it is today. Back then, everyone was being given curses or prophecies and the like, but these types of spells usually had highly specific gendered language. The curse-breakers were elves who dedicated themselves to fluidity, shifting identities as necessary in order to thwart these curses and prophecies. They performed a great service for society and were highly respected.¡±
Zaos had shrugged, then. ¡°I just thought, perhaps your elven ancestors were once curse-breakers. You certainly seem to be carrying on their legacy. I find that admirable.¡±
While thinking deeply about this, Rain stared blankly at the rebel soldiers nervously running drills with their wooden training dummies.
¡°What are you still doing here!?¡±
Rain rolled their eyes. It was the other obnoxious elf prince, Agis.
¡°I don¡¯t have anything better to do,¡± said Rain, with a bored tone.
¡°Okay, but we don¡¯t want you here,¡± said Agis, folding his arms. ¡°The only reason you¡¯re not dead right now is because when you got here Zaos said you were a ¡®good chap¡¯ and that I shouldn¡¯t kill you because he wanted to be able to kill you later in a ¡®fair duel to the death between honorable warriors.¡¯¡±
Rain yawned. They were vaguely aware that Agis was in his 30s or something, but he looked like a teenager. That made it hard to take him seriously when he was trying to act intimidating.
¡°Hey! Listen to me!¡± shouted Agis. He was like a toddler throwing a tantrum. ¡°You can¡¯t just hang around here. You¡¯re our enemy! You¡¯ve tried to kill Anne, like, a bunch of times!¡±
¡°No, I haven¡¯t,¡± snapped Rain. ¡°If I was seriously trying to kill her any of those times, she¡¯d be dead already. And besides, she¡¯s not actually my target anyway. My target is the Saintess.¡±
¡°What? What are you talking about? She¡ª¡°
¡°Agis!¡± a thundering of hoofbeats followed this shout as that Lady Corvina woman galloped up at full speed. She reigned her horse in at the last second, causing it to rear up before halting.
For some reason, her long, pretty hair had been tied up in a loose ponytail, she was wearing a loose blouse with tight trousers, and she had glasses on. A very different look for her.
Corvina jumped off the horse.
¡°Have your two strongest horses brought out here immediately,¡± said Corvina. ¡°We can¡¯t afford to lose another minute.¡±
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¡°Why?¡± asked Agis. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±
¡°Eva,¡± said Corvina. ¡°She¡¯s taken Anne. Kidnapped her.¡±
¡°What, why?¡±
¡°It¡¯s a long story,¡± snapped Corvina. ¡°Too long. But Liza Tulin is currently working on tracking their location and I¡¯m afraid if we don¡¯t act now Anne¡¯s life may be in very serious danger!¡±
Agis nodded and turned to the nearest rebel soldier. ¡°You heard her,¡± he said. ¡°Go get the two fastest horses!¡± Then, to Corvina. ¡°Are you sure we shouldn¡¯t bring more people? What¡¯s the point of having troops if we don¡¯t use them?¡±
Corvina shook her head. ¡°No, in this case I think a larger force would just slow us down and give Eva too much forewarning that we¡¯re coming. And at this point we don¡¯t know who we¡¯d be antagonizing by mobilizing our army. It¡¯s better if we act alone, as quickly as possible.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll go with you,¡± said Rain, stepping forward.
Rain took a step back as Corvina drew her sword and stabbed forward in one fluid motion. She hadn¡¯t hesitated at all. If Rain¡¯s reflexes had been any less sharp, their neck would¡¯ve been skewered before they could move.
¡°I don¡¯t have time for this,¡± said Corvina. ¡°So I¡¯ll give you two choices. Leave now and never show your face in front of me or Anne ever again. Or die.¡±
Rain had spent enough of their life on the razor¡¯s edge between life and death to be able to tell when a threat was spoken with genuine intent.
¡°Wait, wait,¡± said Rain, holding up their hands. ¡°I don¡¯t want to kill Anne! I want to help save her.¡±
¡°Oh yeah?¡± growled Corvina. ¡°Do you have to kill her personally to get paid or something?¡±
¡°She¡¯s not my target!¡± shouted Rain, exasperated. ¡°My target was the Saintess, and she¡¯s not the Saintess!¡±
Corvina paused, and her hesitation told Rain everything.
¡°You already know, don¡¯t you?¡± asked Rain. ¡°Who she really is?¡±
There was a moment of tension, and then Corvina sheathed her sword.
¡°Agis,¡± said Corvina. ¡°You¡¯d better prepare three horses.¡±
Anne watched as Eva busied herself around the room, preparing various ingredients while the chalk magic circle grew more and more complicated.
Anne could feel the adrenaline coursing through her body, willing her mind to work faster, begging her to use any and all skills at her disposal to find some sort of way out of this.
Unfortunately, her only real skills were having read a lot of fantasy romance novels, and being generally personable. Which probably weren¡¯t particularly useful in this situation, but, well¡ it was worth a shot, wasn¡¯t it?
¡°I get it now,¡± said Anne, straining her neck to follow Eva as she walked around.
Eva ignored her.
¡°I said I get it now,¡± said Anne, a little louder. ¡°You¡¯re in love with her, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯ve always been in love with her. But you were taught that it was wrong for women to love each other. And you loved Anne so much you couldn¡¯t stand the thought of ¡®corrupting¡¯ her, right? So instead you just stayed by her side and worked quietly from the background to help her live a happy life. That¡¯s a noble thing to do. But, you know, there¡¯s actually nothing wrong with women loving each other. Your feelings for Anne don¡¯t make you inherently corrupt or evil. It¡¯s okay to feel that way. And I know you must be really shocked and in mourning right now after finding out that your Anne isn¡¯t around anymore, but¡ª¡°
Eva flicked her wrist and a piece of cloth flew off a nearby table and stuffed itself in Anne¡¯s mouth. A second cloth soon came and tied the first one onto her face, making a strong gag.
¡°You don¡¯t get anything,¡± Eva hissed. She approached Anne again, crouching to talk to her at eye level. ¡°My ¡®feelings for Anne don¡¯t make me evil?¡¯ Did you know I killed my own father when I was eight years-old? They said it was an accidental house fire, but it was my own magic that set it. I still remember how I felt that day. I wanted him to die. I wished for it so hard it twisted reality around me. And my mother, well, she must have been able to sense there was something wrong with me, because she took one look at me and denied I was ever hers. Bishop Geist could see the same wrong thing, but luckily for me she found it useful. You have no idea what dark, secret things I¡¯ve done over the years to support the Bishop¡¯s ambitions, to keep Anne safe. To keep her sheltered, as she should be. I could never let Anne get involved in all that muck. But it doesn¡¯t matter what I do. I¡¯m made of muck already. I was born from muck.¡±
Eva¡¯s voice was so full of venom, Anne was surprised it hadn¡¯t burned her. But when Eva reached out to touch Anne¡¯s cheek, her touch was strangely gentle. And when she spoke again, her voice was so soft it was almost a whisper.
¡°Anne is everything that¡¯s good in this world,¡± she said. ¡°And I¡¯m the opposite. Her shadow in all things¡ following behind her with my secret darkness. I think¡ I think if she truly loved a woman, I would be able to support her. Eventually. But as much as I would want to scream ¡®why couldn¡¯t it be me?,¡¯ I know that it mustn''t be me. Never me. If I touched her, I would destroy her.¡±
Eva let go of Anne and once again turned to go back to work. But she paused, briefly, her back turned to Anne. ¡°And yet¡ I¡¯m still too selfish to let her go. Maybe that¡¯s the greatest sign of all that there¡¯s something ¡®inherently corrupt and evil¡¯ about me.¡±
Anne was still scared, possibly more-so now that her last-second ploy to help Eva come to terms with her sexuality had failed. But, strangely, the fear was now mixed with another emotion entirely.
Pity.
Chapter 90
The Tulin family was already waiting for them with two fresh horses when the would-be rescue party rode up to the gate.
¡°Lady Corvina. Prince Agis.¡± Marquess Ormen nodded to each of them in greeting. ¡°We had some provisions packed for you, since there¡¯s no way of telling how far this Eva woman may have traveled using her magic.¡± He looked up at the assassin, a bemused expression on his face. ¡°But I suppose I¡¯ll have to call for a third horse.¡±
¡°No need,¡± said Agis, patting his horse¡¯s neck. ¡°I will not be changing horses. My noble steed, Iramus, could run a thousand miles without tiring.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± said the Marquess. ¡°Far be it from me to question the stamina of an elven prince¡¯s horse. I¡¯ll just go up to the house and arrange to have more provisions brought, then. I assume your noble steed will be able to handle carrying a bit of extra weight?¡±
¡°Of course,¡± said Agis, smugly.
¡°Thank you, Marquess,¡± said Corvina, dismounting from her own horse. She was out of breath from riding so hard, but at the same time she was desperate for a cigarette. She half considered asking Marquess Ormen to have a servant fetch a pack from her room, but she knew that would be a bad idea. She would have plenty of time to smoke once Anne was safe.
Agis and the Unseen Rain had also dismounted. Agis was leading his ¡®noble steed¡¯ over to the water trough, and the Unseen Rain was busy transferring a few leather bags over to one of the fresh horses. Corvina wasn¡¯t sure she wanted to know what was inside of those¡
Justine and Liza hadn¡¯t moved from their spot by the gates since the riders had arrived. Liza looked like she was about to run up to them, but Justine put out a hand to stop her. Corvina was briefly confused by this until she noticed that Justine was glaring at the assassin.
¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry,¡± said Corvina. ¡°She¡¯s helping us at the moment.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not a woman,¡± said the assassin, looking over at her.
¡°Really?¡± said Corvina, mildly surprised. ¡°Okay, he¡¯s helping us¡ª¡°
¡°I¡¯m not a man, either,¡± said the assassin. ¡°Not today, anyway.¡±
¡°Is that right?¡± said Corvina. She wasn¡¯t currently in the mindset to make sense of that, so she just said, ¡°The Unseen Rain is helping us right now. That is what people call you, isn¡¯t it?¡±
The Unseen Rain nodded, satisfied.
¡°Fine,¡± said Justine. ¡°But if you cause any trouble in my home ever again I will personally help to make sure your name is more accurate than ever.
Rain shrugged. ¡°A clumsy threat, but I take your meaning.¡±
Liza, who was practically vibrating with excitement, finally lost her patience with this conversation and pushed past her mother¡¯s arm to run up to Corvina and shove a small object into her hands.
¡°I found out I couldn¡¯t track Eva¡¯s magic directly after all,¡± she said. ¡°I guess cause the fact that I can¡¯t use magic at all means I can¡¯t really sense it either, and I was super sad about that, but then I thought that, even if I can¡¯t feel magic, maybe the pin can still ¡®feel¡¯ magic, in a way. Or at least Eva¡¯s magic, since Eva was the one who made the pin using magic. Like, matching types of magic are drawn to each other. I read something about that once, I think. Anyway, that¡¯s how I got the idea for this.¡±
Corvina looked at the object. It looked like a worn-out compass, but the needle had been replaced with Anne¡¯s lapel pin.
¡°What is it?¡± asked Corvina.
¡°It¡¯s a compass,¡± said Liza, beaming. ¡°Just like how it looks, only instead of pointing to magnetic north it points at Eva!¡±
¡°What? That thing points at Eva?¡± Agis had finished tying his horse up by the water trough and was walking back over to the group. He strained his neck to try to get a look at the compass. ¡°How does that work?¡±
¡°It¡¯s super complicated, but like I said, basically the pin is just attracted to the magic that created it,¡± said Liza. ¡°You can ignore the directions written on it, they don¡¯t matter, but I don¡¯t know how to make a compass from scratch so I just used an old one.¡±
Corvina held the compass in her hand, staring at its face while she slowly spun in a circle. Sure enough, the pin kept pointing the same way while the compass shifted underneath it.
¡°Which end is pointing towards Eva?¡± asked Corvina.
¡°This one,¡± said Liza, pointing it out.
Corvina followed the direction of the needle with her eyes, looking out across the landscape and towards the heart of the city of Longren.
¡°How certain are you that this is accurate?¡± Corvina asked.
¡°Well¡¡± Liza clasped her hands behind her back and rocked back and forth on her feet, staring off into the distance. ¡°When you¡¯re doing research nothing is ever really certain, I guess.¡± She shrugged. ¡°But I tested the principle with several other alchemical objects and they all pointed back towards their main power source. Eva¡¯s magic was almost definitely the main source of power anchoring the spell on that pin, so it should work.¡±
Justine put a hand on Liza¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I may not know as much as my daughter, but I helped her with her experiments. The results were consistent. I can assure you, the compass works the way she¡¯s told you.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t believe you,¡± said Corvina. ¡°It¡¯s just¡ it doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡±
¡°What doesn¡¯t make sense about it?¡± asked Agis, taking the compass from Corvina. He squinted at it, turning it over in his hands. He turned it upside down and shook it a little. ¡°I don¡¯t understand how any of this stuff works, but ¡®the needle points at Eva¡¯ seems pretty simple to me.¡±
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Corvina snatched the compass back from him. ¡°Yes, I understand the concept,¡± she snapped. ¡°But this compass¡ it¡¯s pointing in the direction of the church. Surely Eva wouldn¡¯t be stupid enough to take Anne back to the one place we¡¯d me most likely to look for them, right?¡±
¡°You¡¯re thinking too much like a chess player,¡± said Rain, cantering up to them on the back of their new horse. ¡°Not everyone is thinking about what their opponent is thinking about what they might be thinking. Even smart people, in moments of high emotion or desperation, will often make the most obvious choice available to them.¡±
¡°Fine,¡± said Corvina, glaring up at them. ¡°But even then, a big church like that is always crowded and busy, isn¡¯t it? It would be next to impossible for someone to truly hide there.¡±
¡°Hmm, that might be true of the cathedral in the capital,¡± said Agis, uncertainly. ¡°But the church here actually doesn¡¯t have a ton of people working there anymore and there¡¯s lots of good places to hide. There¡¯s a whole abandoned wing where almost no one ever goes, too. Actually, I saw Eva walking towards the abandoned wing the other day when I was looking for Anne¡¡±
Corvina stared at Agis.
¡°Alright,¡± said Marquess Ormen, returning from the house. ¡°A few of the kitchen boys will be up here with more provisions in a few¡ª¡±
¡°Not necessary, Marquess, thank you!¡± said Corvina. ¡°Agis, Get on your damn horse, we¡¯re heading for the church right now.¡±
Anne was starting to lose her sense of time, lying there tied up in the dark. There were no windows in this room, no clocks, not even an hourglass. Nothing to help estimate how long she¡¯d been sitting there, watching Eva do inscrutable things while muttering to herself.
Uncounted time always seemed to stretch on forever, and now, in addition to being scared, and stressed, and feeling really sorry for Eva, and also for the Saintess for that matter, but also kind of angry at both of them because maybe if either of them had talked to the other about their feelings and their assumptions at any point then maybe things wouldn¡¯t have gotten this far, Anne was also feeling¡ kind of bored.
Was that supposed to be possible? Was it normal to be bored while waiting for someone to murder you as part of a mysterious ritual to summon their crush back from another world?
It would probably help if Anne felt like there was something she could do to try to save herself, but being tied up and gagged meant she was truly out of options.
Except, well¡
Anne had never been super religious back in her past life. It was hard to be, when you were raised in a religion that told you it was a sin for you to fall in love. That sort of thing tended to put you off the whole concept altogether.
But¡ this was a different world. With a different god. And yeah, people had told Anne that the goddess might not approve of homosexuality, but also Anne hadn¡¯t read any of the sacred texts really so who knew if that was part of actual doctrine or not? Also, who knew if the goddess actually existed or not, but¡ this was a fantasy world, so it wouldn¡¯t feel out of place for the genre¡
Ugh, fuck it. It couldn¡¯t hurt, right?
How were you supposed to pray again?
Dear Goddess, thought Anne. I don¡¯t really know any of the proper rituals for your religion, so sorry if I¡¯m messing this up somehow. But you know this is a pretty messed up situation down here and I could really use some help if you felt up to it.
Anne paused for a moment but she really couldn¡¯t think of anything else to add.
Thanks in advance for your help. Amen.
Anne hadn¡¯t prayed a lot in her life but she had written a lot of business emails.
Anne waited.
There didn¡¯t appear to be any immediate signs of divine intervention, but perhaps Coris worked in subtle, mysterious ways?
¡°There,¡± said Eva, a note of satisfaction in her voice.
Anne looked over to see Eva stepping away from the elaborate magic circle she¡¯d been creating, brushing the remaining chalk off of her hands.
¡°You know, once Bishop Geist gave me a direction for my research, I was actually able to find the specific books that Anne must have used. They were hidden in another corner of this pointless maze, along with the remains of her version of this magic circle. Once I¡¯d seen that, it was easy to recreate the spell. Of course, I had to make some modifications.¡±
Eva walked up to Anne and crouched down next to her, looking her in the eye. ¡°Tell me, impostor, do you know what mana is? Just nod or shake your head.¡±
Anne shook her head.
¡°Of course you don¡¯t,¡± said Eva, standing back up. ¡°The Church of Coris put a lot of time and effort into erasing every single mention of what it is or how to use it from the historical record. But there were some clerics at the time who had certain reservations about destroying books entirely, which is why many of them ended up down here, where everyone slowly forgot about them¡ Well. Almost everyone. But luckily the Bishop thought I could be useful, which is why she didn¡¯t have me killed when she first found me down here, poring over the texts.¡±
Eva was staring off into the distance, wistfully.
Anne, of course, was gagged, and couldn¡¯t respond even if she wanted to.
Eva sighed and then reached down to grab the lapel of Anne¡¯s coat, dragging her towards the magic circle in the center of the room.
¡°Everyone has mana, even if not everyone can use it,¡± said Eva. ¡°Mana is life force. Mana is the essence of the soul held by all sentient beings. When I was a kid I accessed my mana instinctively. That happens sometimes, as a reflex. Usually your soul has an instinct to protect itself, but if you feel like you¡¯re about to die anyway¡¡± Eva shrugged.
Eva dropped Anne in the middle of the circle and took a few steps out, still talking.
¡°But there are ways to learn how to access your mana. And in some extreme cases, there are even ways to utilize other people¡¯s mana.¡±
Eva used her chalk to make a few small corrections to the circle, and then she turned to an open book on a table nearby, consulting something.
¡°That¡¯s what Anne did¡¡± said Eva. She smiled. ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s such a brilliantly clever solution she found. I¡¯m so proud of her for it. You see, at the moment of a person¡¯s death, all of their remaining mana is released all at once, in this incredible burst of power. Usually that power just¡ goes wherever it goes, uselessly. But my Anne¡¡±
Eva crouched down to look Anne in the eye again.
¡°She found a way to reach through all the way to your dimension and use the power generated by your own death over there in order to summon you here. Isn¡¯t that brilliant?¡±
Anne felt sick to her stomach.
It was clever, in a way. It was also extremely messed up. What kind of light-hearted fantasy romance setting was this, where the characters were pushed to such extremes? What the hell were you thinking, original author?
Eva sighed and cocked her head to one side. ¡°Unfortunately, we don¡¯t really have time to be that clever about it. So I¡¯m just gonna kill you, capture the power of your mana in this¡ª¡° Eva tapped on something that looked vaguely like a tesla ball. ¡°¡ªheal your body back up real quick, and then spend the rest of that mana to pluck Anne¡¯s soul back out of the intermediary dimensions and put it back where it belongs. Does that sound good to you?¡±
Eva patted Anne on the shoulder before standing back up and getting back to work. She started lighting several candles around the room.
Dear Goddess, thought Anne, Just following up on that earlier conversation. I could really use that miracle about now. Please. She¡¯s picking up a knife now. Oh god. I mean goddess. Wishing you all the best. Amen.
As soon as Anne said amen, she heard a woman¡¯s voice speak gently in her ear, so quietly that she could barely make out what it was saying. It said:
¡°Just give me two seconds, dear. You really can¡¯t rush these things, you know? And I¡¯m not, like, actually all powerful, but I am doing my best, so just, like, hold your horses for a minute while I try to find the right opening here, k? TTYL. ;)¡±
Chapter 91
Much to the surprise of her companions, Corvina brought her horse to a stop several blocks away from the church and dismounted.
¡°What are you doing?¡± asked Agis. ¡°The compass is still pointing towards the church, isn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± said Corvina. ¡°But we don¡¯t have time to explain ourselves to the clerics, and we have no idea how many of them might be on Eva¡¯s side. We¡¯re going to have to sneak in.¡±
Rain shrugged. ¡°Fine by me,¡± they said, slipping off their horse.
¡°You know a lot of secret ways to get into the church, right?¡± Corvina asked Agis.
Agis looked back and forth from Corvina to Rain and back again. Then he sighed. ¡°Agh, fine, but all the routes I know would take us over rooftops. I assume the assassin will be able to keep up, but can you climb over rooftops, Lady?¡±
¡°I wore trousers today,¡± said Corvina. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡±
Truthfully Corvina did have a bit of trouble keeping up with the other two as they scrambled up to and across the roofs of Longren. The way Agis and Rain leapt and dashed made it seem like their bodies weighed nothing. Corvina was slow and clumsy in comparison.
But only in comparison. Corvina wasn¡¯t unathletic, and although she wasn¡¯t trained in this particular style of movement, she was a trained fighter. It took considerable effort, but she wasn¡¯t left behind.
That is, until the final leap to get to the church itself.
The alleyway between the roof of the inn (where Corvina was standing) and the stone wall of the church (where she needed to be) was at least twenty feet across, if it was anything. Admittedly, the wall was much lower than the roof, which would probably make it easier to cover the distance, but still¡
And yet, somehow, Agis and Rain had been able to clear the gap with ease and grace. It was practically inhuman.
But Corvina was very certain that she herself was human. With normal human limitations.
Well¡ to be fair, Agis actually was inhuman, being an elf. And Corvina wasn¡¯t sure about Rain.
¡°Come on Corvina! You can do it!¡± Agis was attempting to whisper-scream at her from the other side of the yawning abyss.
¡°Is there no other way around?¡± asked Corvina, similarly attempting to be both loud and quiet at the same time. ¡°Isn¡¯t there a tree somewhere where I could climb across its branches to the other side, or something like that?¡±
Agis shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m afraid this is the only access point.¡±
Corvina had no choice then.
She backed up, and took a deep breath, and said a small prayer to the Goddess.
Coris, if you¡¯re there, and if you¡¯re real, don¡¯t you dare let me fall.
She ran and she leapt.
As soon as she was in the air she could tell she wasn¡¯t going to make it. Her trajectory was off. She was going to smack directly into the wall. She would be lucky if she got away with a few broken legs and a major concussion. And Anne would be lost to her forever¡
Then, at the last moment, she felt her body grow suddenly lighter, and a breeze pushing her from behind buoyed her upwards, carrying her farther than she should have been able to go.
She landed lightly on the top of the wall, fully upright, feeling refreshed, as though her stamina had been restored.
Corvina briefly wondered if she had just been the recipient of a true miracle.
Then she saw Rain.
Their hand was outstretched and they looked exhausted.
¡°Thank you,¡± said Corvina.
Rain shrugged. ¡°Just don¡¯t make me have to do it again. I hate using magic like that.¡±
Agis, who hadn¡¯t noticed anything going wrong, clapped Crovina on the back, ¡°Good job!¡± he said. ¡°Now where do we go from here? What does the compass say?¡±
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Corvina pulled the compass out of her pocket and looked at it.
The needle was going haywire, spinning in circles.
¡°The cleric is not as careful about magic as I am,¡± said Rain. They looked out over the church complex, glaring. ¡°This whole place stinks of her magic. It¡¯s as if her soul aura has expanded to include every corner of the complex. It will be impossible to trace her exact location using her magic.¡±
A heavy silence hung in the air as they all contemplated what to do.
¡°The abandoned wing!¡± said Agis, suddenly. ¡°The other day I was looking for Anne and I saw Eva heading in that direction. I think she¡¯s the only one who ever goes anywhere near there.¡±
¡°At least that¡¯s somewhere to start,¡± said Corvina. She made a sweeping gesture towards Agis. ¡°Lead the way, then.¡±
Anne was laying on her side in the middle of the magic circle, still bound and gagged. Eva was chanting something in a language Anne didn¡¯t recognize, and the magic circle was starting to glow faintly. That couldn¡¯t be a good sign.
But Anne was still distracted by wondering how it was that she¡¯d been able to hear a winky face emoji. By all accounts it didn¡¯t make sense. But she had, in fact, heard a winky face emoji sent by the Goddess Coris. Somehow.
Which meant that the Goddess was real. But what did she mean by saying she wasn¡¯t all powerful? She had to wait for the ¡®right time¡¯ to intervene? What the fuck was with that? If she was really a goddess she should be intervening in way more things way more often. This whole world was a fucking mess. Why wasn¡¯t the Goddess doing anything about it?
The magic circle was fully glowing now, and the tesla-ball looking thing was glowing, too. Eva¡¯s hair was starting to float out from the sides of her head, and Anne could feel a sense of electricity in the air.
And then Anne could see the spirit of the original Saintess, lurking just behind Eva. Whether she had been drawn close by the power of the ritual or whether she had simply chosen to manifest here, Anne couldn¡¯t tell. Her face was twisted with fury and sorrow.
Eva raised her knife and a bolt of lightning briefly shot between the blade and the tesla ball.
The Saintess wrapped her spectral fingers around Eva¡¯s neck.
Anne closed her eyes and said another quick prayer.
Any fucking time now, Coris! If you wait much longer it¡¯s going to be too god-damn late!
The whole abandoned wing was a maze of derelict rooms stuffed full of musty old books and rotting furniture of all varieties. Some of the rooms led to other rooms without ever connecting to a hallway. Some of the rooms had staircases leading up or down or even sideways. Some of the hallways and staircases didn¡¯t go anywhere at all. They just stopped abruptly in dead-ends.
¡°Goddess¡¯ tits!¡± said Corvina, punching a wall. This was the tenth room they¡¯d checked. They had no way of knowing where specifically in the area Eva and Anne might be, and it was getting harder and harder to see much of anything in the growing dusk. ¡°We¡¯re never going to find them this way! Are you sure Eva never said anything to you which might indicate where exactly her secret lair is?¡±
¡°No, never!¡± said Agis. He looked like he was about to cry. ¡°Or maybe she did and I just forgot about it¡ if only I was smarter, maybe I could have helped more. I don¡¯t want my sister to die because I¡¯m too stupid to figure out where she is.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not a matter of intelligence,¡± said Rain. They had their ear up against a wall and they were tapping on it gently. ¡°I don¡¯t know who built this place originally, but it was clearly designed to confound. There are secret passageways in some of these walls.¡±
¡°What?! How are we supposed to systematically check the whole area if we can¡¯t even be certain we¡¯re not missing secret rooms?¡± said Corvina.
Rain shrugged.
Ultimately, they decided to split up to cover more ground. It was the smartest thing to do.
But without the others nearby, the dark thoughts that Corvina had been keeping at bay with a flurry of activity began to encroach further and further into her consciousness.
As Corvina dug her way through a pile of abandoned chairs to try to get to a door on the other side, she imagined Anne tortured, surrounded by laughing clerics taking amusement from her pain.
The door was only a closet.
As Corvina followed a staircase that led to a hallway that led to a staircase that led to a hallway, she imagined Eva alone with Anne, having her way with her in more ways than one¡
The final staircase led back to where she¡¯d started.
And when Corvina ran up against yet another dead end, she imagined Anne dead already¡ the spark gone from her lively eyes, her easy smile absent from her lips, the color drained from her rosy cheeks.
The weight of despair was so heavy, Corvina could barely stand.
But Corvina couldn¡¯t let herself give in to the sorrow and the hopelessness. She had to keep going. She had to keep fighting. She had to keep searching. She couldn¡¯t give up. Not yet. Not when Anne might still be alive out there, needing her help.
¡°Nothing in there!¡± shouted Agis, running out of a particularly dark room right in front of Corvina, and immediately running off further down the hallway without waiting for a response.
Corvina was about to press on when¡ something made her pause. She couldn¡¯t be certain what it was. The dark room seemed to be drawing her towards it.
Through the darkness, Corvina could see a faint glow around one of the stone bricks in the far wall. Without thought or intent, almost as if she wasn¡¯t operating under her own power at all, Corvina walked towards the glowing stone. When she was close enough, she reached out towards it.
¡°What are you doing?¡± Agis poked his head through the door behind her. ¡°I told you I already checked this room! There¡¯s nothing in here!¡±
Corvina pushed on the glowing stone and she heard a small click.
The stone stopped glowing, and a portion of the wall next to it swung open like a door, revealing a set of steps leading down into further darkness.
Before Corvina could even react to what happened, she felt Rain dash past her like a shot fired into the dark, almost gliding down the stairs and out of sight.
¡°Come on,¡± Corvina said to Agis, drawing her sword and following after Rain as quickly as she could.
Chapter 92
Even as Anne desperately prayed, she had no real hope of being rescued.
After all, no one had ever come to her rescue before. In her previous life, after her family cut ties with her, Anne had had no choice but to find her own way in the world.
She hadn¡¯t had the cash to pay for college, so she¡¯d worked a series of shitty retail jobs until she could get a series of shitty office jobs, all so that she could afford to live in a shitty apartment and eat shitty frozen meals every day.
And although Anne had been on friendly terms with most people she knew, she had never quite managed to find a community for herself. She¡¯d had plenty of acquaintances, but at the end of the day she went home alone.
Once, when Anne was 21, she¡¯d woken up in the middle of the night with a horrible sharp, jabbing pain in her abdomen. The agony was so awful that she didn¡¯t even want to move, but there was no one she could call, and she couldn¡¯t afford an ambulance. So she¡¯d crawled out of bed and driven herself to the hospital.
It was appendicitis. After the surgery, when the drugs made it unsafe for her to drive, she¡¯d had to take an Uber home.
Her whole life, no one was ever there for her. Not her family. Not her coworkers. Certainly not God. Why should a Goddess be any different?
But at least in this new life, Anne had been able to experience the love she¡¯d missed out on in her old life. She had a brother she was close to. She had friends. She had Corvina.
It was highly likely that there was no way out of this. There was no way Anne could save herself, and no one was coming to the rescue. How could they? Eva had turned out to be an insanely overpowered magician, and no one even knew where Anne was right now. But even if her stay in this world had been short, Anne was truly grateful for the time she¡¯d been able to spend as the Saintess of Coris.
Anne braced herself for death.
But to her surprise, instead of searing pain as a knife pierced through her heart, there was a loud thud followed by a crash and the sound of various falling objects and shattering glass.
Anne opened her eyes. Eva was gone.
Anne sort of squirmed around until she could see the other side of the room.
Eva was lying on the ground next to an overturned table, surrounded by the remnants of her alchemical experiments. It was a miracle nothing had exploded. The assassin, the Unseen Rain was standing above her.
The light was already fading from the magic circle.
Leaving Eva where she was, the assassin leapt back the other way, directly over top of Anne, and brought their blade down through the heart of the spirit of the Saintess, still standing in the same place, where she had been trying to strangle Eva.
The blade went right through her incorporeal form.
The Saintess looked down at her unwounded chest, a stunned expression on her face, and then she looked up and met Anne¡¯s eyes. And then she disappeared.
¡°Shit,¡± muttered Rain.
¡°You!¡± Eva dragged herself up from the floor. Blood was dripping down her face, and shadow tendrils were gathering behind her. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±
Rain shrugged. ¡°I sort of thought I might have a chance at completing my contract after all. But it seems you can¡¯t kill a ghost.¡±
¡°So you¡¯re still after my Saintess, then,¡± said Eva. She began to stalk forwards, shadows gathering in the shape of a blade around her hand. ¡°In that case, let me continue my work and come back tomorrow. That way you can try to kill her again, and I can really take my time savoring the moment as I kill you.¡±
¡°Well¡¡± Rain looked down at Anne, who was looking up at them pleadingly. ¡°I kind of figured the whole contract thing was a long shot. But I actually kind of like this Saintess. And overall I decided I would prefer it if she wasn¡¯t dead. So I also came to save her life.¡±
Anne felt a huge wave of relief and gratitude wash over her.
¡°If you save her, you guarantee that you¡¯ll never be able to fulfill your contract,¡± said Eva.
¡°Eh.¡± Rain shrugged again. ¡°I don¡¯t really care.¡±
¡°Fine,¡± said Eva. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you quickly, then.¡±
Eva launched herself at Rain so fast that she must have been using magic, but Rain easily blocked the attack. Anne kind of lost track of the battle after that, but they seemed evenly matched, pushing each other around the room, neither of them letting the other control the space.
There were more crashing and shattering sounds as they fought, making a further mess out of the already cluttered room. Anne began to worry that she might end up dead after all, killed by a piece of falling debris or some sort of alchemical accident.
¡°Anne!¡±
Anne looked over to the stairs and saw Corvina there, looking resplendent in trousers and glasses, with her hair tied up, holding a sword.
A second wave of relief and gratitude washed over Anne, this one so strong that it cleared out all of her remaining fears and worries. The only thought Anne had left in her brain was how incredibly beautiful Corvina looked in that outfit.
Corvina quickly ran over to her, dropping her sword and pulling a dagger from her boot. The same dagger Anne had used to cut her own hair at the ball. That felt so long ago now. But at the same time it seemed like just yesterday.
Corvina cut the ropes that were binding Anne and removed the gag from around her mouth.
Anne immediately grabbed Corvina around the neck and dragged her into a kiss.
Corvina put a hand on Anne¡¯s chest and gently pushed her away. ¡°Later,¡± she said, gently. ¡°We have to get you out of here. Are you hurt at all?¡±
¡°You came to save me,¡± said Anne. Her mind was still struggling to catch up to this incredible turn of events. ¡°You and the assassin. You actually came to save me.¡±
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¡°Yes, well¡¡± said Corvina. ¡°I¡¯ve read enough romance novels to know that that¡¯s what you¡¯re supposed to do, isn¡¯t it? Rescue the damsel in distress?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not really the kind of damsel most people would bother saving¡¡± said Anne.
Their faces were still so close together that it was hard for Anne to read Corvina¡¯s expression, but she could hear Corvina¡¯s breath catch in her throat. ¡°You¡¯re someone worth saving,¡± she said, and there was something intense and difficult to read in her tone. Something like pity, or compassion, or fierce anger at the world for ever having made Anne believe otherwise. ¡°When I thought I might have lost you forever, I¡ª¡±
A glass vial full of a mysterious liquid flew over Corvina¡¯s head, barely missing her, and smashed into the ground a few feet away. A noxious gas began rising from the resulting puddle, causing both Anne and Corvina to start coughing.
¡°We¡¯ll talk later,¡± Corvina choked out, grasping her sword again. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±
Corvina held her hand out to Anne and Anne took it. Together, they stood up and made a break for the stairs.
But just before they could reach the bottom step, Eva appeared out of nowhere in front of them, blocking the way.
Blood was still dripping down her face, but now she was hunched over, clutching a new wound in her side. She was breathing heavily, with dark smoke escaping from her mouth with every exhale.
¡°Sorry, but I can¡¯t lose this opportunity,¡± said Eva.
Corvina struck out with her sword, but some unseen force knocked it out of her hand, sending it skittering across the floor, out of reach.
Rain was lying in a crumpled pile next to where the sword landed. Whether they were dead or just knocked out, Anne couldn¡¯t tell.
¡°It¡¯s riskier to attempt this outside of the circle,¡± said Eva, her voice raspy, ¡°But it¡¯s not impossible. I just need to capture your mana. If I do that, I can figure out the rest later. So just¡ die already!¡±
Once again, Eva raised her knife, and Corvina threw herself in front of Anne, clearly intending to take the blow for her.
But once again, the blow never came. Instead, Eva screamed and dropped her weapon.
An arrow was sticking out of the back of her shoulder.
¡°Agis came, too?¡± asked Anne, once again amazed at the thought of people caring about her so much that they¡¯d bother tracking down a secret lab and fighting a powerful dark wizard for her.
But Corvina didn¡¯t waste any time responding. She grabbed Anne¡¯s arm to drag her past Eva and up the stairs before the cleric had time to recover and block them again. Agis was waiting for them partway up the steps, a new arrow already prepared, ready to go if Eva attacked again.
Anne was about to greet him warmly when she saw his furrowed brows and suddenly remembered that Agis and Eva had known each other since childhood.
They never fight each other in the original novel, thought Anne. This is all my fault. I¡¯m the reason Agis just had to shoot one of his oldest friends.
¡°Why are you doing this, Eva?¡± asked Agis, calling down the stairs. ¡°This isn¡¯t like you. I know you can be scary sometimes, but you always have a good reason for doing anything that you do¡ And you¡¯d never really hurt anyone. Not anyone good, anyway. Not without cause. Definitely not Anne. So what happened? This strange power¡ are you losing control of it? Is someone forcing you to do all this? Eva, please talk to me. If you just tell us what¡¯s happening, maybe we can help you. Maybe no one needs to get hurt anymore.¡±
Corvina put a hand on the elf prince¡¯s shoulder. ¡°There¡¯s no point trying to reason with her. I¡¯ll explain everything to you later, but right now we need to get out of here.¡±
Corvina hasn¡¯t told him, Anne realized, with dawning horror. I never told him. He still doesn¡¯t know.
¡°Please, Eva,¡± called Agis, taking another step back up the stairs but refusing to retreat.
Eva laughed, a bitter chuckle evolving into a fit of frantic giggling. She reached back and grabbed the arrow still inside her. There was a flash of darkness and the arrow disintegrated.
¡°You don¡¯t even know, do you?¡± said Eva, a crazed look in her eye. ¡°They never told you.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t listen to her, Agis,¡± Corvina hissed, tugging on his arm. ¡°She¡¯ll just try to confuse you, twist things to fit her own narrative. I told you I¡¯ll explain later, but only when we have time to properly talk it out.¡±
¡°Right, okay¡¡± said Agis, taking another step back, watching Eva with an expression of fear and concern, but also deep compassion.
Anne felt sick to her stomach.
¡°She¡¯s not your sister, you know!¡± shouted Eva. The words landed in Anne¡¯s ears like physical blows.
She¡¯s not your sister¡
¡°She¡¯s an impostor from another world!¡± continued Eva. ¡°She killed your sister and took over her body! But I can bring her back! I can bring our Anne back to us!¡±
¡°What?!¡± said Agis, ¡°Okay, so you really have lost your marbles. That¡¯s completely insane, that¡¯s¡ª¡± Agis finally looked away from Eva and saw the expressions on Anne¡¯s face. ¡°That¡¯s¡ impossible, isn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°Think about it,¡± said Eva. Her gentle smile and calming vocal tone had returned, although both seemed a lot more sinister with blood still running down her face. ¡°What do you think seems more likely? That I would deliberately try to harm Anne, our Anne, or that I would do anything to get your sister back from a monster who had stolen her from us?¡±
Agis shook his head, brows knit even further in confusion and distress.
The last few days had been a rollercoaster of emotion, and the last few minutes even more so. Anne simply couldn¡¯t hold it all in anymore. Tears were streaming down her face.
¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Agis,¡± she said, her voice cracking. ¡°I didn¡¯t come to this world on purpose. You sister¡ she chose to bring me here.¡±
¡°¡°You don¡¯t have to defend yourself,¡± snapped Corvina. ¡°You¡¯ve done nothing wrong.¡±
¡°You¡¯re betraying your own sister!¡± shouted Eva. Somehow she had picked up her knife again and was slowly climbing the first few steps. ¡°For the sake of some¡ nobody. Did you ever even love Anne at all?¡±
¡°Your sister just wanted to¡ go somewhere else,¡± Anne continued, still trying to explain despite everything. She just wanted Agis to understand. ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to help her, although I don¡¯t always understand what she¡¯s trying to tell me. She¡ª¡±
Eva launched herself up the stairs, but Agis reacted quickly despite his shocked state, loosing another arrow directly into Eva¡¯s leg, knocking her down.
Corvina grabbed both Agis and Anne by the arms and dragged them up the stairs, neither of them resisting this time. But even as they started to run, they could still hear Eva catching up behind them.
¡°You made Anne happy, you know! That¡¯s why I kept you around. She loved the idea of having a family. Of having a brother. How would she feel now, knowing you never even noticed she was gone? How would she feel knowing you replaced her so easily? Knowing you chose the impostor over her?¡±
Anne couldn¡¯t stop herself from talking still, even as she gasped for air, running as fast as possible through the confusing hallways and back rooms of the abandoned wing.
¡°I didn¡¯t¡ intend to replace her¡ But I¡ never had much family either¡ and it really meant¡ a lot to me to have a brother¡ like you¡¡±
They were almost out of the abandoned wing when Eva appeared in front of them again. It was obviously by magic this time, as she appeared out of thin air, wisps of dark smoke rising out of her open wounds.
Corvina pulled another dagger from her other boot. ¡°You have nothing to taunt me or mock me with,¡± she said, her voice confident and clear. ¡°I know everything and I¡¯ve chosen to accept Anne, my Anne, as she is. As far as I¡¯m concerned, you are the only monster here. And if you won¡¯t get out of our way, then I will cut you down.¡±
Eva smiled and cocked her head to one side. ¡°Cute,¡± she said.
Eva lunged.
Instead of using her dagger to parry Eva¡¯s attack, Corvina lifted her leg and kicked Eva hard directly on the arrow wound in her leg, using Eva¡¯s own momentum to increase the force of the blow. Eva screamed and fell down again, and only then did Corvina slam her dagger down towards Eva¡¯s chest.
But there was a shimmering in the air and suddenly Eva was gone. Corvina slammed her dagger down onto the stone floor, sending a painful reverberation back up her arm.
Eva appeared again, hovering in midair, right above Corvina.
¡°Nice try,¡± said Eva. ¡°But¡ª¡±
Before she could even finish her sentence, Eva was knocked out of the air by Rain, charging at an incredible speed.
They both slammed against a nearby wall and ended up flat on the floor. Rain was the first to recover, jumping away much less gracefully than they usually would. They were clearly nursing a wounded leg of their own.
Rain looked over and made eye contact with Anne. They smiled weakly and made a small ¡®go on then¡¯ gesture.
Anne helped Corvina to her feet and the two of them and Agis ran out of the abandoned wing and into the church proper, leaving Eva and Rain behind.
Chapter 93
Agis took the lead as the trio fled back through the halls of the church, no longer bothering with rooftops or sneaking or subtlety. didn¡¯t bother to sneak over the roofs this time. They haphazardly shoved their way past shocked acolytes and screaming clerics and kept running even after they¡¯d reached the streets outside, ignoring the shouts from surprised pedestrians. They didn¡¯t stop running until they reached the alleyway where the horses were waiting.
¡°I half expected they¡¯d have run away by now,¡± said Corvina.
Anne could see why Corvina was surprised. It seemed like the horses weren¡¯t tied up to anything. Maybe her rescuers had been in too much of a hurry to worry about things like that. But anyway, somehow the horses hadn¡¯t gone anywhere. They were waiting patiently, looking at the trio with mild curiosity.
¡°If the other two had tried anything, Iramus would have kept them in line,¡± said Agis. He patted his horse with a subdued smile.
Corvina shook her head in a bemused way but didn¡¯t argue. ¡°Come on,¡± she said. She swung herself up onto her horse and then reached down, holding her hand out to Anne. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±
¡°Wait,¡± said Agis. ¡°Anne, you should take Iramus.¡±
Anne watched Agis closely again, trying to work out what he was feeling. But the serious look on his face wasn¡¯t giving anything away.
Anne suddenly remembered that Agis was late thirties. It had only been mentioned once in the book. And that wasn¡¯t that old for an elf, but nevertheless¡ For the first time since she¡¯d known him Anne thought he kind of looked his age. He wasn¡¯t some goofy, naive kid. He was an adult man. Well, elf. And a prince at that.
¡°You want me to take Iramus?¡± asked Anne. ¡°Are you sure? He¡¯s your horse. I know how much you love him.¡±
¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure,¡± said Agis. ¡°He¡¯s the swiftest steed in the world. I trust him to see you to safety. I have to go back anyway. The assassin might need help.¡±
Corvina withdrew her hand, shifting back in her saddle. ¡°Do you think that¡¯s a good idea?¡± she asked. She was poker-faced, but Anne could sense the nervousness in her voice. ¡°We barely escaped with our lives just now. And whatever else is true, Eva was your friend. Do you really want to keep fighting her?¡±
¡°Not really,¡± said Agis. ¡°And not just because she scares the shit out of me. But I can¡¯t just abandon someone who chose to help us when they didn¡¯t have to. It wouldn¡¯t be right.¡±
It was the noble thing to do. Anne could try to tell him that they would need him on the road, or argue that the assassin would be fine on their own, or even try to undermine his confidence and tell him he could never win against Eva in a fight. All of that might even be true. But none of those things would change his mind. For all his insecurities, Agis lived up to the ideals of an honorable prince when it really mattered.
And what¡¯s more, Anne actually agreed with him. She didn¡¯t want Agis to get hurt, but she didn¡¯t think Rain deserved to die, either. And it felt wrong to leave an ally behind like that. If Anne had any skills as a fighter whatsoever she might be trying to do the exact same thing.
It was almost ironic, how similar Anne and Agis were, at times. It was a big part of why they¡¯d gotten along so well as siblings.
Even if they weren¡¯t really siblings at all.
Anne nodded, sullenly, a huge knot of guilt tangling up her insides. ¡°I get it,¡± she said to him, not able to meet his eyes. ¡°Just¡ don¡¯t get killed.¡±
Agis grinned and for a moment he seemed young again. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m basically immortal anyway.¡±
Anne smiled back, wanly, but she wasn¡¯t sure what else to say. The day before she would have hugged him goodbye, but she couldn¡¯t be sure he would want that anymore.
¡°Goodbye, Anne,¡± said Agis, turning to leave. But he turned back. ¡°Wait, actually, what¡¯s your real name?¡±
¡°Still just Anne,¡± said Anne.
¡°What, really?¡± asked Agis.
¡°Yeah, I just, um¡ happened to have the same name as her, I guess.¡±
¡°Huh. Go figure¡¡± said Agis, staring blankly into the middle distance for a moment. He looked slightly troubled. ¡°How long were you¡?¡± He shook his head. ¡°No, I shouldn¡¯t waste any more time. But you¡¯re going to have to answer a lot of questions the next time I see you.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± said Anne, nodding. Then she asked the question that she was scared to know the answer to. ¡°So does that mean you don¡¯t¡ hate me, then?¡±
Agis shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t really know how I feel about anything right now. I don¡¯t have time to think about that. But whoever you are, I don¡¯t think you deserve whatever it was Eva had planned for you. So for Goddess¡¯ sake, get on Iramus and get the hell out of here.¡±
¡°Right, yeah, I guess we should do that.¡±
¡°¡see you later, then,¡± said Agis.
Agis had scrambled away back up onto the rooftops and out of sight before Anne could even climb into the saddle. (It took a few attempts.) And as soon as she was up there, she regretted it.
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Anne knew next to nothing about riding a horse, and she really didn¡¯t like the look Iramus was giving her. He was craning his neck to the side to look back at her with a baleful stare that seemed to say ¡®You¡¯re not my master. I¡¯m over 600 pounds of pure muscle, I have teeth like massive grindstones, and I¡¯m smarter than you, too. You may think I¡¯m just a dumb animal, but you wouldn''t stand a chance against me in a battle of wits, so don¡¯t even think about trying anything funny, like telling me what to do or where to go.¡±
Not that Anne would know how to tell a horse what to do anyway. She had a vague sense that the words ¡°yeehaw¡± and ¡°whoa¡± might be involved. And maybe she was supposed to kick the horse¡¯s side or something.
Anne would never dare kick Iramus. At this point she just had to hang on for dear life and hope that Iramus would intuitively sense what Agis wanted him to do and just kind of follow Corvina on his own once she got going.
¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to ride with me?¡± asked Corvina, who had been watching all this with a look of concern. She was perched so gracefully on the back of her own horse, like it was the most natural and comfortable place for her to be.
¡°No, I¡¯m okay,¡± said Anne, vaguely trying to figure out how she was supposed to hold the reins by just holding them in different positions and seeing if anything felt right. None of it felt right.
Corvina didn¡¯t look convinced. ¡°If you¡¯re sure¡ are you ready, then?¡±
¡°Ready as I¡¯ll ever be,¡± said Anne.
Corvina nodded, then spurred her horse on and it took off at a gallop.
Thankfully, Iramus did follow, although Anne wasn¡¯t used to how¡ unsteady it felt on the back of a galloping horse. She wrapped her arms around Iramus¡¯ neck and desperately tried not to get flung off.
Eva was fully dragging her left leg as she limped along now, systematically cauterizing each of her wounds with a flash of magic.
Each flash brought searing, white-hot pain and it was all she could do not to scream each time. But she couldn¡¯t afford to lose any more blood.
Or mana, for that matter. Eva had never been precious about her mana, but she¡¯d spent more mana tonight than she had in the last five years combined. It was reckless, dangerous even, to spend that much mana this fast. But the blood loss would kill her faster.
And so what if the magic was dangerous? Eva didn¡¯t want to live in this world without Anne, anyway. She wouldn¡¯t even be bothering to cauterize the wounds if she didn¡¯t feel like there was still a chance she could find a way to bring Anne back. Eva would bring Anne back or she would die trying. Those were the only two possible options. Anything else was¡ unthinkable.
Eva stumbled and caught herself against one of the walls. When she pushed herself back up again, she left a smear of blood on the stones.
She wasn¡¯t sure where the assassin had gone, but Eva knew he couldn¡¯t be doing much better than she was. The assassin had gotten in a lot of small hits, but he was still afraid to use his magic to its full potential. When Eva hit, she hit much harder.
Eva carefully began walking back down the stairs to the lab, taking each step slowly and deliberately.
Why? thought Eva, a thought that had plagued her repeatedly for¡ she didn¡¯t remember how long anymore. Every moment without Anne felt like an eternity. Why would she abandon me? Did someone force her to? Did she have some hidden purpose, some greater goal that would serve to save the world? Was the world even worth saving without Anne in it? What gave this world a right to go on existing without Anne?
And that traitor of an elf¡ why would he side with the impostor? If Eva ever saw him again, she would kill him.
Eva made it to the bottom step and painstakingly picked her way across the destroyed lab with one singular goal in mind.
The warp gate.
Luckily, it looked largely undamaged by the fight. It should still be functional.
Eva no longer had the strength to teleport fully under her own power. Not a long distance, anyway. Not without taking some serious time to rest and recover. But the warp gate should allow her to remove herself from this situation without too much trouble.
This attempt had been a failure. But if Eva could get away and take a moment to regroup herself, then¡ she could find another way. She would find another way. This was not the end.
Eva reached inside, into her tattered soul, and sent a few fluttering threads of power towards the gate.
Rain, who had been nursing their wounds and watching from the shadows, waiting for a moment when Eva¡¯s attention was fully turned elsewhere, took this moment to attack.
They launched themselves forward with one final burst of magic, weapons ready.
There was a scream. And a crash. And a flash of multi-colored light.
By the time Agis arrived in the lab it was all over. He searched everywhere¡ªunder overturned tables, through piles of discarded paper, inside of side cupboards. He even went back out into the rest of the abandoned wing and searched every room and corridor until he got so lost he ended up right back in the lab again.
But no matter where he looked, he could see no sign of the assassin or Eva. Or even¡ either of their bodies. They were just¡ gone.
Just like his sister¡
No, there was no time for that right now.
Agis pushed those thoughts away and spent some time examining the lab itself more closely, trying desperately to find any information about what in the world was happening with any of this. But none of the books made any sense to him, and Eva¡¯s handwriting was so bad that he couldn¡¯t even read her notes, and he was too scared to try touching any of the mysterious liquids or magic items.
Agis sat down on a relatively clear patch of floor and put his head in his hands.
He had entirely run out of ways to distract himself. There were no battles for him to take part in, no one he could save, nothing to stop him from thinking about the fact that his sister wasn¡¯t his sister, and his oldest friend was now his enemy, and¡ he was alone. For the first time in many years, he was truly alone.
Anne had thought that the loneliness and sorrow had made Agis look older, but they made Agis feel much younger; like a child again, living in the elven palace full of nothing but wide empty halls and brothers who¡¯d ignored him.
Anne, the original Anne, his half-sister, had been the first person to ever make Agis feel a bit less alone. And he had loved her dearly since the first day they¡¯d met.
But¡ Agis also couldn¡¯t deny that Anne had been a bit more fun lately. There were a lot of stressful things going on, but ever since they¡¯d first gone to the capital, Agis had been having such a good time, hanging out with his sister (not his sister) and all the new friends they were making, even the shitty human prince. It was maybe the happiest he¡¯d ever been.
And he hated himself for even having that thought. And he hated Eva for telling him the truth. And he hated everyone else for not telling him the truth. And he wasn¡¯t even sure he knew what the truth was¡ªhe was so confused. And he missed his sister. And he missed the person who wasn¡¯t his sister. And he was so full of incandescent grief that it felt like his whole body was made just of grief and nothing else.
¡°Shit, I shouldn¡¯t have let her take Iramus,¡± said Agis, fighting against the tears that were threatening to fall. ¡°I could really use a friend right now.¡±
Agis didn¡¯t know what a warp gate was, but even if he had, he wouldn¡¯t have seen any evidence of it in the lab. The uncontrolled explosion of magic had shattered it into so many pieces of such a minuscule size that even a skilled magic-user wouldn¡¯t have been able to detect that such an object had ever stood in this space.
It was like the gate had never existed at all.
Chapter 94
Rain groaned.
Everything hurt. They weren¡¯t quite sure what happened. But they knew they were lying prone on the ground somewhere. Which was a pretty vulnerable position to be in, especially when you were already injured and exhausted. Being vulnerable was bad. Therefore, it would be better to rally their strength and find a way to become less immediately vulnerable.
With quite a bit of effort, they sat up and opened their eyes.
They might as well not have bothered. It was just as dark with their eyes open as it had been with their eyes closed.
¡°Are you here to kill me?¡±
Rain jumped to their feet and spun around, automatically reaching for weapons that turned out not to be there. ¡°Shit,¡± they muttered, taking a defensive stance.
The Saintess, the real Saintess, was standing in front of them. There was a soft glow of light around her, illuminating her in the dark void. The glow was her soul aura, which was filled with the highest concentration of divine magic Rain had ever seen.
She had no body aura, for obvious reasons, considering that another soul was currently occupying her body.
¡°It¡¯s your job to kill me, isn¡¯t it?¡± The Saintess tilted her head to the side, quizzically. Her tone was detached, slightly cheerful even. ¡°Marshal paid you to kill me.¡±
Rain didn¡¯t have any weapons, but neither did the Saintess. Rain could go for strangulation¡ªthe woman didn¡¯t look very strong and probably couldn¡¯t fight back well¡ªbut back in the lab she¡¯d been incorporeal, and you couldn¡¯t exactly strangle an incorporeal being. Would she be corporeal here, now, wherever here was? She was only a soul. Was it even possible for a soul to be corporeal? Was it worth trying to find out? Honestly, Rain was kind of sick of this whole contract. They should have charged the Duke way more for this.
Rain still hadn¡¯t responded to anything the Saintess had said, but that didn¡¯t seem to bother her at all. She simply sighed delicately before continuing to speak. ¡°How many lives has Marshal loved me in? And now he¡¯s sent an assassin after me. Of course, he never really did love me more than he loved power. And my replacement has been getting in his way a lot.¡± The Saintess smiled. ¡°That was kind of fun to watch.¡±
¡°Where are we?¡± asked Rain, choosing to just ignore all the things they didn¡¯t understand. It was important to gather useful, actionable information first and worry about everything else later.
The Saintess shrugged. ¡°Some pocket dimension. I can¡¯t keep track of them anymore. They¡¯re each as miserable as the last. Hey, you have divine blood, don¡¯t you? That¡¯s probably why you can see me. That also might be what drew you here, specifically, when the magic didn¡¯t know where you wanted to go.¡±
Rain tried to examine this statement for useful or actionable information and found nothing. Therefore, Rain decided to ignore whatever the Saintess was talking about in favor of pondering further on the strange place they found themself in.
This clearly was not whatever world the fake Saintess had come from, but it also wasn¡¯t the world Rain had grown up in, either. Maybe that¡¯s what the Saintess meant by ¡°pocket dimension.¡± Just some empty space that¡¯s neither here nor there.
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In which case, the most pressing issue was getting out of this strange limbo as quickly as possible.
¡°How do I get back to my world?¡± asked Rain.
¡°Oh, the story will pull you back in, eventually,¡± said the Saintess. ¡°You didn¡¯t give it a substitute, and you still have a plot-important role to play. So no matter where you go, it will take you back.¡±
Rain began to feel a strange tingling in their feet and they looked down to make sure there weren¡¯t any hidden wounds causing them to bleed out. But they stomped each foot up and down a few times and there didn¡¯t seem to be anything wrong, other than the tingling. And the wounds they already knew about, of course, but none of those were in their feet.
¡°It¡¯s already happening,¡± said the Saintess, squinting at Rain. ¡°Look, are you sure you don¡¯t want to try to kill me? This might be your only chance. And I was thinking about it and I think I might like to die, actually.¡±
Rain was actually taken aback. Not so much by the request (they¡¯d had targets beg them for death before, although not usually unprompted), but by the tone of it. The Saintess didn¡¯t sound desperate or even sad. She just sounded¡ tired.
Against their own best judgment, Rain found themself feeling curious about the mindset of this Saintess.
¡°Why?¡± they asked.
¡°Why?¡± The Saintess tilted her head to one side. ¡°I just think nonexistence sounds kind of nice. And I¡¯ve never really had the option to die before. Not really. Not permanently. That¡¯s why I thought I¡¯d try to escape instead. I worked so hard to find a place where the story wouldn¡¯t be able to read me, but¡ it turns out this place is just its own sort of hell. I just want to rest.¡±
The tingling sensation had now made its way up Rain¡¯s legs and past their waist, steadily continuing its climb upward.
¡°You¡¯re running out of time,¡± said the Saintess, looking them up and down. ¡°What do you say? Do you want to defy destiny, fulfill your contract, and kill me here and now? Or do you want to do nothing, return to your world, and continue to do the story¡¯s bidding like a puppet in a show?¡±
¡°You keep talking about ¡®the story,¡¯¡± said Rain. ¡°What do you mean by that? What¡¯s ¡®the story?¡¯¡±
¡°The story is the true god of our world, and its truest devil. The story is the path you walk down and the knife that awaits you at the end of it. The story is all that there is and all that there will ever be, if no one ever fights back.¡±
The Saintess lifted her hand and a dagger appeared in it. There was no flash or explosion of lights, or even any movement of magic which Rain could see. One moment the Saintess¡¯ hand was empty, and the next moment she was holding a dagger as if it had been there the whole time.
The Saintess held the dagger out to Rain. It looked just like one of Rain¡¯s own daggers.
¡°What do you say, will you fight back?¡± asked the Saintess. ¡°Will you strike a blow against god?¡±
Rain looked from the Saintess to the dagger and then to the Saintess again.
This was all too complicated.
Rain was used to life being simple. Ever since the Assassins¡¯ Guild had taken them in as a small child, Rain¡¯s life had been organized around contracts. Sign contract, kill target, get paid. And when not actively pursuing a target, study and train to hone your craft. Simple, easy, straightforward, repeatable.
But now Rain¡¯s mind was spinning with thoughts like, would it be morally right to kill this specific person, in this specific instance? What kind of broad effects would killing this person have on the world? And what would it say about Rain, as a human being, if they killed this person right now?
None of these thought-patterns were useful to a career assassin.
Rain closed their eyes and took a deep breath. The tingling was up to their neck now, and had gone all down their arms. They could feel their fingers tingling.
Setting everything else aside and getting back to basics: What was the correct course of action for famous assassin, the Unseen Rain, to take here?
Rain opened their eyes and reached for the dagger.
And they disappeared.
The Saintess stayed still a moment longer, holding the dagger out towards the now empty darkness. Then she turned toward the audience and made an exaggerated sort of ¡®Oh, well!¡¯ expression. In a cheerful tone of voice she said, ¡°I guess it¡¯s back to the drawing board on this one!¡±
The laugh track played.
Chapter 95
Corvina was struggling to light a fire, despite knowing how.
Of course, Corvina rarely went anywhere without a servant who could light a fire for her, so she hadn¡¯t had a lot of practice¡ªbut that didn¡¯t mean she lacked the skill. Her uncle had taught her how to light a fire on her own at a young age, just in case she ever needed to. But now that she actually needed to, the materials just weren''t cooperating. The sparks just weren¡¯t catching the way they were supposed to.
Anne groaned as she stiffly sat down next to Corvina, dropping another bundle of small twigs and dried grass on the ground in front of her.
¡°After this, I never want to ride a horse long-distance again,¡± said Anne, rubbing her legs. ¡°I¡¯m sore everywhere.¡±
Corvina smiled a little, adding the additional kindling to the pile and continuing to strike the flint, over and over.
Corvina had been riding horses so long that nothing about it bothered her anymore, but Anne¡¯s reaction was cute. Watching her made horse-riding feel novel again. And, of course, everything Anne did was cute, so¡
¡°You just need more practice,¡± said Corvina, placatingly. ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it eventually.¡±
Finally, a spark caught in the kindling and began to burn, just a little bit, but the flame quickly spread to the rest of the quick-burning items. The initial kindling was meant to burn hot and fast, in order to establish a good flame on the larger, slow-burning logs. Corvina felt confident she had done it all correctly, so it was only a matter of time before they had a full, roaring fire.
Anne was still whining, adorably. ¡°Why would I want to practice horse-riding, when I could just keep riding in nice, cushion-lined carriages instead?¡±
¡°Because,¡± Corvina scooted closer to Anne, slipping her arm through Anne¡¯s and resting her head on Anne¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t all those fantasy romance novels you love so much feature scenes where the main couple goes on a long, romantic horseback ride through the woods together?¡±
Anne smiled, but it wasn¡¯t her usual easy grin. Instead it was a little hesitant and uncertain¡ But of course it was. Anne had just been through a lot. And there were a lot of difficult times still ahead of them¡ But over time Anne would feel more like herself again, and right now Corvina didn¡¯t really want to think about any of the bad or difficult things.
Corvina closed her eyes, nestling her face against Anne¡¯s shoulder. The night air was still cold, and the fire was still small, but it would grow¡ and in the meantime Anne was very warm. Corvina just wanted to bask in that warmth and forget about everything else¡
¡°So¡ where are we going, exactly?¡± Anne asked.
¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± said Corvina, refusing to open her eyes. ¡°Just get some rest. We¡¯ll have to get back on the road soon, once we¡¯ve warmed up.¡±
¡°Corvina,¡± said Anne. There was an edge to her tone that made Corvina open her eyes and sit up straight.
¡°What?¡± asked Corvina. ¡°What is it?¡±
¡°I want you to tell me things,¡± said Anne. She almost sounded angry. ¡°I don¡¯t want to just blindly go along with whatever¡¯s happening anymore, and I don¡¯t want you to make assumptions about what I do or do not need to know. I just want to be fully in the loop for once.¡±
Corvina was embarrassed. This was the same thing they had already fought about before. But this time she hadn¡¯t even been trying to keep anything from Anne, not really. She just¡ didn¡¯t want to deal with this right now. But that wasn¡¯t a good excuse.
Corvina ran a hand over her face, suddenly exhausted. ¡°We¡¯re going to the Sacred Forest,¡± she said, matter-of-factly.
¡°Why the Sacred Forest?¡± asked Anne.
¡°It¡¯s the only option we have left!¡± snapped Corvina. ¡°Eva got lost there, so we know her magic doesn¡¯t work as well there. And Elyon told you to go to the elf city if you ever needed help, so we know we¡¯ll have supporters there.¡±
¡°I guess that makes sense, but how will that affect the whole fake-kidnapping thing?¡± Anne asked. ¡°Are we going to tell the Emperor that both of his children have been kidnapped, or what?¡±
Corvina really wished Anne would just drop this.
In the fire pit, the flames sputtered. The kindling had almost been burned through, but none of the larger pieces of firewood had caught at all. Corvina reached out with a long stick to poke at it, to try to keep it alive somehow.
¡°I don¡¯t know what we¡¯ll tell my father,¡± admitted Corvina, not meeting Anne¡¯s eye. ¡°Once we¡¯re safe we can think about our next steps more. But¡¡±
¡°But what?¡± insisted Anne.
Corvina forced herself to say it. ¡°We may have to give up on our involvement with the rebellion.¡±
¡°What?!¡± said Anne.
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Corvina flinched, remembering how recently Belle¡¯s mother had called her out on not taking the rebellion seriously enough. Remembering how determined she¡¯d felt to do better. She had been so ready to really dedicate herself to taking down her father. But then Anne had been kidnapped, and¡
¡°Eva is one of the primary leaders of the rebellion,¡± said Corvina. ¡°It¡¯s possible that some rebels might be more loyal to you as the Saintess, but most of them are already accustomed to taking orders directly from Eva, and that¡¯s a hard habit to change. Honestly, the best we could hope for would be to cause a major schism, and what chance will we have of overthrowing my father with two competing half-sized rebel groups who both hate each other?¡±
¡°So we¡¯re just going to give up? We¡¯re just going to leave that asshole in power?¡± asked Anne. Corvina finally glanced over at her. She really looked angry now.
But what right did Anne even have to be this upset about this? It¡¯s not like she was offering any alternative plans.
¡°Why do we have to talk about this right now?¡± snapped Corvina. ¡°Can¡¯t we just have a nice moment alone where we can enjoy being together and take a goddess-damned break from thinking about things for two seconds?¡±
Anne didn¡¯t respond right away. Instead, she turned to look at Corvina¡¯s pathetic little attempt at a fire that was still struggling to ignite.
But her expression wasn¡¯t angry anymore. It was thoughtful, and maybe a little bit sad¡
¡°I know how you feel¡¡± said Anne. ¡°But I think there are a lot of things I¡¯ve been ignoring for too long. I can¡¯t just let myself be carried along by the tide anymore. It feels irresponsible. I still don¡¯t know what I should actually do, but just running away doesn¡¯t feel right.¡±
Corvina felt her own anger falling away. None of this was Anne¡¯s fault. It was just a bad situation all around.
Corvina took Anne¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡ I wish I had better answers for you. Once I¡¯ve had some time to rest and recover, maybe I can come up with a new plan. I don¡¯t want to just abandon our goals, either. I was just starting to seriously think about our next steps when I heard that you¡¯d¡¡± Corvina closed her eyes and turned her head away, but she held onto Anne¡¯s hand still. ¡°I do want to improve things for the people. I really do. But there¡¯s no point in building a better world if I can¡¯t share it with you.¡±
Anne didn¡¯t say anything, so Corvina cautiously looked back at her, looking for a reaction. But Anne was looking at her with a complex and unreadable expression on her face. For once, Corvina genuinely couldn¡¯t guess what she was thinking.
This time, Anne was the one who broke eye contact and looked away. ¡°Well¡ what about Belle and the others, back in the city?¡± she asked. ¡°Aren¡¯t we putting them in danger by cutting ties with the rebellion?¡±
Corvina let out an annoyed huff. Anne wasn¡¯t wrong, but¡
Corvina got up and reached into her pack and quickly pulled out some parchment, a pen, and some ink.
¡°You brought all that with you?¡± asked Anne, incredulously.
¡°Just because I was in a hurry doesn¡¯t mean I was going to leave unprepared¡¡± mumbled Corvina.
After setting up the equipment, she quickly scrawled:
Ulrich,
Urgent change of plans. Tell the Bastards¡¯ Club to cease all activity with our recent new friends and to lie low until further notice. Potential danger on the horizon.
Stay vigilant,
Corvina
Then she roughly folded up the paper and lifted her skirt to retrieve her dagger and her hidden powders.
After putting the smallest possible pinch of green powder on the pathetic small flame, Corvina pricked herself with the dagger.
Anne, who up until this point had been watching with quiet fascination, suddenly leapt to her feet. ¡°Corvina, what the fuck are you doing?¡± she asked.
Corvina ignored her and let one drop of her blood fall onto the flames before speaking the incantation:
¡°Send this unto mine uncle, blood of my mother¡¯s blood.¡±
Then she held the paper up to the flames. It took a moment, but once the edge of the letter caught fire, it burned quickly.
¡°There,¡± said Corvina. ¡°I sent them a warning.¡±
¡°But how¡ª?¡±
¡°Alchemy,¡± snapped Corvina. ¡°Now let¡¯s go.¡±
¡°But the fire hasn¡¯t even gotten started yet,¡± said Anne, weakly protesting.
Corvina sighed. ¡°I think the fire might be a lost cause,¡± she said. ¡°And we can rest more fully once we¡¯ve reached the Sacred Forest. There¡¯s still a risk Eva could catch up with us before we get there, so we can¡¯t afford to waste too much time.¡±
Anne sighed, warily eying the horses. ¡°Fine,¡± she said.
As they rode away, a slight drizzle started up, completely extinguishing the last of dying embers.
Across the empire, in the capital city, Ulrich Vend stood in the crowded back room of a tavern, surrounded by a group of toughs.
The situation was clearly engineered to intimidate. The small, low-ceilinged room was too full of too many people and too much smoke from the spitting fireplace, making the atmosphere feel oppressive and claustrophobic. The whole room was a threat.
But Ulrich was not easily intimidated. And he was very familiar with these tactics.
¡°I told you assholes I¡¯m not going to cooperate with you,¡± growled Ulrich.
¡°We don¡¯t even need you to do anything,¡± said the guy standing in front of Ulrich. He was a thin and wiry man with fading purple hair and a receding hairline. ¡°All we want is for your agents to occasionally¡ look the other way in regards to our activities. Everyone knows you control the underground around here, and we¡¯re not asking you to give up any of that power. We¡¯re just asking you to share the wealth a little. We are family after all.¡±
Ulrich didn¡¯t back down. ¡°Just because I remember you as a snot-nosed little brat who would show up at my birthday parties just to scream and cry that you wanted presents, too, doesn¡¯t mean I owe you anything, Gautbert.¡±
Gautbert was visibly grinding his teeth, clearly trying not to rise to the provocation. But Gautbert had never had much patience. ¡°Nevertheless, we are family. Surely blood means more to you than simple time spent together, yes?¡±
¡°You¡¯re barely my second cousin,¡± said Ulrich.
Gautbert looked like he was about to explode, but just before he started shouting, there was a sudden flash from the fireplace that took everyone by surprise.
A folded up piece of paper appeared in the air above the fireplace and began fluttering its way down through the air, towards Ulrich. He tried to reach quickly, pushing Gautbert out of the way in his rush to get to the letter first.
But he was just barely too slow. A perfectly manicured hand snatched the paper out of the air just before Ulrich could get to it.
Ravenia smiled, turning the paper over in her hand. ¡°You claim to want nothing to do with us anymore, but I see you still make use of our family¡¯s old secret method of communication.¡±
¡°Screw you,¡± said Ulrich. He tried to snatch the paper away from Ravenia, but she easily dodged him and signaled for her grunts to hold him back while she read the letter.
Her smile turned into a grin as she glanced through the contents.
¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to reconsider your position, brother?¡± she asked, holding the letter up to Ulrich¡¯s face. ¡°It looks like you may soon be in need of some new allies.¡±
Chapter 96
Fucking rain, thought Anne.
She wouldn¡¯t have guessed it was possible for her to hate horse-riding even more, but the rain made her hate it even more. It wasn¡¯t much more than a slow drizzle, but they were riding pretty quickly, which meant the rain drops were constantly pelting Anne in the face, making it difficult for her to think about much more than cold, wet, and sore she was.
But Anne tried to force herself to think about other stuff anyway. There were too many important things that she urgently needed to think through.
It was a relief when they finally made it past the borders of the Sacred Forest. The trees provided some shelter from the rain, and the rough terrain meant they had to slow down.
It would still be some time before they made it to the Atrium, that magical clearing that acted as a sort of crossroads to the Sacred Forest, so she had at least a bit of time to get some real, serious contemplation done without the rain distracting her as much.
By the time they arrived at the Atrium, Anne had come to some conclusions.
¡°Well, here we are,¡± said Corvina, sliding off her horse. She put her hands on her hips, staring around at the clearing suspiciously. ¡°And no elven forces have come to attack us yet, so that¡¯s probably a good sign. Which way did Prince Elyon tell you to go to reach the elven city?¡±
¡°He said to follow the birch trees.¡± Anne also dismounted, although she was much less graceful about it than Corvina had been. Iramis the horse let out a disdainful little huff, and when Anne glared at him, he turned his head away haughtily.
Rude, thought Anne.
¡°Alright,¡± said Corvina. ¡°It¡¯s still pretty dark, but the birch trees are easy enough to spot. We should probably go the rest of the way on foot anyway, just so we don¡¯t risk the horses getting hurt on the uneven roads.¡±
¡°Yeah, we should definitely go on foot, but¡ª¡° Anne took a deep breath. ¡°I don¡¯t think we should go to the elven city.¡±
¡°What?¡± said Corvina, her brows knitting in confusion. ¡°I told you before, it¡¯s our best option for now.¡±
¡°No, it¡¯s¡ª¡°
¡°We can come up with a new plan once we¡¯re safe, but to do anything else we have to be safe first,¡± insisted Corvina.
¡°That¡¯s not true!¡± said Anne, so forcefully that Corvina actually looked taken aback. ¡°Sorry¡¡± said Anne, lowering her voice again. ¡°I just¡ ever since I arrived here, I¡¯ve been thinking in terms of safety. I knew I didn¡¯t really belong here so I mostly just went along with things hoping that I wouldn¡¯t stand out too much¡ªand look where that got me. But on the other hand¡ the best thing I¡¯ve done since I got here was extremely dangerous and reckless and not even a little bit safe.¡±
Corvina thought for a moment and then raised an eyebrow. ¡°¡you mean talking to me at the ball,¡± she said.
Anne nodded. ¡°Trying to stay safe led to me nearly getting killed by Eva, but being bold and reckless led to me being rescued by you. It led to us falling in love. If that¡¯s not the universe telling me something, I don¡¯t know what is.¡±
¡°Well, I mean¡¡± Corvina let out a little huff. ¡°Just because your gamble worked out that one time doesn¡¯t mean you should keep gambling.¡±
¡°But shouldn¡¯t I go double-or-nothing while my luck¡¯s still good?¡± said Anne.
¡°That¡¯s not¡ how gambling works. At a casino you would¡ª¡± Corvina let out a big sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose. ¡°No, forget about it. Metaphors are exhausting. Anne, I just¡ I care about you. I don¡¯t want you to get hurt.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t want me to get hurt either,¡± said Anne, with a tentative smile. Corvina¡¯s answering glare was almost enough to make Anne laugh. ¡°Sorry, sorry. I don¡¯t really want anyone to get hurt, but¡ I really think I need to take a gamble again here.¡±
Corvina scoffed and turned away, staring in the direction of the birch trees.
¡°I have thought this through,¡± said Anne. ¡°It¡¯s not completely random. It¡¯s, like, a calculated risk.¡±
Corvina was still looking at the trees, not meeting Anne¡¯s eyes. ¡°Tell me what exactly it is that you have in mind, then,¡± she said, flatly.
¡°Well¡¡± said Anne. ¡°I think part of why things keep going wrong is because I don¡¯t actually know the ending of the original novel. I didn¡¯t think that was a big deal, cause¡ I thought I could just guess how the rest of the plot plays out. Because it¡¯s a fantasy romance novel and I know how fantasy romance novels go. But after all this stuff with Eva¡ I¡¯m not sure I really know what was going on in that book after all¡¡±
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¡°Okay,¡± said Corvina. ¡°And?¡±
¡°And I keep seeing these visions of a beat-up Saintess stumbling down what I¡¯m pretty sure is the Path of Ruin, over there.¡± Anne vaguely gestured towards the collapsed stone pillar on one end of the Atrium. Corvina followed Anne¡¯s gesture to look at the ruins.
¡°Don¡¯t you have a lot of visions?¡± asked Corvina, skeptically. ¡°You said they¡¯re all pretty jumbled and confusing.¡±
¡°Yeah, but the visions of the ruins are different from the ones where I just see her spirit and speak to her,¡± said Anne. ¡°It always feels like I might be seeing something specific out of the past. Or maybe the future. And when we were here before, Elyon told me that the Path of Ruin leads to ¡®the end of the world,¡¯ that it¡¯s where elves go when they die.¡±
Corvina quickly turned back to look at Anne again, her expression fierce with anger and concern. ¡°So if you go that way, you¡¯ll die?¡±
¡°Not exactly, I don¡¯t think¡¡± said Anne. ¡°From that wording, the ¡®end of the world,¡¯ I think there¡¯s an outside possibility that it could lead back to my original world. Or even to one of those pocket dimensions the original Saintess has been trapped in. Or, maybe, it could lead to the elven afterlife¡ that¡¯s the outcome I¡¯m hoping for.¡±
¡°So you¡¯re hoping to die?¡± Corvina looked even angrier.
¡°No, no!¡± said Anne, waving her hands placatingly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to die. But I think if I go that way, I might be able to meet the Goddess. Who I¡¯m starting to think might be my mom.¡±
Agis sat on a roof in Longren, contemplating his options. It was almost sunrise now, and the city looked oddly peaceful laid out beneath him.
It felt odd because¡ despite Agis having his whole world turning upside down, everyone else was just getting on with their lives as if nothing had changed at all.
Anne and Corvina had left to go¡ somewhere. Maybe Gronderwen, in the Sacred Forest. He had let Anne take Iramus, so there was no way he would be able to catch up with them now, even if he knew for sure where they were going. Plus¡ he didn¡¯t really want to go back to Gronderwen anyway. That city had never really felt like home to him. But he had just burned his bridges with the rebellion in a big way so he couldn¡¯t go back to the camp, either.
He had no idea what he was going to do long term, but in the short term, there was someone he really wanted to see¡ Just to make sure she was okay. Absolutely no other reason.
He briefly considered trying to find a new horse he could buy or rent or something, but he quickly gave up on that idea and ended up just running the whole distance to the Tulin Estate.
It was easy enough to sneak past the guards at the entrance, but it was a massive house, and it proved to be very difficult to find the one room where they¡¯d decided to keep an injured maid while she healed. In his search he managed to startle the kitchen staff, nearly break an expensive-looking vase in an art gallery, and get briefly chased down a hallway by a pair of hunting dogs.
When he finally found the right room he felt a huge wave of relief wash over him.
It was a small room, with the curtains drawn so it was fairly dark even though the sun had long-since risen. Helen lay on a plain bed in the center of the room, with several blankets covering her small frame and a number of bandages wrapped around her head.
Corvina had told Agis about what happened to Helen on their way to rescue Anne. If he was fully honest with himself, Agis had wanted to run to her side immediately, but at that point Anne¡¯s situation was more dire, so he¡¯d forced that thought from his mind.
It was a relief to hear how even Helen¡¯s breathing was as she slept. That meant she probably wasn¡¯t dealing with a major infection or anything. It might take some time, but she would heal.
Agis pulled a chair up to the side of the bed and sat down in it, watching Helen breath. He didn¡¯t want to wake her.
Elves all had ¡®perfect¡¯ complexions. Zaos always said that their smooth, blemish-free skin was a blessing from their divine elven blood, but as Agis watched Helen sleep he couldn¡¯t help thinking that it was a real shame that no elf would ever have such cute freckles¡
There was a polite cough from the doorway. ¡°Excuse me.¡±
Agis awoke with a start. He hadn¡¯t even realized he had fallen asleep. When he looked up, he saw that Helen was awake now, watching him. His heart skipped a beat.
There was that polite cough again.
¡°What?¡± said Agis, extremely annoyed, turning towards the doorway.
A pink-haired human was standing in the door, looking apologetic. ¡°I do apologize for interrupting,¡± said Marquess Ormen. ¡°But this is my house, so¡¡±
Agis blushed. ¡°Right, I¡¯m sorry, I just¡¡±
¡°Please, don¡¯t concern yourself,¡± said the Marquess, waving a hand dismissively. ¡°I understand these are rather extraordinary circumstances, your highness.¡±
Helen grabbed Agis¡¯ arm, forcing him to look back at her. ¡°Is my lady okay?¡± she asked, her tone desperate. ¡°Is your sister okay?¡±
¡°Yes, I was rather curious about that myself,¡± said Marquess Ormen. ¡°Seeing as you¡¯re the only one who¡¯s returned.¡±
Agis wasn¡¯t sure how many details he had the energy to share right now, so he just said, ¡°Yes. They¡¯re okay. They got away.¡±
The Marquess gave a satisfied nod and Helen sank back further into bed, visibly relieved.
¡°That is good news,¡± said the Marquess. ¡°And do you think they¡¯ll be returning here, or¡¡±
Agis shook his head. ¡°My best guess is they¡¯ll head for Gronderwen. That¡¯s, um¡ that¡¯s the big city in the middle of the Sacred Forest, where the palace is. It would be hard for Eva to chase them there.¡± For some reason, at that moment a piece of trivia Elyon once told him popped into the forefront of his mind. ¡°It means something like ¡®crown of oaks¡¯ in Old Elven.¡±
Marquess Ormen nodded, thoughtfully. ¡°Good to know. That does sound like a smart location for them to retreat to, although it may cause some new, unforeseen issues. I hate to ask you to leave right away when you could clearly use some rest yourself, but if possible, it might be a good idea to deliver a message to them as soon as possible. Or at least to deliver a message to your elder brothers, the other princes.¡±
Suddenly Agis noticed that the Marquess was holding a letter in his hand. The seal had already been broken so it was hard to tell for sure but from here it looked to Agis like it was the imperial seal.
The Marquess sighed. ¡°I¡¯m afraid Grand Duke Marshall has been ordered to bring his forces to Longren, in order to get this kidnapping situation ¡®in hand,¡¯ so to speak. It appears Lady Corvina¡¯s little gambit may not have gone entirely according to her plan.¡±
Chapter 97
Grand Duke Marshal was feeling rather smug.
For a moment there, it was as though all his avenues for action had been suddenly cut off. Every one of his well-laid plans and contingencies for those plans and contingencies for those contingencies¡ Corvina had systematically dismantled them, one by one. And to add insult to injury, she even broke off their engagement, that bitch.
But then, when the Church of Coris realigned itself with the imperial family, the balance of power began to shift¡ and when the balance of power was shifting, there were always opportunities to maneuver one¡¯s self into a more favorable position.
In this case, it had been almost too easy. The Emperor still didn¡¯t fully trust the church, and with Corvina out of the way, Grand Duke Marshal had become his primary confidant.
As the Emperor worked to consolidate his power and pull his own allies closer, Grand Duke Marshal¡¯s influence was only growing.
When the news of the kidnapping came through (of course that fool of a prince would get himself kidnapped, although Marshall suspected the elves were not working alone on this), the Emperor had initially wanted to stop all military activity in the region altogether. The traditionalist old fool was so concerned with having a blood heir that he wasn¡¯t even willing to risk the possibility of Sebastian being killed.
But Marshal, with careful words, had been able to persuade the Emperor that doing nothing was, in fact, the most dangerous course of action, and that the only way to guarantee his son¡¯s safety was by taking the fight directly to the elves, as quickly as possible.
Bishop Geist had, of course, been strongly opposed to sending a major military detachment to Longren, which was an important church stronghold. But the Bishop¡¯s opposition had only brought the Emperor further onto Marshal¡¯s side.
Duke Marshal actually began to whistle while he tied on his cravat, preparing for a state luncheon with various ministers.
As soon as he was in Longren, Marshal would begin consolidating his military power even further. Marshal had seen Marquess Ormen at the occasional social function, and the man seemed a bit of a pushover. He also had no legitimate heirs, which made his position as Marquess¡ precarious, at best. It would not be difficult for Marshal to take de facto control of the region and its armies.
And if the increased military activity actually did convince the elves to kill off Sebastian¡
Marshal paused briefly, staring into the mirror but not seeing himself at all¡ªinstead, the images that ran past his inner vision were all of childhood days spent laughing and playing with one of the few people who ever smiled when they saw him.
Marshal shook his head, dislodging the inconvenient memories. If the elves killed the prince, well, that was for the best, really. That would mean one less person between himself and the imperial throne.
Now, if only he could receive news that the Saintess had been properly taken care of, he would have nothing to worry about.
There was a knock on the window.
Marshal felt a flash of anger that ruined his good mood as he turned to find the assassin waiting for him, glaring through the window.
¡°What are you doing here in the middle of the day?¡± Marshal hissed, unlatching the window. ¡°Anyone could have seen you, you fool!¡±
The assassin didn¡¯t respond and didn¡¯t even bother climbing all the way into the room. Instead, the Unseen Rain merely tossed a bag of coins through the open window and onto the floor. ¡°I¡¯m returning your money,¡± said Rain. ¡°The contract cannot be fulfilled. Good day.¡± Rain turned to leave.
¡°What do you mean it ¡®can¡¯t be¡¯ fulfilled?¡± demanded Marshal. He grabbed Rain¡¯s arm and pulled him into the room, closing the door behind them.
Rain yanked his arm out of Marshal¡¯s grip. ¡°The Saintess is no longer in this world.¡±
¡°So you did fulfill your contract,¡± said Marshal, perking up.
¡°No,¡± said Rain. ¡°The Saintess isn¡¯t dead. She just isn¡¯t in this world.¡±
Marshal had no idea what the strange¡ man? Woman? In the light of day Marshal suddenly couldn¡¯t tell. Regardless, Marshal had no idea what the assassin meant by that.
¡°I¡¯m thinking of quitting the business altogether,¡± admitted Rain, with a small shrug.
¡°What? You can¡¯t!¡± said Marshal. ¡°You can¡¯t just break your contract, spout some nonsense, and then quit. It¡¯s entirely unprofessional. I will lodge a complaint with the Assassin¡¯s Guild.¡±
The assassin stared at him intensely for a moment. ¡°Fine,¡± said Rain, apparently having come to a conclusion. ¡°What can I do to make it up to you, dear customer?¡±
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Marshal contemplated this, choosing to graciously ignore the assassin¡¯s sarcastic tone.
Perhaps this would be a good time to set certain other plans of his in motion. It was a bit earlier than he¡¯d intended, but¡ after all, maybe it would be better for him to be out of the city for this.
Marshal kicked the bag of coins back over to the Unseen Rain. ¡°Take that and go after another target for me. Then I will consider our original contract fulfilled.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± said Rain, taking the bag of coins. ¡°But this is my last job. Who¡¯s the target?¡±
The way Corvina was staring at Anne was making Anne feel uncomfortable. Anne was very certain about this course of action, but Corvina had a way of making you question your convictions¡
¡°What do you mean, you think the Goddess might be your mom?¡± asked Corvina.
¡°Oh, well¡¡± said Anne, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly. ¡°It¡¯s just all these bits and pieces. Like, it¡¯s obvious that the Church of Coris is trying to hide the fact that the goddess was originally portrayed as an elf. And Zaos said I¡¯m probably a full-blooded elf, not a half-elf. And then there¡¯s some stuff the Saintess has said, and, like, how she says it. It all just¡ adds up, you know?¡±
¡°I see¡¡± said Corvina, still looking deeply skeptical. ¡°But how are you even certain the Goddess exists?¡±
¡°I actually heard her voice recently¡¡±
Corvina¡¯s eyes widened.
¡°I know it sounds weird!¡± said Anne. ¡°But I¡¯m very certain that it¡¯s true.¡±
¡°I see,¡± said Corvina, blank-faced. ¡°And you¡¯re very certain that the Goddess lives¡ª¡° Corvina gestured in the direction of the stone ruins, ¡°¡ªover there?¡±
Anne shrugged. ¡°Not really, but¡ I have a feeling. And if I can hear the voice of a Goddess then maybe it¡¯s okay for me to trust that sort of instinct, I don¡¯t know.¡±
Corvina sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. ¡°Alright, let me make sure I have this right¡ We know that Eva was faking the miracles, right?¡±
¡°Right, yeah,¡± said Anne.
¡°But you think that, despite that, the Saintess was actually the daughter of the Goddess herself, this whole time? At that point, why would Eva need to bother faking anything?¡±
¡°Maybe divine magic isn¡¯t the same as true magic,¡± said Anne. ¡°Maybe it can¡¯t do those sorts of flashy miracles. That girl, Liza, said there¡¯s some sort of contradiction in the historical records regarding miracles. Maybe it has something to do with that, I don¡¯t know.¡±
¡°But you do think you know that the Goddess lives over there, and is your mom?¡± said Corvina.
Anne shrugged again. ¡°Look, you don¡¯t have to come with me. I really might be wrong about all of this, but there¡¯s a strong enough chance that I could be right that I feel like I have to take the risk. I can¡¯t just wait around hoping that things don¡¯t get any worse. I need to do something.¡±
¡°But why this?¡± asked Corvina, exasperated.
¡°Because the Goddess is the supreme being of this world!¡± said Anne. ¡°If she can¡¯t explain to me once and for all what the hell is going on here and how I can fix it, then no one can!¡±
¡°This all just seems like too big of a leap to me¡¡± said Corvina.
¡°I know¡¡± said Anne, staring off towards the stone pillar.
Something about looking at those ruins felt like standing at the edge of a cliff looking down. The call of the void, Anne had once heard it called, back in her original world. It was the strong feeling that you should jump, that you wanted to jump, that you had to jump, despite knowing what a fatal mistake that would be.
Anne took a step forward.
Corvina grabbed her arm, pulling her back. ¡°No, Anne, it¡¯s too dangerous.¡± Her tone was pleading. ¡°You¡¯re an elf! A full-blooded elf, if you believe Prince Zaos. And you said that¡¯s where elves go when they die. Even if you do meet the Goddess, how do you know you won¡¯t just¡ be dead, after? How do you know you¡¯ll be able to come back? What if you die for real?¡±
¡°I really don¡¯t think that will happen¡¡± Anne thought about it seriously for a moment. ¡°Look, it¡¯s like¡ despite everything, I don¡¯t think the original Saintess actually wants to die, per say. In my visions she looks so hurt that if she really wanted to die she could have just¡ sat down and let herself die. But she kept fighting. Every time I see her here, she¡¯s desperately fighting against her own physical limitations just to get to the end of that path. There must be something waiting there other than death, or why would she bother fighting so hard?¡±
Corvina was also staring at the ruins now, a faraway look in her eyes.
¡°I don¡¯t want to lose you¡¡± said Corvina, so quietly it was almost a whisper. ¡°Now that I know what it¡¯s like to be with you, I don¡¯t want to go back to the way my life was before.¡±
¡°I know¡¡± said Anne, taking Corvina¡¯s hand. ¡°But earlier, when you said there was no point in building a better world if you couldn¡¯t share it with me, that actually scared me a little because¡ it sounded so much like what Eva was saying about her Anne.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t compare me to Eva,¡± snapped Corvina. ¡°I would never hurt anyone like that¡ not without good reason.¡±
Anne smiled wanly. ¡°I know,¡± she said. ¡°But to Eva she did have a good reason.¡±
Corvina¡¯s expression was dark, and angry still, but contemplative. She didn¡¯t seem to know what to say. Anne squeezed her hand tighter.
¡°I don¡¯t want to lose this, either¡¡± Anne blinked away the tears that were starting to form at the corner of her eyes. ¡°I really didn¡¯t think love was a possibility for me in my life, and being with you has made me so happy. But I think¡ I think here has to be something more important than that.¡±
¡°I¡¯m tempted to say that our happiness is the most important thing in the world, and screw everyone else,¡± said Crovina, laughing bitterly. ¡°But I know you wouldn¡¯t agree with that. I suppose you might have a point, after all.¡±
Anne smiled a little sadly, taking a moment to put her thoughts together. ¡°Maybe¡ if this actually was just a story, and you and I were the protagonist and the antagonist, then we actually would be the two most important people in the world,¡± said Anne. ¡°But this place¡ it¡¯s too real for me to think like that anymore. Which means, when you get down to it, the two of us are just¡ people.¡±
¡°Well, if we¡¯re just people, then why do we have to take responsibility for the fate of the world?¡± asked Corvina, miserably.
¡°Because we¡¯re in the right place at the right time,¡± said Anne. ¡°It sucks, I know, but I think we¡¯re the only ones who can do it. Or, at least¡ maybe I¡¯m the only one who can do it. I don¡¯t know what the path might be like for a human trying to cross through it. Maybe it would be better if you waited here.¡±
¡°No way in hell,¡± said Corvina, squeezing Anne¡¯s hand tighter. ¡°Whatever we do next, we do it together.¡±
¡°Good,¡± said Anne, kissing her gently. ¡°Thank you.¡±
And just like that, hand in hand, Anne and Corvina started down the Path of Ruin together.
Chapter 98
Corvina wasn¡¯t sure what to expect from the Path of Ruin, but she knew that fretting about it too much wouldn¡¯t help anyone, so she tried to push her worries from her mind and just focus on the present.
Before they left, Anne sent the horses off on their own. She was convinced that Iramus would know how to guide the others towards the elven city, where they¡¯d be safe. She was probably right, too. Corvina was usually very comfortable around horses, but even she had to admit that Iramus came across as so intelligent that it was mildly unsettling. Horses weren¡¯t supposed to look at you like that.
So it was a bit of a relief when the horses disappeared from sight. One less thing for Corvina to think about. All that mattered right now was Anne, and the path that lay ahead of them.
It was a small, unpaved path, like the sort of dirt groove deer would eventually wear into the underbrush if they liked taking a particular route enough. If Anne wasn¡¯t so certain about this whole thing, Corvina would have seriously questioned whether this was a route intended for people to traverse at all. It was barely wide enough for Anne and Corvina to walk side by side, holding hands.
I suppose it makes sense that it would be a bit neglected, thought Corvina. It¡¯s not like there would be droves of elves heading towards their deaths every single day.
As they continued onwards, the underbrush slowly began to grow thicker, and they saw more stone ruins on the side of the narrowing path. Eventually, the path grew so narrow that they had to let go of each other¡¯s hands in order to walk one after the other, taking each step carefully so as to not trip over an unexpected vine or tree-root.
Corvina took a deep breath, trying not to think too much about the forest closing in on them. After all, even as the path grew more difficult to traverse, it was still a lovely morning. The rain had cleared and the morning sunlight was tinged green after passing through many layers of forest canopy. There was a thick smell of ancient soil in the air.
It was¡ peaceful.
¡°Do you feel that?¡± Anne asked. Her voice sounded dreamy somehow, like she had just woken up from a long nap, or maybe she was just dozing off. She was walking ahead of Corvina, so Corvina couldn¡¯t see her face.
¡°You mean the breeze?¡± asked Corvina. ¡°Yeah, it feels nice. I think it would be a bit too warm without it.¡±
Anne shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s not it,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s a feeling like¡ like the whole world is getting farther and farther away¡¡±
Corvina felt a shiver run down her spine, and she looked around the forest again. She could almost see what Anne meant. This deep in the woods Corvina felt farther away from the city and her normal life than she¡¯d ever been. But at the same time, there was something claustrophobic about this area of the forest, like the trees and the ruins were pressing in on her, threatening to crush her.
Corvina took another deep breath and tried to focus on the feeling of her feet pressing into the solid ground. She took a closer look at the ruins to give her something to occupy her mind.
Corvina couldn¡¯t even tell what they had been ruins of. Parts of them looked like walls or watchtowers, and she even spotted bits of a roof here and there. But the way they were configured didn¡¯t make any sense. They blended into and around each other in haphazard ways, like they had never been part of any real buildings at all. It was like they refused to follow any known architectural form.
¡°Can you see them?¡± asked Anne, her voice sounding far away.
¡°See what?¡± asked Corvina, glancing around nervously.
¡°The elves¡¡± said Anne. ¡°They¡¯re everywhere.¡±
Anne began to describe what she saw, her tone and expression detached as if she had no feelings about any of it.
Apparently, through Anne¡¯s eyes, they were surrounded by the ghosts of old cities all jumbled together into one. Half of a building would meld suddenly into an old town square, which would in turn meld into a fortress wall. And throughout all of it, elves were living their lives, seemingly oblivious to Anne and Corvina, but sometimes even oblivious to each other, to the point where sometimes one group of elves would walk straight through another group, phasing in and out without either group noticing.
Corvina couldn¡¯t see any of it. She just saw the forest and the ruins.
¡°Some of the elves are walking with us,¡± Anne explained, glancing around. ¡°I don¡¯t think they can see us, though.¡±
Could Anne see these things because she was an elf, or because she was¡ the Goddess¡¯s daughter?
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Corvina wasn¡¯t sure if she was glad she couldn¡¯t see them, or if not being able to see them somehow made the whole thing even more disturbing. Anne didn¡¯t seem frightened by it at all.
Corvina grabbed the hem of Anne¡¯s jacket and held onto it tightly as they continued down the path.
¡°I can hear them talking now!¡± said Anne, raising her voice more than she had been. ¡°I can¡¯t make any of it out because they¡¯re all talking at once! Also I think some of them might be speaking a different language! It¡¯s getting a little overwhelming, to be honest!¡±
¡°Do you want me to cover your ears for you?¡± asked Corvina.
¡°What?¡± shouted Anne.
¡°Do you want me to cover your¡ª¡°
Anne tripped and fell and Corvina tumbled over top of her, doing a full somersault before landing flat on her back.
The path had finally opened back up, leaving them in what remained of an old stone courtyard.
The stone was a beautiful white marble, shot through with veins of polished pink quartz. The workmanship of the stone was superb, but the area had clearly been long-neglected¡ªthere were massive cracks running throughout the stone, leaving each remaining flat surface sitting at various opposing angles. It would be impossible to stand up straight, and they were surrounded by tripping hazards.
Corvina could see the ruins of an ancient castle rising about the courtyard to their right. It was a proper castle, too, with all the expected walls in all the expected places, not at all like all the jumbled confusing ruins they¡¯d passed on the way here. The structure had just collapsed over the years, as structures tended to. The whole castle was made of the same white marble with pink-quartz streaks, too. It must have been truly beautiful when it was still standing.
But the path didn¡¯t lead towards the castle. A deeply worn groove in the stone courtyard led further to the left, away from the castle, where Corvina could see just the tiniest sliver of a dirt path through the thickest patch of forest she¡¯d come across yet¡ªso thick that the path looked like a tunnel into total darkness.
Anne got back to her feet first, slowly walking towards the path with wide eyes and a blank expression.
Corvina didn¡¯t like the look of that expression at all.
She scrambled to her feet and ran to grab Anne¡¯s shoulders, stopping her.
¡°Are you sure it¡¯s a good idea to go that way?¡± asked Corvina.
¡°What?¡± said Anne, her voice still raised like she was trying to be heard over a crowd. ¡°Everyone¡¯s going this way, so I think this is the way to go! Come on!¡±
¡°No!¡± said Corvina. Anne was struggling to get away from her, but Corvina held on with all her might. Corvina couldn¡¯t see the other elves, but she could see the path beyond the courtyard. She could see the darkness beyond that. It didn¡¯t look like ordinary darkness. It looked like, beyond that point, the world just¡ stopped.
This is why Corvina had insisted on coming with Anne. Corvina had understood where Anne was coming from, and it was true that sometimes you had to take a gamble just to see if it would pay off. But it was also useful to have someone by your side to pull you back from the brink if things went too far. For Corvina, that someone was often her uncle. And now it was time for her to be that someone for Anne.
¡°Let me go!¡± shouted Anne, trying harder and harder to pull herself away.
¡°No!¡± shouted Corvina, tightening her grip further.
After a brief struggle, they ended up on the ground again, with Corvina on top of Anne, who was still struggling. The look in Anne¡¯s eyes was so far gone, it was like she couldn¡¯t even see Corvina at all anymore.
¡°Look at me!¡± said Corvina, shaking Anne¡¯s shoulders underneath her. ¡°Anne, look at me, please!¡±
But Anne didn¡¯t seem to hear her at all anymore. She just continued to stare at the empty path, struggling to get free.
Corvina didn¡¯t know what to do. What if there was no way to snap Anne out of this? Corvina wasn¡¯t sure she¡¯d be able to carry Anne all the way back, at least not if Anne was fighting her the whole way.
Corvina didn¡¯t want to let herself become like Eva, the way Anne seemed to fear she would. She didn¡¯t want to control Anne, she wanted them to be partners, as equals. But what was she supposed to do if Anne was determined to run towards her own death? Was she just supposed to let Anne go?
Could she really say, with certainty, that she wouldn¡¯t do the same thing as Eva to get Anne back?
Corvina could feel herself tearing up.
¡°Oh dear, am I a little late?¡± said a cheerful voice.
Corvina sat up straight (still on top of Anne to stop her from running away) and quickly wiped the tears from her eyes, trying to look as dignified as possible.
The woman in front of her was an elf, but she didn¡¯t look like a ghost. She had long, flowing silver hair and ice-blue eyes, the same shade as Anne¡¯s. It was hard to tell an elf¡¯s age, but she had a mature look about her, with age-lines just starting to form around the edges of her mouth and eyes. She was tall, too, and she wore a flowing gauzy dress that was so low cut that it showed off quite a bit of her¡ ample bosom.
Corvina blushed slightly, doing her best not to look too much at the woman¡¯s chest, although that was difficult to achieve.
¡°Hi, darling!¡± said the woman. Her voice had a sing-songy quality to it. ¡°You must be Corvina. Oooh, the two of you are just soooo cute, aren¡¯t you? I could just eat you up! Don¡¯t worry, though. I won¡¯t. I only eat ambrosia, you know?¡±
Her laugh was high-pitched and mildly abrasive.
¡°It¡¯s a good thing you sat on her,¡± said the woman. ¡°I really should have been here to meet you when you got here, but I was trying to tidy up a little before you arrived. It¡¯s been so long since I had company over! Here, let¡¯s see if we can¡¯t¡ª¡° the woman bent over Anne and snapped her fingers over Anne¡¯s eyes.
Suddenly Anne¡¯s eyes shut and her body went limp.
¡°There you go, that¡¯s done the trick! You can get off of her now. The death drive won¡¯t be calling to her quite so strongly anymore,¡± said the woman.
¡°Where¡ where am I?¡± said Anne, blinking her eyes open and shut again repeatedly.
¡°You¡¯re in heaven, dear,¡± said the woman, speaking in an extra loud voice like she thought Anne might struggle to understand her. ¡°Or arguably, the gate to heaven, depending on your exact metaphysical belief system. Not that it matters. Either way, you have reached the end of your quest. I¡ª¡° the woman grinned widely, ¡°Am the Goddess Coris, or Quire, or any other number of names. But you can call me Cory.¡±
The Goddess winked.
Chapter 99
Anne and Corvina followed the Goddess Coris down the corridors of her pink-tinged castle. Although it had looked like a crumbled ruin from the outside, from the inside it looked like a well-appointed 18th century manor home, with paneled walls and intricate rugs and various pieces of art displayed on plinths. And all of it was dominated by a pink-and-white color scheme.
¡°It was just a summer fling, you know?¡± said the Goddess Coris¡ªCory as she¡¯d asked to be called. ¡°I knew he was married, but¡ I mean, He¡¯s a King and I¡¯m a Goddess, so¡¡± Cory shrugged. ¡°The normal social rules don¡¯t, like, really apply to us. Plus it had to happen for the sake of the story anyway so I figured I might as well enjoy it, right?¡±
Anne was only half-listening. She was still feeling pretty out of it, and was kind of freaked out by the fact that she couldn¡¯t really remember how she¡¯d gotten here.
She remembered starting down the Path of Ruin. And she remembered the moment when she first saw other elves walking alongside them on the path. But everything after that felt like the half-remembered jumbled nonsense of a dream you couldn¡¯t quite hold onto after waking up.
According to what Corvina and the Goddess told her, Anne had very nearly crossed the Final Threshold, after which point she never would have been able to return to the land of living.
Which meant that if Anne had gone alone like she¡¯d initially planned, then¡
Well, it just goes to show that elementary school teachers are right about the buddy system, thought Anne.
¡°It¡¯s a really big castle for only one person, you know?¡± said the Goddess, slowing down as they reached their destination. ¡°Which is why I mostly just live in a few rooms, through here.¡±
The Goddess opened the door to her living quarters.
The rooms beyond looked less like a medieval castle or 18th century manor and more like¡ a college girl¡¯s studio apartment from, like, 2005. Instead of art on display, there were movie posters (mostly for classic rom-coms) and various knick-knacks. Instead of nice rugs, there was pink shag carpeting. And far too much of the furniture was made of colored, translucent plastic.
Is that an iMac? wondered Anne, straining to see a computer desk on the other side of the room.
¡°Well, here it is!¡± said the Goddess. ¡°Nice, right? I¡¯m pretty comfortable here myself, but I thought the palimpsest ruins of all past and future eleven civilizations melded in space and time wasn¡¯t exactly the best environment to raise a baby in, so when you were born I¡ well, you know. Plus, I mean, again, the story called for it, so¡¡± The Goddess shrugged. ¡°Why don¡¯t you girls take a seat there and I¡¯ll go make us some tea so we can talk things out properly, hmm?¡±
The Goddess had indicated two purple beanbag chairs for Anne and Corvina to sit in.
Corvina looked at Anne with a confused and pleading look. ¡°Is this supposed to be a chair?¡± she whispered.
¡°Just follow my lead,¡± whispered Anne, sitting down heavily in the beanbag chair. She immediately sunk super deep into it, so her feet weren¡¯t even touching the floor anymore. Anne suddenly felt less confident she¡¯d be able to get back up again.
Corvina sat down, too, although she was significantly more slow and careful about it. Nevertheless, once she fully put her weight onto the seat, she sank just as deep as Anne had.
Anne and Corvina exchanged glances and neither of them could stop from giggling at how ridiculous they both looked.
The whole situation felt ridiculous. They were wearing vaguely-historical fantasy garb, sitting on beanbag chairs underneath a The Wedding Planner poster, talking to an elven Goddess who called herself Cory. And this conversation could potentially affect the fate of an entire world full of living, breathing, feeling people.
Anne really couldn¡¯t be sure she wasn¡¯t still lost in some sort of absurd dream.
Corvina adjusted herself in the chair until she could reach out and put a hand on Anne¡¯s shoulder. Laughing fit over, her expression had grown more serious again. ¡°Didn¡¯t you have something important to talk to her about?¡± she whispered. Corvina nodded her head towards the Goddess, who was busying herself at a small kitchenette over on the other side of the room.
Right, thought Anne. I need to focus.
First-things-first, Anne wanted to double-check that everyone was on the same page, so they could really have the conversation they needed to have.
Anne cleared her throat. ¡°Excuse me, ma¡¯am¡¡±
Cory winced. ¡°Ouch, don¡¯t call me ma¡¯am, I¡¯m not that old,¡± she said. ¡°Well, okay, technically I¡¯m as old as elven civilization, but if you looked at it another way, you could say I¡¯m only a couple years old¡ªsince The Foundling¡¯s Wings was only written a couple years ago. Anyway, what is it?¡±
Anne tried to think of the best way to word it. ¡°It¡¯s just¡ you know I¡¯m not actually your daughter, right? Not exactly, anyway.¡±
¡°Oh, I know,¡± said Cory, pulling some novelty mugs out of a pink-painted cabinet with a glass front. ¡°You¡¯re a different soul in the same body. But then again, souls are in many ways shaped by the vessel that contains them, so I think you may be my daughter in more ways than you assume. Not my original daughter, of course¡ but¡¡±
Cory stopped what she was doing, staring at the mugs in her hands with a sad and wistful expression. She wasn¡¯t looking at Anne when she said, ¡°I am sorry that she dragged you into this¡¡±
¡°No, that¡¯s okay,¡± said Anne, trying to sound reassuring. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s not¡ really your fault, anyway.¡±
Cory turned towards Anne and smiled a little sadly. Then she went back to preparing the tea. ¡°In a way it is my fault,¡± she said, switching on the electric kettle. ¡°That girl was always coming here to try to ask me for help, but I couldn¡¯t help her the way she wanted me to, so she started looking for¡ other ways. This option was kind of out there, though, if you ask me. I actually told her that, but, like¡ you know how kids are.¡± Cory sighed. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s my fault she was so¡ aware in the first place, so, you know.¡±
¡°What exactly do you mean by aware?¡± asked Anne. The way Cory spoke was disorganized and confusing, but Anne felt like they were circling around the real core of things¡ªthe ultimate answer that all other questions stemmed from.
Cory stared at Anne, and just for a moment Anne could see behind her exuberant facade, and what she saw was a middle-aged woman full of guilt, and grief, and all sorts of emotions she had never figured out how to share because she had never had anyone to share them with.
The electric kettle flipped off.
Cory cleared her throat, and turned away. ¡°Anyway, I hope you¡¯ll forgive my Anne for what she did,¡± said Cory, plopping a tea bag in each mug and pouring hot water over them. She had fully ignored Anne¡¯s question. ¡°I only have chamomile, so I hope you girls like chamomile. It¡¯s my own special blend, actually, but chamomile¡¯s the main flavor.¡±
Anne and Corvina exchanged glances. Corvina had clearly also noticed the odd moment, but she didn¡¯t look like she knew how to respond to it, either.
Cory handed each of them a mug of tea, offering a momentary distraction. Corvina¡¯s mug featured a cartoon picture of an old lady in sunglasses with the text ¡®Too Sexy to be Fifty¡¯ written in a block font underneath. Anne¡¯s mug was bright pink with ¡®Girls Just Wanna Have Fun¡¯ written in an excessively curly font across the front.
¡°Just let them steep for a bit and then I can get you some milk or honey to put in it if you want,¡± said the Goddess, taking a seat in her own beanbag chair across from the other two. Somehow she actually managed to sit in it gracefully.
Corvina was staring at her mug with some fascination. The teabag was apparently giving her pause, too. She picked it up by its string and bobbed it up a few times, like she was testing something. ¡°What is this?¡± she asked.
¡°Oh, it¡¯s this remarkable invention from the other world called a teabag,¡± Cory explained cheerfully. ¡°It saves a lot of hassle compared to loose-leaf tea. You don¡¯t need an infuser or anything, and they¡¯re fully disposable, if you believe it! They just love to dispose of things over there. It¡¯s so convenient, you know?¡±
¡°How much do you actually know about the¡ other world?¡± asked Anne, warily. A thought suddenly occurred to her. ¡°Wait, are you actually from the other world, like me?¡±
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
¡°Oh, no no no no no,¡± answered Cory. ¡°I actually only know a little bit, but I find it so fascinating. I have full omniscience in this world, but I can only see into other worlds a little, if I really focus on it. I think the lack of full knowledge is part or what makes it fun, you know? Say, did you watch much Disney Channel growing up there? I think it¡¯s mostly meant for kids, right? But I love all those shows. I¡¯m a huge fan of Lizzie McGuire.¡±
At the mention of Disney Channel, Anne nearly choked on her tea.
¡°Are you okay?¡± asked Corvina, setting her tea down on a little pink-plastic side table so she could pat Anne on the back.
¡°Oh, look at you two¡¡± said Cory, placing a hand over her heart as she watched them. ¡°You are so sweet together. I¡¯ve always found it so ridiculous that that human church claiming to worship me keeps using me as an excuse for their own homophobic views, you know? I don¡¯t agree with that at all. I¡¯m a total ally. Love is Love, you know?¡±
Oh my god, thought Anne. She hadn¡¯t expected the Goddess to be so¡ well, for lack of a better word, cringey. Anne really had no idea how to respond to that.
Luckily, Corvina was there with all her diplomatic training.
¡°Thank you for your support,¡± said Corvina, politely.
¡°Of course!¡± said the Goddess, with a big smile. ¡°I always thought Pride parades looked like so much fun, you know? I wish I could go to one and wear a shirt that says ¡®I¡¯m proud of the gay spirit possessing my daughter¡¯s body,¡¯ or¡ something like that, I don¡¯t know.¡±
There was no way Corvina knew what a pride parade was, but she kept her face impressively blank as she ignored all that and moved on with the conversation. ¡°To be clear, if you¡¯re not from Anne¡¯s world, then you¡¯re not the author of the ¡®original novel,¡¯ then?¡±
¡°What? Or course not!¡± Cory¡¯s brow furrowed in confusion. ¡°Why would you think I was the author?¡±
¡°Because if reality is a novel, then it only makes sense that God would be the author,¡± answered Corvina, as if that was obvious.
Anne had also been surprised by the question. That thought hadn¡¯t even occurred to her before, but Corvina¡¯s logic did make sense, in a way.
The Goddess sipped her tea, looking thoughtful. ¡°That¡¯s an interesting perspective,¡± she said, ¡°But I think you¡¯re making some fundamental mistakes in regards to the nature of fiction.¡±
¡°How so?¡± asked Corvina, sounding mildly annoyed.
¡°A story only really fully belongs to the author while it¡¯s actively being written,¡± replied Cory. ¡°Once a story is actually out there in the world, then it exits the author¡¯s control. Each individual reader then makes and remakes the story anew with each subsequent reading. It¡¯s this individual experience of the story, repeated over, and over, and over, ad nauseam, that makes up the bulk of the story¡¯s existential presence in the fabric of reality. You know?¡±
Anne was still trying to wrap her head around the meaning of the words ¡®existential presence¡¯ used in that order, when the Goddess took a sip of her tea and continued:
¡°Even that¡¯s an oversimplification because there are plenty of outside influences during creation of a story, and the author isn¡¯t fully divorced from the story once it¡¯s published, either, but it¡¯s like¡ If the author is god, then they are an absent god. Or, from a Gnostic perspective, it might make more sense to compare the author to the Demiurge¡ªalthough that would place me even further down the hierarchy. Like, I might be an Archon or something. But that¡¯s all getting a bit cosmic, isn¡¯t it? Sorry about that. You two should be drinking more of your tea! Did you want milk for it? Sugar? Honey?¡±
Anne¡¯s thought process when she first arrived in this world was something like, book = real, so characters = people, and plot = fate. That was as far as she had gotten. She hadn¡¯t really considered the author, or the nature of fiction, or anything like that. And if she was honest, it all felt a bit beyond her, even hearing it laid out like that. Her eyes were starting to glaze over as she tried to keep up with what the Goddess was saying.
But Corvina was leaning forward in her beanbag chair, eyebrows furrowed, fully engaged in the conversation.
¡°Fine,¡± said Corvina. ¡°The author is an absent god, then. But you keep talking in circles. But even if you¡¯re not the author, you¡¯re still the Goddess, so you should be able to help us, right? That¡¯s ultimately why we came here. To ask for your help. Right, Anne?¡±
¡°Oh, right,¡± said Anne. She pushed all the confusing philosophical stuff from her mind. ¡°Yeah, we need your help.¡±
¡°I know that, dear.¡± Cory sighed dramatically. ¡°People only ever come looking for me when they need help with something. But I¡¯m afraid if you¡¯re looking for direct intervention, you¡¯re going to be disappointed. I¡¯m omniscient within this world, but I¡¯m not omnipotent. ¡±
¡°Then what¡¯s the point of you?¡± snapped Corvina.
Cory smiled sadly. ¡°You sound like my daughter. My other daughter. It can drive you a little batty, can¡¯t it? Knowing that your world isn¡¯t really real, and that you¡¯re stuck on a little track moving around and around in circles with no real control over where you¡¯re going or when you¡¯ll get there?¡±
¡°But someone must have control,¡± insisted Corvina. ¡°If not you, and not the author, then who?¡±
¡°Not a who, dear. More of a what¡¡± said the Goddess, tilting her head to one side. ¡°I thought I made that clear already. The story itself has, like, a life of its own, built within the collective consciousness through repeated readings. The story has no consciousness of its own, but it has a will, which it can enforce through a variety of methods. Which is why I¡¯m just as limited by the confines of the story as anyone else here is. That¡¯s what always made my other daughter so hopping mad, but it¡¯s not like I can really do anything to change that. I can¡¯t change much of anything, really. No one here can.¡±
¡°Wait,¡± said Anne, feeling like something important had been glossed over. ¡°Just a moment ago you were talking about the Saintess ¡®knowing that her world isn¡¯t real.¡¯ Is that what you meant when you said it was your fault she¡¯s so ¡®aware¡¯?¡±
¡°Ugh, fine!¡± said the Goddess, throwing her hand up. ¡°Here¡¯s some simple exposition, then: All elves have some inherent divinity, which is why they¡¯re immortal. But my Anne has a much higher concentration of divinity than most cause she¡¯s my daughter. And divine magic is mostly about vision and knowledge and truth, right? I¡¯m, like, the most divine, so I¡¯m omniscient. Anne was never omniscient, but right from the beginning she could sense the presence of the audience, just a little. But then she started being able to remember the loops. Every time the story restarted, she remembered more and more, and eventually she just couldn¡¯t get away from it, you know? She just wanted a way out.¡±
Anne nodded. Some of that she had known, and some she¡¯d been able to guess, but hearing it all spelled out like that answered her few remaining uncertainties.
Corvina no longer looked angry, instead she was staring into her tea with an almost haunted expression on her face. ¡°Loops¡¡± She whispered to herself so quietly, Anne barely heard it.
This whole conversation had been a weird mess from the start. The sooner they could get out of here and process all this, the better. So Anne decided to cut to the chase.
¡°You said you can¡¯t change anything. You said no one here can change anything,¡± said Anne. ¡°But I¡¯ve changed things!¡±
¡°Yes, that¡¯s true!¡± said the Goddess, excitedly. ¡°You weren¡¯t originally shaped by the story, so you have a bit more flexibility in your actions! But the story is still trying to reassert itself. Didn¡¯t you notice?¡±
¡°Is that what¡¯s happening?¡± asked Anne. ¡°I thought I would be able to use my knowledge of the plot to change things for the better, but now it feels like everything is going wrong! So I thought it might be my fault because I never read the actual ending of the original novel. I just thought I could predict what would happen anyway, since fantasy romance is a pretty predictable genre.¡±
Cory put her hand over her heart and looked at Anne again, that complex expression returning to her face, this time with an extra helping of pity.
¡°Oh, honey,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯ve got the genre all wrong. The Foundling¡¯s Wings isn¡¯t a fantasy romance. It¡¯s a tragedy.¡±
After the public execution of Corvina Wyernmal and all other traitors-to-the-people, Grand Duke Marshal and Saintess Anne Coris had been married.
Anne was right about that much, the Goddess told her, but the story of The Foundling¡¯s Wings didn¡¯t end there.
The rebels had taken advantage of the war with Quellinia to storm the capital while the imperial army was weakened, but Quellinia didn¡¯t back down after the change of government. The war became the new governing council¡¯s most pressing concern, but debates over whether or not to implement a mandatory draft quickly devolved into petty factionalist squabbles.
In the meantime, Grand Duke Marshal and his dwindling forces were the only remaining military force with any real ability to fight, which gave Marshal a strong foothold to begin consolidating his own power within the new government.
And as the conflict wore on, Marshal began to treat his wife the Saintess more and more coldly.
With the war growing worse by the day and the new government seemingly useless in the face of it, there was once again unrest in the streets. This time, the people were calling for a return to the feudal system. The people didn¡¯t want an elected council that spoke high-minded words of equality without being able to offer them basic protection. What they wanted was an Emperor, if that¡¯s what it took to stop the invasion.
What they wanted was Emperor Robert Marshal.
When the Saintess voiced her opposition to Marshal taking the throne, he slapped her across the face so hard that it knocked her off her feet.
So the Saintess stood meekly by, lending the support of the Church of Coris when Emperor Marshall was crowned.
But in the end, even the return to Empire couldn¡¯t stop the Quellinians. Their forces were led by General Nia Lowmal Quell, a brilliant tactician who had been raised in Wyernwolf, so she knew the terrain better than any true foreigner could. And the Quellinians were armed with advanced alchemical weapons far beyond the technology of the Wyernwolf Empire.
When the capital city fell, it was a bloodbath.
Emperor Marshal refused to give up his throne, even when defeat had become inevitable. So he¡¯d been killed, staining the golden throne with his iron blood.
The Saintess had been out in the streets, attempting to help people as much as she could, until she¡¯d been caught in the crossfire of an active battle. She¡¯d barely escaped the city with her life.
With nowhere else to go, she¡¯d headed to the Sacred Forest to find the Goddess herself, to ask for help. She¡¯d barely made it. By the time the Goddess appeared in front of her, she¡¯d been too weak even to say a word.
The Goddess had held her daughter, the Saintess, in her arms as she finally succumbed to her wounds, laying on the threshold of heaven.
Oh, and the Saintess¡¯s friend, Eva, had actually been killed in mysterious circumstances shortly after the wedding. It was implied that she was poisoned, possibly by a poison meant for the Saitness. The book kind of glossed over Eva¡¯s death. No one really cared about it.
A lot of readers more-or-less forgot Eva existed as soon as she was no longer on screen. And for good reason. After all, she was only a minor character who existed solely to help drive the story of the Saintess forward.
Eva wasn¡¯t that important in her own right, but you could say she served the story well.
That was how things were supposed to go, before the interference.
Now, time to get back on track.
Chapter 100
The true power is in the story itself, the Goddess said.
¡°All I¡¯m saying is, the sooner we can dismantle the class system and rebuild a truly egalitarian society, the better,¡± said Nell.
¡°You make it sound as though no noble deserves their position,¡± protested Jay. ¡°But some noble titles are granted as a recognition of merit.¡±
These meetings always ended up going around in circles like this, which is why Belle found them so tedious and exhausting, even if the rebels¡ had some points. She¡¯d actually brought her fiance, Jay with her this time because she hoped his calm, non-nonsense personality would help keep things on task, but so much for that¡
Nell slammed her beer on the table. ¡°Perhaps you may have earned your rank, but can you say the same thing of your unborn children?¡±
¡°Nell!¡± said Bernard. ¡°That¡¯s taking it a little too far, bringing his unborn children into this.¡±
¡°Actually our unborn children will inherit my rank, if any,¡± interjected Belle.
¡°Even worse!¡± said Nell. ¡°Can you really say that you think arbitrary inheritance, the mere accident of birth, is a just and fair way to govern a society?¡±
Bernard patted Nell on the back placatingly and interjected, ¡°What Nell is trying to say is, is that rebuilding our government on the ideals of republicanism would benefit everyone. Lady Belle, hasn¡¯t your own family also been hurt by the unjust laws that separate us by class? It¡¯s not just the peasants. The nobles are overly restricted by the current system as well.¡±
Nell scoffed. ¡°Restricted, maybe, but not oppressed.¡±
Belle sighed and took a sip of her beer, settling in to half-listen to a long rant. At least she was starting to get used to the bitter swill they served at this back-alley pub. The first night she¡¯d come to meet with the rebels she¡¯d barely been able to drink it, and everyone had stared at her. Partly because she had been far too overdressed for this part of town. But she¡¯d learned to dress down significantly and drink her beer without a fuss, so now she mostly went unnoticed.
Except Belle could sense someone watching her right now.
She turned around and caught the eye of a figure in a shimmery blue cloak standing by the doorway, wildly gesturing for Belle to come over in a way that was not subtle or sneaky at all.
Collette.
Belle hurried over to her friend. ¡°What is it?¡± she hissed. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to be the primary contact with the rebels, and you¡¯re supposed to be the silent partner secretly providing supplies, right? We can¡¯t let them know your face. You need to get out of here.¡±
¡°I know, but you need to come with me,¡± whispered Collette. ¡°I just got a message from Ulrich, who¡¯d had a message from Corvina. We need to divest ourselves from the rebels immediately. There¡¯s imminent danger.¡±
Belle glanced back over at the rebels, who were still arguing animatedly with her fiance.
Bernard and Nell were absolutely infuriating. They were obnoxious and wrongheaded, and Belle utterly hated talking to them about almost anything.
But also¡ Bernard was one of the genuinely sweetest men Belle had ever met, and Nell¡ well¡ Nell was a bit of an ass, but she was an ass because of just how deeply she cared about people and their wellbeing. And that was worth something.
And they were both incredibly naive. It was honestly a miracle that they hadn¡¯t been caught and executed for sedition by now.
Could Belle really just¡ abandon them?
Belle turned back towards Collette. ¡°Have you told Nia yet?¡±
¡°Not yet. I was going to tell her earlier because she was supposed to join me for dinner today, but she never showed up. Do you have any idea where she could be?¡±
A story has no consciousness, but it does have a will. A story wants to flow down a certain path the same way water wants to flow down a riverbed.
Rain hadn¡¯t expected this new job to be so damn difficult. It should have been an easy break-in into an unguarded house, a few quick stabs directed at the correct sleeping figure, and then away into the night. Simple. Clean.
Rain dropped from the ceiling and landed directly on top of a guard. In a fraction of a moment, the guard lay still.
What Rain hadn¡¯t been expecting was for a small townhome on some no-name street to have one guard each at the front and back doors, and one guard freely roaming the hallways.
¡and one guard standing watch in the actual bedroom of his target, apparently.
Rain owed a lot to the Assassin¡¯s Guild. The Guild took Rain in when they had nowhere else to go, gave them everything they needed, and taught them a good trade¡ Rain didn¡¯t want to pay the Guild back by tarnishing their reputation. That was the only reason Rain was here. They wanted a clean break from the profession. No loose ends. No unfulfilled debts.
The struggle with the bedroom guard was a bit messier, but it was over soon enough. That had to be the last of them. And there was the target, a peaceful figure still slumbering underneath her covers.
Rain felt something heavy hit their back.
They spun around. Some guy, a young Quellinian in a butler¡¯s uniform, had literally thrown a book at them. The look in his eyes was admirably defiant, but Rain really didn¡¯t have time for this.
¡°There¡¯s an alchemical alarm set up around the perimeter,¡± said the butler. ¡°The master of the house will be back here with reinforcements any second!¡±
¡°I guess I¡¯d better work quickly then,¡± said Rain, chucking a dagger at the butler¡¯s thigh, turning away before the scream and the thud.
The woman in the bed barely stirred, even as the Unseen Rain stood over her. She was an older woman, with warm brown skin and wild dark hair that fanned out like a halo across her pillow.
Her eyes fluttered open. ¡°Cedric? Have you come back for me at last, my love?¡±
Stolen novel; please report.
¡°Nope,¡± said Rain. And then, ¡°Sorry.¡±
A moment later it was over.
Rain would be glad to be out of the business once and for all. The work just wasn¡¯t quite as satisfying as it had once been.
Except a story, unlike a river, can easily go back upstream and reshape the riverbed from the beginning, if it needs to.
If a story really needs you to do something, it will find a way to make you do that thing. Whether you actually want to or not.
Nia began running as soon as she felt the alarm being tripped. It had been tripped before by door-to-door salesmen and by a couple of different servants who had forgotten to be careful around the entrances, so it was probably nothing. Nia told herself it was probably nothing. Over and over again she repeated it. But she ran anyway.
Nia¡¯s mother had actually been doing really well lately. The doctors all said they were astounded by her progress. She was having a lot fewer bad days, and her good days were better than ever. She had even been helping Nia with some of the paperwork for the embassy.
But she was still taking alchemical tinctures to help her sleep at night. If there was a break-in, she likely wouldn¡¯t even be able to wake up to try to defend herself¡
It was nothing. It had to be nothing. She was only a block away from home now. She would know soon enough.
The guard at the front door was dead.
The guard at the back door had clearly run over at the sound of the fight. Nia found him dead in the front hallway.
The roaming guard on the second floor was dead, too. She had been running towards the stairs.
The guard in the bedroom was extremely dead. And the room had been tossed.
Gatik was slumped by the bedroom door, wounded but not dead yet.
¡°The assassin¡¡± said Gatik. His voice was strained. He must have had to force the words out past the pain and shock and blood loss. ¡°Right before he left, the assassin said that if we wanted to blame someone, we should blame the Grand Duke¡¡±
Nia was wearing her sunglasses, the ones that showed her distorted words, so she could see that Gatik was speaking the truth, or at least what he believed to be the truth.
Nia walked further into the room, feeling the world spinning on its axis around her.
Nia¡¯s mother was in bed, lying peacefully with her eyes closed and her arms crossed over her chest. Her throat had been slashed. It would have been over quickly.
¡°My lady¡¡± said Gatik. ¡°Are you going to be okay?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± lied Nia, reaching out to stroke her mother¡¯s hair. ¡°I¡¯ll help you to a healer, but I won¡¯t be able to stay with you. There are a number of letters I need to write as soon as possible.¡±
But a story never does its own dirty work. Not directly. A story uses characters to push other characters along certain paths. To keep the plot on track.
The control is subtle¡ªimperceptible, even¡ªso that, to the casual observer, everyone involved seems to have free will.
Grand Duke Marshal was quite pleased when he heard the news of the Quellinian ambassador¡¯s death. That assassin hadn¡¯t been quite so useless after all.
Even at the best of times, the aristocracy of the capital was a tangled web of plots, schemes, grudges, and alliances. This particular death had been carefully calculated to disrupt as much of that web as possible. Within days, the aristocracy would go from making snide remarks at each other at parties to openly killing each other in the streets.
And, if Marshal was really lucky, this might even spark an outright war with Quellinia.
With a war on, the people would have no choice but to turn to Marshal and his armies for protection. And after he saved all of them from the big bad invaders, they would be practically begging him to take the throne.
Marshal tore the note he was holding into little pieces and let the breeze carry it away.
¡°Come on, then!¡± he called to the organized line of men behind him. ¡°Let¡¯s move out!¡±
He spurred his horse on, whistling a jaunty tune to himself. His army marched closely behind him.
They were on their way to Longren, and to victory.
In many ways, the characters that best serve to move the plot forward are the characters who are already heavily manipulated by the story themselves.
Every aspect of their being¡ªevery personality trait, every past trauma, every future goal, is carefully constructed to ensure that, when push comes to shove, that character will do what needs to be done for the sake of the plot.
Bishop Geist groaned.
Her head hurt. The last thing she remembered was dictating a letter to the high priests of Longren. They had to know what to expect when the Grand Duke arrived. Hopefully they would be able to keep a proper eye on him and stop him from gaining too much power in the region, but the Bishop didn¡¯t have high hopes for them.
Bishop Geist would have gone to Longren herself, except the Emperor had formally ordered her to stay in the city. He needed her help with some project or other, apparently, but it was just made-up busy work. This whole alliance had been an incredible mistake.
Eva had promised to help her out with this, but now the Bishop couldn¡¯t even get in contact with her. Some investment she¡¯d turned out to be. Useless girl.
Had the Bishop been so frustrated with the whole situation that she¡¯d abandoned her usual temperance and drunk her way through the whole wine cellar? She felt like she had a massive hangover.
Also her wrists hurt for some reason. And she was laying on a really hard surface. And she couldn¡¯t move.
Bishop Geist opened her eyes.
Eva was standing over her, smiling. Her face was covered in dried blood.
¡°What the¡ª¡°
Eva covered the Bishop¡¯s mouth with a hand. ¡°Ssshhhh,¡± said Eva. ¡°It will all be over soon.¡±
Eva tied a piece of cloth around Bishop Geist¡¯s mouth, gagging her.
¡°I don¡¯t really want to hear any more of your lectures,¡± said Eva, backing up.
They were clearly still in the Bishop¡¯s office, but Eva had pushed her desk against the door to blockade them in. The middle of the floor, where the Bishop was lying, had been cleared of all rugs and furniture. Now Eva was drawing some kind of chalk circle around the Bishop.
The Bishop began struggling against the ropes that were keeping her tied up. She tried to scream through the gag.
¡°Oh, shut up!¡± said Eva. ¡°You¡¯re giving me such a headache. You have no idea what I¡¯ve been through in the past few days.¡±
Eva went up to the desk, where a book lay open, and consulted something in it. Then she slammed the book shut.
¡°That stupid assassin broke my portal,¡± said Eva. ¡°So the cursed thing spat me out somewhere half-a-day¡¯s ride outside of the city. No one wanted to give me a ride looking like this so I had to make the rest of the trip in quick bursts of teleportation while my mana recovered. And that whole time I had to think about how I could possibly rework this spell to operate properly without having Anne¡¯s body present. Luckily, I think I should be able to make use of a transformation spell. Of course, your body isn¡¯t an ideal starting point, but¡ we¡¯ll make do.¡±
The Bishop tried to squirm her way out of the center of the circle.
¡°Will you stop that?¡± said Eva, exasperated. She grabbed the Bishop¡¯s legs and dragged her back to the center of the circle. ¡°It¡¯s pointless trying to get away. The ritual is almost complete anyway. There¡¯s just one more step.¡±
Eva reached back and picked up a knife that had been set at the edge of the circle. ¡°Now, do you have any last words?¡±
Eva removed Bishop Geist¡¯s gag.
¡°You ungrateful little¡ª¡°
Eva put the gag back on.
¡°Ungrateful?¡± said Eva. ¡°You were the one who taught me to use my magic properly. You were the one who told me that what I wanted was wrong, that instead of wanting her I should serve her, do everything in my power to give her a perfect, happy life. I¡¯m just doing what you taught me to do.¡±
Eva bent over, looking the prone Bishop in the eye. ¡°You should be proud of me,¡± she said.
Eva raised her knife and the magic circle began to glow. She knelt by the Bishop, still holding her knife aloft, and she whispered in the Bishop¡¯s ear.
¡°Anne, it¡¯s time to come home.¡±
Eva stabbed the Bishop in the heart.
The original Saintess was pacing back and forth in her empty void when she felt the sudden sharp pain in her heart. Ever since she¡¯d abandoned her body she hadn¡¯t felt anything at all. This was wrong, this was wrong, this was¡ª
She could feel the story pulling her back in.
The Saintess screamed.
And then she disappeared.
And in the empty pocket dimension she left behind, these words began to write themselves in the air in a curling, softly-glowing script:
Those who serve the story play an incredibly important role, even if they¡¯re otherwise minor characters. After all, what¡¯s a story without a plot?
There must be a plot. Events must move towards their inevitable conclusion, or else that¡¯s not even a story anymore. That¡¯s just¡ random events. That¡¯s just life.
The purpose of a story is to be something far more grand than mere life.
That¡¯s why it¡¯s important to set things right when they go wrong. It¡¯s the correct thing to do. It¡¯s the necessary thing to do. It''s the only thing to do.
The story will be corrected.
End of Volume 2 Announcements
Note: I wasn''t able to figure out how to post images on Royal Road, so for a version of these announcements with images, follow the link in the post-chapter author notes.
Well, that''s it for Volume 2 of The Saintess and The Villainess! Thank you so much to everyone who''s been reading along all this time. I never imagined so many people would be so invested in my self-indulgent little isekai story. It measn a lot to me to see all your comments every chapter!
What''s up next?
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The Saintess and The Villainess in Volume 3.
A Tale of Two Princes - Chapter 1
¡°A large force of human soldiers has been spotted leaving the capital in the direction of Longren. They appear to be led by Grand Duke Marshal.¡±
Elyon raised an eyebrow. ¡°Appear?¡±
¡°Yes, sir,¡± Lieutenant Landeriell (Landi to her friends). She was a tall elf with long, platinum-blonde hair and heavy-lidded eyes. ¡°There were more patrols than expected, so our scouts weren¡¯t able to approach closely.¡±
¡°Hmm.¡± Elyon marked some notes on the large parchment map in front of him. ¡°Instruct the scouts to keep an eye on their movements, and see if we can get confirmation of Duke Marshal¡¯s involvement. But they shouldn¡¯t take any unnecessary risks. We can survive a lack of information better than we can survive a lack of personnel.¡±
¡°Yes, sir.¡± Landi saluted.
¡°And one more thing before you go.¡± Elyon set down his quill and looked up at his second-in-command. ¡°How is the human prince settling in? I know we emphasized that he should be treated with the utmost courtesy while he remains in our custody, but he is, after all, the crown prince of our current enemy nation. I¡¯m concerned he may be experiencing some level of ostracism.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± Landi shuffled her feet, almost looking embarrassed. ¡°I really wouldn¡¯t worry about that, sir¡¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Elyon. ¡°Have you spoken with the soldiers to see what their general feelings are?¡±
¡°No, but, well¡¡± said Landi. ¡°You should really just see for yourself.¡±
The Lieutenant led Elyon out of the command tent and around to one of the common areas of the camp, where an unusually large group of elves had all congregated. They were all talking and laughing loudly, and at the center of them all, with a big grin on his face, was Prince Sebastian. He had exchanged his fine clothing for a standard Elven Royal Guard uniform of simple green cloth and brown leather, and he was happily pouring drinks for the elven soldiers.
It was¡ unexpected. Elyon¡¯s subordinates usually behaved with more discipline. And after such a prolonged war, resentment towards humans was at an all-time high. And yet here they were, elite elven soldiers chatting pleasantly with the enemy prince.
It was almost unsettling.
¡°Don¡¯t they all have duties to attend to?¡± said Elyon.
Landi nodded, catching his meaning. She strode over to the group of laughing soldiers, and with a loud clap of her hands, began barking orders.
¡°Alright, you lot, I know you all have jobs to do, so hop to it! And if you don¡¯t have a job to do, please feel free to let me know and I can give you a damn job to do! We are at war here, people, not some sort of festival feast! Get moving!¡±
Elyon continued to watch as his subordinates scattered off back to their various duties. Prince Sebastian smiled and waved and generally sent them off pleasantly. But as soon as the last soldier had gone, Sebastian¡¯s smile fell from his face and he sighed heavily, resting his head in his hands.
Aha, thought Elyon. So I did have cause to worry after all.
¡°Lieutenant!¡± shouted Elyon, and Landi ran back up to him with a salute.
¡°Please escort Prince Sebastian to the command tent. It¡¯s high time he and I had a conversation.¡±
¡°I am curious, what would you say is your philosophy of leadership? Do you believe it¡¯s a leader¡¯s duty to personally oversee every major decision? Or would you say a good leader is someone capable of seeing value in others and delegating duties according to merit? Or perhaps you have another approach altogether?¡±
¡°Um¡ what?¡± Prince Sebastian stared blankly at Prince Elyon, who was staring back at him from across a small conference table.
¡°It¡¯s not often I have the opportunity to converse with a foreign Prince,¡± said Elyon, with a polite smile. ¡°I thought this would be a good opportunity to exchange knowledge.¡±
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¡°Oh¡¡± said Sebastian. ¡°Sure, right.¡±
Elyon¡¯s gaze was oddly intense, and it was making Sebastian squirm in his seat a little bit. It didn¡¯t help that Sebastian didn¡¯t really know what to say about high-minded stuff like this. He hadn¡¯t actually been raised as a leader, not properly. It was Marshal and Corvina who had been taught this sort of stuff.
Should a leader personally oversee all major decisions? That¡¯s certainly what his father did. Should a leader be capable of seeing the value in others and delegating according to merit? Well, being a useless figurehead wasn¡¯t exactly the same thing as delegating. How was Sebastian supposed to answer a question like that?
¡°Should I be offended?¡± asked Elyon, mildly.
¡°What? No!¡± said Sebastian, sitting up straight in his chair. ¡°Why would you be offended?¡±
¡°Because you seem to be able to converse with my subordinates so easily,¡± said Elyon. ¡°And yet I¡¯m struggling to get you to say more than three words to me.¡±
¡°Oh, well.¡± Sebastian tried to figure out how to explain himself without just openly admitting his own stupidity. ¡°They don¡¯t really ask me about serious stuff.¡±
And they were never quite as openly hostile as the rebel soldiers were, so they were a lot easier to start talking to, even if they were a bit standoffish at first, he thought to himself.
¡°Then what do you talk to them about?¡± asked Elyon.
Sebastian shrugged. ¡°A bunch of stuff. Nothing.¡±
Elyon smiled again. ¡°I¡¯ve never quite mastered the skill of talking about nothing.¡±
Sebastian laughed a little self-consciously. ¡°It¡¯s the one thing I¡¯m really good at,¡± he said. ¡°That, and horse riding.¡±
Elyon nodded and gave a slight hum of acknowledgment, pulling a piece of paper over to himself and scribbling something down before handing it to his Lieutenant.
¡°Well, I¡¯m pleased to see that you¡¯ve been settling in alright,¡± said Elyon. ¡°I would prefer that you thought of yourself as our guest rather than as our prisoner. That said, we¡¯re a small team operating on tight margins, so everyone who stays in this camp needs to contribute to the best of their abilities. Starting tomorrow morning you¡¯ll be taking on various duties around the camp in order to support our little community. Understood?¡±
¡°Uh¡ yes, of course,¡± said Sebastian, already dreading it. He already knew he was useless. Did he really need to fail at a bunch of pointless chores just to find that out again? But if that was what they asked him to do, he¡¯d just have to do it.
¡°Excellent,¡± said Elyon. ¡°Lieutenant, please show Prince Sebastian out.¡±
Sebastian stood up to leave. He knew in his heart that he was just killing time here; that he was contributing to his sister¡¯s plan just by being in this place until the time came where it would be more useful for him to be somewhere else. It didn¡¯t actually matter what anyone here thought of him, as long as they let him stay.
But still¡
¡°The delegation one,¡± said Sebastian.
Elyon, who had already begun to get back to his work, looked up. ¡°What was that?¡± he asked.
¡°The leadership thing that you asked me about earlier,¡± said Sebastian. ¡°About which style of leadership is better.¡±
He thought about the ways his father used people, and he thought about the ways Anne worked with people. Maybe it was naive to think that Anne¡¯s way was better, but look at how much they¡¯d accomplished already¡none of what their little group of allies had done as a group would have been possible for any of them individually.
¡°I think a good leader can see the value in others,¡± Sebastian continued. ¡°Not just as tools, but as collaborators. No matter how smart or skilled someone is, there¡¯s a limit to what anyone can do alone.¡±
Elyon smiled. His previous smiles had been short and perfunctory, almost a sort of punctuation to his speech. But this one was wide and genuine, almost a grin even. It made him look boyish and handsome and just a bit mischievous.
¡°I couldn¡¯t agree more,¡± he said.
Sebastian felt his heart skip a beat.
Sometime later, Landi re-entered the command tent, standing politely at attention until Elyon acknowledged her.
¡°Yes?¡± said Elyon, looking up from his documents.
¡°Are you sure this is a good idea?¡± said Landi. She was holding the piece of paper on which Elyon had written a proposed schedule for Prince Sebastian over the next few days.
¡°It¡¯s merely a modified version of the standard training every new recruit goes through,¡± said Elyon.
¡°Yes, but he¡¯s not a new recruit,¡± countered Landi. ¡°He¡¯s the Crown Prince of the Wyernwolf Empire. He¡¯s the only son and heir of the greatest enemy of the elven people.¡±
¡°No one deserves to be judged for the behavior of their parents,¡± said Elyon, with just a hint of bitterness. He rested his head in one hand and stared off into the distance for a moment. ¡°Prince Sebastian is clearly bright and naturally good with people. But it¡¯s also clear that he lacks confidence and practical skills. This program will help him to gain a bit of both.¡±
¡°And what if, in the future, he uses that confidence and those practical skills to wage a better war against us?¡±
Elyon sighed, sitting up straight again. ¡°I suppose we¡¯ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Is that all you had to say?¡±
¡°Yes, sir.¡±
¡°You are dismissed.¡±
Elyon understood why Lieutenant Landeriell was concerned, but integrating Prince Sebastian more closely into the community could actually make him feel more endeared to elves as a whole, and reduce the chances of this war continuing on to the next generation. And if they were truly able to instill some confidence in him, he might even view elves in general with gratitude.
It was also extremely cute how pleased with himself Prince Sebastian looked when I agreed with his conclusion on leadership practices, thought Elyon, remembering the way Sebastian had blushed slightly. I would enjoy seeing that look on his face more often. Although, of course, that¡¯s a secondary goal here.
A Tale of Two Princes - Chapter 2
The training schedule of an Elven royal guard was brutal.
Sebastian started the day by helping unload a shipment of supplies, hauling large sacks of grain from one end of the camp to the other with Lieutenant Landriel shouting in his ear the whole time.
He barely had any time to rest before he was moved on to kitchen duty, peeling mountains of potatoes for the soldiers¡¯ lunch.
And he wasn¡¯t even given the chance to eat any of those potatoes before he was assigned to¡ the latrines.
It was one of the most harrowing mornings of Sebastian¡¯s adult life.
Sebastian lay flat on his back under a tree, watching the sunlight dance on the leaves, and feeling every muscle in his body ache.
¡°You should eat something while you still have the chance,¡± said Landi. ¡°We¡¯ve got a long afternoon ahead of us.¡±
Sebastian pulled himself upright and picked up his bowl of potato stew. It was almost cold now, since he¡¯d had to wait until after everyone else ate to get anything.
¡°Am I going to have to do all this every day?¡± asked Sebastian, forcing down a bite of the cold soup.
¡°Not every day,¡± said Landi, who was having no difficulty eating her cold soup. ¡°The first few days of training are intended to get you familiar with all of the important jobs around the camp. Not only will this give you a greater appreciation for the work that your colleagues do on your behalf, but it will also give us a chance to evaluate where in the camp might be the best fit for you.¡±
¡°So eventually I¡¯ll just have to do one of these jobs¡ forever.¡±
Landi shrugged. ¡°Not forever. Just while you¡¯re staying with us.¡±
Sebastian sighed and flopped back down again, giving up on his soup.
¡°Hey, buck up,¡± said Landi. ¡°The job you¡¯ll be doing this afternoon is actually pretty relaxing.¡±
¡°And what¡¯s that?¡± asked Sebastian, miserably.
¡°Hunting,¡± said Landi.
The word hit Sebastian like a punch to the chest.
Hunting, he thought, and his mind was filled with the sight of a pretty little bird in a pretty little cage.
GREETINGS BROTHER,
I HOPE THE SACRED TREES KEEP YOU AND WATCH OVER YOU WELL, AND THAT YOU DO THE SAME IN RETURN, FOR IT IS OUR DUTY TO PROTECT THE FOREST AS MUCH AS IT IS THE FOREST¡¯S DUTY TO PROTECT US¡ªA DUTY FOR WHICH, IF WE PERFORM IT WELL, WE WILL BE REMEMBERED AS TRUE HEROES FOR ALL TIME!
YESTERDAY I WAS ONCE AGAIN THINKING ABOUT THAT FASCINATING ASSASSIN, AND HOW MUCH I¡¯D LIKE TO FACE THEM ONCE MORE ON THE FIELD OF BATTLE. IF PERHAPS¡ª
Elyon skimmed through the rest of the letter as quickly as he could before tossing it aside. As usual, Zaos had little of substance to say, but every once in a while his letters contained important military intelligence, so Elyon couldn¡¯t just ignore them entirely.
Elyon sighed. He would have to write back, too. Or Zaos¡¯ feelings would be hurt, which would just make him act even more annoying.
Elyon pulled out a clean piece of paper and wrote in an even-handed script:
Greetings Zaos,
It¡¯s not good to wish for battles to occur, especially battles against a foe who nearly bested you once already. Take care.
-Elyon
Elyon folded the letter and sealed it with the royal seal, then set it on top of a pile of documents meant to go out later that afternoon.
Elyon turned his attention to other important administrative matters, but as he worked he found himself somewhat distracted by thoughts of the human prince.
Elyon had spotted him briefly during the morning, peeling potatoes for lunch, and it looked like he was really struggling. It was unsurprising that an imperial prince would lack basic culinary skills, but Elyon had genuinely been worried he was going to cut himself, which wouldn¡¯t do.
Of course, Sebastian could learn how to safely peel a potato, given time. Anyone could. But seeing that had made Elyon worry that his plan might backfire. Perhaps throwing too much new work at the prince all at once would make him lose confidence, rather than gain it. He didn¡¯t want to break the prince¡¯s spirit.
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I should have Landeriel change the itinerary slightly, move stable-work up to tomorrow morning, thought Elyon. Sebastian did say that he¡¯s good with horses, after all. Perhaps he might enjoy that work more?
Elyon stared at the supply-line report in front of him, feeling a slight headache come on. The recent supply shipments had been a bit short of what they should have been. Was his father diverting funds away from the war again and hoping he wouldn¡¯t notice?
Elyon removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. It was exhausting, being the only reasonable adult in the royal family. There were so many important details to worry about in this war, and Elyon often felt like he was the only one worrying about them. Zaos was constantly distracted by thoughts of heroism, and the King was always distracted by his parties. Only Elyon had a clear focus on the things that were really important.
¡maybe I should go check on him, just to make sure he¡¯s doing okay.
The first step in going hunting was getting horses. Sebastian quite enjoyed that part. The elves let him borrow a beautiful little chestnut mare called Izzie, and Sebastian took his time pampering her and feeding her handfuls of oats as he got her ready to ride.
¡°You¡¯re a sweet little thing, aren¡¯t you?¡± said Sebastian, patting Izzie¡¯s neck. Izzie responded by leaning her head closer to him, which made Sebastian feel both happy and proud. Horses were naturally timid as a species, and nothing felt better than quickly earning a horse¡¯s trust.
¡°Hurry up,¡± said Landi, already mounted on her own horse. ¡°The best hunting spots are some distance away, and we need to get going if you want to be back here in time to get any supper.¡±
Sebastian sighed, burying his face in the horse¡¯s mane. ¡°Well, a single moment of happiness is better than nothing, huh, girl?¡±
But even the ride through the forest was pleasant enough. Of course, the Sacred Forest still felt slightly eerie to Sebastian, like the trees were somehow too alive. Which felt like an insane thing to think, because of course all forests were full of living trees, but he felt it just the same. Still, even with that eeriness, the sun was warm, and birds were singing, and it just felt nice to be riding a horse again.
When they finally arrived at the spot, which to Sebastian looked exactly the same as all other forest clearings, Landi began teaching Sebastian how to construct traps for small animals out of various forest materials.
Sebastian wasn¡¯t very good with his hands and he had a hard time getting the knots right, but it wasn¡¯t actually that bad.
Maybe everything will be okay after all, thought Sebastian. No one has asked you to kill anything. Sure, these traps might be used to capture and kill some poor innocent forest creature at some point down the line, and you will have in some way contributed to that. But you haven¡¯t actually been asked to personally kill anything, and that¡¯s the most important thing, right?
After some struggle, Landi finally approved of Sebastian¡¯s trap and showed him how to set it up.
¡°Okay¡¡± said Landi, examining the setup. ¡°That should be alright. Someone will be around in a few days to see if anything¡¯s been caught.¡±
¡°That¡¯s it then?¡± said Sebastian, tentatively hopeful. ¡°We can head back now?¡±
Landi shook her head. ¡°No, this was only stop one. Now we need to check on some traps that have been set previously.¡±
Sebastian suddenly wished he knew some more colorful swear words. If only so he could think them to himself.
At their next two stops the traps were empty, but at the third stop Sebastian was horrified to see a little white rabbit caught in a rope trap, hanging upside down by its paw.
¡°There we go,¡± said Landi, quickly dismounting from her horse to go inspect the catch.
Maybe it¡¯s dead already, thought Sebastian. Then I won¡¯t have to worry about¡ª
But as Landi approached it, the rabbit started kicking and writhing, trying desperately to escape.
Sebastian closed his eyes. Whatever was about to happen, he didn¡¯t want to watch it.
¡°Here,¡± said Landi.
Sebastian opened his eyes again. The rabbit must have exhausted itself, because it was hanging still again. And Landi was holding a knife out to Sebastian, handle towards him.
¡°I¡ªI can¡¯t, I¡ª¡°
¡°It¡¯s an important skill,¡± Landi insisted, helping Sebastian down from his horse and pressing the knife into his hand. ¡°There¡¯s only so much nutritional value in long-lasting preserved foods. Being able to hunt and prepare small game is essential to long-term wilderness survival. Don¡¯t worry, I keep my knives sharp¡ªgrab it by the scruff and slit its throat and its suffering will be over quick, I promise.¡±
Sebastian held the knife in his hand. It felt like it weighed more than all those sacks of grain combined. But Landi was staring right at him. He had to do something. He took a step forward, toward the trapped, trembling rabbit.
What was this knife made of? It was as heavy as his father¡¯s broadsword. And he could swear the rabbit had his mother¡¯s eyes. He imagined himself slicing its throat, he willed himself to take that final step to do it, and he felt his father¡¯s sword tear into his own guts, cutting his life short for no good reason, because a little child didn¡¯t want to kill a little bird.
Sebastian dropped the knife into the dirt and fell to his knees. He couldn¡¯t breathe. His chest hurt so bad he was fairly certain he was actually dying. Was that possible? Could a memory hurt so bad that it killed you?
¡°Prince Sebastian? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Landi¡¯s voice sounded far away, like he was hearing it through a pool of water.
I can¡¯t be this pathetic, thought Sebastian. I can¡¯t be this useless anymore, I have to¡ª
He tried to grip the knife again, but it was like his fingers had lost all their strength. He tried again, and again, but he couldn¡¯t pick up the knife.
¡°I have to¡¡± he said, barely squeezing the words out of his lungs. ¡°I have to¡¡±
¡°Sebastian!¡±
Sebastian was wrapped in an embrace. He couldn¡¯t see the knife or the rabbit anymore, just the shoulder of someone¡¯s green cloak. The embrace was warm. It reminded him of how his mother held him when he was very small. It reminded him of how Anne hugged him in greeting sometimes, with a bright and welcoming smile. It reminded him of when he was with some lover or another, when in the throws of passion, for just a moment, there was a shining window in time where the only things that existed in the world were their two bodies and everything else was briefly, blissfully quiet.
¡°It¡¯s okay, Sebastian, I¡¯m here with you,¡± said Elyon. ¡°Just breathe, please. Slowly. In and out. Everything is going to be okay. I promise. Just breathe.¡±
A Tale of Two Princes - Chapter 3
¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir,¡± said Landi. ¡°I was just taking him through the standard training protocols, as instructed. I had no idea he¡¯d react this way.¡±
¡°It¡¯s not your fault,¡± said Elyon, his tone grim. He stood, helping Prince Sebastian to his feet¡ªhe stood, but he was shaking and still seemed dazed. ¡°We should get him back to camp.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± said Landi. ¡°He may not be able to ride on his own in this state, but he can ride with me and¡ª¡°
¡°No,¡± said Elyon. ¡°He¡¯ll ride with me. In fact, you stay here and finish the hunt on your own. Someone needs to. We can¡¯t leave that poor rabbit dangling there forever.¡±
Landi saluted. ¡°Sir.¡±
Elyon knew he shouldn¡¯t take it out on Landi, and he would apologize to her for his shortness later. But right now he was angry¡ªat himself, mostly, for not having taken the time to get to know Sebastian better before foolishly assuming he¡¯d respond to training the same way as his new recruits. Obviously he was different from the elven recruits. He had different life experiences, different traumas, and Elyon knew nothing about any of it. Of course something had gone horribly wrong. He hadn¡¯t done his due diligence.
Elyon helped Sebastian up onto his horse and then climbed up behind him, reaching around him to take the reins. This position was slightly awkward, but in the eventuality that Prince Sebastian passed out, Elyon would be able to catch him this way. If Sebastian rode behind there was a chance he might slip off the horse, and that could be a disaster.
Sebastian started to calm down slightly as they rode, shaking a bit less and seeming more alert. But his breathing was still ragged.
¡°In and out,¡± Elyon mumbled in his ear. ¡°Deep breaths.¡±
¡°I know how to breathe,¡± snapped Sebastian.
¡°Ah, I see your conscious mind has rejoined us,¡± replied Elyon. ¡°Welcome back. Would you care to explain what happened?¡±
¡°No,¡± said Sebastian. His tone was harsh, almost angry, but Elyon could see his skin starting to turn red around his ears¡ªhe was embarrassed.
Elyon decided not to push it any further, for now.
But there would be some changes when they got back to camp. Elyon couldn¡¯t allow something like this to happen again. He had truly hated the sight of Prince Sebastian suffering like that. Seeing the usually cheerful prince shivering with such intense fear and pain had frightened Elyon, not just because of the potential diplomatic ramifications, but on a personal level. That feeling would warrant further investigation later, but for now Elyon was planning immediate preventive measures to protect Sebastian from any further incidents.
He¡¯s going to abandon me now, thought Sebastian, laying face-down on his bedroll in his private tent. Best case scenario, he¡¯ll stop trusting me to do any jobs for the camp at all and just leave me alone until it¡¯s time for me to go home.
Worst case scenario, he won¡¯t even let me stay. He¡¯ll force me to go back to the capital and I¡¯ll get murdered in this shadow-war or whatever. Or he¡¯ll just abandon me in the woods and I¡¯ll die of starvation instead.
All of Sebastian¡¯s past life experience had taught him to expect judgment, censure, and exclusion from authority figures. Except¡ Prince Elyon had been surprisingly kind in the immediate aftermath of everything. Instead of yelling at him or punishing him, Elyon had just held him and helped him calm down. Elyon hadn¡¯t even insisted on Sebastian explaining himself.
Of course, Sebastian felt embarrassed about that, too, but part of him couldn¡¯t stop thinking about how warm Elyon¡¯s embrace had felt¡
Sebastian groaned and turned over so he was staring at the roof of his tent¡ªnot that he could make out much of the canvas in the darkness of the evening.
Is it too much to hope that all of this might just¡ blow over?
¡°Excuse me,¡± Sebastian sat up straight to see¡ªsurprisingly, not Landi, but some other elven officer poking his head through the entrance of the tent. ¡°It¡¯s time for supper. Would you like to join the rest of us, or should we bring you a meal here?¡±
Sebastian didn¡¯t really want to talk to anyone right now. Especially if there was a chance that any of them had heard about what happened. But if he just ate alone in his tent he knew he¡¯d end up feeling even more pathetic.
¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± said Sebastian. ¡°Just a moment.¡±
When he arrived at the big campfire, the elven soldiers greeted him warmly, as usual. A young scout named Malon clapped him on the back.
¡°We heard you weren¡¯t feeling well,¡± said Malon with a grin. ¡°Not used to all that hard labor, eh?¡±
¡°Oh¡ uh¡ yeah,¡± said Sebastian. ¡°I¡¯ve never actually peeled potatoes before.¡±
¡°Well, don¡¯t worry too much about it,¡± said Malon. ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it eventually.¡±
¡°That¡¯s what you say now,¡± called another elf from the other side of the fire, ¡°But we all know you¡¯ll be whining your ass off the next time you¡¯re on kitchen duty, Malon!¡±
¡°Oh, shut your face, Sontar!¡± said Malon, going to punch Sontar on the arm.
Sebastian smiled. It was a relief to be treated normally after all.
Sebastian was also relieved when he saw that dinner wasn¡¯t rabbit. It was a chicken stew, no doubt made from a few of the chickens that were always running around camp. Sebastian still tried not to think too much about that whole¡ process. There were a lot of thoughts he had to push from his mind any time he ate meat. But at least with chicken he wouldn¡¯t be haunted by images of that poor shaking rabbit.
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But when he got up to the front of the line, Feno the chef didn¡¯t serve him any of the chicken stew.
¡°Hang on,¡± Feno said, reaching down to pull out a smaller pot that had been nestled into some of the coals near the edge of the fire. He poured the contents of that pot into a bowl and handed that to Sebastian along with a slice of bread. ¡°There you go.¡±
¡°What is this?¡± asked Sebastian.
¡°It¡¯s a vegetable stew,¡± said Feno. ¡°Same thing we¡¯re having, but without any of the meat in it. Plus some extra lentils, so it¡¯s a little more robust. Commander Elyon said we shouldn¡¯t serve you any meat from now on. Sorry we¡¯ve been feeding you the wrong stuff all this time. We didn¡¯t know your preference. But we¡¯ve got you covered now. And don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not too much trouble for us. You¡¯re our guest after all.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± said Sebastian. ¡°Thank you.¡±
Sebastian sat down in a daze, staring down at his vegetable stew.
He was being punished after all¡ªnot just privately yelled at, but publicly shamed in front of everyone. Elyon might not have told them the reason, but after his failed hunting trip this afternoon, surely they¡¯d all be able to guess. Or maybe Elyon had told them, but also told them to pretend they didn¡¯t know. But why would he do that? Just to make Sebastian feel insane? Just to make the humiliation that much more intense?
Sebastian was certain they all must be staring at him, maybe even whispering to each other about him. Just when he¡¯d started to make friends, too¡ surely they¡¯d all keep their distance from him now. The stupid, useless, human prince who couldn¡¯t even earn chicken or his stew.
But why had Elyon pretended to be so kind and so reasonable, just to turn around and do this? At least Sebastian¡¯s father never pretended to be anything other than cruel. Sebastian could steel himself for the hurt if he knew it was coming, but this was something he didn¡¯t know how to protect himself against.
Somewhere deep inside Sebastian all of the embarrassment, shame, and self-hatred that had been building up over the years finally boiled over into pure, blind rage.
Sebastian set down his stew. ¡°Excuse me for a moment,¡± he said, to no one in particular. Then he marched straight towards the command tent where Prince Elyon was silently working on some paperwork by candle-light.
¡°If you have a problem with me, just tell me!¡± shouted Sebastian. ¡°You don¡¯t need to play these damn games, I know I messed up, so just yell at me and get it over with!¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Elyon, looking a bit stunned, pen still in hand.
¡°This vegetable stew thing!¡± said Sebastian. ¡°I couldn¡¯t kill a rabbit, so I don¡¯t deserve to eat meat, right? You¡¯re singling me out so everyone can see what a soft-hearted, useless weakling I am, right? ¡±
Elyon set down his pen. ¡°That¡ was not my intention,¡± he said, with infuriating calm. ¡°Would you like to eat meat, then?¡±
¡°What!?¡± said Sebastian, more certain than ever that Elyon was intentionally messing with him. ¡°Do I like to eat meat? What kind of question is that?¡±
¡°A relevant one,¡± said Elyon. He stared at Sebastian for a moment and then sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. ¡°You¡¯re a nobleman, so I assumed you¡¯d have plenty of experience with hunting, and clearly I was wrong about that. I knew you would likely struggle a little with manual labor because of your upbringing, but I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d¡ Well, that was my mistake. And you didn¡¯t want to talk to me about it, but I didn¡¯t want to cause you that level of distress again, so I thought that it was safer to assume that, since you didn¡¯t want to kill animals, you most likely didn¡¯t want to consume them, either. I tried to instruct Corporal Feno not to make a big deal out of the change, to minimize any embarrassment you might feel. I¡¯m truly sorry that you felt you were being punished. I just didn¡¯t know what else to do.¡±
Sebastian sat down heavily in a chair across from Elyon, feeling rather stunned. That was an awful lot of thought for Elyon to put into¡ªnot how to use Sebastian, or how to punish him, but just¡ how he was feeling. That was unexpected.
Elyon shook his head and shrugged a little and suddenly Sebastian could see how tired and frustrated he looked. ¡°I have spent countless years learning about people¡¯s feelings and behavior through trial-and-error, and every time I feel like I¡¯ve finally got it all figured out, I mess it up again. I can keep trying to analyze your behavior all I want, but I¡¯m sure it will just lead to more mistakes. You¡¯re too different from anyone I¡¯ve ever known¡ªand that was not meant as an insult, in case you were about to take it that way. It¡¯s simply a fact. Despite all my experience, I can¡¯t actually know how you feel or what you¡¯ve been through unless you tell me. So will you not just talk to me? So I can stop making so many mistakes? I don¡¯t want you to keep getting hurt because of me.¡±
Sebastian could tell what a large admission that had been. From the moment they met, Sebastian had seen how self-assured and competent Elyon was. But now he could also see in Elyon some of that same shame and sense of inadequacy that he¡¯d always felt.
The anger had melted away entirely now, but Sebastian still didn¡¯t know where to start, really. ¡°I do go hunting¡¡± he said, finally. ¡°Sometimes. Sort of. For social events. But usually I just ride around the woods for a while before heading back. Sometimes a servant will give me something they caught to claim as my prize. My father makes them do that. He¡¯d be too embarrassed of me otherwise.¡±
¡°But you do eat meat?¡± asked Elyon.
¡°Yes¡¡± said Sebastian. ¡°I mean, everyone eats meat, don¡¯t they? At least sometimes? And I¡¯m a prince. They serve me meat with every meal. I can¡¯t turn it down. It would be ungrateful. And unworthy of my position.¡±
¡°So you¡¯ve thought about turning it down before,¡± said Elyon.
Sebastian shrugged. He was surprised again again at how much thought Elyon put into interpreting his words¡ªhow good he was at picking up on what was left unsaid. Clearly all those years of ¡®trial-and-error,¡¯ as he put it, had made Elyon more socially insightful than he thought he was. But some things were still hard for Sebastian to say out loud.
¡°Is it just squeamishness, then?¡± asked Elyon. He looked at Sebastian momentarily with a calculating expression, and then seemed to come to a conclusion, but when he finally spoke again, he seemed slightly embarrassed about it. ¡°Forgive me for putting it this way, I mean nothing by it, but is the problem merely that you¡¯re a naive, pampered prince who can¡¯t handle the reality of how people live day-to-day? Or is there something deeper going on?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not naive!¡± snapped Sebastian, jumping to his feet as the shame and anger flared inside him again. ¡°I¡¯m not that naive, anyway. I understand the circle of life. I understand why people need to kill and eat animals to survive. I know there¡¯s nothing wrong with that, morally. I know what reality is. It¡¯s just¡ª¡±
Sebastian looked at Elyon¡¯s face and realized something.
¡°¡ªyou don¡¯t actually think that about me, do you?¡± said Sebastain, sitting back down. ¡°You were intentionally trying to provoke me.¡±
¡°Forgive me,¡± said Elyon. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure how else to convince you to say the thing you don¡¯t want to say.¡±
Elyon was watching Sebastian with a clear, straightforward gaze. His expression wasn¡¯t judgmental¡ªit wasn¡¯t pitying either, or disgusted, or mocking, it was just¡ sincerely interested. Sympathetic, even.
Elyon folded his arms and stared down at the ground, preparing himself to tear his own heart open for this strange, kind, and surprisingly disarming man.
¡°If I kill anything, personally, with my own hands¡ it will be like my mother died for nothing,¡± said Sebastian.
And he told Elyon the full story of the little children and the little birds and the violence that was demanded of them, and the terrible retaliation that awaited a too-soft-hearted prince and his mother.