《Another life another chance》


 Chapter 1

    As I woke up darkness greeted me.


    *How the hell did I get here ? Wasn''t I just in class ?*


    The darkness didn''t scare me¡­


    It had a warm feeling to it like home ¡­ And it kind of felt like the greatest waterbed I ever laid on ¡­ Not the cold feeling of the dark cupboard my parents put me in for punishment ¡­ well but that is not important ¡­ now I just need a bowl of caramel popcorn and I would be in heaven ¡­ hmmmm the crunchy and sweet sensation let my mouth water just at the thought of it¡­


    I tossed and turned and let the sensation of the velvet like feeling of the water against my skin absorb my troubles, calming myself as I floated in this darkness.


    I started planning what I would want to do and most importantly what I wanted to eat when I was finally free from this place ¡­ not that I would complain about it, it felt wonderful and my bodyguards could wait a few hours before rescuing me but Martha, my personal chef, had told me that she would make my favorite dish for today''s lunch ¡­


    Peking duck! Hmmm just think about the slowly in the oven roasted, crispy syrup skin that let you fly straight to cloud nine ¡­


    I moved my hand to my mouth to wipe imaginary drool from it¡­


    But just as I started drifting into my la-la-land that I always visited when I thought about food a thought about my parents let me crash into reality almost immediately¡­


    They would once again complain about my kidnapping I am sure ¡­ and for sure they would cancel my dinner ¡­ once again. I had to thank Martha for giving me secret treats on the side and keeping me alive.


    I could ignore the constant punishment for little mistakes and the coldness of my family home that I grew detached from, somewhere around my 10th birthday, where my father found it more important to scream at me for having defended myself against the child of one of his business partners than being proud of my strong character.


    But when they found out that I had a great love for food and eating delicious meals, they started using the lack of meals as a form of punishment.


    Well, that was not really surprising. What do you expect, I already lost my fathers love when I was born a girl instead of a male and with that taking away his dream of a male heir, and I became the object of hate for my mother when my father tried for more children to get his heir. Of course, that wasn¡¯t my fault but what do you expect of such sick people¡­


    But enough of that. I bounced around a bit ¡­


    ahhhh ¡­ so squishy and warm, like laying on a warmed waterbed in a perfectly conditioned room, too bad that I can''t see.


    Haaa ~ After a while of just lying around and enjoying the quiet as well as the wonderful secure sensation that I never felt before ¡­ something started to feel wrong. This wasn''t the same as all the times in the past where I was kidnapped ¡­ most times the surroundings where cold and the kidnappers were so nervous that they talked with each other sometimes even took their frustration out on me in form of a punch or a kick ¡­ but not now¡­


    It was so strange that I started to think about what happened, well at least about what I remembered...


    Ok ¡­ so I remember going to school.


    The new math teacher wanted to test us, so he prepared a class test as a surprise¡­


    I remember finding the test to easy and filling it out at half the time that was given to us ¡­ sucks being on the level of a university student while being in high school ¡­ oh well ¡­ after that I laid down on top of my desk and started to think about the peking duck that would be in the oven right now roasting to its crunchy perfection ¡­ wait there was a rumble I think ¡­ oh no ... sh*t ¡­ I''m dead¡­


    I kind of felt crushed by my conclusion ¡­ given my high functional brain, I was very certain that my conclusion was correct ¡­ which would mean that I was really dead ¡­ thinking about it I could not help feeling elated by the possibilities ¡­ Of course, I mourned Martha''s cooking and the duck in the oven that I would never taste but that was great!


    Ok, it sucks being dead but I found it better than being totally disregarded as being a valuable member of my family only because I was female ... and it felt like it could only get better in the emotional section ¡­ Ok. So this is what I think what happened, well that was what happened to me to me¡­


    No, I was not run over by the almighty truck ¡­ and I also was not dumb enough to walk into a dark alley in the middle of the night or help a total stranger ¡­ No, I just sat in my chair in school like every good little student and my school blew up.


    There must have been some kind of accident, shortly before I passed out I heard the principal announcing something about a gas leak near the south side of the school where the chemistry labs are located and I think there must have been an explosion that caused the ceiling to come crashing down ¡­ I remember looking at the ceiling and seeing a boulder fall down on me right after the school shook for a bit¡­


    I just hope these assholes from my class get what they deserved ¡­ but I hope the library is intact. It would be such a pity if my former safe haven was destroyed.


    ¡­


    Oh well ¡­ I am not someone who believes in an afterlife but after experiencing death and still holding on to my consciousness while experiencing the situation I am in I think I''m going to start my second life soon. Not that it could be any worse than my last life.


    Being a genius since I was very young and being envied by my peers was kind of lonely and it didn''t make it better that my parents hated the sight of each other and me for the matter.


    Remember the cupboard? Well, let¡¯s just say in it I had a better time than when I was not in it.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    It was a form of punishment, yes, but it also gave me a place for me alone. I loved reading and became a bookworm since books distracted me from my life and it was the only escape I had.


    That was also the reason I made the library my safe haven. The old librarian could not resist my puppy eyes and I could convince her that it would be a good Idea to give me the old storage room in the corner to make me comfortable. It wasn''t that they did not want something in return.


    Everything has a price I learned that from early on. But it seems the librarian only cared for a conversation partner that could entertain her for a few hours each day.


    Having an IQ of 287 I was not as impressive as William James Sidis but I was considered a genius. I solved questions of the most difficult algebra as if they were 1+1. Of course, my parents were proud of me and if they didn''t fight with each other or had my little brother to spoil they even found the time to praise me.


    But who would I be kidding¡­ they didn''t find the time ¡­ not that they couldn¡¯t ¡­ but after being with them for 16 years I understood that they needed to fight each other like they also needed to breathe. And my brother was much more important than my existence, not that I really knew him.


    The only time I almost always saw him was on his grand birthday parties. Just before I died he had turned 10 and my father gifted him a brand new PlayStation. Great, I only got books, if they could even remember the date.


    Not that I am complaining about the books, they were great but really book ¡­ playstation ¡­ do you see some kind of difference?


    The kids of my class were all outshined by me so they began to hate me ¡­ it was so bad that I asked the teachers to not mention my test scores only revealing it at the end of the year that I had a full score in all my subjects and so I was always on top of the list.


    Which made all the teachers very proud.


    But they couldn''t fool me. The only thing they were interested was my public image and that I brought prestige to the school. But well, they were not my friends so I could not expect selflessness and genuine feelings from them.


    The kids in my class beat me on a regular basis since I didn''t like sports. I had a knack for figuring out how exactly the teacher wanted me to move so to get a good *cough* perfect *cough* score but I had only enough muscles to pull that off since I was a bookworm after all and liked staying in the house more than playing with ¡­ others.


    ....


    .......


    And one of the things I found most disturbing was their attitute when I behaved like the female I was. I still had a bit of a boyish character from my childhood but I liked cute stuff and was interested in boys. And I also was kind of good looking since many asked me out but all of them backed off when they found out that I could make decisions for myself and was a bit hard headed when I knew I was right. *blush* which mostly embarrassed the guys that wanted to impress me with their "knowledge" ¡­


    That''s all very well, but they should research the things they want to boast about more in detail to impress any girl with a working brain .... Wikipedia isn''t always the answer to any question...


    That wasn''t my fault really. Right ? Right ??? RIGHT ?????


    ...


    ...


    But just a question ¡­ what was my brothers name? ¡­ No more important what was my name? And how did Martha look like¡­


    Who is Martha?


    I could feel my mind running around in circles disturbing my memories and giving me an uneasy feeling like you know that something is wrong but you have no idea what it is¡­


    I felt like something was sucked out of me and my head had a slight headache ¡­ but why?


    That damn fatal question started running around in my head never finding an answer and driving me almost crazy while it felt like a worm-hole had opened up in my head sucking in my brain and personality ¡­ like sucking in my being.


    After having a little internal discussion I could feel my body suddenly calming down and when I was finally relaxed enough I started to heard a little ?thump¡° ?thump¡° ¡­ that sounded very much like a heart ¡­ ¡­


    Just one thought run across my mind.


    Oh please don''t tell me I am in a womb. Please!


    ...but strangely just as I thought about having another fit the sound intensified and together with a gentle force that surrounded me it calmed me down.


    That was weird ... but it felt great ... oh, I can feel the force around me but it doesn''t feel as good as when it was in me ... Hmm, that is something to research. I always loved to find out something new and I think the experiences I am going to go through are going to be very new to me ... hahaha ... well, than, let''s start a new project ... how should I call it?


    Project [Force]? No that is too ¡­ ordinary and it could describe anything ... then how about ... it had a calming effect ... how about Project [Calming Force]? ... well, that was better than before but still ... not very impressive...


    Oh, well it seems I find no good names anytime soon. I suck at naming things ... grr ... Tsk ¡­ to hell with this¡­


    ...Ah, whatever I will just call it Project [Let me feel good again] short [Lmfga] ... haha now I am exhausted but finally, I have a name and can start research.


    I pumped my fist in the air / liquid around me to celebrate but suddenly struck some kind of resistance. All in all it was very hard to move my first or just turn any part of my body. Well, I am still an unborn child ¡­ experimenting again I hit the resistance over and over getting a hang out of my motoric control and strength. The heartbeat accelerated and I felt a shudder of the liquid.


    Sh*t I forgot I was still in my mother''s womb...


    Sorry Mom.


    After the shudder passed through I felt a great force entering the liquid. It was much more potent than the force around me and it was directed at me. It had a calming effect and had the feeling of a small and gentle fire. Fire? How the hell did I get that impression?


    I analyzed the potent force which wrapped around me and was infused with this ?fire force¡°.


    It was very different from the force around me. Even if the ?fire force¡° was more potent after being exposed to the force around me. I could tell that my force was much stronger even if it didn''t have a specific feeling to it... curious I let the force glide over me giving no indication of my unrest. After confirming that I was calm the ?fire force¡° exited the womb. So it seems like it really was used to check the situation in here since I acted up.


    Well, all I have to do is stop hurting my Mother and all is well ... I hope.


    I concentrated on the force around me and thought about how to move it. Suddenly it moved.


    Yes, it moved!!!


    I had a little eureka moment and had to force myself not to move to much. Didn''t feel like hurting my mother before I was even born would get me a great reputation. As the force entered my body it suddenly began to hurt. From the point where it entered my body fire spread through my veins setting my whole body on fire and causing me to cramp up.


    STOP!!! ¡­ SH*T this hurts ¡­ Nononononononono¡­.


    The hurting sensation only intensified and as I fought against it, wanting my body to stop sucking the force in, but it still continued until each part of my body was set on flames. It hurt as if I was shoved into a bush of stinging nettles and I felt like I didn''t have enough control over my arms and hands to scratch myself, which ironically was true.


    The feeling intensified until I felt like passing out but just as my mind slipped away I felt a pull. The warmth around me disappeared and suddenly I started shivering at the cold as the water flowed away from my body.


    The pull became stronger in intervals that shortened after some time while my surroundings got colder and colder everything pushing me in one direction...


    Don''t tell me these are contractions¡­??? Oh, my god, I am being born!!


    As the realization shocked me my mind drifted away but not after I saw a blinding light coming near.

 Chapter 2

    Aaaand ¡­. nope nothing ¡­.


    As I came to I was once again shrouded in darkness.


    Seems like I wasn¡¯t born after all. No, wait! ¡­. Could it be? Was I born ... blind?


    Oh for the love of God! That *peeep* ¡­. huh? was I just *peep*ed?


    Ok ¡­. lets try it out ¡­.


    You fuckin *peep* I wish you would *peeep* and *peeep*! Oh for fucks sake *Peeep*...*peeeeeeep* ¡­.


    ¡­.


    ¡­. urm ¡­ ok ¡­. that¡¯s ¡­ strange. So it seems like I was born blind and my thoughts are censored.


    Ah sh#t now the only thing missing is an arch-nemesis that has an unreasonable hatred for me and tries to kill me all the time. Wait did I just raise a flag? Oh sh#t!


    ¡°kuhuhuhu¡±


    Suddenly my thoughts were interrupted by a strange high but melodic chuckle that resonated in my brain.


    Huh? What the hell! Who is there?


    I tried to scream but somehow I couldn''t make a sound.


    Wait ¡­ sound? Now that I am focusing on it ¡­ there is no sound. And I mean none in like total silence.


    That is so strange what is happening, where am I?


    ¡°kuhuhu¡±


    And there is that damn laughter again! Shut the fuck up I am thinking here! Or wait since it was in my head am I not only blind but also crazy? Oh no, I do not want this life this is sh#t! buhuhuhu ~


    ¡°Hahaha this mortal is funny! I didn¡¯t know that they had so much talent¡­¡±


    Suddenly a clear and melodic voice interrupted my thoughts and I froze.


    ¡°But you know it is rude to tell me to ¡°shut up¡°. Haaa, you are really lucky that I had such a good day today if not you would be dead by now and couldn¡¯t even comprehend what happened to you...¡°


    I felt shame taking over my emotions and since it was obvious that the voice could hear my thoughts I send a small ¡°sorry¡± in its direction.


    ¡°Humpf ¡­ well, it is kind of my fault as well¡­¡±


    How?


    ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t interrupt me when I am speaking!¡±


    Sorry ~


    ¡°Yes, yes ¡­ where was I? Right! You were so funny right from the moment you appeared here that I totally forgot to give you back your senses ¡­ well, here they come ¡­ urm, just endure ok?¡±


    Huh what should I - ¡­ Gaaa!


    Suddenly biting pain spread through my body or better my being since I still wasn¡¯t sure what I was at this moment and I almost fainted from the pain.


    Just when I was about to lose it the pain vanished as fast as it came.


    You mother fucking *peeep* ¡­.


    Everything I wanted to say stuck in my throat as I finally opened my eyes to the place I was in, the *peep*-ing tone fading into the background and becoming something of a tinnitus as my mind cursed at the sight before my eyes.


    But somehow I couldn¡¯t really comprehend what it thought as everything felt like my mind was wrapped in cotton.


    It seems that I am some kind of ...


    Lightbulb ... no, it was better to describe myself as a floating ball of light that hovered over a suspiciously looking white chair that seemed to glow.


    I was in some kind of wide white room with a panorama window on one side. Looking around, everything else was devoid of any kind of decoration, except that one wall.


    On the opposite wall of the window, I could see portraits of different kind of people ... The whole wall was plastered with them.


    I could see a knight in shining armor stabbing their sword through the head of a dragon, a woman sitting next to a sick person glowing in a bright light and enveloping the sick one and much more. Even some that did not look quite human. No, more like real storybook monsters.


    But the most disturbing thing was that they seem to be alive in their pictures and given the way some of them opened their mouths I was also sure they screamed while doing whatever they were doing.


    Not that I could hear them. The only sense that I right now had was my sight ...


    The others still tingling and not really under my control.


    That gave me quite a helpless feeling.


    Tearing my gaze from the picture wall, I let it roam around the room until I concentrated on the space right in front of my chair that I still hovered over.


    In front of me was a large oak desk with a plate "Deli - Receptionist of Allfather" on top of it.


    But the little note "not by choice" kind of destroyed the tense feeling the plate created in me. Given my state of being and the window that showed something I only normally had seen in an observatory, which means in plain English the universe, or better galaxies, since it seems there were many more adjoining groups of stars next to the one I knew quite well, and the fact that it seems like the room we were in moved from one galaxy to another as time went by, as well as the state of being I experienced, my brain started conjuring many different theories but most of them ended in the fact that I was dead, and before I could be reborn, which seems to have been the case before I tried experimenting with the glowing sparks, I must be somewhere in-between heaven or hell, even though I did not believe in such concepts seeing the possibility of reincarnation and the view out of the window let me doubt this conviction very fast.


    Still not having come to terms what was happening I felt something poke my being from the front, making me involuntarily looking up.


    Behind the desk sat a beauty ... which seemed to have poked me with some kind of crane or pointer that looked quite strange with some kind of rainbow-colored smoke covering it.


    But the person that poked me stole my breath away. You couldn''t say anything else other than "transcendent beauty" since any words trying to describe this creature in front of me felt insufficient.


    She seemed to be made out of light and darkness. The left side of her had glowing blond hair like a radiant sun and a dark almost bottomless eye while her right side had dark hair that seemed to swallow the light and a shining golden eye.


    But the most intimidating thing about her was her surroundings.


    It felt like around her light and darkness would battle each other and there seemed to be no end to this battle.


    ¡°Well did you have your fill?¡±


    The beauty''s lips moved while the voice once again sounded in my head.


    I could see her lips forming into a smirk her right eye dancing with laughter while her left gave out an annoyed feeling. I mentally gulped and trying to rescue the situation just thought


    ¡°You were so beautiful that I was just captured by your beauty!¡±


    Well, there is nothing better than flattery and even more so when it is true.


    She looked astonished by my answer, widening her eyes a bit.


    But what made me a bit nervous was the frown that had started to build on her beautiful face as she gained her bearings again.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.I kind of just stared at her, even if I wasn''t quite sure I had eyes, but well, that was just a technicality right?


    I could still see and my sight drank in her wondrous appearance that let my inside feel warm and funny.


    She seemed to be amused by my stare and chuckled lightly.


    "Well do we want to start again? Let¡¯s see how do I normally start ¡­ Oh, yes!


    *Echem* Hello young one, how can I help you?"


    I just stared at her ¡­ Was she for real? She wants me to forget the last few moments in which she made me question my sanity, *peep*-ing my speech and giving me a sensory overload that still tingled in my nerve endings? What the *peeeep*. And can somebody be so kind and shut off this annoying censor! I am getting a headache and it makes me aggressive.


    "Hahaha ~ Well I see that this is too much to ask for but you have to excuse my behavior you are the first soul that is so amusing and has the gall to curse in front of a god. Even if it is just in your mind, and yes it isn¡¯t illegal to censor the mind where you are right now. Hohohoho ~¡±


    Aaand she gives a typical villain laugh. Haaa ~


    ¡°Ok, ok, was that too much? Wow, you really don¡¯t understand any fun. OK, let¡¯s start with the job. Are you ready? Well not that that really matters ¡­. OK, here it goes.¡±


    Suddenly she started to shine and a beam shot from her to my being.


    Hhmmmm ~ Well, well, that is interesting.


    "You still seem to have a tight connection with the mortal world and so you are not spiritual enough totalk to me ... but your soul is so pure that you can hear me ...


    What do I do with you, huh? Hell, Heaven or Life?"


    I was a bit confused ...


    ¡­"mortal world" ¡­ "spiritual"? what the hell is she talking about?


    But then suddenly my hearing returned right when she started her last two sentences and I was petrified.


    Of course, I was surprised that suddenly the tingling has stopped and I could once again hear the normal sounds around me, the silence that had enveloped me and was only disturbed by the Goddess voice seemed like a distant memory, and firstly I was overwhelmed by the noise the pictures on the wall made but what really stumped me was what she said and how she said it.


    I could finally hear the full sound of her godly voice and I was mentally blown away.


    Her voice was as mysterious as her looks, at one point high and clear like an angel but suddenly changing into another dark and a bit hushed one...


    I could not really explain it but it felt like even her voice was in a


    conflict like her whole being was, not knowing if it was light or dark.


    However what I really found disturbing was the order in which she gave me my options. But I wasn''t one to complain, even if I could speak which I still wasn''t sure I could but the feeling I had advised me against even trying.


    That was all well and good but how the hell did I get here? And no I am not choosing hell so please don¡¯t smile like that ¡­ It¡¯s disturbing ¡­ but for the good measure... Hihihihi ~ HOW THE HELL DID I GET HERE???


    *chuckle*


    "Little one you can stop that I can hear your thoughts without you blasting into my mind what you want. And even if you blast them you are too weak to make your mental voice loud enough to disturb me. Hohohoho ~


    Well for your question ... you did the dumbest thing in history! You succeeded in killing yourself just before you were born. I stopped time immediately to take you here and talk to you as to understand why you did what you did even thought you are a great genius and such a strong soul ¡­ but it seems like you unfortunately do not possess a self preservation instinct or yours is as damaged as your current mortal body, and what the consequences will be for you.


    Just so you know you created a great chaos up here and since I have to clean it all up since good old dad decided to take a vacation I am not having you in my good books right now¡­ even if you are funny to watch"


    I looked at her a bit helpless and signalled her that I had no idea what she is talking about. The frown marring her face turned into a real scowl and she gave me a death glare at the last few sentences making me shake in my imaginary boots.


    She looked reluctant but suddenly started to explain to me a few things such as her position as a receptionist and her workload that seems to have doubled when I killed myself since something like that had never happened before, but seeing that I had no knowledge of my new world and could not really relate to her problems she just sighed stood up and touched my soul.


    Suddenly all kind of information floated my brain making me dizzy. Also, I had a burning sensation in my being that seems to expand as more and more information flowed into me and in the end, I realized that I could finally talk to her.


    The next few ... hours? ... We talked about God and the world and I mean that literally. At first, it was quite awkward as she was still angry with me and I could not bring myself to tell her my opinion but as we started to talk about her fellow gods she got into her element and the things she said ... I am still not sure that an adult should even hear them ... but well at least her mood got better right?


    And she told me that I would forget most of what we talked about since my mortal brain would be too small for all the information I absorbed into my soul, so, while my soul had them I would experience harsh headaches if I tried to remember them until I was an adult and could comprehend everything, so, on Prena I could only count on what my new parents told me until I got bigger and then I would still have few situations where I only remembered something after I made the mistake ....


    But hey her mood improved ... that is good, right? ... It seems she had wanted to have someone to talk with for quite some time and was bored with the other Gods in here, a plane between heaven and hell that governed all space that existed, and had found nobody to gossip with.


    Having a soul in front of her that could very well not run away and would more likely


    start shaking in fear then get angry at her nasty remarks she had found her perfect sacrifice in me ...


    So I had no way out of our discussion...


    But well, I always had a fixation of acquiring knowledge so I wanted to confirm all the information she gave me and of course asked her about the moving picture wall.


    Apparently on this wall were pictures of very strong souls that contributed greatly to the balance of the world ... which still seemed to contain a piece of their souls to entertain her while she was bored from the desk work.


    Well, but it seems like I made quite a mess by experimenting around. The balance I destroyed by accepting the "force" which she called ¡°mana¡± into my body while still being in my mother''s womb ... kind of never happened before and was the reason why Deli was at first pissed off about my existence when she heard me. When I heard that I was once again shaking in my imaginary boots, seems to become a habit lately.


    The smirk she had on her face when she stated that didn¡¯t help much.


    Of course when she noticed my mental state she was quick to clarify that my behaviour when she observed me had such a positive impact that she was willing to give me a second chance and was now very happy about her past decision .


    But she still complained about the load of paperwork she had to fill out just to explain how it was possible that something like this could have ever happened was


    so large that it reached the edge of the chair I floated over ... sorry?


    Oh, and I also found out something quite scary.


    Deli seems to be the receptionist of the Allfather since she ... kind of blew up a whole universe while being drunk. Can''t seem to remember it but since then she was demoted and placed directly under the controls of the Allfather. But well, that was what she said, given her smile while telling me about it did not really reassure me of that fact. Not that I could do anything against it but I was very sure that I would never want to anger her.


    How we came to that topic?


    After three hours of unbearable Godly gossip, I finally found the courage to ask her about her desk sign. At first, she acted like a little child, it seems the last few thousand years were so boring that they fried a few circuits in her brain or she is just really immature I am not so sure on that topic. But after begging her she finally revealed that the Allfather was the supreme being in all existence that ruled over space, time and the souls of the living as well as the ones of the dead.


    Oh and he is the father of Deli. Who seems to be the only blood-related child of him, well together with her two brothers whose names I couldn¡¯t get out of her. She just said that they were like dogs, you say their name and they come no matter how softly you utter them.


    Well ¡­ at least they are not being compared with cockroaches. That should be a good thing right?


    But back to the Allfather. It seems like he doesn¡¯t really have this parenting thing down quite right even if he is the being that existed since the beginning of time.


    After hearing Deli ranting about him and his behavior it seems more like he lets them do everything that they want and only if they directly challenge him are they punished.


    Somehow I am surprised that Deli seems to be such a relatively decent person, well apart from the few galaxies that she destroyed and the countless pranks she daily plays on the other Gods which are mostly deadly or at least lead to grave wounds, even without any kind of decent upbringing. There has to be more but she wouldn¡¯t tell me of it shutting completely up whenever I asked questions in that direction. Then she sat there for a few minutes in her chair staring out her panorama window with a sad and lonely expression.


    Suddenly the feeling in the room changed and Deli became quite serious.


    "Now little one, it seems like our time has come to an end and you decide what you want to do. If you don¡¯t, your chance of life will be nullified since your body will die in the mortal plane. Now choose wisely. I will bless you and I also have a little gift for you since you entertained me and gave me such a good outlet. Live your new life or stay here with me."


    I after mulling over my choices I told her that I would like to try living again and she seemed really excited.


    ¡°Oh, I almost forgot. You will forget all of your memories from your old life and our meeting when you are born. Well, then we will see each other once again after your death. I hope you can entertain me when the time has come and give me a few interesting stories of your life.¡±


    I was sad about the loss of knowledge but before I could answer her I once again felt like I was sucked away but somehow a bad feeling stayed in my gut about the excitement she seems to radiate which she only did once before when she talked about that one Goddess that she wanted to trap in an endless hell... *shiver*


    "I wish you good luck"


    And I saw a vicious smirk emerge on her face.


    ... Was it really the right choice?

 Chapter 3

    The annual meeting of the Gods had started a little while ago.


    In a grand room sat more than 1000 individuals most of them had humanoid appearances but some resembled animals.


    They sat all in a half circle looking at a figure of a huge man, that looked like he was in his 30s with snow-white hair but no wrinkle on his face, that sat before them on a shining throne. To his left side stood an empty small gold throne which seemed to be surrounded by sadness, but every being in the room avoided looking at it, but when they did sadness could be seen in their eyes.


    On his right side, however, were three silver thrones.


    On the first throne sat a woman which seemed to be made out of light and darkness. The left side of her had blond hair and a dark eye while her right side had dark hair that seemed to swallow the light and a golden eye. Even the air around her seemed to be filled with conflict. That of course was Deli the Goddess of Life and Death.


    Next to her sat a man with a beautiful face. It was well defined, with a sharp jaw and angular cheekbones. The complexion of his skin going well with his ocean-like eyes. He wore a pair of glasses that gave him a scholarly look. His body was muscular but lean, mostly well hidden under long and wide robes that flutter whenever he moved.


    And on the third throne sat a ninja. Nothing could be seen except his jade green cold eyes. The tight clothes he wore gave no room for imagination of his well-trained body but most looked at him in fear, the weapons adorning his appearance giving him the air of a battle-ready maniac.


    These two where Delis brothers Wiju and Muwa, and like every being in the room they awaited the opening speech of the Allfather.


    "Now all of you let''s start our little family dinner and I hope that all of you can act as one big happy family ok? " The Allfather spoke with a smile on his face, however, every guest could feel the pressure he emitted.


    As such without waiting, everyone immediately replied with " Of course Father!!!"


    Seeing such an uneventful beginning the Allfather was pleased and went on to talk about the necessary precautions.


    "Ok, now the most important thing:


    Deli, Wiju, and Muwa please I beg of you don''t talk to each other ok?


    The last time you talked about how to behead a person the quickest way without spurting too much blood on you to let the victim die instantly and to escape judgment while still bickering like little children... I do not want something like this to happen again, and by that I mean the topics you are talking about. I don''t think you can change your personalities but at least restrict yourself a little, do you understand me? "


    Every God present got a little green in the face when that particular past talk was mentioned.


    Of course this upset Deli so she started to protest feeling as if he had just taken all the fun out of the gathering.


    "But Dad!!! Please about what else should I talk about with them?"


    Annoyed the Allfather looked at her, his smile cramping in the corners


    "There are more than 1326 Gods here I think you will find someone to talk to without talking about killing, torture or crippling.


    At least try it, ok? I know that as the oldest Gods here ..."


    A sudden drop in temperature being an indicator that he had ventured into very dangerous territory her voice had dropped too. "If you dare tell them how old I am you are gonna regret this! "


    The pressure in the room was suddenly so heavy that several Gods passed out from it


    Not being bothered by the pressure but seeing his children in such a situation the Allfather intervened.


    "Deli control yourself!!!


    Look at what you have done! Frena and Belon are both unconscious ... They are in charge of the drunks at the end of the meeting ... well since you caused this now you have to do it!!!"


    Feeling that he was unjust to her she protested "DAD!!! That was your fault ...."


    However, her father just ignored her while trying to act as dignified as possible .. with half the room unconscious it was quite a feat.


    "As I was saying as the oldest Gods here you should act as role model for the younger generation.


    Even if you three were born as triplets I think you should learn after ...death glare from Deli ... *cough* a long time that shutting yourself off from your fellow family is lonely and gets you nowhere. "


    The whole room was quiet as everyone stared at the triplets ...


    Breaking the silence he spoke up once again


    "OK now for the reason of this meeting ...


    I heard that there was a problem at the soul station. Sougua a report, please."


    A young man who was dressed in a black suit with translucent white skin, black hair and black eyes took a few steps forward so that he stood out from the crowd. Becoming the focal point of the assembly.


    "Of course Master. A week ago at 8:30 a bomb detonated at a school at the plane 253 in the Non-force Galaxy. We recorded a total of 3210 casualties and after processing everyone we erased their memories and reincarnated them into different worlds.


    We were careful as to not place two souls of the same accident in the world since meeting with these people would lead to an unpredictable influence of their souls.


    But we do have a little problem ... "


    He started fidgeting and looking downwards, clearly not wanting to look at any of the Gods that were present.


    Getting a bad feeling and having it grow stronger by the moment the Allfather had to suppress the impulse to stand up and throttle the guy ... Don''t shoot the messenger, even if it would be so easy it will only bring more trouble afterward...


    With this mantra, he calmed himself down .. to a degree


    "Souga what is up? Why are you not telling me what is happening right now?"


    And he saw the glance that the man shot Deli while her face was as impassive as a mask making his gut turn


    ... Not again !?!


    "Sougua why are you looking at her and not telling me what is up? ....


    Oh, don''t you dare imply ... please, not ... Sougua tell me RIGHT NOW what is up!"


    "I think Mistress should talk about this ... I am not so suicidal as to go against her ... I am sorry Master!"


    The young man almost screamed as he turned around and ran away, no remorse whatsoever in his actions.


    "Traitor..." The Allfather could hear Deli mutter.


    "Deli please don''t tell me you did it again? Not my favorite galaxy right? Huh, why are you looking so conflicted? Normally you would start boasting about the galaxy that you harmed ...


    No this seems to be something else ... the only thing could be...." His face losing color as his mind took him to all the possible disasters his daughter could have come up with.


    "It couldn''t be, right?" He exclaimed in shock.


    "Yes, Dad, it seems we had a soul that was too strong mixed between these souls and it proved to have a resistance to our soul cleaning.


    I discovered this fact at the time she was about to be born. "


    She answered with an embarrassed laugh.


    "She kind of started cultivating her strength already before being born and it kind of killed her ...


    I took my time talking with her and I think she has great promise of achieving power.


    I let her be born and healed her up."


    She presented the official version, everyone knew it was the official one, while her mind descended in chaos once again.


    *Of course, I will not tell them that I experimented a bit with her body ...


    Stolen novel; please report.Why should I spoil the fun ... But she really was funny, and cute.


    Even if she was just a little soul so weak that I could have killed her with just the pressure of my pinky, her personality was hilarious.


    And the way she started immersing herself in her thinking.


    And then she even had the gall to tell me to shut up. But somehow that made me angry maybe I should meddle a bit with her body? Just a little bit? It¡¯s no fun if they have it easy. ¡­


    Oh no bad Deli, bad Deli. Why are you thinking of that? She was just surprised by me and shocked by her death. I shouldn¡¯t hold that against her right? And she liked it when I talked with her. And she listened to me. That was something that didn¡¯t happen in the last few centuries. So I should give her a gift.


    Right? Right!


    But still, how could a mortal dare to talk like she was my equal.


    Even if she is an old soul how dare she doesn¡¯t fear me! Me! The Goddess of Death!


    NO! Why is this happening again? I¡¯m the Goddess of light! I am the Goddess of light?


    Right remember her soul, she wasn¡¯t judging you.


    That felt good.


    Right and at that time throughout our whole conversation my light was very strong.


    Yes good, that''s right ¡­.


    I wonder what she is doing right now ...


    She should be in agony, right ?


    I hope these geezers hurry up I want to watch.


    She still has to pay for bringing me all of this trouble with these damn papers ¡­


    Grr, I just want to rip them to pieces ¡­ Oh no, I don¡¯t! I will get in trouble with Dad if I do that ¡­ Och who cares ¡­ maybe I should set them on fire?


    I love fire it is always so warm and unpredictable. After darkness the best element there is . Hahaha ~


    ... should be interesting Hihiihi ~


    Muwa having the understanding of his sister that he had, only thought


    "Oh, I like this already ... Has a great promise for chaos! I will give her also a blessing!" his smile hidden underneath his mouthpiece, his green eyes obtaining a bit of a shine.


    Being triplets, however, Wiju had the same idea at that moment also bestowing his blessing onto the soul without the others knowledge.


    Both of them synchronising in their thinking


    *We were not born yesterday. And we saw that snicker! We know exactly how our old- *shiver* YOUNGER BEAUTIFUL MOST ELEGANT sister is ...


    She planned something and I just hope good old Dad will do nothing to spoil her fun ¡­ The last time he interfered she got drunk and destroyed his most priced Galaxy just to get back at him ... I don''t believe that she doesn''t remember ... That is just not possible!*


    The Allfather could already see that this would be a mess that he later had to deal with just signed


    "Is there anything else you did not tell me? ... By the guilty look on your face, there is ..."


    "Well, you see her soul was too strong to be reborn in a normal world so I had to reincarnate her on a very special planet on the upper plane..." Deli slowly replied.


    "Oh no don''t you dare tell me you sent her to that damn planet ...


    I ordered you to only reincarnate weak souls without their memories there.


    I was already lenient when you let two medium strong souls reincarnate there but the condition was that they should have none of their memories ... oh, there seems to be something else ... I know that look...


    Just because up here we have no access to the mortal world and each of us lives in a different time frame from the mortal plane it doesn''t mean that I do not recognize my daughter''s guilty face when she messed up big time ...


    Sooo ... tell me now and I will try not to be angry even if I am displeased since it involves that damn planet ..." He said his glare piercing through Deli and making her quite uncomfortable.


    "Hahaha... well, it seems like that soul ... was reincarnated as a child of the two previous ones ... you know the medium souls you mentioned ... Hahaha..." She said while not being able to meet his eyes.


    The Allfather let his forehead fall into his hand, making a magnificent facepalm and giving out a deep sigh.


    " Is that all?" He asked, as an answer Deli rapidly nodded her head up and down, earning herself another deep sigh


    "Well, it seems like that soul will be your personal duty for as long as it takes and I hope this time you watch it." He instructed her causing Deli''s eyes to tear up.


    "Oh, you know that it was your fault ... if you just would not have been so impulsive all of this could have been prevented ... and why always on that planet? "


    He asked as a lone tear gathered in the corner of one of his eyes but he quickly wiped it away.


    "OK, I think that is a way to handle this case ... But all responsibility lies with you ...


    Now Muwa, Wiju I hope you can help in this certain matter.


    If the three of you watch over this soul it should be safe, well, at least safer than just Deli supervising it. I hope so now ¡­ My dear family this conversation has gone on for too long, let''s end it at that ...


    The time has come to enjoy yourselves as the motto goes: First comes first served!


    The refreshments are at the left side from liquors to water.


    The right side is full of delicacies made personally by Mopea.


    Now get me a beer and all is great ... no, make that a whiskey... straight please, I have some forgetting to do"


    He ended his speech once again letting out a deep sigh.


    After the Party started to get going Deli sat down in a corner sulking and wishing everyone should just fall flat on their faces.


    While a broadening aura started to surround her a handsome young man started to approach her.


    His curls were midnight black and his eyes were dark brown, framed by graceful brows. His skin was tanned to a warm bronze tone which was accentuated by the clean, white robe he wore. He had prominent cheekbones and a well-defined chin and nose. Muscles rippled across every part of his body. He was obviously a seasoned warrior. But he didn¡¯t give of a cold or hard feeling most veterans had. No, his air was more playful the small lines around his mouth and eyes speaking of a man full of laughter and fun which liked to smile.


    Even as he neared the Goddess of Death, who seemed to be in a bad mood, a slight smile played around his lips.


    But what could be said to be the most astonishing thing would be that as the man drew closer to the dark mist it seemed like it avoided him, splitting in front of him and giving him a space of roughly 2 meters in which no darkness could be seen, even if it closed behind him, so that it seemed like he was swallowed by the mist.


    Deli only acknowledged his presence when he sat next to her taking her hand into his and giving her a small smile.


    "Hi Poco, I see that my mist still likes you," She said with a small smile on her lips.


    "How could it not. I am so loveable, right ?"


    "Hahaha ~ its good to see you."


    "How are you? Is your condition working up again?"


    "You know me. Sometimes it¡¯s good sometimes it¡¯s not so rosy but I¡¯ll survive."


    "Maybe you should talk to your fath-..."


    "No! I will never talk to him about that." she answered immediately, fear evident in her eyes.


    "You know what he will do ..." The fear morphing into pain, prompting Poco to squeeze her hand.


    "I know," he said looking down at their entangled hands "You know that I know it too well."


    "Yes, and I hope you never forget why."


    "I am sorry." He said and she could see it in his eyes that he really meant it.


    However, her expression cramped up as the pain in her eyes intensified


    "And what use is that?"


    "Please, Deli it¡¯s already so long ago. Forgive me." He pleaded with her.


    She looked at him in sorrow.


    "Do you think I don¡¯t want to? I love you so much." She admitted while a tear slipped out of the corner of her eye and traveled down her cheek.


    "But every time I see you it just hurts so much." She said as she suppressed a sniffle and separated their hands.


    "My love ¡­ please ¡­"


    "Do you think I am the only one whose forgiveness you need?"


    "I can¡¯t ¡­"


    "WHY!"


    "It is much more complicated than what you think. Please Deli. I can¡¯t explain it to you but I will when I can. Just stop tearing yourself up over it, ok?"


    She slapped him.


    "STOP? How could I?" She asked tears streaming down her face as her heartwrenching pain was projected from her entire body "I will never forget. I hope for your own well being that you do too."


    With these words, she stood up and rushed out of the room leaving behind a man who looked like he had everything he could want but who was broken inside.


    The meeting went on until the next day and of course, Deli had to clean all of it up.


    The Allfather was found three days later still sitting on his mighty throne, intoxicated and rambling on about something in a language long forgotten while crying like a little baby.


    None of the Gods even Wiju, the God of Wisdom, could understand him.


    Given the bad mood, Deli got from her cleaning duty and some other reasons that darkened her aura tremendously and the unresponsive Allfather every God feared for his life for the next few days ...

 Chapter 4

    As I opened my eyes I looked right into bright blue ones.


    Tears streamed out of them and fell onto my face.


    I had no recollection of how and why I was in that position but somehow the feeling of being loved and protected settled into my body.


    I was spellbound by these beautiful eyes that seemed to sparkle as they looked at me, but then one of the tears trailed down my cheek and into the corner of my mouth.


    The sudden saltiness on my tongue was so unexpected and gave me the sensation as if my taste buds were on fire. The newness and the intensity of the taste shocked me so much that I wanted to voice my displeasure, but as I opened my mouth only a high-pitched baby wail could be heard.


    Suddenly my sight blurred and moments, no maybe just a second, later I looked straight into bright blood-red reptilian eyes with slit pupils that would have been terrifying if not for the worry reflected in them and the wet sheen that made them shine in the light.


    I could hear a muffled scream from behind me.


    While the eyes looked over my shoulder and seemingly wanted to soothe me, my point of view changed once again as I was placed in the crook of the arm of the one holding me.


    Now I finally had the opportunity to really see my surroundings.


    It seemed like I was in a bedroom, given the bed that stood right in front of me with a woman laying on top of it.


    At closer inspection, I could see bright blue reflection underneath her messy hair.Looking even closer, I saw that her bangs were shielding her eyes which looked at us pleadingly.


    Given these facts and the surroundings, I was very sure that she was my mother.


    I looked up and found myself face to face with the smiling visage of the red-eyed man that held me close to his chest. He also hat dark red hair with a black hairline that went really well with his blood red eyes.


    At closer inspection, I could make out small red scales with black tips on his neck and temples, but he must also have some on his arms since I could feel the hard scaly texture of them on my back and neck where I nestled into his arms.


    He was quite muscular, not the bodybuilder type but more of the lean-but-very-dense-muscled type. I could feel the power radiating from him but instead of fear, I felt happy having such a strong individual as my father who seems to really care for me.


    His face was also good looking but if it weren¡¯t for the smile he had and the teary eyes he showed I would have instantly categorized him as an arrogant and cold man.


    In his narrow facial shape, he had full and symmetrical lips, with high cheekbones and a prominent lower jaw and chin. His nose was straight, narrow and the tip pointed a bit downward but the most amazing point in his face must be his midnight black eyebrows that framed his blood red eyes, which swung up at the outer tip giving him a bit of an Asian feel.


    Asian feel? What¡¯s that? Can I eat that? Is it sweet?


    Slowly a small headache started and I felt like a hole opened up in my brain sucking out its content.


    Was this what Deli meant with losing my memories?


    And who the hell is Deli?


    The sudden movement of my body tore me away from my thoughts.


    I looked around, well, since I couldn¡¯t move my neck very much which I found out at that point of time, I looked straight ahead, but it seemed like we were descending downwards and moments later I once again was in front of the beautiful woman which lay on the bed.


    Seems like my father sat down to give me back to my desperate mother which almost ripped me out of his hands if not for his immense strength that only slowly laid me back on her breasts.


    At closer inspection, she was also very good-looking.


    Leaving aside her body which showed obvious signs of pregnancy, she had a beautiful face with delicate features that spoke of fragility but her eyes held a strength that was uncommon.


    Suddenly she lifted her hand and wiped her hair out of her face behind her ear revealing a slight pointy ear that was definitely not human.


    And there it goes again ¡­ What is human ¡­ or is it what is a human?


    Well, whatever ¡­


    Seeing that I had no control over the changes in my mind I concentrated on the people before me and gave them my best smile while reaching out to them with my small and frail looking arms. But just this action used up all of my energy and I felt so sleepy that my eyes closed as the face of my mother came nearer.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    The next thing that I was conscious of was a slight trembling beside me.


    With great difficulty, I opened my eyes and found myself facing a large bosom.


    Once again my surroundings trembled and I realized that the bosom belonged to the person holding me and that person was trembling.


    I looked up and could see a beautiful blond haired elf looking down at me with tears in her eyes. Seeing her my mind took its sweet time but after a while the memory of that woman resurfaced. That was my mother.


    I could see the realization of my waking up in her eyes and suddenly the arms around me tightened and I was pressed into her bosom.


    As my sight vanished I could finally perceive slight sounds reaching my ears.


    It sounded like an argument, and as time passed it became louder.


    Did they get nearer or is my hearing getting stronger?


    Not being able to see my surroundings made the assessment quite difficult but I tried nevertheless to understand what was going on.


    ¡°M''bale, chonde musanganize kupanda ulemu.¡± - ?


    That voice roused a memory once again and I was sure that it belonged to my father.


    ¡°Ndipo kodi inu muchita kuchitira izo m''bale wamng''ono?¡± - ?


    But that voice was new and it seemed to be hostile towards my father.


    ¡°No ine n''komwe mlongo mkulu. Ine ndikuyembekeza kuti inu basi chonde osati kulankhula zinthu zimenezi zoipa zokhudza mwana wanga wakhanda.¡± - Father


    ¡°Ndikaona zinyalala I icho zimenezo.¡± - ?


    Ok ¡­ I have no idea what they are talking about ¡­


    But the constant trembling of my mother¡¯s body made it clear that it was not very friendly as well as the sarcastic and cruel undertone in the second voice. After a while, I tuned them out once again since it was clear to me that I wouldn¡¯t understand them anyway even if I listened to their conversation. Instead, I focused my mind on my mother.


    I struggled a bit and her arms loosened a bit allowing me to wiggle my body in a position where I could see her face.


    Her former bright blue eyes looked dulled and if before I would have compared them to a sapphire now they looked like the dark blue stormy sky with anger brewing in them. The wet sheen over them making them glossy in the light source from above.


    Suddenly a pair of rough hands grabbed me and ripped me from my mother''s embrace.


    My mother''s eyes widened in fear and she stretched her arms in my direction shouting something at the people in the room that was most likely something like ¡°Give her back!¡±.


    The desperation in her voice got to me but before I could act I was suddenly roughly thrust into the arms of a very bulky being.


    Looking up I glanced into two golden eyes that looked at me in disdain.


    The faces that belonged to them looked similar but also very different to each other.


    Their bone structure resembled each other but one was female and one was male.


    The man that held me also had bright red scales from his cheekbones downward disappearing in a very expensive looking dark red robe with golden embroidery on the hem.


    The arrogance in his expression and whole demeanor indicated a high social standing and his aura without any kindness brought fear to everybody in his vicinity. The woman¡¯s clothes could be seen as much more stunning than that of the first person, but looking closer they were of an inferior quality only affecting onlookers through the elaborate embroideries. They were mostly white with golden and blood-red embroidery all over which matched with her white scales and red hair.


    Yes, the hair ¡­ that was a topic for itself. Never would I have thought that such a piece of art could be created on top of persons head. I had no idea how she could even move with such a monstrosity on her head. Such an elaborated hair-style gave her a very majestic feel and exuded an air of perfection, given that not one single hair was out of place. But the deep hatred in her eyes made shivers run down my spine.


    Seeing the hostility they held against me I immediately started observing them.


    They talked with each other, every once in a while glancing at me, and the man started tightening his grip on me.


    The woman pointed at my hair and cheek but disdainfully looked at something at the side of my head. What I found interesting was that she never once touched me and at least once every few minutes she straightened her clothes and reached up to her hair fingering it to make sure it still sat perfectly. The man instead seemed to be very uncomfortable just standing around, he constantly changed the distribution of his weight and after a while lightly paced up and down, just one or two steps though, but still, he was in constant motion.


    He also couldn¡¯t hold his right hand still: every few minutes touching his belt and letting his eyes roam around the room.


    But after a while, his grip was too tight and I let out a small cry.


    Suddenly a loud noise could be heard from behind the man and he suddenly turned bringing me face to face with the man I recognized as my father who was restrained by a young man that looked similar to him with red scales, silver eyes and red hair with white tips.


    He said something to my enraged father and I could see that it must have been a provocation since the pressure in the room immediately intensified. The fire that gathered in his eyes seemed to leak out and the whole room grew hotter.


    It was a sight to behold.


    The strangers must have also thought like that since I could observe a slightly fearful look entering their eyes.


    I could even feel a slight tremble from the bulky man that held me even though my father looked weaker than him. The vision he gave right now was awe inspiring.


    Just one look at him caused his opponents to quiver in fear.


    I was immediately handed over to my father and the room cooled a bit.


    The other three people almost immediately fled the room but not without taunting my parents once again, given their tone of voice when they uttered the comments quickening their steps as they neared the door.


    But it seemed like it did not matter anymore, my father completely ignored them and just gazed at me scanning my body with his worried look.


    I could feel a strange energy washing over my body and only after it vanished did my father''s stare calm down and he began rocking me in his arms while slightly smiling at me.


    He walked back to the bed where my mother had already propped herself up and reached her arms out to me.


    As I settled once again into the warm embrace of my mother sleep overwhelmed my body and yawning I closed my eyes, the last thing I saw was my father smiling down at me leaning his forehead against my mother''s, tears trailing down her cheeks while she also smiled down at me.


    Well, that was an interesting first day.

 Chapter 5

    Huh? Where am I?


    I felt like I had a total blackout.


    For a few moments, I just stared at the ceiling in front of my eyes. It seemed to be very far away. Looking closely it was not just a plain white ceiling but it looked like a wooden one with carvings that were almost lifelike even though I had no Idea what they were supposed to represent. One looked like a giant ¡­ thing? with scales and a very long neck as well as wings that looked very thin but also strong.


    There were also other beings all around that were much smaller, and all in all, it looked like a scene.


    Fascinated with the ceiling I stretched my arm out, trying to get nearer.


    Only the arm that appeared in my vision was small and chubby.


    I wiggled it around a bit and soon confirmed that it belonged to me.


    I don¡¯t know why but I am very certain that it should not be small and chubby.


    This feeling of loss, confusion, disarray and knowing this should not be so, but not knowing why I knew that and where that knowledge came from shocked and unsettled me very much.


    I could feel fear building up inside of me.


    Suddenly I had the immense urge to cry. I could feel the tears gathering in my eyes and my body started to shake.


    Only moments later I couldn¡¯t control myself anymore and started to scream.


    ¡°Waaaa~¡±


    I screamed so loud that I could feel my upper body burning, and my throat getting raw as time went by.


    A bit of time went by but I suddenly heard a loud crash and the next moment a woman appeared in my field of vision.


    She was really beautiful. Long blond hair cascading down to her hips and bright blue eyes looking at me with concern. As I felt myself reflected in her eyes I could relax, since I finally felt safe.


    I just knew that this woman, whoever she is would protect me.


    Feeling my body calming down I wanted to thank the beautiful woman but the only thing I right now felt in full control of was my facial muscles. So I beamed a sweet smile at her.


    Seeing it the woman squealed a bit, bent down scooped me up and started cuddling the life out of me.


    ¡°Oooh, you are so cute.¡± Was the only thing that I could hear her mutter for the time being. And I couldn¡¯t even start looking at my environment since I was almost smothered by her chest.


    But wait ¡­ why am I able to understand her ¡­ if my guess is right and I think it is since I am at least 10 times smaller than the woman I am a baby and somehow or another I am pretty sure that babies should not be able to understand any language at all. Call it a sixth sense if you will.


    I let her have her fun for a while waiting for maybe a chance to get her to say something else for a change but suddenly we were interrupted by a very pleasant deep voice.


    ¡°Oh, I see that my two treasures are awake and having fun. Care to let me join sweetheart?¡± The woman whirled around while laying me comfortably in her arms allowing me to finally see the space I was in.


    First of all, I looked up to see the reaction of the woman to the new guest, and I saw her smiling blissfully. This must mean that the new arrival was very well liked in this relationship.


    After that, I finally moved my head, or you should better say I let my head fall to the side to look at the body which belonged to the very kind voice.


    What I saw took my breath away.


    A few steps away from us stood a man with red reptilian eyes, dark red hair with a black hairline and a very muscular body. I could see a few dark red scales on his neck and wrist but what was really awe-inspiring was the raw power that seemed to radiate from him even though he just stood there beaming a smile at me and the woman.


    ¡°Darling please tone down your power a bit would you? You are scaring our little angel.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I''m so sorry¡±, and almost instantly the power that had surrounded him a moment ago and that was almost like it was a part of him with which he couldn¡¯t part with, vanished.


    ¡°So sorry, sweetheart, did I scare you?¡± The man came nearer and made a move as if he wanted to take me out of the woman''s arm, who I am suspecting to be my mother, but she instantly turned around giving him no chance at all to even touch me.


    Which I couldn¡¯t understand since I was quite sure that given by the previous conversation and the feeling of it this powerhouse, which at this time seemed to not be even able to hurt a fly, was my father.


    ¡°Oh come on Thelil just hand her over ok? I couldn''t even hold her once in the last few hours.¡±


    ¡°No, she cried for me!¡±


    ¡°Darling, she is a baby ¡­ she just cried.¡±


    ¡°Well, whatever you were too late so she stays in my arms¡­¡±


    ¡°haaa~ yes, of course. But Thelil¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°The next time you rush here could you please not knock over the Nanny? I know you don¡¯t like her but¡­¡±


    ¡°That woman is not getting near my baby! I know I have to accept her company because of the queen''s orders but I am not letting her touch my daughter!¡±


    Ok, and the question of my gender is answered ¡­ but why does Mommy hate the Nanny so much ¡­ and there seems to even be an issue with some queen ¡­ Haaa ~ well nobody said living is a piece of cake ¡­ speaking of cake I want one ¡­ but what is a cake?


    I enjoyed the next few moments where my father tried to convince my mother that it was unfair of her to monopolize me, but very soon I realized that she was very stubborn defying common sense just so that she could get her will.


    For example when my father argued that I would not have a deep relationship with him or an emotional attachment when he is not allowed to hold me when I am a baby, my mother just said that he would have to just work harder and be there for me all the time to which he almost screamed: ¡°Woman, I have to work!¡±, of course, he did not. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    He said, ¡°Darling you know that I have responsibilities which I can¡¯t escape.¡± To which my mother said: ¡°So, your responsibilities are more important than our daughter¡±, and guilt tripped him into agreeing that he would spare at least 4 hours a day for the family.


    Seeing her satisfied expression she had wanted to achieve just that and by the looks of it she had asked for just that for a certain amount of time already and she just used me since he hadn¡¯t promised it before.


    Well, I am not angry. Because of her, I get to spend more time with them and I just love it. The cuddling, the warm feeling of being loved even the little fights to determine who could hold me for how long ¡­ which of course my mother won all the time, all of that let me feel like I was the most important person in the whole world ¡­ well at least for those two.


    I could only smile at them (which earned me once again a cuddling session with my mommy) and started to look around for the first time. Well, more like in the position I was in I started to move my eyes left and right.


    But the problem I discovered was that everything that was too far away was quite fuzzy.


    Speaking of which I once again focused my eyes on my father even his outlines are a bit blurry.


    But you know, mommy and daddy, it''s very nice to be called ¡°darling¡±, ¡°sweetheart¡± and ¡°treasure¡± but what the hell is my name ¡­ and for that matter what are yours?


    Before my father called my mother ¡°Thelil¡± but that really sounded like a nickname¡­


    Almost as if some higher being had heard my plea a knock sounded on the door.


    But what really shocked me were the immediate reactions of my parents.


    My mother''s shoulders slumped a bit and she handed me quickly to my father stepping back behind him with her head lowered, nowhere could the energetic and strong woman be seen that had refused to hand me to my father just a moment ago.


    And my father underwent an even greater change.


    Although he seemed to be very pleased with me and stroked my tummy, his eyes went cold, his smile vanished and a dark aura descended on him which seemed to push my mother away from us.


    ¡°Her Majesty, the Queen of Draco.¡±


    A melodic voice sounded outside the door and the next moment it swung open with a force that let it connect with the wall with a loud ¡°bang¡±.


    In came a woman who made my little body tremble just by being in her presence.


    My father tightened his arms around me and I could feel a warm energy enveloping me.


    Just who the hell is that woman? She''s so cold.


    And I am not just talking about her expression. Just like my father, she seemed to be surrounded by power but hers had a chill to it that I could almost see the ice-crystals appearing in her surroundings.


    Her hair was the purest white I have ever seen and even though she had a few wrinkles on her face she looked extremely young and mature.


    Her face could be described as perfect in proportion, and not considering the small wrinkles she had in the corner of her eyes, she had perfect snow white skin, almost as white as the scales adorning her skin.


    Seems like she was of the same race as my father even if she had another coloring. Only she had no wings or horns and her eyes were of a bright blue color that dazzled.


    Even her body looked like one of a young woman, being showcased by a tight-fitted dress.


    ¡°Well, well, ¡­ Mesanth I just heard from my servant that your wife forbade her to go near your child ¡­ Did I not tell you to teach her that she has no rights whatsoever in this place? Even the maid is of a higher status than her. I could have her flogged for that.¡±


    I just gaped at her as she started to speak. Her voice was that of an angel very melodic but also very distant. But what she said made me feel like my heart would freeze. So, she was the Queen that my mother talked about. No wonder my parents acted so strangely when her entrance was announced.


    Shocked I looked at my father which seemed to still have a very neutral facial expression, but maybe since I was just a little distance away from him I could see the storm brewing in his eyes and his jaw clenching at her words.


    But his next words let me almost doubt his previous behavior.


    ¡°My Queen, I am very sorry if that thing misbehaved. I tried very hard to teach her the proper conduct but these elves are so stupid ¡­ I can¡¯t even take her to any official functions. But since your Majesty was so gracious as to bestow this marriage on me I don¡¯t want to appear like I don¡¯t appreciate your gift and complain. I hope you can forgive her on my account. As soon as we return home I will personally oversee her lessons and punish her.¡±


    If I hadn¡¯t seen his smirk at the end even I would have believed him. Even after witnessing their previous interaction.


    Seems like I have a father that is one hell of an actor and mommy isn¡¯t far behind.


    I thought that while stealing a glance at my mother who seemed to portrait the perfect picture of an intimidated slave.


    ¡°Well, since you are aware of your errors I will hand the education over to you. But please see to it that this bitch never ever touches one of my people again.¡±


    The queen answered satisfied. It seemed like she couldn¡¯t see through my parent''s act. I just wonder how long this already went on.


    ¡°Of course my Queen.¡±


    My father answered and bowed to her.


    But from my position, I could see him grinding his teeth together and I could feel his arms tightening around me.


    ¡°Now since we have covered that, tell me how you have named the bastard.¡±


    At her last word, it almost seemed like the time stood still. I could feel my father stiffening. The next moment I could feel an immense power exploding behind my father for a second before it was almost immediately suppressed by his raw power.


    Looking at the point of origin of the first power I could see my mother standing there with her face lowered but it seemed like a constant wind played with her hair and I could see little flames licking on her fingers.


    Wow ¡­ Mommy is so cool! But Daddy is quite powerful too.


    It did not escape my notice that the whole room seemed to be suppressed by my father''s powers and even the queen had to take a few steps back and I could see a little fright on her features.


    But that also made my confusion grow. If my father was so strong why did he have to endure such treatment and not just subdue that woman.


    ¡°H-How d-dare y-y-you¡­¡± That hateful woman stuttered while trying to muster the strength to oppose my father''s raw power.


    I could see a smile developing on my father''s features.


    ¡°My Queen I am very sorry for my emotional conduct but I hope you could refrain from insulting my heir.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so cocky. Did you forget that I can kill your important person with just a wave of my hand? And that if anything happens to me she dies?¡±


    The sudden loss of power as my father and mother retracted their powers made the room feel hollow. But the pain I saw in my father''s eyes was so great that I had to look away.


    ¡°How could I forget ¡­ you should know that I would never do anything against you my Queen. But how could you do that to your daughter?¡±


    ¡°Like I told you already that waste is not my daughter!¡± She answered with an impassive face and a monotone voice, like this topic had nothing to do with her.


    ¡°She is just not able to use magic ¡­ there is nothing wrong with her¡±, my father almost shouted at her.


    ¡°Really ¡­ I don¡¯t know why you are so concerned ¡­ she is just your half-sister¡­¡±


    At that, my father remained silent.


    ¡°But we steered off the conversation ¡­ I wanted to know the name of that ¡­ child ... in your arms.¡±


    It seems like even if she has a leverage over my father she still didn¡¯t want to provoke him.


    But good point Lady I also want to know my name. And nice save not calling me a bastard again.


    ¡°My Queen I named her Speraenya. So her full name would be Speraenya Emerthelil of Praesto.¡± My father said and bowed.


    Wow ~ that is quite a mouthful.


    ¡°Well, that is acceptable for a half-blood. Even if she has that disgusting elven blood in her. But she seems to be very quiet...¡±


    Huh? That¡¯s Racial discrimination! Even if I have no idea what that is¡­


    Before she could say more a servant walked in and bowed to her.


    ¡°Your Majesty, your appointment with the Council was moved forward and they are awaiting you.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I could see a tiny muscle under her eyes twitch. ¡°How dare they decide that without my consent. It must have been that damn Rylarth or that Perrath Clan.


    Still can¡¯t accept that they are not in power anymore ¡­ those weak water dragons if not for the major territories they possess I would have already crushed them. Haaa ~ well, it seems like I have to excuse myself. I heard that you want to travel back to your territory later this day so I already instructed Luciana to see you off. And of course, you have to bring Lidiana with you.¡± She glared at my mother.¡± Even if your ¡­ wife is against it.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Just as he said the word the Queen turned around and walked out of the room, just to be replaced by a beautiful woman with red scales in a maid outfit, whose red hair was bound in a bun at the back of her head. Her green eyes looking at my parents with disrespect. And as she looked at me I could feel immense hatred in her eyes.


    ¡°Master, the Queen ordered me to accompany you to your territory. We are scheduled to leave in three hours.¡± And with that she turned and walked out swinging her body at each step, drawing the attention of all the soldiers that passed her by and looked at her.


    With the closing of the door my father''s body slumped and almost immediately I was snatched out of his hands and cuddled by my mother.

 Chapter 6

    Now the time of our departure came.


    Haaa ~ its nice to be a baby ¡­ you can take a nap whenever you want.


    After the departure, my mother and father doted on me quite a lot. I think they wanted me to forget the horrible treatment of the queen but I am quite thankful for that since it allowed me to see that my mother''s race was seen as something inferior and so it was clear that in the future I would be subjected to such treatment quite a bit. Better now than later was my mindset on that matter. If I grow up experiencing such behavior it will be easier for me to deal with it, later on, was my thinking on that topic even if I am not sure where that thought came from.


    And it still is a mystery just why I have this feeling that I should not be able to produce such a thought.


    After they made sure I was ok they started packing their things in a hurry while I lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Not very fun, so, after I stared at it for awhile I thought what the hell and just went to sleep.


    I was woken by a tickling sensation on my tummy and couldn¡¯t help but giggle. Opening my eyes I saw my mother before me beaming down at me.


    Oh, hi daddy.


    I thought when I saw my depressed father standing behind her. I could even hear him mumble ¡°I wanted to wake her up ~.¡±


    Seems like mommy won once again ¡­ on what did you bet this time?


    Getting picked up I saw many suitcases and boxes standing next to the door. Well, to be precise there were two piles of them. One was neatly stacked and by the other one a box was still open, clothes spilling out of it.


    Don¡¯t tell me they bet who could pack their things the fastest? How cute ~


    ¡°Spera, darling smile for mommy once again ~¡±, and with that sentence I was brought back to my situation on hand as my mother began to tickle me once again.


    This happy atmosphere went on until a knock sounded at the door.


    ¡°Sir your carriage awaits you.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    My father looked at us and smiled. The next minute his expression froze and he opened the door letting in an army of servants that each picked a box or suitcase and carried it outside.


    Slowly my parents followed.


    When we exited the building I was startled to see the grand castle behind us. Even if the woman who was called a Queen visited us and, thinking about it, was most likely something like a Stepmother to my father I did not expect her to be living in a castle of such a splendor.


    Still shocked by the great building I turned around and could see two lines of servants standing before us leading to a carriage which was packed with our luggage. As the last piece was secured the carriage started driving away and was replaced by a smaller carriage that was decorated with a shield which had a red dragon in the middle.


    Before the carriage stood the disrespectful maid from three hours ago who was called Lidiana and next to her stood a woman with white scales, golden eyes with a silver ring around the irises and red hair with white tips.


    Her face seemed to resemble the Queen from before. This must be the Luciana that the Queen mentioned earlier.


    The hate in her eyes was surprising,since this time it seemed not to be aimed at my mother but my father.


    ¡°Well, seems like the Mutt finally has an heir. Now you should just stay away and never come back.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Luci I don¡¯t want to come back here ever again¡±, my father answered the young woman who greeted us with such words.


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me Luci¡±, the woman screamed and I could see fear entering the surrounding servants'' eyes.


    ¡°Hai, Hai, Hai, ¡­ Now then where is the carriage for the maid?¡±


    ¡°Huh, what are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t think that I would want to travel together with the watchdog your mother assigned, right?¡±


    ¡°You have no say in that matter. Now get going I don¡¯t want to look at you ever again.¡±


    ¡°Luci ¡­¡±, he was glared at by the woman.


    ¡°-ana ¡­ can you take care of Tara? I know you hate me but please she is your little sister¡±, my father corrected himself and pleaded. This Tara must be the important person the queen talked about.


    ¡°¡­ Mesanth¡±, a sad look entered her eyes. ¡°Just why did it come to that? Why couldn¡¯t your mother just leave?¡±


    ¡°Luci ¡­¡±, this time she didn¡¯t answer.


    Suddenly a loud voice sounded from behind.


    ¡°Why is the mutt still here?¡± The anger couldn¡¯t be misinterpreted and the disgust was clear.


    But I did not look in the direction of the voice but stared at the woman in front of us.


    She flinched when she heard the voice and her emotions seemed to be wiped off her face only hate remaining in her eyes. Seems like I am surrounded by actors of superior abilities.


    ¡°They were just leaving¡±, Luciana coldly answered.


    My father looked at her with sad eyes and earned a troubled smile that almost instantly vanished when I felt a powerful presence drawing near. Mesanth turned around to face the man that emitted the power and greeted him.


    ¡°Good evening Scarn.¡±


    ¡°Mutt, I told you to stop calling me that. My name is Scarion and I hope you remember that. I wouldn¡¯t want that an accident happens to your little family, nee ~¡±, he said while tilting his head to the side with a sickening smile.


    ¡°And I wouldn¡¯t want to kill you, nee ~¡±, my father answered also tilting his head but as he smiled I could see fangs in his mouth and his smile turned vicious.


    Scarn took a step back and shouted: ¡°How dare you!!!¡±


    ¡°Scarn, let''s be clear ok? I am only obeying your family because of Tara and since your mother would never take a chance of losing her pawn I am quite sure that even if I kill you she wouldn¡¯t be stupid enough to threaten my family ¡­ so keep that in mind. Only because I don¡¯t bite doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t do it.¡±


    With satisfaction, my father turned around and stepped into the carriage which my mother had already boarded.


    I could see a smile on her face but also the troubled look on her face.


    As the carriage started driving off the estate, the maid taking another one, she turned to him taking me out of his arms and said: ¡°That was stupid.¡± My father looking down muttered: ¡°But he deserved it.¡± ¡°Hai, Hai, Hai, but you shouldn¡¯t have defied him so openly. Just take it for three more years. When Tara had her debut we can finally take her with us. Just three years¡±, she repeated and hugged him while he leaned his head against her shoulder his whole body screaming of his exhaustion.


    ¡°Yea, just three years.¡±


    The constant mumbling of them and the rocking of the carriage started to lull me into sleep.


    I woke up with a start at the sudden movement of my body. I opened my eyes and saw my mother''s body being held by my father while both of them glare in the direction of the driver.


    A deep voice with a bit of mirth called out: ¡°Lunch Break, please leave the carriage and get something to eat.¡±


    My father just hissed: ¡°Warthon is so getting it.¡±


    Not comprehending who this Warthon was I looked at him curiously.


    My mother laughed a bit.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too hard on him. You know that he can¡¯t be near the royal family so he waits for us on the port. It¡¯s not his fault that we got an asshole as a driver.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Oh my sweet dear I see that Fon¡¯s speech is rubbing off on you. Just a few months ago I would have never dreamed of you calling somebody an asshole ¡­ not that I mind in this case.¡±


    ¡°Well, Fon has a foul mouth but he is the best General we will ever have. And you know that you can count on him to protect Mesana.¡±


    ¡°Well, that has nothing to do with him being my subordinate. He is just a total idiotic doting father. I still can¡¯t comprehend how a bear could take a half tiger as an adopted daughter. It was just hilarious when he started and Mesana ran away from him since she couldn¡¯t deal with all the affection.¡±


    ¡°Oh come on, and don¡¯t point fingers. When are you going to stop petting Spera? She isn¡¯t even in your arms and you still touch her all the time ¡­ who is the doting father now?¡± Noooo ~ mommy don¡¯t stop him it¡¯s such a great feeling being petted!


    My father grumbled something about it being not fair but stopped.


    ¡°Well, then let us see what this little lunch break has in store for us¡­¡±, my mother said but the smile on her face was betrayed by her annoyed tone of voice.


    As my family got out of the carriage I saw a small campfire being erected a few meters away from us.


    As my eyes landed on the fire a thought stuck in my mind. I don¡¯t know where it came from or what it means but it did not go away repeating over and over.


    Marshmallows, Marshmallows, I WANT MARSHMALLOWS!!!


    I could feel my mouth watering and I think a bit of drool flowed down from the corner of my mouth.


    When my mother looked down she started to giggle and wipe my face with a warm wet cloth.


    We sat in front of the fire and a meal was given to my parents that looked like a mass of ¡­ something. But the color reminded me of the cloth that was bound around my butt which my mother had changed before we started the journey.


    Seeing the expression of my parents it wasn¡¯t even tasty.


    God bless you and I hope I will never have to eat that ¡­ but what is a Marshmallow?


    Hmmm ~


    The quiet of the camp was interrupted as four horses ran with a great speed into the center stopping abruptly just before my parents.


    The maid that the Queen had sent with us as my nursemaid, jumped up and ran to her carriage barricading herself in it. Not that I had much interaction with her to begin with.


    I could see five burly men jumping off the horses only to kneel in front of my father before my mother pressed my face in her bosom to protect me against the dirt which had been stirred up.


    When I was released again the first thing that I noticed was that the strange meal of my parents had suddenly disappeared and in front of them were the five burly men kneeling on the ground with their head lowered in an arrow formation.


    ¡°Master, we are sorry to have failed you!¡±


    They yelled together and lowered their heads further in the direction of my father.


    ¡°Hmpf¡± he snorted and looked down his nose at them but I could see that he had to control the corners of his mouth that twitched upwards.


    I could also feel my mother suppressing a giggle in her throat coughing slightly to overact her amusement.


    My father stepped forward and knelt down in front of the man who knelt in the middle of the formation and was in front of all the others.


    Just as my father knelt down the man raised his head and looked him in the eyes. Given his position in the formation and the clothes he wore which were a bit better than those of the rest, he must be the leader of those men.


    He was also of the same race like the royal family and my father with scales on his neck and limbs but his coloring was more in the blue tones. His scales shimmering like water, his hair dark blue and ending in light blue tips. But what surprised me the most was the being that I could see hovering above his head, that everyone seemed to ignore. It looked like a wolf but his fur was longer and he almost seemed transparent. His eyes glowed in a sapphire blue and I could swear I heard water lapping whenever he moved.


    The being looked at me and seemed surprised at my attention, and I think it winked at me. The next moment, just as I wanted to reach out to it, it had vanished.


    ¡°Warthon¡± My father said with a smile that somehow resembled a hungry wolf looking at his prey. I could see the men and especially the one in front which my father had just addressed as Warthon tremble at the sound of his voice.


    ¡°Sir¡±, Warthon said lowering his head once again. ¡°I am sorry to have caused you the inconvenience to be traveling with the entourage of the Queen. We will immediately take over command of the group and escort you to your kingdom.¡±


    With a wave of his hand, the four other men sprung up and started taking over command. One ordered the coachman and a few of the servants to travel back to the castle, another one took over for the cooks and prepared a meal which this time consisted of a nice roasted boar and a soup which compared to the brew before smelled heavenly. The third one could be seen circling around the camp and he seemed to look out for something.


    The last of the four walked until he was behind my parents and I could hear the sound of ceramic clattering against each other.


    That solved the question of where my parents'' previous meal ended up.


    All the while Warthon still knelt in front of my parents. But wait didn¡¯t my mother say before that he wouldn¡¯t go near the royal family and had to wait at the port. Even though I don¡¯t know what a port is I don¡¯t think it is something in the middle of a forest. Just call it my spidey sense ¡­ no idea where that expression just came from.


    ¡°Warthon¡± My father said when all the servants of the queen had left the premises and it was only my parents the five men and me. ¡°Why did you come? You know that you are at risk so close to the castle.¡± Suddenly the predator feeling of my father vanished and I could see the concern in his expression. Warthon also stood up and was now standing before him with his head still lowered.


    ¡°Sir, I could predict how the royal shit would treat you, and since you are traveling with our little princess I was sure that you would put up with a lot of things. But sir could you please protest next time when they are serving you Hishmak? You know that it poisons you. The last time they did that and you were attacked as soon as we boarded the Drafly Express, YOU.ALMOST.DIED.!!!¡±


    WOW, that was a sudden turnaround ¡­ Is he emotionally unstable?


    I wondered as I looked at the men standing before my father, grabbing his collar and yelling at him with a red face and a furious expression in his eyes. I looked up to my mother but I could see her smile at the scene and heard her whispering under her breath ¡°Serves him right.¡±


    Ok, it seems like I am still miles away from understanding anyone in this new family.


    My father also had a silly smile plastered on his face.


    ¡°THAT.IS.NOT.FUNNY!!!¡±


    ¡°Oh come on Warthon.¡± My mother said stepping forward and next to the two men.


    ¡°You know how silly he sometimes is, here come on, hold my cute little angel and let me sort out this matter ok?¡± She said while almost shoving me into the surprised man''s arms.


    ¡°But Madam ¡­ I thought you would never let her go¡­¡±


    I could see my mother blush a bit. ¡°Was that so obvious?¡± She asked and as a response, six male voices said ¡°Yes!¡± while I answered with a little ¡°Abuu!¡±.


    ¡°Urg¡±, was the only thing my mother could reply while holding her reddened cheeks.


    Suddenly she turned to my father. He immediately backed of two to three steps. When he stood still he said in a soothing voice. ¡°My love ¡­ you know we didn¡¯t mean it. And I am sorry for acting so stupid before, please forgive me, you know I love you right, we will finally go back home so let¡¯s enjoy the journey ok? ¡­¡± He started rambling and pleading with her while all the while backing away from her.


    ¡°My dear ¡­ why are you acting like that?¡± She asked before she landed the first punch on my father''s face, crossing the distance of a few steps in a second.


    Anything further I couldn¡¯t see since Warthon turned around. I could just hear the grunts of my father and the occasional yell of my mother asking him why he has to act like that.


    Warthon looked down at me with a sympathetic face and I just wanted to ask him ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡±


    He started petting my head while saying ¡°You poor dear. If anything happens just come to Uncle Warthon, ok? I know he is a handful but don¡¯t mind it after a good beating he is good to go for at least a month maybe two if your mother is working on him. Haaa ¡­ what am I saying to a baby she can¡¯t even comprehend me. But just to be sure. If anything happens just come to Uncle, ok? Uncle is always there for you.¡± But under his breath, I could hear him mumble ¡°I hope she beats him good, he deserves it.¡±


    The next few days were quite peaceful after the coachmen had been changed our pace picked up. But what I found strange was that the palace maid still stayed in her carriage, only coming out to relieve herself and get her food, but then she instantly went back to her accommodation.


    But I did see her sometimes, glaring at me as if I was the cause of her misery. I couldn¡¯t understand why she behaved like that. Her good looks totally ruined by the expression she had on.


    But there was one plus to all of this. Thanks to the change in management we arrived at our destination three days earlier.


    How did I know that? Well, you see the person picking us up at our destination almost screamed it when we arrived.


    He was a thin looking man with glasses that just screamed that he was a nerd ¡­ whatever a nerd is¡­


    I think he was an elf, well at least a half-elf, since his ears were pointy and I could see no scales on his body. But when he wiped his forehead nervously at my families arrival I could see two small horns on each corner of his forehead, hidden behind dark straight hair.


    He seemed to be very formal, always addressing my parents with ¡°Your Majesties¡± and speaking in that formal language that Warthon used when we were in public.


    My father greeted him and called him ¡°Old Zong¡± and seeing the behavior of the guards, yes, that was the position of the four other men with uncle Warthon who is the General of my father''s army, this ¡°Old Zong¡± seems to have an even higher standing than a general.


    And also this time I was almost immediately handed over to him. I was a bit frightened by his cold expression but when I lay in his arms I could see his mask crack a bit revealing kind eyes and a slight smile when he looked at me. He even started petting my belly. I think I could get addicted to that feeling.


    As I listened to them talking I became certain that Old Zong was some kind of adviser to my father that was very well respected.


    After a while they started walking through the city, Lidiana walking behind the whole entourage with a distance of at least three to four meters. Meanwhile Old Zong started explaining what kind of transactions he made the last few days which new trade agreements he closed and then he started to analyse the current situation of the port city which we were in and the current situation of the royal family and the economy of the land we were on, Coalesco, which was the island where the royal draconian family reigned since the establishment of the Draconian empire.


    If you are asking me how I knew that, I have to say that Old Zong really likes to explain every little detail and the information could be read between the lines. Well his offhanded comments about the ¡°Shitty royal family that seems to be too lazy to move¡± and the ¡°beauty of Coalesco that was ruined by them¡± may have played a role in it.


    Every time he said such things his petting intensified as if I was some kind of stress-relieve, not that I am complaining. Petting is heavenly!


    And with the words ¡°I arranged the best dragonfly for us, your Majesties.¡± We rounded a corner and I could just gape in astonishment since in front of me was a very large snake with wings and four feet with sharp claws, well what you could think of when you hear Dragon which was at least 15 meters high and 40 meters long. And behind him there stood ten boxes the size of our carriage that seemed to hover in the air, all connected with each other and with the harness the dragon wore.


    There was just one thing that I knew that I would never be able to forget, and that was the almost dead eyes of the dragon as he looked at the sky.

 Chapter 7

    The beast just stood there, ignoring its surroundings. Even if it had a dead-like look in it¡¯s eyes his whole body emitted a feeling of sadness that touched something deep inside me.


    I wanted to help but when I tried to move I could feel the cloth which was tied around me constricting my movements. So the only thing that I could do was let out a sad cry.


    But what happened astonished me.


    Not only did my parents and whole entourage started trying to calm me down with panicked expressions, but the dragon gained a small light in his eyes and turned his massive head in our direction closing the distance as much as his Harness allowed it. And that set the whole square in a panic. Somewhere along the line of actions I started feeling my control over my emotions slip away and the next thing I knew was that my mouth opened, my eyes watered, I could feel my face heating and I let out a mad cry which sounded through the whole square.


    I could see my mother panicking screaming at my father to do something, while he also stood there looking at me in a sort of mad panic.


    The light in the dragon''s eyes returned full force, and it started fighting against it¡¯s constriction. Buckling like a wild mustang. Whatever a mustang is ...


    I was ripped out of Old Zong¡¯s arms by my mother who started rocking me back in forth, I could feel the calming energy starting to envelope me, until it suddenly shattered with a ¡°bang¡± sending my mother flying backward, and if not for my father''s fast reaction I would have fallen to the ground. Dangerous the shock sobered me up a bit but I could still not stop crying, all the while looking at the crazed dragon who was starting to be subdued by a whole army of men with long whips and a bunch of people chanting something I couldn¡¯t understand. But I could see the light in his eyes fading and the sadness in me grew.


    As the dragon stopped thrashing around I looked into his eyes once again, and what I saw finally calmed me down. Even though his eyes looked dead again I could feel a bit of that light from before flickering in the depths of his eyes calming the rage and sadness that had suddenly overcome me.


    When I finally calmed down I saw Old Zong standing in a daze where my mother had left him.


    I could feel my fathers arms around me shake a bit as he looked at me with concern. The next moment my mother''s face blocked the view as she had stood up and run over to us leaning over me to discern if I had any kind of injury from the previous blast.


    Seeing that I was at least physically fine she hugged both my father and me and laid her head on my father''s shoulder a tears trailing down her cheeks and landing on my face. Suddenly an exhaustion hit me that I never felt before and I couldn¡¯t keep my eyes open any longer, falling asleep in my father''s arms.


    When I woke up I found myself on a bed, the whole room seemed like it was swaying from side to side.


    I couldn¡¯t see my father or mother anywhere but as I let my head fall to the side I could see the maid from the queen sitting next to my bed seemingly painting her nails with some horribly smelling liquid with a red colour which had the same red colour as her scales and hair, while staring at a book.


    Seemingly noticing my stare she looked up and the disgust for me seemed to radiate from her eyes as she muttered ¡°Blasted monster bastard, I am not paid enough to look after this freak.¡±


    I was surprised.


    Before I had no real contact with her just seeing her sometimes in the corner of my sight, keeping her distance from me. I knew that I had never done something that deserved such hatred.


    I had heard how my parents had talked about her so I knew that she did not like my family of ¡°Mongrel¡±-Bloods and felt that it was an insult to her dignity to serve us. But I would have at least expected her to be more careful with her behaviour. Even if we were ¡°Mongrel¡¯s¡± in her opinion, my father was still a king and had enough power to kill her with a twist of his hand.


    I don¡¯t know if I should consider her courageous or plain dumb ¡­ seeing as she is reading a book full of pictures I tend to believe the latter.


    Having enough of her baland hostility I did the only thing I thought was right such a situation.


    I opened my mouth and cried.


    Moments later my mother ran into the room slamming the door against the frame.


    Mommy you should do something about your entrance ¡­ if you continue with that you will destroy a door one day with your strength.


    The maid stood up and moved a few feet away from me but still held an expression of contempt but this time she was looking at my mother.


    ¡°What did you do?¡± The hostility that my mother radiated was almost visible as the tension in the room heightened and if you listened intensively you could hear small crackling sounds in the air.


    ¡°Nothing. This little ¡­ baby, just started screeching on her own. Now if you will excuse me I have more important things to do than to talk with you.¡± She said and started walking out of the room.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Just as she reached the doorframe my mother spoke again.


    ¡°Lidiana, just to make this clear. I don¡¯t care that you are one of the queen''s people. If you dare and harm my child you will die so horribly that you would wish you were never born. Do you understand me?¡±


    I could see the women, Lidiana, shiver at her words but then she squared her shoulders and looking back said ¡°Yes mam.¡± before walking away.


    My mother hugged me closer and started to sway me up and down after she had carefully examined my body for any kind of wounds.


    After a while she moved herself to the window and I could finally see where I was.


    What I saw was endless blue sky. I mean the whole room seemed to move through the sky, clouds passing by the window and even birds that looked quite strong were easily overtaken.


    Slowly I could make out a dark dot beneath us that came closer as time went by. Suddenly we were indulged in a mass of white. My mother seeing me panic a bit at my loss of view out of the window calmed me down.


    ¡°Sweety, we are just flying through a cloud don¡¯t worry. Just wait a bit and then you will see our home ok?¡±


    ¡°Guu¡±, I answered with a smile.


    But just as suddenly that we entered the white, what my mother called a cloud, we exited again.


    What I saw was what would be my home, well at least according to my mother.


    I saw an island. It was covered in green and had four bigger settlements at each corner. In the middle of the island was a big city build on top of a hill and in the middle of it was a grand castle. Not as big as that one of the queen but big enough to stand out.


    Our room was flying a few times around the island each time flying closer to the surface and getting nearer to the castle.


    I could feel the room shake and with a low ¡°bam¡± the room connected with the earth sliding a bit until we came to a standstill.


    My mother heaved a sigh and walked to the door smiling down at me and caressing my face. I started giggling a bit since her touch tickled a bit.


    As we stepped out of the room we found ourselves in a hallway of doors. I could see my father waiting down the hallway and my mother hurried to him a smile plastered on her face and her eyes twinkling. As she came to a halt just a few steps away from him she looked breathlessly up to him and asked ¡°Can we finally behave normally?¡± the hope of an affirmation could be felt from it.


    My father gave her a warm smile and took us in his arm, my vision temporarily lost I could feel him squeezing us to him and hear him murmur ¡°Yes, sweetie, we are finally home.BUt be careful. I heard that a few new maids just suddenly showed up in the castle after Speras birth was announced. But let¡¯S not think about that for the moment ok?  Come on let¡¯s meet Mesana.¡±


    As we exited the construction I was confronted with a large market place that was empty except of a group of males that stood next to each other in a row. Shoulders squared head held high. Suddenly they opened their mouths a shouted ¡°Welcome home your Highnesses King Mesanth and Queen Emerthelil. Long live the princess!¡± and they bowed to us. I looked at my parents and could see a bit of blood rush to their cheeks.


    My mother looked around a bit and seemingly seeing what she had looked for she smiled walking forward and halted in front of a man a bit older than my parents.


    His dark brown hair started graying in-between a bit and you could see wrinkles around his eyes and mouth which were in contrast to his very bulky body of muscles.


    All of this power stood in a stark contrast to the cute round bushy ears on top of his head.


    I could see him looking at my mother with a smile and warm eyes. I almost thought that he would hug her but then I noticed his uniform which was a bit more elaborate than the ones of the other men standing at attention next to him.


    ¡°Fon, it¡¯s good to see you.¡±


    My mother said smiling at the man in front of her. Wait ¡­ Fon? Why is that name so familiar? Ah right! Mommy said that Fon was a General of my fathers and Mesana¡¯s adopted father ¡­ whoever Mesana is.


    My mother started talking to Fon with my father standing next to her smiling at the both of them. Suddenly a clear voice could be heard from the distance


    ¡°Sorry, Sorry let me through please! Coming through make way ~¡±


    After a moment a beautiful young woman with long hair which was striped white and black as well as round ears on top of her head and a long sleek tail in the same colour that swished behind her broke through the group of people around us, coming to a stop a few steps next to us.


    Fon seemed to brighten considerably, almost beaming at the young woman. My mother showed a warm smile and my father had a gentle look on his face. It was clear that she was very loved by my family and I could conclude that she must be Mesana the white Tiger-beastman that my father had talked about, the adopted daughter of Fon.


    Mesana beamed at us and at the next moment she hugged my father around the waist completely ignoring Fon who started to glare at my father.


    ¡°Brother, how nice that you all came earlier than expected. How was your stay at the old crones castle? Did you finally chip a bit of their pride while you waited for your child¡¯s birth?¡±


    ¡°Mesana ¡­¡± My father started, only to be interrupted by my mother ¡°Mesana, darling please don¡¯t give him these strange ideas, ok? We have to at least wait until Sera had her awakening ceremony  before taking actions.¡±


    ¡°Ah right¡­ Tara¡±, she said as if it explained everything.


    Well sorry to be party pooper but what ? What is a awakening ceremony ? Who is Tara ? And why is she so important ?


    I looked at bok my mother and Mesana questionably but both seemed to ignore me.


    Well if you can do it I can do it !


    I thought and with that I curled up in my mother''s arms pointing and disregard their conversation.


    Well that was until Mesana brought me up in the conversation.


    ¡°Well, putting these depressing topics aside. I think there is someone you have to introduce to me right?¡± She said looking at me eagerly.


    ¡°Mesana ¡­ why are you ignoring me?¡± Fon asked in a whiny voice only to earn a ¡°tsk¡± from his daughter which gave him the cold shoulder.


    The man hung his head down and my father moved beside him to pat his shoulder after Mesana let go of him to move next to my mother.


    ¡°Hello little cutie ~ I¡¯m your aunt. You can call me aunty. If ever someone is not nice to you tell me and I will punish them, ok? Hohoho¡±, she started laughing while stroking my head her laughter causing a shiver to run down my spine. And judging from the expressions of your current company I wasn¡¯t the only one.

 Chapter 8

    ¡°So how was the journey?¡± My new aunty asked.


    I was a bit curious about the sudden silence of the camp, which was only disturbed by the grunts of the men carrying our luggage out of the train and my father¡¯s voice which tried to whisper encouraging words to his general. Looking around I could see Fon was still sulking because of the silent treatment he had received from his daughter, my father was trying to cheer him up and it seems like none of the guards had the courage to speak up. I looked at Old Zong since I was sure that at least he had the authority and courage to speak to my beautiful aunty that seemed to be a very scary or at least a very powerful existence even if her height only reached to my father¡¯s shoulder and was shorter than my mother by at least a few centimeters. But he seemed to find it beneath himself, having an annoyed expression on his face and not even looking at our direction sitting on a trunk that was carried out by two brawny men I had never seen before. So it was my mother''s duty to reply.


    ¡°Well, considering that your brother had almost eaten Hishmak again ¡­¡± My mother couldn¡¯t even finish her sentence before my kind and beautiful aunty rushed to my father and punched him in the gut.


    He grunted but did not even leak out one word of protest as he went down on one knee holding his stomach.


    Mesana gave a little ¡°Humpf!¡± turned around and walked back to my mother.


    Aaaah~ what a loving family.


    ¡°So ¡­ how was the old dragon and her bastard offsprings?¡±


    WOW seems like aunty doesn¡¯t take long to come to the point.


    ¡°As always ¡­ I was surprised that she lost a bit of her touch ¡­ no, really, she just tried to feed Mesanth Hishmak and had her maids harass us. Considering last time we went were there, assassins tried to kill us almost every day, I think she calmed down a bit. Maybe having an elf as a wife and with that making it almost impossible for Mesanth to inherit the throne made us less of a threat to her.¡±


    ¡°Well, as long as you are back in one piece and the little munchkin is ok, I am happy. Now, I think I should say hi to pops or he is going beat the next person that talks to him into a pulp.¡± Aunty said as she skipped over to Fon.


    ¡°So, you do know what will happen...¡° My mother said with a sigh as she looked after Mesana and shook her head.


    For a while we just stood in the marketplace and observed the people loading a carriage with my families trunks.


    When everything was stored, my father came to us and lead us into the carriage which was


    just a room with two planks opposite to each other on wheels that was made a bit comfortable with a few cushions.


    The carriage drove us out of town in a steady pace, the rocking lulling me to sleep.


    When I woke up, my mother was carrying me out of the carriage which had stopped for a while.


    Outside I was greeted by a mass of women in black dresses with white aprons which my mind told me had the appearance of maids in front of a massive building that was called a castle.


    For now I trusted these sudden information dumbs my mind seems to toss me from time to time, even if I couldn¡¯t make sense of them.


    So, these maids stood in attendance and bowed down to my family as soon as we all came out of the carriage.


    ¡°Welcome home, your Highnesses.¡±


    ¡°Jeanne and Loraine, please follow me to the study,¡± my father said in a sudden cold tone that surprised me and sent a shiver down my spine.


    ¡°Yes, master,¡° a man and a woman which looked quite mature responded and fell into step with our small group which consisted of my father, mother, Mesana, Warthon and Fon.


    They seemed to contrast each other. The man had black hair and black eyes, but very white skin. His uniform was fitted to his body showcasing a very tall body that was packed with dense muscles, giving him a slender but powerful body frame.


    Meanwhile the woman had light brown hair, green eyes and a caramel skin tone.


    I could even see slightly pointy ears peeking out from her hair when she moved.


    We entered the castle through two grand doors that swung open to the inside and had some kind of animals and plants engraved in them. Again my mind said we were now in the entrance and the doors were called double doors. I couldn¡¯t fully see the so called entrance but since the sound of our footsteps seemed to resonate a bit it gave me the impression of a very big room.


    I could see a staircase in the middle of the room but our group passed them by and went to a room behind them whose door was situated under the staircase.


    The room was very well lit with sunlight and when my mother shifted me in her arms to look why I was so quiet since a while ago I could see grand windows opposite of the door taking up the whole wall.


    Big bookshelves where situated on the two walls left and right of the door.


    My mother broke the silence which our group held since we exited the carriage with a worried voice.


    ¡°Mesanth, I think something is wrong with Spera ¡­ she didn¡¯t give a sound since we excited the dragon Express. Not even a little whine. Do you think Lisana did something? I shouldn¡¯t have let her be alone with her.¡± Her sentences getting faster and faster and her shoulders started trembling. ¡°I heard that babies were making noises the whole time but she is so quiet.¡±


    Oh shit! Ok, babymode ¡­ babymode!!!


    ¡°Abuh! ¡­ ba .. hu¡± I started babbling as I reached my hand out to my mother and touched her face to calm her down.


    My father was already next to her, same as Mesana, Fon and Warthon but they hovered more next to them while my father had hugged my mother''s shoulders and caressed my face. When I gave a sign of activity they visibly relaxed, having a collective sigh of relief.


    ¡°Theli, see? She was just stunned by all the new things. You don¡¯t have to worry. Look, she is more worried about you than anything else. Come, give her to me and get a cup of tea to calm down. You were so anxious since the time we left the palace you should relax a bit.¡± He gave her a kiss and took me out of her arms. Mesana then steered my mother out of the room giving my father a reassuring smile while closing the door. I still babbled a bit and touched my father but soon quieted down and listened to the conversation.


    ¡°Well, then, Jeanne, Loraine, I want you to meet my daughter Speraenya. You can call her Spera, we do all the time but only in private, ok? I trust you to take care of her and start isolating Lidiana, the maid the queen send with her. I want to make sure that that woman never even once is near my daughter alone are we clear?¡± He said in his unusual cold voice with a glint in his eyes that promised violence at any sign of disobedience.


    ¡°Yes, sire!¡±


    ¡°Well, ok. Now, relax a bit,¡± my father smiled at them, his voice warming up a bit again.


    ¡°Loraine, I know you have your duties as head maid but I would like you to take over as a handmaid to my daughter. I know you have experience in the upbringing of several children. And, to my last information, all of them turned out to be great.¡± But under his breath I could hear him murmur ¡°Crazy ¡­ but great.¡±


    As he started to issue a few more commands to his closest aides I could feel that all of these new impressions started to put pressure on me and my body became heavier and heavier as I fought my eyes to stay open. Involuntarily my mouth opened to a little yawn and I settled comfortably against my father as he sat down in his big comfy armchair in front of the windows behind a massive oak table full of stacks of paper.


    I could hear his chuckle as my eyes drifted shut and let his gently deep voice soothe me to sleep.


    Today was really exhausting. Let¡¯s see how tomorrow goes.


    I was awoken by a feeling of something tickling my nose. Against my better judgement I could not control my impulse to sneeze and accidentally banged my head against something hard as my head was thrown backwards.


    I let out a little whine, turned my body around as good as I could, considering the control of my body that I had to be almost nonexistent, and opened my teary eyes, but I was astonished by what I saw.


    I was laying sideways on a bed and I could see symbols shimmering around its edge. Since I was curious I moved towards to strange glowing signs but as soon as I moved toward them, two things happened at once. A headache slammed into me and a big hand wrapped around my belly pulling me back into the hard objekt I had banged my head on before. But now I could feel that this hard object wasn¡¯t so hard after all and it was warm. I had headbutted myself on my father''s chest. The revelation struck me as I was turned around and looked squarely into two bright but a little drowsy red reptilian eyes that I could see became instantly alert.


    He scanned the surroundings with eyes that looked like the ones a predator had just before he found his prey, but seemingly not finding what he was searching for he gave a sigh of relief and relaxed. Next he waved his hand and I could see the symbols around the bed dissolving in little light particles, staying in place for a few seconds before dispersing in the surroundings.


    I could feel something stirring behind my father, and just moments later my mother peeked out from behind his back smiling at us. She reached for me and I could feel my father protesting a bit, but that was handled with a well calculated punch into his ribs by my mother.


    He winced but handed me over while getting out of bed and disappearing behind a door at the other end of the room. I could hear water running and my mind told me that he was in the bathroom. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    Suddenly, just as I pondered the new informations that I got about this so called bathroom, I was shoved against my mothers exposed chest, and without my intention my body moved on his own, latching onto her nipple and holding onto her tightly as if my life depended on it. A part of my mind was appalled by this act and i did not know why, since another part of me, an overpowering one, was very amandate about my behaviour and wouldn¡¯t let me stop.


    As I was weaned of her I felt shame creeping up but the next thing I knew I was settled over her shoulder. Two heavy thumps to my back later I could feel a burp building in my body but I could do nothing against it as I belched and a little bit of the milk that I had drunk landed on my mothers nightdress.


    Oh my God, do I have to do that everyday? God have mercy. This did not happen! Nobody talks about that are we clear!


    Having sated my hunger I could finally appreciate my surroundings. From the looks of it I was in my parents bedroom.


    A wide canopy bed stood to one side and took up most of the room. Given that my father had quite a height with his1,9 meter could totally understand it.


    But the room did have what you would call a woman¡¯s touch.


    Dark blue and light green see through cloth was lovingly draped over the frame which posts were crafted to resemble trees whose branches seemed to grow into each other.


    It was like you were laying in a forest, looking at the stars.


    Speaking of forest, now that I paid attention to that theme I could see that the whole room was decorated in these colores.


    Every furniture was made out of dark wood and the carpet was a light green that was then once again used in the bottom part of the wall and darkened upwards. The ceiling being made out of dark wood once again.


    The light that streamed through the windows illuminated the room and gave it a warm glow.


    My mother walked to the nearest chair which stood by the window.


    The nearer we came to the wall the more details I could see.


    At first I had just thought that it was just a colour gradient from light to dark, but upon closer inspection I could see that it was thousand upon thousand different colours of one gradient that slowly got darker.


    The wall was fashioned so that it gave the illusion that every green colour on the wall was a different leaf.


    And what I hadn¡¯t seen before were the wooden panels that were in different intervals on the wall. Each of them fashioned after a tree that seemed to vanish under the foliage.


    After looking around the room I finally looked at my mother and I was surprised to see her relaxed face. Since I was born there was always an underlying tension in her. Even yesterday when we arrived at the castle it was there. But now, in this moment, with me in her arms, sitting on the chair in her bedroom, the sun shining in her face while she closed her eyes. Here she was at peace.


    A while later my father re-entered the room, fully dressed in a neat black suit with a red shirt underneath, his hair still a bit wet and sparkling in the sun. He walked to my mother and kissed her on the cheek. She nesled herself against him for a moment her eyes still closed.


    ¡°Thelil, I need to go,¡± he said but his voice betrayed his desire to remain with us.


    ¡°I know.¡± My mother sighed.¡± Mesanth be careful. See you tonight,¡± she said, still not opening her eyes, a sad smile adoring her face.


    My father slowly straightened his posture and lightly squeezed her shoulders before distancing himself,


    ¡°Maybe you could show Spera her room...¡± he proposed wanting to delay his departure.


    My mother opened her eyes and I could see a sharp glint in it.


    ¡°Well, if I hadn¡¯t given birth on that godforsaken island, her room would have already been finished and she would have woken up in it.¡±


    ¡°Thelil, you know that it is tradition that a member of the royal house even if it is an illegitimate branch has to be born in Coalesco.¡± I could see my fathers features hardening and I did not like the direction this discussion was heading to.


    Without further thinking about it I opened my mouth and started to cry softly but slowly increasing in intensity the longer they ignored me.


    As I predicted, my mother immediately dismissed my father and started swaying me back and forth in an attempt to sooth me.


    And as if someone else knew that now was the time for a timely intervention, a knock sounded on the bedroom door.


    My father  went to the door, not forgetting to once again kiss my mother on the cheek and this time also kissing my forehead. For a moment, over my mother''s shoulder, I could see Warthon standing in front of the door, his features tight with anxiety and I could hear both men immediately starting a heated discussion as my father left the room, the door gently closing behind him.


    As my father left the room, my cries softened until it was just a small whimper.


    My mother had by now stood up and walked in slow circles around the room, the gentle sway of her body calming me down.


    I had once again lost control of my emotions. Even if I rationally knew that I had no reason to cry, after I started it was almost impossible to stop on my own accord.


    Mesana and Loraine found us like that when they walked into the room.


    Both of them giving my Mother a warm smile and immediately starting to take care of me, my mother and our room.


    Watching them I was quite sure that Mesana was just here for me. A good clue would be her taking me out of my mother''s arm almost immediately after arriving.


    Loraine on the other hand firstly gave my mother new clothes and other items and escorted her to the bathroom only to immediately exit it without my mother and starting to tidy up the bed and a few clothing articles that were on the ground.


    After she finished and having wiped down the already dust free furniture Lorain knocked on the bathroom door before entering the room.


    For a moment I was distracted by Mesana that started tickling my abdomen. I couldn¡¯t help but laugh out. Before I realised it I was already in my mother¡¯s arms again the shock of the sudden change of scenery muting me again.


    ¡°Hey, why doesn¡¯t she laugh anymore?¡± My mother asked Mesana confused.


    ¡°Thelil, you scared her ¡­ if you hadn¡¯t snatched her from my arms at such a speed she would have continued to laugh.¡±


    My mother showed a sad expression at that, so, to cheer her up, I reached out to her face and smiled at her.


    ¡°Oh Spera, you are too cute~¡± She said while cuddling me against her face. Over my mother¡¯s shoulder I could see Lorain giving us a warm glance before starting to sort a big cupboard full of clothes.


    ¡°Thelil, how about showing Spera her new room?¡± Mesana asked after a few moments of just letting us have mother-daughter time.


    I was once again transferred to the crook of my mother''s arm.


    She smiled at my aunt and nodded her head, once again looking at me with love oozing out of her facial expression.


    She turned around to Lorain and asked her in a considerable warm tone ¡°Lorain, dear, do you want to come with us? You are the one that put the most work into the room.¡±


    ¡°Madam I would be honoured, but you know I have to supervise the other staff, and with our ¡®special¡¯ guest having arrived with you, I have to issue a few more rules to the staff,¡± she answered with regret in her tone. I could see that she was really loyal to my parents and given the trust my father put in her by letting her serve as my handmaid, I felt more comfortable in her vicinity.


    ¡°I know.¡± My mother gave a sad smile. ¡°I hope we can rectify the situation as soon as possible,¡± she said with a smile, while turning around and walking to the door.


    Mommy your smile is scary!


    I thought, as I could feel my eyes moisture a bit.


    I could feel her entire aura change as we walked out of the door. It was as if she put on a emotionless mask. Her eyes seemed empty and her facial expression stiffened.


    We turned right just as we exited the room and she only walked a few steps before stopping in front of another door.


    I am going to live right next to my parents? And I didn¡¯t know why but the other question that popped up was: How thick are the walls? No Idea why that seemed to be important, so I immediately discarded it.


    When we entered the room and Mesana closed to door behind us, my mothers warm aura once again emerged and I could finally relax and inspect my own room.


    What I saw astonished me for a bit.


    In contrast with my parents green room, my room was painted in different red and yellow hues giving a warm impression but also reminded be of my fathers scales.


    Most of the furniture was already in the room. I could see a bed which was surrounded by wooden posts, a dresser with a blanket on top of it and a chair in front of a big window which stood on top of a curved wooden board and swayed slightly back and forth. But there was also a pile of dark wood in one corner that was neatly stacked.


    It seemed like somebody had started to decorate my room but had no time to finish it.


    ¡°Honey, look at that. Loraine and your father did most of the work, before we had to leave for Coalesco. Lorain tried to finish everything but you came too early. See that pile of wood,¡± she said and pointed at the wood that I had already seen before. ¡°That will be your wardrobe,¡± she continued with a smile.


    I found it a bit strange that she talked to her baby, that was only a few days old, as if it could understand her. Now, I know, I do understand her, but I had at least that much common sense that I knew that this was not normal. I could still remember the first time I came to after I was born. At that time I couldn¡¯t understand anything they said, and then the next day I could suddenly understand them. That was definitely not normal.


    While pondering about my obvious pecularity I did not notice that we exited my future room and were on the way back to my parents¡¯ room. Only to turn left instead of right, and walking into the room opposite of their bedroom.


    What I could see on first glance was a massive window that took up the whole opposite wall of the room.


    The other two walls were filled with shelves upon shelves of books giving quite an imposant feeling to the room.


    My mother didn¡¯t stop but walked to a large white couch in the middle of the room. it was placed so that you could see out of the window, overlooking a beautiful garden full of flowers and bushes. Next to both ends of the couch were two tables out of the same dark wood that was used in my parents¡¯ and my bedroom.


    My mother sat down on the couch and started talking with Mesana never forgetting to pay attention to me every minute or two.


    After a while she wanted to read so I was given to my aunt who with great delight started cuddling me. From time to time her tail which she had carefully placed next to her, as to not sit on it was in my reach and I started to pet it, causing her to have a delighted expression on her face. The soft feel of the tail making it almost addictive.


    In between I took naps from time to time, I was a newborn baby, so that is not very surprising. Still, the amount of control I had over my body was very disappointing and I swore to myself to build up my strength as soon as possible.


    The sitting room, as my mother called it, was quiet except for the rustling of the pages when my mother read her book.


    As such the day went on, the room slowly shifting into yellow hues from the setting sun.


    A knock on the door interrupted the tranquility of the room and Loraine walked in.


    ¡°Madam, I would like to remind you that the feeding time of the princess has arrived. And I would deem it appropriate in that context to also change her undergarments.¡±


    ¡°Oh my, look at the time. Thank you, Loraine. This is all so new to me, if I didn¡¯t have you what would I have done,¡± my mother replied with a smile, while I felt close to tears. Why did I have to endure such torture.


    While my mother took care of me, Mesana asked Loraine where she had been. I was also interested in that. Given that Lorain was my hand maid shouldn¡¯t she always be by my side? But I did not see her since this morning.


    ¡°Mistress, I had to instruct the new maids, and also look after our visitor, which took longer than expected. Afterwards I found you, the Madam and the young mistress in the sitting room in such peace and quiet, so, I followed my judgement and waited outside the door to not let any pests enter the room,¡± she said with a sweet smile but even in the situation that I was in, I felt a shiver run down my spine. Why are all the females in this family so scary? I asked myself while being close to tears once again. My mother asking me if I have to ¡®do poopy¡¯ did not help my emotional balance and afterwards I only felt exhausted.


    Later that day my mother and I moved to my parents¡¯ bedroom, and shortly after my father came back. When he entered through the door, I was quite scared of him, his facial features frozen over and his aura giving me a sharp and cold feel. But after the door closed behind him and he shut his eyes for a few seconds while deeply breathing in and out, his whole demeanor changed to the father that I woke up to this morning. His smile ready, his eyes oozing love and his warm hug that he gave my mother and me almost immediately afterwards.


    Given my parents demeanor, I knew that my family loved each other. Just not in the eyes of others.


    As my mother and father talked about each other¡¯s days, my mother holding me in her arms while sitting on my father''s lap, in the chair by the window I felt the whole day catch up to me.


    Just as my eyes drifted close I could hear my mother whisper into my ear.


    ¡°I hope you grow up safe and strong with all of our love.¡±


    And as sleep claimed me I could feel her soft lips pressing against my forehead, filling my body with love and warmth.

 Chapter 9

    The next three days were almost the same.


    I met my father only in the morning and the evening and most of the time was spend with my Mother and Mesana in the sitting room.


    On the third day my own bedroom was finally finished and as such the time with my father was sadly reduced. He still visited in the morning and spend most of his evening playing with me, but he still had to go to their bedroom to sleep so I couldn¡¯t fall asleep to his voice when he talked to my mother and in the morning he had only time to kiss me on the forehead and wish me a good day and ask me to be obedient.


    The first few months went on like that. I was woken up by my father and shortly afterwards my mother came in to start the daily torture of breast-feeding, diaper change and being bathed. Somewhere along the line, I started to blank out whenever one of these events were due.


    Afterwards my Mother and Mesana took me to the sitting room. Over time more and more of the toys that were originally in my bedroom got transferred over and the time my mother spend reading her books lessened.


    When Lorain had the time she also played with me helping me build up necessary muscles to start crawling when I was older.


    The first time Lorain picked me up and held me close to the ground to see if my step reflex was alright, I looked at her as if I was seeing an idiot. From then on at least once a day she would make me do this exercise until the reflex stopped 2 months after my birth, satisfying Lorain and making her announce to my parents that I was developing normally.


    If it was left up to my mother she would have carried me wherever I needed to go.


    It was quite tough getting enough strength in my body to support my own weight. In the beginning, I couldn¡¯t even roll over never mind supporting my body with my arms and legs.


    As I started playing with my toys I could often be found trying to lift them up which after a while wasn¡¯t difficult. The hard part was holding them up for a period of time. And not just because of my strength. Mostly Mesana or my Mother were in the vicinity when I tried these exercises and somehow they got the idea that I wanted to give them the items that I held up for a long time. A few tears later the toys were returned to me but my playtime also ended, followed by a very long cuddling time ¡­ not that I am complaining. But it did hinder my efforts to build up strength.


    When I finally had enough to roll over and push myself on my hands and knees, I faced another hurdle ¡­ balance.


    The first time I tried to crawl, I did a magnificent face plant onto the floor.


    Lorain immediately picked me up from the floor and examined me from head to toe but luckily only a small bump on my forehead was the evidence of my failure.


    My mother fussed over me for quite a while, even after healing me with her magic, so the day ended in another cuddle session and the praise of my father that after hearing my story sprouted such lines like ¡°As expected of my daughter¡± and ¡°She is already strong enough for that? That must be because of our outstanding genes!¡± followed by kisses and a soft hug from him.


    Given that my father seemed almost afraid to hold me too tight, that was quite a strong hug from him.


    After the next few attempts at crawling, I gave it up for a while and started with something I thought was a little easier. Sitting.


    However, it seems that the floor had a particular affinity with my body.


    I once again rolled over from my back to my belly. Then slowly as if I wanted to crawl I pushed my upper body upwards. But this time I kept my lower body on the floor.


    Just as I reached the posture I wanted to achieve, gravity kicked in once again just like it did before.


    I could feel my body slowly tilting backwards and just as I wanted to lean forward my back crossed the angle in which that was possible so I fell on my back hitting my head with a loud ¡°bang¡± on the floor.


    This time it was Mesana that was with me and she totally freaked out.


    She immediately called for my mother and started prodding on the back of my head, making the pain much harder to ignore and causing me to start to cry.


    My mother immediately took me from Mesana when she saw my tears and healed me however I had already lost myself in the feeling and just couldn¡¯t stop making my mother quite nervous.


    Finally after causing a huge ruckus that made even other servants come to see if there was anything they could help with, Lorain showed up and after taking me from my mother and laying my head against her heart, she covered my eyes and my other ear with her hand shutting out all the other sensations that I did not even realised were too much for my head causing me a headache.


    After a few minutes I calmed down, being handed over to my mother I could feel her relax under me and cuddled myself into her bosom falling asleep.


    After much trial and error I finally beat gravity first sitting on my butt and then crawling for a few steps, a moment that was so exhilarating that I once again lost my balance and came crashing to the floor.


    The day I achieved to crawl marked the 5th month anniversary of my birth, which according to Lorain was quite early earning me once again praise from my father for being such a genius.


    I think we have a foolish parent in the making ¡­ no sorry I was wrong, it was already too late.


    I came to such a conclusion the evening of my grand feat.


    My mother and father were once again using the little time they had for a bit of family bonding in my room, and I was nestled in my father''s arms when my mother asked my father how work was doing.


    She became suspicious as his whole body froze for a moment and he answered her without looking her in the eyes, giving an ¡°Everything is fine, you don¡¯t have to worry¡± answer.


    After a bit of prodding she found out that he started leaving work earlier and earlier since my birth so that quite a bit of paperwork had accumulated.


    That was the moment that I once again heard a familiar name.


    ¡°Mesanth if you don¡¯t take this seriously I have to have with Old Zhong ¡­¡±


    ¡°No please dear, I will finish these papers in three days ¡­ no two days ! I can do it so please don¡¯t tell him.¡±


    ¡°Darling ¡­ did you lie to him and tell him that everything was ok?¡± the smile that adorned my mother''s face let shivers run through my body, and given my fathers expression and the quivers I could feel through his arms he could feel them too.


    That was the first time that my father used me as a shield in front of my mother.


    ¡°Thelil, I just wanted to spend more time with our daughter ¡­ how is that wrong?¡±


    ¡°That are two different matters. You can¡¯t just neglect your work ¡­ even if it is for our daughter. You are the king! The lives of thousand of people depend on you.¡±


    ¡°It is not that bad. You don¡¯t have to worry, I already finished all the important documents it is just the minor problems that pile up.¡±


    ¡°If you let them sit on your desk for long, these minor matters can become big before you know it.¡±


    ¡°I know but I find it unfair that you can have the whole day with Spera and I can only have the evening with her. And I even have to pretend that I don¡¯t care about her so I get no news whatsoever if anything were to happen to her.¡±


    ¡°Mesanth ¡­¡± I could feel my mother softening. I found it quite sad that they had to act like that but given the clues I overheard these past months it was not only our close family that were in danger, but also everyone loyal to my family and my aunt on my father''s side that seemed to be a prisoner of the queen.


    After that my mother hugged my father for a while.


    ¡°I can understand you ¡­ but you still have to finish the documents in the next days or I am going to Old Zhong. Do you understand me, mister?¡±


    ¡°Yes dear. I love you. You are the best,¡± My father said while kissing her repeatedly.


    Old Zhong? Wasn¡¯t that the old man that traveled with us from Coalesco? I didn¡¯t see him since then ¡­ who is he exactly?


    But I could not find out more from my parents, the discussion had ended before they could say more and I was laid into my crib, my eyes falling shut only moments later, the exhaustion of the day catching up with me.


    A few days later ¡­


    The days continued with me spending my days with my mother in the sitting room and I slowly got bored by it. Given my newfound mobility I started to slowly explore the room, but is was really just filled with books upon books.


    My mother found me when I sat in the corner just staring blankly at the wall in front of me. Even my new toys didn¡¯t help me against my boredom.


    Seeing that my mother took pity upon me and started to tell me stories.


    They were beautiful stories of the fae, a magical race that seemed to live since the beginning of time and mostly lived within or around their element, like a water-elemental near a lake or a fire-elemental near a bonfire. She told me that they were nature itself and it was extremely rare to come into contact with them since they could only be seen when they wanted to.


    Most of her stories were about magical beings making me very curious about the world outside that I would be able to see in the future.


    My favorite tale was about the mischief that the fairy folk played upon unsuspected travelers or if somebody offended them.


    However, after telling me about them for the first time, my mother¡¯s entire aura changed and she suddenly started to sing to me. However at first, I couldn¡¯t understand her words, not even one word was understandable, the words flowing into each other and the melodie so soothing that I could feel my eyelids getting heavier and heavier.


    Suddenly I could understand one word. It was repeated again and again, and slowly, I didn¡¯t know why, I knew that it meant ¡°Elementals, children of Nature¡±.


    Then slowly one after another the words started to make sense until I finally realised that she didn¡¯t even sing, she just told me a story.


    A story about Elementals and Fairies. About the mischief of the fairies and the shyness of the Elementals and how the races mostly saw them as the same and that lead to the hatred of these two, and the elves, since they were the only race that understood the difference between them and made contracts with the elementals, gaining their power but also the hatred of the races.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Still the lull of her voice made me sleepy and as my eyes closed I thought back to the language that I seemed to have learned in a few minutes.


    Could it be that I can understand any language that I hear?


    And with that I stepped into the land of dreams forgetting it.


    A few weeks later ¡­


    Yeay finally some change in the daily schedule~


    Yesterday my mother told me that I was now old enough to have my first tour of the castle grounds. I do think it has more to do with the fact that I did not knock myself down the last few days and so they were now sure that I could at least sit and crawl by myself.


    I was so excited that I found it hard to sleep.


    When my mother picked me up she even said ¡°You are lucky today. Your father will join the soldiers in their training so you can see him in action. But dear don¡¯t look too excited ok? I will never get your father to work if he knows how cool he looks when he is training,¡± with a sweet smile on her face.


    It seems like she is really looking forward to it.


    But really? The day I will be seeing the corps training is coincidentally the day my father finally has a day off from work? I am not buying that!


    But well, I do want to see him train. Given his physique and the way he moves, he was quite well trained, it was almost impossible to hear his steps if he didn¡¯t want you to.


    After exiting my room we met Mesana that had been waiting for us in front of the sitting room. Seeing us not walking in her direction she came over and, hearing that we wanted to see the training field, she followed us. We turned right and walked down the corridor until we reached a staircase that led down.


    The way to the training field led us through the big garden that could be seen from the sitting room. The air was filled with the fragrance of flowers and I could hear insects buzzing in the vicinity. My mother had reverted back to her outside persona, her expressions frozen and none of her thoughts could be seen on her face. Even her eyes had cooled down, apathetically looking forward.


    We walked for quite a while, passing through the garden, a big portico with a grand staircase and exited hall through a grand door.


    We passed by a few maids and butlers on the way, everyone greeting my mother with a curtsey and ¡°Your Highness¡±, but I could see malice in almost all of their eyes. My mother tightening her grip on me while taking deep breaths, ignored them all, walking by them with her head held high and a regal look to her person.


    Walking down a road I could already see a big sandy field in a valley next to the castle, to the right of the road, seperated from the palace by a hill. On top of the hill, which was on the same level as the castle, a road could be seen encircling the field. But I could see why we had to walk for so long. The whole castle was surrounded by a wall which was once again covered by a large hedge.


    Mesana who had always walked a few steps behind us hurriedly walked past us to help my mother walk down the steps to the field, which looked like they were carved directly from the hill, each step a bit uneven.


    We safely reached the field and I could see a few benches on the site were my mother took a seat, Mesana standing behind us.


    My mother shifted me in her arms so that I could see the field, but from the people that I could see I didn¡¯t recognised anybody.


    I could see about two to three hundred men running around the field. Then a sharp sound could be heard and they stopped, crouched down and started waddling while holding their arms in a ninety-degree angle from their body.


    On the next sound they stood up again but every three steps they crouched down again to touch the floor.


    After about five different exercises they started running again but whenever a sharp sound could be heard they turned around to jog backward.


    A few minutes later I could hear somebody shout


    ¡°Warmup finished. Take a five minute break and then we continue with coordination and balance training.¡±


    The voice sounded like Warthon, but since I didn¡¯t meet him for the last few months I wasn¡¯t quite sure.


    Most of the troupe walked to the other end of the field, leaving a group of about ten people, as well as my father, in the middle of the field.


    One of the men, he was a bit shorter than the rest and had less muscles with short back hair and black eyes, whispered something to my father on which he immediately turned towards us, but since he was a bit to far away I couldn¡¯t see the expression on his face.


    The group started to walk to us. After coming nearer I could recognise Warthon next to my father, his blue eyes, scales and hair in stark contrast to my father¡¯s red hair, scales and eyes.


    Most of the group had colour schemes in the black or brown range, three of them without any scales and on the top of two others, that had light brown hair, I could make out furry ears but more pointy then Mesanas and with a bushy tail behind them.


    When they arrived before us, my father firstly turned his head from side to side, observing his surroundings.


    When the ten men surrounded us in a half circle he finally relaxed a fraction and bend down to give my mother and me a light kiss on the forehead.


    ¡°I am happy that you are here my love,¡± he said to my mother, his eyes warm while looking at my smiling mother.


    ¡°Auuu,¡± I said, taking his attention from her and making him take me from my mother''s arms.


    ¡°Yes, sweety, I also missed you.¡± He laughed while rubbing my cheek against his.


    Giving me back to my mother he once again had something whispered into his ear by the slim black haired man.


    Nodding he turned around and walked back to the field after smiling at us. As he turned around I could see his facial features freezing and his aura radiating an oppressing feeling.


    Five of the men immediately followed him, but the rest stayed behind for a bit.


    Warthon had moved next to Mesana and was exchanging small talk, both of them having a smile on their face.


    The slim black haired one also stayed back, introducing himself as Eric and telling my mother that he was given the duty to protect her while she was out in the open.


    The other three, one beastman named Cloude, one with light brown hair named Galven who, at closer inspection, had pointy ears, and one dark brown haired man that told us his name was Ben. My mother seeing me looking at Ben in dissatisfaction since I couldn¡¯t figure out what race he belonged to, told me that he was a human. They were a race that rarely wandered into the Draconian lands and lived mostly on a Continent called Solaris, but Ben was one of the best warriors of my father so his race was not really important to everyone in the troops.


    The shrill sound shattered the tranquility of our situation and Cloude, Warthon, Ben and Galven hurriedly jogged to the middle of the field where my father already waited with most of the troops.


    My mother looked at Eric with questioning eyes but he just said that my father had released him from the training to watch after my mother.


    Suddenly I could hear an audible gasp from Mesana. My mother turning to her giving me the opportunity to see her face which was radiating fury. Following her gaze I could see Warthon standing near a beautiful blonde woman who seemed to almost lean on his body, she stood so close to him.


    When she layed one hand on his arm seemingly asking him a question while looking up to him, I could hear a voice from behind my mother that shook with underlying fury.


    ¡°Milady, could I maybe join the sparring session?¡±


    Mesana asked my mother with a smile on her face, however her eyes weren¡¯t smiling at all.


    ¡°Oh dear, of course. However before that could you maybe enlighten me what brought on this sudden change in demeanor?¡±


    She answered while still trying to control her facial expression, however I could see the corners of her mouth slightly twitching upwards.


    ¡°Milady, I just thought that I didn¡¯t have had a workout in recent years and since we are already on the training field I could try and polish up upon my techniques.¡±


    ¡°Well, then, I wouldn¡¯t want my companion to not be able to defend herself.¡±


    My mother motioned her to the field.


    Mesana slowly walked onto the field, the pairs starting to move out of her way without her even announcing her presence. It was as if she walked through an alley, the men parting and standing on both sides not daring to move a single muscle.


    My mother suddenly turning her body so that I couldn¡¯t see the training field anymore, but given the sounds Mesana had found an unlucky guy that had wanted to try out against her.


    Looking up to my mother she just smiled wryly at me.


    ¡°Spera, just remember to never make your aunt angry ok?¡±


    After a few moments my body once again started to feel sleepy so I nuzzled into her arms ignoring the screams that came from the training field.


    In the evening my father entered my room with a depressed expression on his face. Coincidentally it was in one of the few moments that I was left alone by my mother, Mesana or Lorain.


    After entering and closing the door he immediately walked to my crib and picked me up hugging me to his chest.


    I could feel that his emotions were in chaos and he forgot about his strength squeezing me stronger than normal causing a slight pain in my body. A whimper slipped from my lips making my father immidiantly loosen his embrace.


    He took a few deep breaths and, after gaining back enough control, apologized to me giving me a normal hug and kissing my cheeks and forehead, his stubbles causing a slight itch and making me giggle.


    He held me at arm''s length and smiled at me but I could still see the torment in his eyes.


    In that moment my mother came into the room and hugged my father. He put me once again into my crib and hugged my mother back, giving her a kiss and smiling down on me.


    ¡°She is perfect, isn¡¯t she?¡± He asked my mother who only slightly laughed.


    ¡°Come on Mesanth, let¡¯s get to bed. Everything will be fine.¡±


    She also said goodbye to me and then led my father out of the room leaving me with more questions that I had before making it almost impossible to sleep through the night.


    The next weeks were normal, so I forgot about this night again but there was always this nagging feeling in the back of my head telling me that not everything was ok.


    At seven months, my mother surprised me with the announcement that I will now start receiving other food than her milk. The constant info dumps over the months whenever my mother talked about her dinner with Mesana or Lorain, had started to drive me crazy but also gave me a better understanding of the ¡°outside¡± world, being both a blessing and a curse.


    I was placed in a chair with a little table in front of it, and wiggling left and right I found out that I couldn¡¯t really move that much.


    Lorain sat down a bowl with a yellow colour down in front of me. I wasn¡¯t really looking forward to the taste given the colour. However as Lorain filled a spoon with the ¡­ mush and held it against my lips, under the motto ¡°You can¡¯t know until you taste it¡±, I took a bite of the mush and swallowed it.


    The slight uncomfortable feeling in the back of my head, that I always had when a info dump happened, the thought ¡°Tastes like Chicken ¡­ but doesn¡¯t it always¡± popped into my head.


    To be clear it didn¡¯t taste great, and I really prefered my mother''s milk however I was sure that Lorain would only give me something that was good for me so I resigned myself to the task of eating this mush.


    Like that the first year of my life went by with nothing serious happening. My father had Lidiana under strong surveillance and never left my side for more than half a day.


    Lorain started reading books to me when I was eight months old with me sitting on her lap so I could already read shortly after the written language coming to me as easy as the spoken tongue. Of course, I still pretended to babble nonsense and just listen to the story instead of reading it myself to keep up the appearance of a normal toddler. But I think my mother, Lorainand Mesana couldn¡¯t be fooled. Well, how do you fool people that seemed to observe you for every minute of your life for many months and not give away that you can understand what they are saying and that you are more intelligent than your normal toddler? Given that and Lorain had three kids of her own so she knew from the first week on that I wasn¡¯t normal. But please, who in their right mind would start crying and screaming out of nowhere if you could help it. After my first tantrum just to try it out I had a sore throat and I can say, you can also live without that.


    From time to time I could see little specks of light in my environment but every time I wanted to touch them my body seemed to have a life of its own refusing to come even near them. Not that that stopped me but I gave in when I got a mean headache after I forced my body to move towards the speck. After that I tried to stay away from them as far as possible.


    My mother told me yesterday that today was my birthday so that would mean I am finally one year old. I think today I should start with ¡° mommy¡± and ¡°daddy¡± maybe even a few words that sound similar to what I wanted to say.


    Baby-speech here I come!


    I hyped myself up by getting out of bed, my crib having evolved into a large canopy bed when I was 9 months old, and standing in front of the mirror giving myself a little motivation speech practising out loud. But suddenly from one minute to the next just as the old clock in my bedroom struck midnight my body started to ache.


    It felt like a hole had opened up in the middle of my chest and pain spread over my body from that point onward.


    My little hands clenched onto my clothes and I gave out a painful crying sound as I crumbled to the floor. Loraine was suddenly near me as I fell down and crouched next to me in a panic.


    Tears gathered in my eyes and I could feel my body heating up. My breath came out with small gasps and my mind was muddled.


    I recognised that someone seemed to lay me on the bed and I could recognise my parents next to me, my mother holding onto my hand while crying, my father standing next to her with a stormy expression on his face. I could feel my consciousness fading and not knowing if I ever wake up again, I wanted to at least accomplish my goal that I just had set to myself.


    So I looked at my parents through my tears really trying to make out their faces and breathed out ¡°Mommy ¡­. Daddy.¡±


    I could see the shock on their faces and my mother and father¡¯s tear stricken faces that rapidly came closer as I lost consciousness crying my name, while I just found the strength to smile at them.


    I fell into darkness.


    I don¡¯t know how long I was in this darkness, but after a while I could feel my senses returning connecting me to a place that felt unfamiliar do me.


    Just as my senses fully returned to me I could hear a beautiful voice behind me.


    ¡°Huh, what are you doing here?¡± -?-

 Chapter 10

    ¡°Huh, what are you doing here?¡± -?-


    As I opened my eyes to look at the person that this musical voice belonged to I was greeted with complete darkness.


    I once again tried and tried only to always end up where I started. Seeing nothing around me. My mind keeps telling me that I lost something while I was in the darkness, something important. But for all that was holy, I couldn¡¯t make out what it was.


    *Hatchi*


    Suddenly I heard a sneeze behind me in the direction that the voice came from before.


    ¡°Why the hell am I sneezing again? A God shouldn¡¯t sneeze!¡±


    Ok ¡­ so the voice belongs to a God, huh ¡­ wait ¡­ A GOD!!! Why the hell am I in the company of a God?


    ¡°Hey, you!¡±


    The voice was once again directed at me.


    I started to panic ¡­


    What if the God ¡­well Goddess in terms of the voice sounding female ...was angry with me? But why? I did not do anything wrong, right? Oh for the love of God (well, present company excluded) I can¡¯t remember what I had done ... I am only a slightly more intelligent baby that harmed no one and I did nothing wrong!


    *Hatchi* once again I could hear a sneeze behind me.


    ¡°I asked you something why aren¡¯t you answering.¡±


    I opened my mouth I am sorry ¡­ huh?


    Just as I wanted to respond I could sense that my thoughts weren¡¯t transmitted into words. Something was wrong ¡­ something was very wrong ¡­ why couldn¡¯t I see, why couldn¡¯t I speak and why the hell did this feeling of loss became stronger as the time went by.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡±


    ¡°Wait ¡­ somehow you seem familiar ¡­¡±


    ¡°Not mutual ¡­ Not mutual at all¡°


    ¡°What is it about you ¡­ From your data, I can see that you are an old soul but you have neither light nor dark affinities ¡­ so why?¡±


    ¡°Sorry can¡¯t give you answers to questions I don¡¯t have a clue about!¡±


    ¡°NO ¡­ No, no, no, no ¡­ this can¡¯t be ¡­ this perfect balance of light and dark mana. That can¡¯t be. Why are you here again?¡±


    ¡°Where the hell is here!!!¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be only one year old right now?¡±


    ¡°How do you know?¡±


    ¡°Did you die?¡±


    ¡°Not that I am aware of.¡±


    ¡°No that shouldn¡¯t be right¡­ If you died I would appear in Prena, not you here ¡­ What the hell is going on?¡±


    ¡°For the love of God¡±


    *Hatchi*


    ¡°I want to know that too!¡±


    ¡°SOUGUA!!! GET YOUR ASS HERE RIGHT NOW!!!


    Now back to you ... Are you the one responsible for making me sneeze?¡±


    ¡°Huh? How did you get that idea?¡±


    ¡°Since you came here, the itch in my nose is in overdrive and my sneezes are stronger than before. Like I said sneezing is not something that Gods normally do. So, ¡­ what did you do?¡±


    ¡°Ehm ¡­ no idea?¡±


    ¡°Still not answering?¡±


    ¡°Not like I can help it, you know? I don¡¯t know how to speak with you! For the love of¡±


    *Hatchi*


    ¡°... For the love of God.¡±


    *Hatchi*


    ¡°¡­ For Goddess sake.¡±


    *Hatchi*


    ¡°... Oh my God ¡­¡±


    *Hatchi*


    ¡°Are you having fun?¡±


    Suddenly a menacing voice could be heard. I could feel the vibrations and the power behind it. And all my mirth simply vanished. Even if I was able to make her sneeze at will I was still in the presence of a Goddess and I just pissed her off.


    ¡°Haaa ~ ¡­ Finally! Thank you, whatever you did is finally gone. I will still get back at you for that. But why aren¡¯t you answering me ¡­¡±


    ¡°BECAUSE I CAN¡¯T!!!¡±


    ¡°Wow, you don¡¯t need to scream!¡±


    ¡°Huh? You can hear me?¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you are meek once again ¡­ thank you for not bursting my eardrums with that last stunt by the way ¡­ But to answer your question I wanted to know what you were thinking about, so I established a mental pathway between us. Who could know that at that moment you were screaming at me? Really lady, mind your manners you are a princess!¡±


    ¡°I am sorry ¡­ but you are also at fault ¡­ and how do you know I am a princess?¡±


    ¡°Oh, are we pouting right know?¡± *chuckle* ¡°And for the question, I am right now in your mind and can see your memories, of course, I can also access them ¡­ so that explains that.¡±


    ¡°YOU ARE WHAT!¡±Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°Oh calm down ¡­ I am not so desperate that I look at each one of them .. even if these emotions on your daily baby-care are fun to watch ¡­¡± *chuckle*


    ¡°Noooo ~ Don¡¯t look at them!¡±


    ¡°Oh, you are pouting again ¡­ hahaha, you are so funny!¡±


    ¡°N-No I am not! ¡­ But that is beside the point ¡­ can you help me talk to you? I feel a bit uncomfortable having you in my mind. And GET AWAY FROM MY MEMORIES! Please?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha ¡­ I didn¡¯t have this much fun since your last visit 24 years ago ¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait 24 years? But I am only one year old ¡­¡°


    ¡°Oh yes. In my room, the time is 24 times faster than in general ¡­ you know I am the Goddess that governs over Life and Death so I need a bit of extra time than most of the Gods to finish all the paperwork. So my room is special but we will get into that in a minute. The reason you are not able to speak is that you try to use your mouth ¡­¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that normal?¡±


    ¡°Shush .. Let me speak!¡±


    ¡°Yes Ma¡¯am!¡±


    ¡°As I said before you are in the room of the Goddess of Life and Death, that accelerates everything at a speed of 24 times the normal time. So, only Gods and Souls can enter it since they are essentially immortal and so not affected by my room.


    And that means, right now, you are in your soul form and YOU. DO. NOT. HAVE. A. MOUTH! Now stop screaming in my head.¡±


    ¡°WHAAAA ~ *cough**cough* ¡­ Yes ¡­¡±


    ¡°Deli¡±


    ¡°Yes, Deli I am calm ... I am so calm. I amcalm, Iam calm, I am calm, Iamcalm ¡­¡±


    ¡°Ok ok ok you can stop that ¡­ Now the way you communicate as a soul is easy ¡­ Instead of trying to say the words with your mouth, think about it like the person you are talking to can hear them and then project them outside ¡­¡±


    ¡°So like thinking loud right?¡±


    ¡°Yes but please no screaming ok? Normally since we are in the Immortal Plane you can¡¯t communicate at all since a soul is in itself weaker than a God. So for the Gods to hear your ¡°thinking out loud¡± we have to lower our mental barriers quite a bit so when you scream you are essentially hurting us with that and a few of my acquaintances would almost instantly kill you for that, do you understand me?¡±


    ¡±Yes Ma¡¯am!¡±


    ¡°Oh, and the same goes for the visual element ... just think about it as being able to see without focusing on your eyes.¡±


    ¡°Ok ¡­¡±


    I found it a bit hard to really totally not think about my sensory organs as the reason for my sensations, so I needed about half an hour to get it right but then I could finally see my surroundings, I was blown away. But a little part of me found my surroundings familiar, not that I could put my finger on it, it just was that ¡­ a feeling.


    ¡°Well, that is not important right now. Ok, so, like last time¡­¡±


    ¡°Deli ¡­ Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Oh ... you are fast! Normally souls need at least two hours to get it right and you only needed half an hour. You impress me again and again. Just like last time ¡­¡±


    ¡°Right, Deli, I wanted to ask you about that ... why are you always speaking as if we met before and got to know each other?¡±


    ¡°Oh, right your memories were sealed ¡­ well, first let us sort out this mess of your appearance here before we get into detail ¡­ Sougua should be back right now with ¡­¡±


    *knock, knock*


    ¡°As we speak of the devil here he is ¡­¡±


    ¡°Mistress could you please stop referring to me as a devil. I am just doing my job.¡±


    A handsome young man with white skin, midnight black eyes and hair, in a butler uniform entered the room but only took one step before standing still. His mouth formed a smile, however his eyes were like black orbs unable to show any emotion giving him a cold feeling like a statue.


    *tsk*


    ¡°Mistress ¡­ *sigh* ¡­ well, I bought the two young Masters along. Do you give the permission for entry?¡±


    ¡°Haaah ¡­ I totally forgot for a moment. Yes, yes, let them in.¡±


    ¡°Hey Sis, that is mean ~ ...¡±


    ¡°Muwa is right! You asked us to come here, without so much as an explanation and now you say that you forgot us?¡±


    ¡°Wiju, I don¡¯t need you to support me you know?¡±


    ¡°Huh? How would you be able to do anything without me, you muscle-brain?¡±


    ¡°Shut up you bookworm!¡±


    ¡°Trainfreak!¡±


    ¡°Antisocial NEET!¡±


    ¡°Huh? Is that the best you can do, you buffalo?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°HUH?¡±


    ¡°HUH?¡±


    ¡°SHUT THE FUCK UP, BOTH OF YOU!!!¡±


    ¡°YES, SIS!!!¡±


    *wow seems like Deli has the pants on in this relationship ¡­ this would be perfect with a bit of caramel popcorn ¡­ whatever that is, haa ~ seems like my mind is info spamming me again ¡­ even though it was so quiet for the last few months*


    ¡°Now that I have your attention, I would like you to explain to me how that happened?¡±


    She said while pointing at me.


    ¡°HEY! I am not a thing! My name is Speraenya Emerthelil of Praesto.¡±


    At the sudden glare of Deli which was directed at me, I shrunk back.


    ¡°But you can call me Spera.¡±


    ¡°Now, Wiju, Muwa, can you tell me how this situation could happen?¡±


    ¡°Wow ¡­ quite a strong soul but also quite young? That is the first time I have seen such an occurrence ¡­¡± The beautiful man with ocean blue eyes and dark blue hair approached me and started inspecting me.


    Meanwhile, the black clothed man who had his whole body covered except for his green eyes looked at me from the other side of the room.


    After he had noticed me he suddenly got really quiet, even though he had insulted the scholarly man that examined me right now, just moments before.


    ¡°Deli ¡­ what do you think?¡±


    Wow, even his voice got lower ¡­


    ¡°I thought maybe you can tell me. I blessed this soul just before her reincarnation, but that should not have allowed her to just pop up in my room without literally dying while trying.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, you said blessing? But you never give out a blessing ¡­ Wait, you did! Like a year ago right? You told us in the conference.¡±


    ¡°Yes ¡­ she is that soul.¡±


    ¡°Hey you know I am right here, right? Can you please not talk like I can¡¯t hear you?¡±


    ¡°What kind of blessing did you give her?¡±


    ¡°Just a normal one. But she did not even awaken it that should have happened on her 12 birthday, but she is not even one year old.¡±


    ¡°Hey ¡­¡±


    ¡°What if you made a mistake?¡±


    ¡°HUH? I don¡¯t make mistakes!¡±


    ¡°Well, I am just saying that could be a possibility... and if I am remembering correctly you had a lot on your plate last year. Maybe we should look into that ¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey ¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s do that. What do you think could have gone wrong?¡±


    Suddenly a dark voice sounded in the room.


    ¡°Grand Blessing ¡­¡± that voice belonging to Muwa that had moved right next to me without me even noticing.


    ¡°WHAT?!?¡± ¡°WHAT?!?¡± Deli and Wiju screamed.


    ¡°HEY!!!¡± I screamed.


    ¡°Ghuu ~¡± all three Gods and Sougua that had stood by the door groaned.


    ¡°I TOLD YOU NOT TO SCREAM !¡±


    ¡°THEN DON¡¯T IGNORE ME!¡±


    ¡°SHUT UP!¡±


    *For goodness sake ~*


    *HATCHI*


    And just like that the room descended into an uncomfortable silence.

 Chapter 11

    After Deli sneezed an uncomfortable silence hung in the room.


    Well, that was until Muwa and Wiju started laughing almost immediately.


    Deli gave both of them a murderous glare that shut them up on the spot but could not prevent a giggle or two slipping out of both of them from time to time.


    She turned to Spera and glared at her. A dreading feeling came over Spera but she could not move her soul, feeling like it was bound in place.


    ¡°You will crease this immediately! Explain to me how you can make me sneeze! And I dare you to scream once again. I already told you that it causes us, Gods, a splitting headache when you do and I will not repeat myself again! If you so much as try to raise your voice I will squash you like a bug and I will feel no remorse for that. And do you really want to die after only living for a year?¡±


    ¡°I am sorry Deli. I have no excuse for my behavior and I hope that you can forgive me my mistake. But the only thing I do is think about ¡­ a higher being in existence as either a prayer, a sight of exhaustion or a curse and you sneeze ¡­¡±


    ¡°Well isn¡¯t that interesting?¡± Wiju said starting to slowly circle around her soul once or twice prodding her soul with his index finger. His smile giving Spera¡¯s soul a shiver down her imaginary spine.


    ¡°Ok, that was not what I imagined ¡­¡± Deli said looking a bit taken aback.


    ¡°Let me check the information once again ¡­ Haaa ~ Wiju, you were right ¡­ It was a Grand Blessing ¡­ How the hell did that happen?¡±


    ¡°Mylady?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sougua? Do you have an Idea? It seems I can¡¯t expect my Brother ¡­¡± she shot a glare at Wiju who still prodded Spera''s soul ¡°... to answer. He is like a child on a sugar rush in a Toy Store ¡­ Haaa ~¡±


    ¡°Mylady, if the information that I have is correct, the esteemed Masters have both also given this soul a blessing ¡­¡±


    ¡°WHAT? Muwa, Wiju get your asses here immediately!¡±


    ¡°Hey, sis ...¡± ¡°...we didn¡¯t do it¡­¡± ¡°...even though I don¡¯t know what you are talking about¡­¡± ¡°... me too ¡­ hahaha¡±


    *Pfff ~ Well seems like they can agree on something ¡­ if it involves their lives*


    Spera had ahard time not projecting her thoughts since she knew she just got away by a hair¡¯s breadth.


    And right now her survival was literally on the line.


    ¡°Then how do you explain that both of you gave her a blessing, huh? This is not something that just happens by accident!¡±


    ¡°Huh? Musclebrain, you too?¡±


    ¡°Well, at that time it seemed like a good Idea and you did it, too! Like you always say you are the smart one here!¡±


    ¡°Of course I am! I am the God of Wisdom and Judgement what else do you think I am other than smart! BUT if you had just thought about it for one second with the remaining grey cells that are in your overblown head you would have realized that this soul now has the blessing of the three Origin Gods!!!¡±


    ¡°You have to be kidding me! ARGH!!!¡± Deli screamed and smashed her fist onto the corner of her table, breaking it in the process and leading to her table sagging to the floor spilling all the documents throughout the room. ¡°Sougua! Clean up!¡± She demanded and without a word of protest, the man started to dissipate into black smoke that spread throughout the room picking the pages up and organizing them into neat stacks of paper next to the broken table.


    Spera felt that if she had not been in her soulstate, according to a mirror on the wall, that she had discovered when she followed Sougua¡¯s smoke state cleaning up, consisted of her being a ball of fire that had a light grey tint and hovered in mid-air, her jaw would have dropped down immediately.


    Wiju once again started circling her and this time his hands glowed when he touched her.


    ¡°Given your reaction, I presume that she has the corresponding title to the miracle?¡±


    A paper materializing in Delis hand, making her aura descent into gloom.


    ¡°Yup ¡­ here it stands in black and white: ¡°Blessing of the three Origins¡±. That got to be a joke.¡±


    ¡°Hey! What does the title ¡°Three Origins¡± mean?¡± Spera asked Wiju.


    He turned to her and his eyes deepened as if she looked at a bottomless ocean. That could devour her at any moment.


    ¡°The ¡®Three Origins¡¯ is a Title that we Siblings share as we are the first Gods that were created by the Allfather and Allmother, be her soul in everlasting peace. We govern over life and death, Wisdom and Justice, Murder and War. Combined we achieve a power that could erase all that is in existence even our father.¡± He spoke to her mind, giving her a look that told her she should never share this information with anyone else.


    ¡°Sister, it was just a mistake ¡­¡± Muwa threw in, in a small voice. His imposing body seemingly shrinking into itself to make him appear smaller. He had realized what a blunder he had committed.


    ¡°A mistake that evolved my Blessing into a Grand Blessing! You know that it was forbidden to bestow one without the majority of the God¡¯s Council agreeing to it.¡±


    ¡°Why are you so hysterical ¡­ these small fries can¡¯t do anything to us.¡±


    ¡°Oh yes they can! They can increase our workload and cut our benefits!¡±


    ¡°Oh ¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes ¡®Oh ¡­¡¯ you big buffoon! And that is not even the worst that happened. Did you forget that she got a title to that? The effects are even more dramatic than you can imagine ¡­ It not only boosted Deli¡¯s blessing to a grand one, it also gives her protection against most negative effects such as soul or mind magic. It also gives her the ability to interact with any kind of magic that is in existence. No wonder she suddenly appeared here!¡±


    ¡°What exactly do my blessings do?¡± Spera asked Wiju again. If he was the God of Wisdom he could share a bit with her couldn¡¯t he?


    ¡°I am not so sure about the other but my Blessing gives you the understanding of all spoken languages, a fast comprehension of the written language, a cool head to make a good judgement and a photographic memory. I think you already noticed the effects in just the year you lived already.¡±Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°Yeah, I always wondered why I understood everything that someone said and I learned to read so fast.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Muwa, Deli, a little help here! I have a general Idea what your blessings do but our guest wants to hear the full explanation.¡±


    ¡°Hoh? Well listen well and be in awe! With my Blessing, you can use any kind of magic that exists as well as have a resistance against anything, even if it is just a minor resistance. It also grants you Mana vision and allows you to transverse with your soul ¡­ one of the reasons for your appearance here. You can also summon me in the moment before your death, meaning the chances of your dying are slim. Not impossible, but slim. And it gives you the privilege to attain full control of your soul prism when you reach the Diamond Stage.¡±


    After ending her explanation Deli motioned Muwa to explain his blessing while she immersersed herself muttering in her own little world.


    ¡°Little one ¡­ my blessing gives you enhanced physical abilities, but it also makes it easier for you to comprehend fighting techniques as well as see flaws in these techniques giving you the opportunity to either find their weak point and attack or upgrade the technique. A side effect is that you now have a killing mode that activates when you come in contact with violence and shuts down all your feelings, but you will have a backlash afterwards. The power of it is determined by the experience you have to go through.¡±


    ¡°Wow, they all seem quite overpowered. But you said that Deli gave me a Grand Blessing while I only got a minor one from you ... what is the difference there?¡±


    ¡°Hello ~ have you overheard the part where she said that in case you are in mortal danger you can summon her?¡± What do you think it means that you can summon an Origin Goddess huh?¡±


    ¡°Oh ¡­¡± Spera just said lost for words.


    ¡°Hey ¡­ but what does that have to do with my sneezing ¡­¡± Deli suddenly interrupted having finished her monologue and finding a few points that still weren¡¯t clear to her.


    ¡°Wait a moment ¡­ let me look. Ah! Deli did you perhaps seal her?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I had to ¡­ she was too strong for the mindwipe and so I had to improvise and seal the memories in her soul.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it seems to me that there was a defect in the seal. Or maybe it was under too much pressure from our combined blessing and the title. See here ¡­¡± He said pointing at a location, his eyes narrowing and Spera could finally understand how mice felt when they were before a crazy scientist


    ¡°... it seems like the seal is frizzled ¡­ there is a small hole ¡­ can you repair it?¡±


    ¡°I am sorry, but no.¡±


    ¡°Hoh! There is something even you can¡¯t do?¡±


    ¡°Yes, if it ison this magnitude! This seal can¡¯t be repaired. It would take the energy of a small galaxy and do you think father will give you one to repair a mistake that should not have happened?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, ok, so, what now?¡±


    ¡°Well, as I see it the reason for your sneezing and her appearance here is the seal. It gathers mana and because of the broken circuit the mana does not stay in the seal but is influenced by her thought. When she thinks these ¡­ words ¡­ the free mana literally hits you in the face and causes the sneeze, since your body uses that to get rid of the excess mana.¡±


    ¡°How is that possible? It is just a memory seal! It can¡¯t gather mana!¡±


    ¡°Well, not exactly ¡­ her blessings gather the Mana and since it seems you also sealed her Soul Space ¡­ why exactly did you do that?¡±


    ¡°She almost detonated her soul, ok! I just used it to hinder her on gathering ¡­ mana.¡± As the realisation settled in, Deli¡¯s facial muscles slackened and her knees gave out. Muwa immediately caught her or she would have crashed to the floor.


    ¡°It seems you caught on ¡­ I take it your second seal is time related?¡±


    ¡°Yes, every year a bit of the seal opens to let her body get accustomed to the Mana. Since she almost destroyed her Soul before, she does not have the normal Mana stages of the other mortals but just one stage that fills with Mana. But that stage is too big for her body, so her body would explode from the excess mana that she would produce.¡±


    ¡°Well, it seems like not only our blessings interacted with each other but also the seals. Haaa ~ From what I can tell you, little one,¡± he turned to Spera and she could see the pity in his blue eyes ¡°you are going to have to go through this until the seal on your Soul space is fully opened. You will regain all of your memories, but this will take at least ten years. And there is also ¡­ do you remember how you came here?¡±


    ¡°Of course, my chest started to hurt and my body gave out.¡±


    ¡°Well, you see, that was a mana explosion that was set free when your seal opened. This means ¡­¡±


    ¡°... this means for ten years I have to endure these ¡®mana explosions¡¯ as you call them? On my Birthday?¡±


    ¡°I am so sorry. But that was when the timer was set on the strike of midnight on the day you were born.¡±


    ¡°And I also have to warn you ¡­ the last few ¡®Openings¡¯ are especially hard since the seal is worn out and more and more Mana is already in your body to react with it.¡±


    ¡°Basically on the last ¡®Opening¡¯ you could die.¡±


    ¡°But ¡­ that can¡¯t be ¡­ there has to be a way!¡±


    ¡°There is a way ¡­ but you are too young for that ¡­ you will need a better understanding of your planet and maybe even a plan what you want to do with your life. Meanwhile, I will search for different solutions to your problem that you can choose from when you are ready. It was my fault that we are in this situation so I will search for a solution. You have my word.¡±


    ¡°Thank you ¡­¡± Spera was still shellshocked. She just had her first birthday and was already given a due date in ten years ¡­


    ¡°Wiju ... did you find out any way that her thinking will not disturb me?¡±


    ¡°Wha ¡­¡± Spera said but could not find the words. There she was wallowing in self-pity and the woman that just had shown her compassion and was the reason for this whole mess suddenly changed her entire tone and conduct.


    ¡°Oh, are you surprised little one?¡± Muwa asked stepping closer to her. She could still not figure him out. They insulted him and he was obviously quite strong but he did not retaliate. So, usually, he would be on the good side in her mind. But the atmosphere that he spread spoke of fear and death, so her soul shivered when he came near.


    ¡°You see ¡­ Deli is the Goddess of Death and Life, or Life and Death, depends on which side of your timeline you are on. So, not only does she has two domains to govern, the two powers are in her, warring over who would get the upper hand, either winning or losing the fight.¡± He looked at her, his green eyes shimmering with pain.


    ¡°In the beginning, it was still quite balanced but the older we got, the more intense their fight became. So, she did what she had to do and created two personalities ¡­ One more inclined to Life, one more to Death. They are both her ¡­ but both can never be who she is.¡±


    He looked at Deli and Wiju discussing a few feet away. Sougua still cleaning up the room and, to Spera¡¯s surprise, the desk was whole once again.


    ¡°You know ¡­ in the last few thousand years, it was always like this. I hope with your arrival, there will finally be change.¡± And Spera could have sworn that he smiled at her before standing up and exiting the room giving a shout to Deli and Wuji that he would return to his room but not waiting for their answer.


    ¡°Hey! Deli, Wiju, can one of you tell me how I get home? It seems to me that nothing can be done right now to help ¡­ I will refrain from saying the words ¡­ But I was already here for a few hours ¡­ I think my parents are quite worried.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see I already said that the time here flows 24 faster than in the normal world. So there should have passed less than an hour since you fell ill...¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me? My parents had to worry for over an hour already? Let me go home!¡±


    ¡°Calm down!¡±


    Deli stunned Spera for a moment giving her the chance to calm down and think about her behaviour. Feeling still a little unsettled, she thought about all the new information she got in the last few hours.


    ¡°Hey, now that I remember, you also said something about the different times before.¡±


    ¡°Yes, for example in my room the time is 24 times faster, in Muwa¡¯s room it is 12 times faster and in Wiju¡¯s it is 18 times faster ¡­¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit unfair?¡±


    ¡°Well, considering the other rooms have at the most a three to four-time increase, it is quite good wouldn¡¯t you say?¡±


    ¡°But is that not even more unfair? How is that even possible?¡±


    ¡°Each God-room is especially crafted by the Allfather for that God by using space and time magic. He knew that the most powerful Gods have the most to do so he created the timeline corresponding their power and responsibility.¡±


    ¡°Wow ¡­ as good as that is to know, could you sent me back?¡±


    ¡°One way trip to Prena coming right up ¡­¡± Deli said swiping her hand in the direction of the window which showed the multiverse. And with the motion of her hand Spera¡¯s soul finally moved from the spot it had occupied since the beginning of her visit, flying towards the window and vanishing just before she hit it.

 Chapter 12

    Back at Prena the whole castle of Praestolatio was in an uproar.


    The young princess had suddenly fallen ill at night. Some talked about an assassination attempt, others questioned the princesses health. Saying that it was no wonder that she was so weak. She had the cursed elven blood running through her veins.


    In the castle the Queen of Praesto and Mother of Spera, Emerthelil was just moments away from an emotional breakdown.


    Just yesterday her beautiful baby girl had run around and babbled happily to everyone that wanted to listen or found themselves in a position where they had to listen to her. Now her daughter lay still in her bed. Sweat running down her entire body and tremors rattling her still form. But she did not utter even a sound.


    Emerthelil had woken up to her daughter¡¯s scream at midnight and had found Lorain kneeling next to her daughter who had curled herself up on the floor. Her cries had almost ripped her heart out.


    When she finally was at her daughter¡¯s side, she had already lost most of her consciousness. Her beautiful red eyes swam in tears and she could see that it cost her tremendous effort to focus. And then her last words before she fell unconscious.


    Just thinking about her daughter crying out to her and her husband in such pain brought fresh tears to her eyes.


    Even now she lay still in her bed, Lorain tending to her and wiping the sweat of her body which seemed to appear just as it was wiped away.


    But this was not the time for tears and self-pity. Her daughter needed her.


    She was almost certain that the Dragon royalty had something to do with this. Ever since Spera¡¯s birth, they tightened their surveillance. They were the only ones that could have known that at midnight today was the first time that the protective detail had lessen.


    Just yesterday one of the shadow corps had been taken out since he had been compromised. Because of that just for a few minutes last night there had been none of Mesanths personal shadow corps stationed in her room.


    One doctor after the other was summoned and under the scrutiny of the King and Queen performed tests on their baby¡¯s body. But they could not find what was wrong with her. All of them said the same. Her daughter''s body was fine except her Mana veins, which in an infant''s body should not even have developed, seemed to have received some sort of impact. And all of them gave the same treatment method: Giving the Princess the time to heal herself.


    After the fifth doctor told her that Emerthelil sacked into herself. If not for her husband hurriedly catching her and holding her upright she would have knelt on the floor. At that moment she did not care for the pretense they had always upheld and she leaned herself unto her husband''s strong chest. She knew if she lost her daughter it would kill her.


    And she blamed herself. If she had just been more careful while pregnant, if she had just not attended the Dragon Queens ball and instead had given birth at home. The what if¡¯s circled around in her head and a tear slipped from her eyes.


    Just as the doctor left and the door to the princesses bedroom was still open, a beautiful young draconian woman entered the room. Her blood red scales and long, straight red hair shimmered under the light giving her a warm halo around her body, but her cold green reptilian eyes that seemed to look at Spera¡¯s body as if she had seen her prey, betraying her real objective.


    She gave a seductive smile to all the common maids and butlers that either escorted visitors or cleaned the premises. All of them Loyalists to the Draconian Crown, recognizable by the bow they gave the lady, right hand on their heart their head tilted to the right, baring their throat to the lady. Only Lorain and the King and Queen looked at her with hatred and disgust in their eyes.


    ¡°Lidiana, what are you doing here?¡± The queen straightened her body and placed it in the way of Lidiana so that she could not see the princess anymore. The meaning clear, if you want my child you have to go through me.


    ¡°Oh deary, why are you so tense?¡± She asked, tilting her head to the side and letting a predatory smile spread on her face, sharp teeth making her looks turn instantly dangerous.


    ¡°I will only ask you this once again ¡­ why are you here?¡± Emerthelil could feel her tension building and her restrain loosening. She so wanted to hit this woman senseless, this overgrown deceitful snake.


    ¡°Well, well, are you finally growing a pair? I would be careful if I were you, you know these little things travel fast hahaha ¡°


    And with that, it was as if she had poured a bucket full of ice water over her head.


    She stood frozen, her hand trembling and curling into fists at her side, biting her bottom lip so that she would not utter another sound and make this dangerous situation any graver.


    ¡°Oh, now, don¡¯t be such a Sissi.¡± She shrugged her shoulders, making it seem like the last few moments hadn¡¯t happened. Emerthelil looked up and couldn¡¯t stand to see her so nonchalant. Looking around everyone was averting their eyes, giving her once again the proof that she was surrounded by enemies. The ones she trusted had her back. Glancing over her shoulder she could see Mesanth standing next to Spera¡¯s bed, his body slightly vibrating from the emotions he had to hold inside. Next to Spera¡¯s bed, Lorain still sat like she was frozen on the chair only moving when she wiped her daughter¡¯s body. Love and concern radiating from her eyes but her face an impassive mask. She could even make out Jeanne in the shadows next to her husband, and she knew that she could only see him since he let her.


    She turned her head back to Lidiana and after taking a deep breath smiled at her.


    ¡°Miss Raziel, could you please enlighten me as to what I owe the pleasure of your company.¡±


    ¡°Much better¡± she said her smile turning predatory again.


    ¡°Well, to put you out of your misery, the Queen just gave me the message that your grace period has been extended, thank your little weakling of a daughter. Given the situation, the queen has expressed her disappointment that the elven heritage has left such flaws in the late Kings heritage. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    And I also have to personally thank you. Originally the Queen has ordered me to live on this Godforsaken island until your daughter reaches the age of her awakening ceremony, since that is now seen as unlikely the Queen has allowed me to return to after the princesses 6th birthday, if she can live that long,¡± she said ending in a high pitched laughter. Turning around she left the room, her hips seductively swinging from side to side making all the males on the normal staff turn to look after her as she vanished down the hallway, her laughter and the sound of her heels still haunting Mesanth and Emerthelil moments after she had already left their sight.


    Mesanth could feel his emotions vibrating in his body, fear, love, protective instinct, they all swirled in his mind, but he knew that he did not have the luxury to show it. It was one thing if the ¡°weak elven woman¡± showed emotions. But if he let them go, he knew that he would sign the death warrant for his whole family and all of his friends.


    The first thing he did after his daughter lost consciousness was summoning Jeanne from the shadows.


    The former assassin and now ¡°shadow master¡± of the castle as well as head-butler, was one of the strongest dark mages Mesanth had the pleasure to meet. And not in a good way. He was the only one that had survived attempting to assassinate him. After trying continuously for three years they had started to form a sort of friendship since both had respect for the other one¡¯s skills. After a while, Jeanne had stopped trying to kill him and just observed him until finally pledging his loyalty to him after two additional years. If anyone could find out what happened to his daughter, Jeanne could do it.


    Jeanne appeared only a second after Mesanth called for him through their connection, a handy tool that their loyalty oath had given them, his body manifesting out of the shadows. His black hair and black eyes contrasting sharply with his white skin, the shadows forming Panther ears and a tail on his body, proof of his half-beastman, half-vampire heritage.


    ¡°What did you find?¡± Mesanth knew that he did not have to specify his question, Jeanne knew what he wanted to know.


    ¡°I am sorry master, but there was nothing and no one that entered the princesses bedroom prior to her collapse, and everything she came into contact before entering her room has been analyzed. If someone did this intentionally I can find no clue of their presence.¡±


    ¡°How is that possible?¡± Mesanth asked, rage coloring his voice as his hairline started to darken, proof of his mana willing him to enter his berserker state.


    Even in her own emotional pain, Emerthelil calmed her husband down by laying her hand on his arm and infusing his body with a bit of her light magic.


    He looked at his daughter. Pain seared through his chest and he tightened his hold on his wife in his arms. He had heard from some of his companions that the death of a child could devastate the father and kill the mother.


    What should he do if she never woke up?


    As his thoughts started spiraling down a very dangerous road, a very light cough echoed through the room.


    Everything stilled until the silence was once again shattered by a light cough that came from the direction of the bed.


    Everyone whirled around and stared in shock at the young princess whose body was wracked with a coughing fit that let her chest leave the bed and fall had back down.


    Emerthelil was the first to come to her senses, ripping Mesanths arms open and running to her daughter¡¯s side. Mesanth stood in shock for just a second before following his wife to the bed.


    Spera was still coughing, her hand coming up to her throat as if she was choking on something but did not have the energy to move. Emerthelil hurriedly lay her on her side, letting her daughter cough out a dark blob of fluid that immediately vanished as it fell to the floor.


    Silence ensued as she tried to regain her breath, her gasps filling the silence of the room, nobody wanting to disturb this miracle.


    Slowly she opened her eyes, tears flowing out of them and her eyes not properly focusing. She tried stretching out one hand but it instantly fell powerlessly next to her body.


    Emerthelil took her hand, the warmth of it calming her heart and letting tears of joy fall from her eyes.


    She brought Spera''s hand to her cheek and rubbed it against it, smiling while in tears. She was just so happy that she woke up. It didn¡¯t matter to her that she had a weak body.


    She just wanted her baby to be alive.


    Spera slowly recovered her senses.


    Suddenly she felt like she could not breathe.


    Didn¡¯t Deli say that she would only die in about ten years? Why would she now suffocate only moments after she finally came back?


    She still could not feel her body but the need to survive forced her to pressure her airways and could finally force out a bit of what blocked it. Finally, a small breeze of air brought comfort to her lungs, but just as it helped, the feeling of suffocation returned and she coughed once again. After three to four tries, finally, someone had pity on her and turned her on her side. The next cough dislodged what was stuck in her throat. It flew into her mouth and she could taste something familiar to the bloody taste she had when she licked at a small cut she had a few months ago when Lidiana conveniently bumped her against a small table one of the times she could get her away from her mother. Just as she tasted it, the sensation revulsed her and she spit out whatever was in her mouth.


    Finally she could relax, a comforting sensation flowing through her body and with a sign she eased all her muscle, waiting for any other feeling coming back to her body.


    Just as the sensations of her body came to her again, she knew why Deli had smiled like that.


    It seemed like her whole body was pricked with needles. Just trying to move a muscle caused these needle prickles to intensify into a piercing pain that crawled up her limbs to her brain.


    And that wasn¡¯t even the best part.


    Deli had told her that parts of her memory would come back. She just didn¡¯t tell her that it would be combined by a massive headache.


    What she wanted to do was just hold her head and trash around in her bed.


    But that she couldn¡¯t do since her whole body hurt ¡­ what a way to find yourself between a rock and a hard place.


    Finally, when she felt like she had enough strength for it, she forced her eyes to open. At first, it was just a blurry mess, then she could make out different color which slowly became silhouettes. The first person she could make out, even if not clearly was her mother. Just behind her, she could make out a red and a black shape. Her guess being that it was her father and since he was always in her father''s vicinity the black shadow could only be Jeanne even if she didn¡¯t have much interaction with him the past year. A moment later a light brown figure in a black dress entered her vision. That must be Loraine, even if she could not make out her green eyes and her slightly sharp ears. For a moment she wondered if Warthon was in the vicinity. Normally he was right next to her father his blue coloring amplifying her father''s imposing aura unlike his soothing effect to Mesanas aura ¡­ speaking of Mesana where was her aunt? She hoped nothing had happened to her, given that normally they had to force her to leave her side.


    Coming back from her musings to the present she started to finally regain the focus on her vision.


    One of Spera¡¯s hands was rubbed against her mother¡¯s cheek. Her azure-blue eyes were full of tears and her blond hair was rumbled as if she had run her hands through it. A smile bloomed on her face as a tear slipped from her right eye.


    Emotions made Spera tear up. She was finally home.

 Chapter 13

    For a few moments the realization of coming back to her family numbed any sensation she felt.


    However, as sweet as such moments were, reality could be a bitch and Spera had a front row seat for that.


    It started as a slight tingle in her neck which slowly spread upwards until it exploded into a massive headache that made her cry out in pain at its intensity.


    Shreds of memories flashed before her inner eyes, places, people, conversations jumbled into each other making no sense to her. The flashes came faster and faster, the pictures fading into each other until she could only see a bright white light, before losing consciousness.


    Her sudden pain alarmed her family, the doctors were once again ordered to examine her.


    Everything seemed to be ok, and there should be no reason for her sudden loss of consciousness, making the assumption that it had to do with her unnatural Mana veins.


    Spera didn¡¯t wake up on that day again.


    The next day, the pain still hadn''t receded however this time she stayed awake.


    She couldn¡¯t really remember why she had fainted the other day, the moments after the pain had started being a blur of emotions and colors in her memories. However, she did notice a difference other than the horrible pain in her body.


    She seemed to have a few new memories that couldn¡¯t possibly be hers.


    These memories were quite blurry and it was impossible for her to name the people the person interacted with, but what was very clear were lessons in a subject named ¡°Chemistry¡± and ¡°Physics¡±.


    She could remember a few theories and knew what a prime number was, but couldn¡¯t really understand the principles or the context of them.


    However, these memories could wait. Not knowing why Spera had the feeling that she wouldn¡¯t forget them, rather with time they would be getting clearer. But what really astonished her was the sudden knowledge of why she was in this predicament, making her feel scared for the future and cursing her past self for being so stupid.


    With the motto that she shouldn¡¯t dwell on the things that she couldn¡¯t change in the present, she pulled herself from her musing, opening her eyes for the first time after her seizure.


    She just wanted to observe her surroundings before doing anything she moved her arms a little, wanting to sit up from her lying position on the bed.


    However, just the slight movement of her body brought forth an immense wave of pain that washed over her body.


    Not wanting to worry her already frightened family she tried to hide the pain.


    But with her mother¡¯s whole attention to her and the heightened perception of her parents that came from their race, they didn¡¯t miss telltale signs of her agony.


    Slowly but surely she sat up, heavily leaning on her mother for support.


    ¡°Mommy, pain¡±


    She uttered, her eyes shining from unshed tears.


    ¡°Oh sweety, I know. I am so sorry we can¡¯t help you.¡±


    And Spera could see her mother¡¯s despair at that statement.


    A man in white robes, who appeared on the other side of her bed, frightening her for a moment.


    She didn¡¯t know this man and his eyes were cold as they looked at her from Head to toe, making her body shiver under his penetrating stare that wanted to uncover all of her secrets.


    He seemed to be older than her father, his hair showing signs of white in his dark brown curls.


    Given the green scales that he could see on his neck and his brown-green reptilian eyes, he belongs to the Draconian race.


    Thinking over everything her mother had told her about the Draconian race, this man should be an Earth-draconian.


    Not understanding his presence in her room she slowly turned her head to her mother.


    ¡°Mommy who?¡± while indicating to the man.


    However, instead of her mother, her father answered, moving around the bed and placing his body between her and the stranger.


    ¡°Speraenya ¡­¡± given that they were in the company of an outsider he had to perform as a distant father, his eyes betraying his emotions.


    ¡°... I would like you to meet Geofray Honeth, a healer under her majesty the Queen.¡± Hatred for a moment flashing in his eyes.


    Not understanding why her father would invite somebody that was obviously not an ally she looked at him in confusion.


    ¡°Your condition was reported to the Queen,¡± her father began.


    ¡°When your condition showed no sign of healing and every healer in our country gave up on you, she decreed that Mr. Honeth should visit us to examine you.¡°


    Her mother tightening her arms around her, bringing her discomfort, when she remembered the hours upon hours that her daughter had spent in agony.


    A slight twitch of her father¡¯s hand revealing that he also wanted to hug his daughter.


    Not being able to endure she let out a slight grunt, making her mother immediately loosen her hug.


    Mr. Honeth ignoring Emerthelil and Speraenya, his focus on Mesanth as he stated his observation.


    ¡°I am honored to be in the service of the Queen.


    I am not sure as to why her Mana veins were injured, and I am not sure if there will be repercussions as such a case isn¡¯t known to us. It is a miracle that these veins even exists in her body, as most children build them around their fifth or sixth year. What I found peculiar, however, was the inability to heal her with magic as even a 4th tier spell showed no sign of having an effect.¡±


    Interrupting their conversation and earning herself a criticising look from the doctor Spera asked


    ¡°Mana veins?¡± stumbling over the pronunciation but bringing her question across.


    Mr. Honeth look turned even colder if that was possible, and in a haughty attitude, helooked down upon her, disregarding the fact that he was in front of a one-year-old child that seemed to be able to follow their conversation without a problem.


    ¡°Mana veins are the network that your body builds upon coming into contact with Mana, which is energy that is present in your surroundings. These veins enable you to use Magic which is used in every aspect of life.¡±


    Thinking about her first contact with this Mana and the subsequential events that led to her present state, she wanted to facepalm and once again curse at her past self.


    While stuck in her musing, she suddenly felt a shiver run down her spine. Slowly looking up, she came face to face with the cold eyes of Mr. Honeth, who looked at her as if he found a very interesting specimens that he wanted to dissect. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Having the feeling of being in a very dangerous situation right now, even with her parents right next to her, she furiously thought about a way out.


    But then she remembered, she was a one-year-old child. She had her age on her side.


    Having a scared look on her face, wasn¡¯t the problem. Now she only let the tears, that had threatened to flow because of pain, run and burrowed herself in her mother¡¯s embrace, turning her face from Mr. Honeth in a hurry. This had once again the effect that her whole body was in pain, having turned too quickly, and her tears became more genuine.


    ¡°Mr. Honeth, I think it would be better if you would leave now ¡­¡± Her father said, grinding his teeth in frustration since he couldn¡¯t very well act against a member that was there in the name of the Queen.


    He looked at her father, baffled by the blatant disregard for his position. However before he could utter a reply, a shiver ran down his spine and he could feel bloodthirst in the air.


    Looking at the source he could only see the beautiful elven-woman that the bastard had to marry by the Queen''s command, however, at that moment he saw no pitiful weak elven woman, he felt like he came face to face with a predator that just wanted to rip him apart.


    Scared, he immediately retreated leaving the family of three behind and not looking back. He had reports to make.


    Her inability to move lasted until two weeks after, confining her to her bed.


    At first, it was almost impossible for her to move on her own, needing the help of her mother and Lorain. Her nights taking a toll on her since she couldn¡¯t control her body very well making any movement in her sleep painful and waking her up in the process.


    When she had regained most of her bodily functions, her mother had finally allowed her to move from her bed, even if only for a few moments.


    The pain had dulled. It was still there and if she made any sudden movements, it became a stinging pain for a few seconds, but it didn¡¯t hinder her normal movements anymore if she was careful enough.


    She was under constant supervision since her accident, as everybody called it, her mother not leaving her side, even sleeping in her room ever since.


    This made her father complain quite a lot, but more along the lines of ¡°It¡¯s unfair! I also want to sleep in her room ~¡± than anything else.


    However, surprisingly Spera wasn¡¯t against the situation, even if she had no privacy anymore.


    While recuperating the memories that she had gotten back got clearer and she even started to remember her experience in the God Domain, so, she could make sense of her current situation.


    The memories of her past life were mostly about scientific topics, which had no real benefit at the moment, but they did lead to her having a greater appreciation for her family¡¯s warmth, making her enjoy the excessive attention she received, even if she couldn¡¯t understand the reason behind the increase.


    Her father had taken to reading picture books to her just before she went to sleep, bringing along a new book with each visit, which caused her mother to scold him quite harshly since books seemed to be very expensive even for a King.


    What worried her, however, was the absence of Mesana and Warthon by her parent''s side.


    She hadn¡¯t seen Warthon since she woke up, and Mesana only visited her three times since her ¡°accident¡±, and when she did visit her mood seemed to be really bad and most of the time she was not even paying attention to the conversations, causing her mother displeasure.


    The looks her mother gave her aunt also became more and more judgemental, as if her aunt had done something wrong but nobody said anything, waiting for her to come to the realization of her wrongdoings by herself.


    Another factor that made her time quite stressfully was the presence of Mr. Honeth who had stayed for the duration of her recuperation, trying to understand the mystery of her body.


    Not wanting to disclose her secrets, Spera told nobody of the seals in her body, already dreading her birthday, for this torture would repeat once again.


    His stay hindered her parent''s actions with everybody around them, Spera could feel the tension in them even when they were with her in her room alone.


    He came to her room in the morning and in the evening, making it harder for her father to spent time with her and her mother since he had to act the unemotional father and disappointed husband for all to see. Leaving him only a small window late at night and just after sunrise to spend quality time with her.


    One day at noon, her body¡¯s sudden ache had woken her from her midday-nap she found Lidiana standing next to her bed, slightly leaning over her.


    Since the day she was born, this woman was not even allowed to be in the same room with her without supervision by either her mother, Loraine or Mesana.


    However she couldn¡¯t see anybody in her room except Lidiana and she couldn¡¯t hear signs of somebody else in the room, fear spiking through her body.


    Her eyes looked cold and a shiver run down her spine as the air got heavy and breathing became harder and harder.


    Suddenly a dark shadow materialized behind Lidiana just as she stretched out her hand for Spera¡¯s neck.


    With a slightly blurred vision, as tears had formed in her eyes, she could make out Jeanne standing behind Lidiana, his expression quite frightening, even if she knew that he would never hurt her.


    ¡°Mrs. Raziel I would advise you to step back from the princess or I will not be held accountable for how I will react against this threat against my charge.¡± Dark shadows forming around his figure, highlighting his pale skin even more.


    ¡°Oh, this failure is deemed as your charge?¡± Lidiana mocked, but Spera could see her flinch at Jeanne''s entrance and a slight shiver in her arm that she had still extended towards her neck.


    Slowly she rightened herself, smoothing her dress down and tucking on her red hair. Lastly, she once again looked at Spera with a cold and disgusted look in her green reptilian eyes and turned to Jeanne.


    ¡°You will regret choosing their side ¡­ This heir is no threat to the crown. This will cause the house to fall, and you with them,¡± she said and walked out of the room.


    Jeanne needed a moment to compose himself, breathing deeply in and out before sitting next to Spera on her bed and hugging her to his chest.


    ¡°Everything is alright. Nothing can harm you while I am here. Your parents are informed and will be soon with you.¡± He soothed her, stroking her head as tears started to pour from her eyes and her small body was racked with snivels.


    Her parents ran into the room shortly after, Jeanne explaining the situation while her parents hugged her tightly. While they talked, the excitement of the situation slowly sapped Spera¡¯s strength and she fell asleep in her mother¡¯s arms with a red nose and dried tears on her cheeks.


    When her health had recovered and Dr. Honeth had departed back to Coalesco, her parents could finally relax and Spera found the opportunity to ask the question that had plagued her for the last few weeks.


    She took the opportunity when she was alone with her father in her room.


    ¡°Wer ish Warton ?¡± her speech still slurred, even though she always practiced with her mother.


    ¡°Do you mean Warthon ?¡± Her father asked her. At that moment she sat on his lap, as he had once again read a storybook to her.


    ¡°Yesh.¡± She nodded her head, her hair swaying with the motion and giving him a bright smile.


    Patting her head, her father grimaced as he said ¡°Warthon had a little accident and is recuperating for the time being ¡­ He will be fine in a while ¡­¡±


    ¡°Shame ash mie?¡± She asked tilting her head adorably to the side.


    ¡°Shame? Oh, you mean same! No Warthon had a little argument with Mesana ¡­¡±


    ¡°Wash diffent?¡± Her aunt and Warthon always got into arguments which mostly ended with Mesana punching Warthon. However, he had been absent for almost two months, making it quite unusual.


    ¡°Well, you see, this time Fon had just arrived back from his trip and saw them arguing. He sadly reacted very violently to Mesana screaming at Warthon, so he, without consulting Mesana, I must add, attacked Warthon and gave him some serious injuries.¡±


    ¡°Au au?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it looked quite painful ¡­¡± Her father patted her head as his expression showed compassion for his right-hand man and best friend, descending into his thoughts in silence.


    ¡°Oh dear, what¡¯s going on?¡± Her mother¡¯s voice ripped her father out of his thoughts.


    Turning to his wife he smiled at her.


    ¡°Hi sweetheart, I was just telling Spera about Warthon.¡±


    ¡°As expected, she noticed ¡­ But don¡¯t you think she is a bit to young to really understand it?¡± To which her father just answered with ¡°The look¡±.


    ¡°Alright, alright ¡­ is it that obvious?¡± her mother asked worriedly, confusing Spera.


    ¡°Well, her speech is a bit jumbled, but she had an amazing vocabulary for only speaking for two months, even counting the months leading up to her birthday were she started babbling ... it¡¯s only been five months since her first somehow understandable word.


    There are also her questions that are always on point, even if they are hard to understand sometimes ¡­¡± her father looking at her with warm eyes.


    ¡°I had hoped that you didn¡¯t notice it since you didn¡¯t spend as much time with her as I.¡±


    ¡°Mee ish bad?¡± She looked at them with tears in her eyes, a sudden tremor spreading through her body.


    ¡°¡°NO!!¡±¡±both her parents immediately exclaimed, both hugging her which led to her mother awkwardly leaning over her father¡¯s legs.


    Standing up with her in her arms her mother sat on her father¡¯s lap.


    He immediately hugged them both close to him.


    ¡°Sweety ¡­¡± Her mother''s voice was even gentler than normal while caressing her head.


    ¡°You are not bad. It isn¡¯t wrong to be intelligent, never think that. People who say that are just envious of you so ignore them, and if somebody ever makes you feel bad about yourself, tell us ok? Don¡¯t ever think that you can¡¯t talk to us ¡­¡± she said hugging her daughter tightly.


    However, the look she gave her husband over her daughter''s shoulder spoke of fear and the uneasy expression in her husbands face confirmed her worries.


    Both of them had seen how utterly terrified their daughter had been at that moment, her reaction scaring them both since they couldn¡¯t explain her reaction to the news that she didn¡¯t seem normal.


    That evening both of them slept in Spera''s room cuddling between them like they did when she was just born, neither of them could sleep as they watched their daughter slumber peacefully.

 Chapter 14

    The next day all three of them woke up, Emerthelil and Mesanth pretending that yesterday¡¯s last moments didn¡¯t happen. Not even one word was spoken about either Spera¡¯s unusual intelligence or her reaction to their discovery of it.


    Spera herself didn¡¯t want to talk about the matter since she couldn¡¯t really explain her extreme reaction and she was very glad that they avoided the topic.


    After both her parents had gotten dressed she asked her father to visit Warthon, he agreed however wanted to take care of another matter beforehand so that they could take their time with Warthon.


    Not understanding she just looked at him while tilting her head but he didn¡¯t say more just smiling at her knowingly.


    Her father picked her up after they had both said farewell to her mother and carried her down the stairs to the office that was hidden behind the stairwell.


    When they entered Mesanth¡¯s office it was still like how it looked when she was first there, even if it was a year ago.


    In it she could see three young people. Two men and one woman stood rigidly in front of her father¡¯s desk. When the door closed her father called out ¡°At ease,¡± making the three people relax their posture and stand more comfortable.


    Mesanth carried her to the table, sitting in his chair and placing her on his lap.


    Spera was now able to study them openly.


    Their features resembled each other quite a bit so Spera was very certain that they were related to each other, their coloring and body type, however, was very different.


    The woman was slender but with defined legs and arms speaking of a regular workout. She had dark brown hair with black eyes and a light tint that gave her a very warm aura.


    One of the men had light brown hair, green eyes and white skin with very slender body build that seemed to blend into the surroundings making no noise of his own reminding Spera of Loraine while the other had black hair, brown-green eyes and caramel skin with bulging muscle that emitted a very strong aura.


    All three wore casual clothes, made out of linen, that had earthen colors.


    Both men wore a light brown tunic and dark brown pants with black tight fitted boots, while the woman wore a dark green A-line dress with a brown jacket and dark brown loose-fitted leather boots.


    ¡°I have to thank you three for coming ¡­¡± her father began but was immediately interrupted by the woman that seemed to be the leader of the group, standing a step in front of both men.


    ¡°Cut the crap Mesanth, we grew up together, of course, we help you. And you know if we didn¡¯t, Mother would have our behinds for it,¡± she said with a smile.


    ¡°Daphne ¡­ I see you are still your usual charming self.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you want to waste my time! If it¡¯s nothing important, I have to go back to my studies.¡±


    She said turning her body slightly towards the door.


    ¡°Sis ¡­ Mother said you should behave ¡­¡± The slender man stopped her.


    ¡°I know ¡­¡± the woman seemed to take a deep breath and turned to her master.


    ¡°Daphne ¡­ I am sorry but the whole situation is quite taxing.¡± Mesanth apologized.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok ¡­ now please tell us what the matter is.¡± Daphne seemed content with the apology and became more friendly.


    ¡°Spera ¡­¡± her father looked down on her and smiled slightly,¡± I would like to introduce you to Daphne, Samuel, and Leon. They are Jeanne¡¯s and Loraine¡¯s children and will be assigned to guard you for the foreseeable future.¡±


    Spera looked at the three and could see them gaping at her father in utter shock. Seemed like he just dropped a bomb at them.


    ¡°Master! I don¡¯t have the time ¡­ I have my studies!¡± Daphne erupted, just moments away from shouting at her father.


    ¡°I agree, I have to train!¡± The burly man named Samuel agreed with his sister.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to reduce my time for training as well.¡± The slender man, Leon, reinforced his siblings stand.


    ¡°Haaa ~ all three of you are really ¡­¡± Mesanth rubbed his forehead muttering curses underneath his breath.


    ¡°Daddy ¡­ no good?¡± Spera turned around on his lap and asked him with upturned eyes.


    ¡°Sorry, Darling, these three are the best warriors in our country, but they have quite an excessive behavior regarding their hobbies ¡­¡±


    Spera turned back to the three siblings, inclining her head to the side as if contemplating something.


    ¡°Whey no change avter a new our?¡± She asked, making question marks appear in the sibling''s expression.


    ¡°Oh Sweetie, you are a genius !¡± Her father exclaimed hugging her and patting her head, which made Spera giggle.


    ¡°Master ¡­ what did she say?¡± Daphne asked, still taking the lead.


    ¡°My beautiful daughter suggested that you three take turns protecting her. This will make her saver and still give all three of you enough time to follow your hobbies.


    But to be sure I will assign her two shadows for constant protection. With your powers, it will be easy for you to locate them but this will give my daughter another layer of security.¡±


    Leon perked up at that, taking a step forward.


    ¡°Which two unit agents did you think will be good enough? If it helps with the situation, I am not against giving them a few pointers.¡±


    Her father quieted down, thinking about the question for a moment.


    ¡°Well I would like Number 2 and 5 to take the job but they are right now in Solaris. The next option would be Number 7 and 8 ¡­ but they do need a bit of training for this particular job. Are you all right with taking them under your wing?¡±


    Spera not being able to understand at least half of that sentence, just ignored it, being sure that her father would enlighten her if he thought it would be better.


    ¡°No problem Master.¡±


    ¡°Samuel, what do you think?¡± Her father asked, the burly man having stayed quiet since his one sentence before.


    ¡°I have nothing against that if I still have time to train ¡­ And I think our mother would welcome our participation as protection detail for the princess.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, father would also be pleased ¡­ He says we should take a more active role in our work for you, master.¡± Daphne relented.


    ¡°Great! Well, then I would like to introduce to you my daughter Speraenya. I hope you will keep her safe.¡± Mesanth set her on the floor and she toddled to the three, grabbing onto Daphne''s skirt and tugging on it, wanting to be picked up. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    Not understanding and panicking a little at the close proximity of such a fragile creature, Daphne looked at her brothers in confusion.


    ¡°Sister ¡­¡± Leon looked at her, wanting to laugh but knowing that he would get hit if he dared, so, with slight vibrating shoulders he tried to keep is voice neutral. ¡°She wants to be picked up ¡­ just lift her to sit on your hip and stabilize her with an arm under her buttocks.¡±


    Making Daphne blush a bit at her ineptness.


    However, Spera didn¡¯t take her inactions as a rejection, just once again tugging on her clothes and smiling up at her.


    Daphne stiffly crouched down, slowly picking Spera up and awkwardly holding her against her side. Her expression betraying her discomfort.


    Samuel and Leon looked at their sister, trying their hardest not to laugh at her, knowing that if they did their immediate future would be filled with unimaginable pain, their sister having found a way to cause immense pain with minimal injuries to her opponent.


    After a few minutes, Spera being very quiet and just enjoying the feeling of being held, Daphne slightly relaxed when a knock could be heard on the door.


    Spera was immediately set down on the floor, the three straightening their posture and a look of apprehension crossing their features. What kind of enemy was on the other side to be so respected by the three of them?


    The door opened and revealed Lorain who walked into the room with a smile on her face.


    Seeing her most favorite person after her parents and Mesana, Spera immediately toddles to her smiling and reaching her hands out to her to be picked up.


    Settling her against her hip and stroking her head, Lorain turned to her children.


    ¡°It seems like you already met. Princess, what do you think of my children?¡± Genuine curiosity could be seen in her eyes.


    ¡°Like!¡± She immediately replied smiling back at her. She could hear three collective sighs behind her and her smile widened.


    ¡°Oh really ¡­¡± she said suspiciously looking at her children and since she was their mother knowing them better than anybody else. ¡°Why?¡± making their body stiffen again.


    ¡°Like ou an Jeanne ~ ¡° Spera answered earning herself a very tight hug.


    ¡°Master I would like to have a word with my children¡­¡± seeing him showing no reaction to her indirect question she added ¡°... alone.¡± giving him a pointed look.


    ¡°All right ¡­. Spera didn¡¯t you want to visit Warthon?¡± He asked immediately standing up and moving towards Lorain holding his hands out for his daughter. Feeling the shift in the atmosphere she reached for her father, turning a blind eye to the begging looks of her new bodyguards.


    Giving them a pitying look Mesanth carried Spera out of the room.


    But just moments before the door closed Spera could hear Lorain ask ¡°How come you three didn¡¯t listen to me?¡± and she could feel her father hastening his steps to leave the premises faster.


    Taking a deep breath, the unemotional mask that he always wore slipped onto his face once again and she could feel him emit a cold and unfriendly air.


    Out of the corner of her eye, Spera could see a maid that seemed to be cleaning one of the vases in the hall, however, her eyes were more on them, then on the vase giving the indication that she was one of the spies that the Draconian Queen had planted in the castle.


    Her father repositioned her on his hips so that she could see her surroundings and carried her out from behind the staircase, but didn¡¯t take the stairs upwards, walking out of the palace.


    They were now on the road that led to the training field, but instead of walking down the road, they turned left and walked along the palace wall to their right side, the hedge shielding them from view.


    After a while they reached the corner of the palace, turning left Spera could see another building that was built next to the palace but still encased by the hedge. It was a two-story house made out of grey stone with red shingles on top of it.


    The door was a dark blue, as were the window frames of the two windows on each side of the door.


    She could make out light blue curtains behind the windows, but couldn¡¯t see into the house.


    The second story was of the same composition, but instead of a door, a large window was in the middle.


    There was no hedge or fence just a wide open area of grass which was neatly cut.


    Dark red roses were planted in front of the house making it seem like right out of a storybook.


    She couldn¡¯t see a way from the palace to the building so she could finally understand why they seemed to have taken such an unusual road.


    Remembering that her father told her that they would be going to see Warthon she turned her questioning eyes to him and pointed at the building.


    ¡°Ish Wafon liwing ere?¡±


    ¡°Yes, darling. You know Warthon is my right-hand man. He would have been entitled to live in the castle but he is very conscious of his position, demanding to at least live in a separate building from me even if it is on the castle premise.¡±


    ¡°Posion?¡±


    ¡°Position, love. He is a draconian of the Water tribe and given that I am the son of the draconian king who was of the fire tribe we shouldn¡¯t have a good relation. If you ask me that is such a worthless misconception. However, it would complicate our situation ¡­ sorry, dear, I am rambling again. Even if you can understand it, you are too young to be burdened by our worries,¡± he said, giving her a sad smile and stroking her head with his hand.


    ¡°Everi hing goen u be alight!¡± She said with conviction, smiling up to him. She had the protection of three Gods. Even if at the moment she couldn¡¯t do anything about it, in the future she would do anything in her powers to help and protect her family.


    Seeing her determination and feeling his heart warm at her smile, Mesanth cuddled her tightly after he had looked around to be sure that nobody was around and could see his gesture of affection.


    ¡°Thank you, sweety. I know. Everything is going to be ok. The only thing that matters is that your mom, you and our friends are alright.


    Now do you want to see Warthon? I have to warn you, Fon didn¡¯t go easy on him.¡±


    ¡°Goen, Goen! Haf o chair im up!¡± She said raising a fist in the air and smiling at him.


    Her father let out a small chuckle as he walked to the door, knocking and immediately entering the house, not waiting for an answer from within.


    The first thing Spera could see was a big living room, which was decorated in brown and blue colors. A staircase was on the right side of the room, a door underneath it.


    Behind a big worn out brown leather couch, which was placed almost in the center of the room, was a high counter made out of dark stone and light brown wood. Over it you could see a kitchen with dark wooden cabinets and a black stove, the walls being painted in a light yellow color.


    In front of the couch seemed to be a low table, however, the table top was see-through with a blue sheen to it. Spera had never seen such a table before. The four corners of the table were made out of dark wood and the tabletop was enclosed with delicate dark brown wooden carvings of plants.


    The whole floor was completely laid out with parquet that was made up of different wooden hues bringing the colors together.


    Here and there she could see blue carpets on the floor.


    Spera looked around in interest but couldn¡¯t survey the whole first floor, a few doors that led from the main room being closed of.


    Seeing no sign of Warthon Spera looked up to her father, but before she could ask him a question they could both hear a noise from the second floor.


    Staring at the stairs only moments later Mesana appeared at the top of the stairs, smiling at both of them with surprise.


    ¡°Mesanth! Good to see you. And how is my lovely niece?¡± She asked coming down the stairs and pressing a kiss to Speras forehead.


    ¡°MANA!¡± Spera exclaimed in excitement. She had missed her aunt terribly.


    ¡°Oh, you still can¡¯t pronounce my name?¡± She smiled at her in indulgence, the nickname being only for family members. If somebody outside of the family even dared to think about calling her that, they would have a rude awakening.


    ¡°Mesana ¡­ It¡¯s good to see you.¡± Mesanth said, hugging her with one arm close but letting go when she pushed lightly at his hip.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± He didn¡¯t understand why she denied the affection. Here was the only place where they didn¡¯t have to be careful with their interaction.


    ¡°I have to make dinner ¡­ Warthon can finally eat solid food again and he nagged the whole day that he wants to eat a good piece of meat.¡± She explained herself with a slight blush on her cheeks.


    ¡°Oh? I didn¡¯t know you could cook ¡­¡± Mesanth said looking at her in inquiry.


    ¡°Oh, shush! As if I would ever compete with Lorain in the art of cooking. I would be utterly defeated. Warthon is a very easy target to practice on.¡± She said but to both Mesanth and Spera, this sounded like a load of excuses.


    Smiling indulgently at her Mesanth kept quiet, changing the topic to the man in question.


    ¡°Speaking of Warthon, we would like to see him. Spera asked about him yesterday and I promised her that she would be able to meet him today.¡±


    ¡°Chair im up!¡± Spera cut in with a huge smile on her face.


    ¡°Oh, you are so adorable.¡± Mesana smiled down at her ¡°Of course you can see him, follow me. I just need a snack for the grumpy dragon upstairs,¡± she said, winking at Spera and disappearing into the kitchen for a second, only to reappear with a bowl in her hands.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Her father asked, looking interested at the content.


    ¡°Nothing for you!¡± She said, shielding the bowl with her body as she turned towards the staircase.


    ¡°Are you coming?¡± She turned back to them when she realized that they hadn¡¯t followed her.


    ¡°Of course!¡± He said hurryingly moving to her side.


    ¡°Well, seems like my sister is growing up.¡± He muttered under his breath, so softly that only Spera could hear him.


    Looking at him and seeing his complicated expression, that she couldn¡¯t make out if it was a good or a bad thing, she patted his cheek smiling up at him.


    ¡°Darling, promise me never to grow up!¡± He said cuddling her close, which earned him a laughter from his sister as they moved up the stairs.

 Chapter 15

    When they reached the top of the stairs, they found themselves in a brightly lit wide corridor. The sun shone through the massive window behind them and in front of them, they could see two doors on each side of the corridor and a big blue door at the end of it.


    Given that the blue door stood open for a little gap, it gave the impression that somebody had just left the room and just forgot to close the door behind them.


    The four other doors were closed shut.


    Mesana ignoring the four doors on the side, single-mindedly hurried to the blue door, leaving Mesanth and Spera to slowly walk down the corridor alone.


    Spera curiously looked at the walls seeing no kind of decoration, only bare walls.


    Thinking back at the living room downstairs, she realized that even there no kind of personal items or pictures were displayed.


    Before she could think further about that particular topic, they had arrived at the blue door, which Mesana had pushed open on her entry.


    The room within was very different from the rest of the house that they had seen. The color blue was still present in the curtains and rugs on the floor but the walls were painted white and the massive bed that took up half of the room had a black frame and was made with white sheets.


    Spera could see Warthon sitting in the bed, Mesana standing next to him, just handing over the bowl that she had taken from the kitchen.


    He looked at her in excitement and gratitude completely ignoring Mesanth and Spera that stood in the doorway.


    ¡°Thank you Mesana. You are an Angel.¡± He said making her aunt blush with his smile.


    ¡°Warthon ¡­ Good to see you.¡± Her father said making his presence known.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Warthon whipped his head in their direction, however, the sudden motion hurt him as a pained expression surfaced.


    ¡°My friend take your time!¡± Her father worriedly called out taking a few steps towards the bed.


    Getting a closer look at Warthon, Spera gasped.


    When they had first entered the room, he looked normal, as she could see no wounds or bruises on him, only his normally bright shiny blue hair was a bit dull.


    However now that they could see his entire face, she could see that the entire right side of him had several states of discoloration and his eye was swollen shut. Seeing the extent of his injuries only on his face and neck she didn¡¯t want to imagine the wounds and bruises he had on his body and the pain he had to endure.


    No wonder her father had warned her beforehand.


    ¡°Hey, princess, everything is ok!¡± Warthon said, giving her a half smile as one side of his mouth was too painful to move. ¡°You don¡¯t have to cry,¡± he said, sympathy clear in his voice.


    Surprised Spera touched her cheeks, her hand coming up wet from her tears. She hadn¡¯t even realized that she had started crying.


    Mesanth looked down in shock. He had been so focused on his friends state that he also hadn¡¯t realized the effects it had on his daughter. ¡°Oh sweety ¡­ Warthon is going to be ok.¡± He said rocking her up and down while caressing her hair, trying to stop her from crying.


    ¡°Urting!¡± Spera exclaimed, pointing at Warthon.


    ¡°Yes, dear, but he is already much better. In a few days, he will be healthy once again. Do you want to go closer?¡± Behaving as if she was more fragile than normally her father looked at her worriedly.


    Nodding her head, Spera tried to get her tears to stop, but every time she saw Warthon¡¯s face, she teared up again.


    Mesana still stood next to the bed awkwardly, so Spera reached out to her and she easily took her from her father¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Hahaha, seems like she thinks you are better for this task.¡± Her father quaffed the corners of his mouth, twitching, even if he wanted to seem brokenhearted.


    ¡°She just knows us best!¡± Her aunt proudly said cuddling her to her chest. Spera could feel the slight trembling in her arms. Seems like she wasn¡¯t the only one that was disturbed by Warthon¡¯s state.


    Sitting down on the bed, next to Warthon¡¯s legs, Spera sat in her aunt''s lap enjoying the feeling of her embrace while closing her eyes and leaning against her upper body. She had missed her terribly the last couple of weeks.


    After a few moments Spera had still not moved from her position in her aunt''s lap, Warthon looked at her with a smile.


    ¡°Princess, didn¡¯t you come here for me? Why do I feel like an outsider right now?¡±


    ¡°Ou no ouzider! Ou no cuddle!¡± Spera murmured with closed eyes, making the adults in the room laugh.


    ¡°Darling, of course, Warthon is not cuddly. He is a Warrior,¡± her father told her, hiding his smile behind his hand, however his eyes danced with mirth.


    ¡°Master! ¡° Warthon complained earning him another round of chuckles.


    Taking pity upon him, Mesana nudged Spera a bit. When her eyes opened she gently shoved her in Warthons direction making her intentions obvious.


    ¡°Alight, alight ¡­ A ou etter?¡± Spera couldn¡¯t seem to look directly at him, focusing at his left side to make it easier on her.


    ¡°Yes, princess, I am going to be alright. Even the doctors are astonished by my quick recovery. I will be better in a few days.¡± He smiled down at her, wincing a bit at the motion.


    ¡°Ou an all me era!¡± She suddenly announced smiling up at him.


    Helplessly looking to his best friend who seemed to want to be in another room at the moment Warthon couldn¡¯t answer her.


    ¡°No ood?¡± She asked looking like she was on the edge of tears.


    ¡°Oh, sweetie it¡¯s not that!¡± Mesanth hurriedly interrupted, taking her into his arms.


    ¡°You see, as my close aid, Warthon will be at all events that we hold with us in the future.


    It would be devastating if he made the blunder and called you by your name on one of these events, so it would be better to not even start with it.¡±


    ¡°But e an all in pivat!¡± She argued, showing just how stubborn she was on that topic.


    ¡°But what if, just out of habit, he accidentally called you by your name in public? Dear ¡­ it could cost him his head,¡± he said saddened, however, he could have never anticipated how angry his little treasure would get when she was confronted with their present predicament.


    ¡°No! Ow dare ey ant u hurt Arton! E is mine! No dead!¡± She started screaming and tearing up, repeating that he was hers and that she would never let anything happen to her, as her breathing got heavier and her eyes puffed from all the crying. Finally, under the effort of all three adults that assured her that nothing would happen to him, she fell asleep on her father¡¯s chest, still murmuring ¡°No dead! No dead!¡±.


    Caressing her head, Mesanth looked at his sister and his best friend in shock. He was quite scared by her outburst. Remembering her reaction to the fact that she wasn¡¯t normal in the standards of his race, he looked at them helplessly.


    ¡°Mesanth ¡­ what just happened?¡± His sister asked, fear in her eyes. She had never before seen her niece so distraught and it scared her.


    ¡°Is she alright?¡± His friend asked, a thoughtful look in his eyes.


    ¡°I hope so. This is the second time since her birthday that she behaved like that. I don¡¯t know what happened on her birthday, but I find it has a more negative influence on her than I would like.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean the second time?¡± His sister scooted closer, looking worriedly at his daughter, reaching a hand out to pat her small body.


    ¡°When I told her about your condition yesterday, through a random comment we came to talk about her uniqueness. At the thought of being different than ¡®normal¡¯, she had a mild form of the breakdown that she just showed you both. I don¡¯t like it ¡­¡± He said, looking down at his daughter and tightening his arms around her. He wanted to protect her from everything. But how do you protect your child from her own mind?


    ¡°Mesanth, I think it would be better that you leave. We wouldn¡¯t want the little miss to have a repeated episode when she sees me,¡± looking reluctant Warthon spoke up.


    ¡°¡°Warthon ¡­¡±¡± both Mesana and Mesanth spoke up with pity in their eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok guys. I am not that easy to damage.¡± He smiled at them, however, both of them could see the traces of sadness in his eyes.


    ¡°I will come again. I promise,¡± Mesanth said, slowly standing up and leaving the room.


    ¡°Warthon¡­ it¡¯s not your fault.¡± He could hear his sister try to cheer him up when he closed the door behind him.


    Looking down at the precious cargo in his arms he slowly made his way back to her room, taking longer than before, but avoiding everyone by walking in the shadows of his home, literally.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Entering her room and closing the door behind them, Mesanth called out to Jeanne.


    Immediately the shadows in the corner moved and the man appeared out of them.


    ¡°Master, you have called?¡± He asked while bowing, his right hand on his heart.


    ¡°Jeanne, is your wife finished with your children?¡± He asked, sitting in the lounge chair next to Speras bed in exhaustion.


    ¡°Yes, sire. They finished a few moments ago. Do you want me to call them?¡±


    ¡°Would you be so kind to call Leon here? I want him to have the first shift.¡±


    ¡°Of course sire. Do you want to inform the Mistress of your return?¡±


    ¡°No ¡­ let her sleep for a bit. The last few days were quite taxing.¡±


    Slowly he stood up and lay his daughter on her bed, lovingly tucking her in.


    ¡°I will try and work for a few hours. Please call me if either my wife or our daughter wake up.¡±


    ¡°Of course, sire,¡± he said, bowing once again.


    Walking to the door, he stopped just before opening it. With his usual cold face, he turned once again to his butler.


    ¡°I assume you saw what happened today?¡±


    ¡°Sir ¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know that you have a few tricks up your sleeves.¡± He leveled him with a hard glare.


    ¡°I want to be perfectly clear. My wife will never hear a thing about what happened today, do you understand.¡±


    ¡°Yes, your Majesty.¡±


    Mesanth eyes becoming gentle, once again he looked at him.


    ¡°Hahaha ... you only call me that if you think that I am really angry with you. Don¡¯t worry, old friend, it will take more than that to cause serious harm. But you know that I would hate it if I have to take actions against any of you.¡±


    ¡°I hear and obey,¡± he said, fading into the shadows.


    ¡°I know,¡± Mesanth said to the empty room.


    When Spera woke up from her nap, she found herself lying in her bed, staring at her ceiling.


    Feeling the presence of two people on each side of her, she slowly turned her head left and right, recognizing her parents.


    Slowly her memories of the hours before came back to her, making her wish to forget them immediately.


    She herself didn¡¯t know why she had reacted so strongly to the idea that Warthon might be killed, however, she did have the suspicion that it had something to do with her lost memories.


    A small motion from her mother alerted her to her awakening so she focused on the present, not the past. Turning her body so that she lay on her side facing her mother, she greeted her with a smile as her eyelids fluttered open.


    ¡°Hey, sweetie, how are you?¡± Emerthelil asked, after kissing her on the forehead.


    ¡°Mommy eim fine,¡± she answered scooting into her mother''s embrace.


    ¡°Your Daddy told me that your visit to Warthon was too emotional for you ¡­ do you want to talk about it?¡±


    With that question, Spera became aware that her father didn¡¯t tell her mother everything. Not knowing why she shook her head. He must have had a good reason for it.


    ¡°Darling, I heard that you wanted to meet Fon ¡­¡± before she could say more on the topic, her father woke up with a gasp, startling both females.


    ¡°Oh, my loves, I am so sorry,¡± he apologized and kissed them both on the cheek.


    After her parents had gotten ready, her father apologized profoundly.


    ¡°I am so sorry sweetheart, but something came up so I can¡¯t take you to meet Fon,¡± he said hugging her tightly. Not wanting to worry her father she patted him on the back saying ¡°No worry, No worry.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sweetheart. I love you both.¡± Kissing her and her mother on the cheek, he hurried out of the room. Almost forgetting to slow down and put on the ¡°cold fassade¡± if not for Jeanne who suddenly appeared and gave him ¡°The look¡±.


    When they were alone, her mother turned to her smiling brightly.


    ¡°Do you still want to meet Fon?¡±


    ¡°Yesh!¡± Spera answered beaming up to her.


    ¡°Wonderful. You see I invited the old buffon to the sitting room. He should be there already.


    Let¡¯s go and meet him, shall we?¡±


    She said, making it clear that she had arranged for that from the beginning.


    ¡°Mummy dosh Daddy now?¡±


    Blushing a little her mother winked at her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell him ok? It¡¯s just a coincident that I wanted to see him too.¡±


    ¡°Of coush, Mommy,¡± Spera said with a smile, but you could see that she didn¡¯t believe in it at all.


    When they entered the sitting room, Spera looked around with interest.


    She hadn¡¯t been here since her birthday, but from a first glance, the only thing that had been changed were the flowers that stood on a small table that she had just seen next to the door.


    As the door closed behind them with a light ¡®click¡¯ Spera looked over her mother ¡¯s shoulder and saw that Lorain had preferred to stand guard outside of the room.


    Turning back she focused on the man that sat on the white couch.


    By the gasp that her mother let out, she was also shocked by his state.


    Spera could still remember the vibrant, powerful man that she had met just a year ago. However now his hair was almost entirely gray, even his beats-ears on top of his head had only small stands of dark brown hair.


    His body sat slumped on the couch, elbows on his knees and his head buried in his hands.


    It was the picture of a broken old man.


    Her mother immediately ran to Fon, sitting her down gently next to him on the couch, before falling on her knees in front of him, taking and cupping his hands with hers and trying to look into his eyes. Spera could see that she was on the verge of tears.


    ¡°Fon, what¡¯s wrong?¡± She softly asked but the man didn¡¯t react. Not even one action told them that he was even aware that they were here.


    ¡°Fon, please talk to me ¡­¡± Her mother said, her voice beginning to have a pleading tone.


    Slowly Spera crawled to the man, and lay one hand on his muscular arm, shaking it with her little strength.


    Her mother started to cry and plead with him, stroking the man¡¯s grey hair and shaking it. Not understanding the situation and being both scared of her mother''s behavior and the man¡¯s state Spera began to cry.


    Just as her mother started to get hysteric, almost screaming at the man, a slight twitch went through his body, halting both of their actions.


    Fon slowly lifted his head, the action seeming to take up all of his energy.


    ¡°Thelil ¡­¡± He whispered, his voice speaking of exhaustion and relieved to see her mother.


    With tears on her eyes, her mother just nodded, gripping tightly onto Fon¡¯s hands that lay lifelessly in hers.


    ¡°Who made you cry?¡± he asked, mustering just enough strength to reach out and wipe a tear from Emerthelil¡¯s face. His eyes looking dulled and it was as if he wasn¡¯t even aware of his surroundings,


    Shaking her head, she just held his hand against her cheek smiling slightly.


    Slowly over time with the contact of both Emerthelil and Spera who still held onto his arm and stared at their interaction, Fon¡¯s strength returned.


    As the life returned to his eyes, his body strengthened and he started to sit more upright.


    ¡°Thelil ¡­ what is going on?¡± He asked her mother.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. You weren¡¯t responsive. You scared me,¡± her mother confessed, still crying slightly.


    ¡°Wha .. I am so sorry I don¡¯t remember,¡± he said, reaching out and pulling her into a hug.


    ¡°What happened to you?¡± She asked holding onto him as if he was going to disappear again.


    ¡° ¡­ I don¡¯t remember,¡± he said shaking his head.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± She asked. She had already disentangled herself from his hug and was now sitting next to him, still holding his hand in hers.


    ¡°Well, we were ¡­¡± He began but suddenly stopped, seemingly remembering that he was about to talk about a topic her mother shouldn¡¯t know.


    ¡°Not again ¡­¡± She exclaimed looking at him with anger.


    ¡°I know that you all are hiding things from me. I don¡¯t say that I mind it very much. But if it is something that affects you like that and results in your current condition I want to know,¡± she said, squeezing his hands.


    Looking at her with a fond gaze, Fon started to talk.


    ¡°What did Mesanth tell you that my unit does?¡± He asked.


    ¡°He said that you are patrolling the border. But I think that is a load of crap. The border doesn¡¯t require you to be on the move for a whole year,¡± she said, glaring at him.


    ¡°I always knew that you are a smart little thing.¡± He smiled down at her. However, instead of continuing he suddenly turned his head to Spera looking like he had only just realized her existence.


    ¡°Oh, my, who is this cute fellow?¡± He asked, taking his hands back from Emerthelil and grabbing her under her armpits, holding Spera in front of him.


    ¡°Are you really just going to change the subject now?¡± Her mother asked him indignantly.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he responded, smiling down at her.


    ¡°You are not going to answer me are you?¡±


    ¡°No. If Mesanth thinks you should think that I am patrolling the border, you will not get something else out of me. Thelil, please understand that we all want what¡¯s best for you. Even if that means leaving you in the dark about certain things.¡±


    ¡°I know ¡­ It¡¯s because I can¡¯t help, is it?¡±


    And the look he gave her spoke volumes.


    ¡°Haaa ~ Alright. But I will get to know what is going on.¡±


    ¡°I know you will,¡± he smiled, and you could see that he wanted to ruffle her hair. However, that was the moment that he realized that he still held Spera in his outstretched hands.


    ¡°Right ¡­ Back to the little one. Who is she?¡±


    Baffled Emerthelil looked at him as if she had seen an idiot.


    ¡°That is my daughter of course!¡± She almost screamed.


    ¡°Oh!¡± He said, setting Spera down on his lap.


    ¡°Sorry, back then Mesana immediately grabbed her, so I didn¡¯t have a strong impression. And I had to depart almost immediately afterwards.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of Mesana ¡­ Why did you hurt Warthon like that?¡±


    ¡°I did what?¡± He exclaimed looking at her with shock.


    ¡°You don¡¯t remember?¡± Her mother asked suspiciously.


    ¡°No!¡± He said getting worked up over the topic. To calm himself down he started stroking and petting Sera¡¯s head, in the beginning with a bit too much strength but after she exclaimed her softened his touch.


    ¡°Thelil ¡­ what did I do?¡± He said his voice betraying his fear.


    Looking down on his free hand which was shaking slightly on his lap, she took it but couldn¡¯t look him into the eyes.


    ¡°When you came back, you overheard Warthon and Mesana arguing. I don¡¯t know what exactly happened, but Mesana said that you lost all reason and started beating on Warthon. You had to be forced off of him but he was already in a very bad shape.


    Since then Mesana wouldn¡¯t talk with you and spends most of her time tending to Warthon.¡±


    ¡°I ¡­ I don¡¯t remember,¡± he said in a small voice. His hand tightening onto Emerthelils and his other hugging Spera to him.


    ¡°Please, Fon. I want you to talk with Mesanth about it. He said that you started avoiding him. And since you don¡¯t want to tell me what you did in the last year I can¡¯t help you.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± he said, hugging them again.


    The next few hours they just talked about the past. Fon wanting to hear every event in Speras life up to now, and he also talked about Mesana and how, after he had adopted her, he had to bribe her with food just to let her let her guard down.


    Spera could feel the love that the old man had for his family and was feeling very fortunate that he regarded her and her mother also as his family.


    Making herself comfortable in his embrace she slowly fell asleep to his low laughter and his big callused hand stroking her head.

 Chapter 16

    When Spera woke up again, she could almost feel the shift in the air.


    At first, she dismissed her first feeling, telling herself she was just scared from yesterday''s experience.


    After a week Fon had recovered enough and finally apologized publicly to Warthon in front of the entire army after Warthon had attended for the first time after their dispute.


    Not like she had been there in person, however, Mesana had told her about it with great enthusiasm.


    But in the same sentence, she also told her that she would be absent from her side for a little longer which dampened her mood.


    She soothed her by telling her that she would return to her as soon as possible, but couldn¡¯t tell her exactly when.


    Slowly over the time of a few months, she realized why everything felt so ¡­ wrong.


    At first, she couldn¡¯t put her finger on it, but after she witnessed her mother snubbing at her father at multiple occasions and sometimes even ignoring him totally she knew that something had happened between them.


    But since she was just a little girl, not even two years old she couldn¡¯t do anything.


    However, this gave her an opportunity to get to know her new bodyguards better.


    Daphne, Leon, and Samuel had taken up their duty almost at the same time of the incident and she was almost sure that they knew what had happened, which caused them to pity her quite a bit.


    Her mother, feeling hurt by the current situation had distanced herself from Spera, wanting to spare her daughter¡¯s feelings and not wanting to influence her relationship with her father.


    Which made Spera very depressed.


    For a moment she even thought that her mother hated her.


    In her insecurity, she asked Lorain but was immediately reassured.


    ¡°No, my little lady, your mother would never hate you. She just has to take care of a few things that are not for your little ears. You see both your parents are very busy, work is just catching up with them. If everything is taken care of they will be there for you once again.¡± She said with conviction, her tone carrying a hard edge with it.


    But Spera missed it completely, too exhausted by her emotions. This, however, didn¡¯t apply to Lorain¡¯s three children that were in the room with them.


    Hearing their mother¡¯s tone of voice and seeing the glint in her eyes made them involuntary shudder with dread.


    Immediately all three gave a quick prayer for the royal couple.


    Their mother was quite scary when she was serious.


    Looking at their father that had hidden once again in the corner of Spera''s bedroom, they saw him lightly shake his head at them, a slight smile playing around his lips. He also was very angry with the couple for making the little princess worry so much.


    To distract the princess from her worries the three siblings started spending more time with her, playing with her and telling her little tales about their adventures, however, they still remained quite distant, their professionalism and understanding of their own power getting in the way of truly caring for their charge.


    Even if this could not make Spera forget the tension between her parents, for a short while she could pretend that everything was alright.


    At first, Daphne was quite cold to her, she couldn¡¯t understand why.


    But after Lorain had voiced her displeasure with her behavior, she at least tried to be nice to the little child.


    It was one afternoon, about two months after they had started to protect her and Daphne was assigned the night duty.


    She had heard from her mother that before both parents had taken over that shift, however with the current situation they had given this shift to the three siblings. At first, they wanted to protest, but seeing that both of their parents were quite angry at the current situation and not wanting to be the spark that would blow the fuse, they could only accept.


    As such when Daphne first opened the room to start her shift she was both depressed and angry at her situation.


    ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± She exclaimed, not looking at her charge and just throwing her body onto the armchair that had been placed next to Spera''s bed.


    She didn¡¯t open her eyes and just massaged the bridge of her nose.


    However, the silence that followed was unusual. Normally the child would at least reply, even if it was just a few words. Worried she opened her eyes searching for the child and freezing on the spot.


    There, right in front of her, Spera sat on the bed, tears quietly flowing out of her eyes as she just stared at Daphne.


    ¡°Princess!¡± Daphne exclaimed, hurriedly moving towards the child and kneeling in front of her on the bed, her right hand reaching out to touch her but freezing just a few inches away from her.


    Spera''s eyes widened as she looked at her, glancing at her hand from time to time as if she didn¡¯t know what to expect. But seeing the worry in Daphne¡¯s eyes, Spera took a huge breath and exhaled slowly, calming herself and forcing a smile onto her face.


    ¡°Im alight ¡­¡± She said, using her hands to clumsily wipe away her own tears.


    ¡°How can that be?¡± Daphne asked under her breath, repositioning herself so that she would sit next to the child, giving Spera a bit of dignity by pretending not to have seen her tears.


    ¡°You know ¡­ it won¡¯t change anything,¡± she said after a few minutes as it became apparent that Spera couldn¡¯t stop crying by herself.


    Sniffling loudly she looked up to her, her teary eyes pleading for her to give her a solution to her problem.


    ¡°Let me guess ¡­ you are concerned with the situation with your parents, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yesh ....¡± She said, stubbornly trying to wipe her cheeks to get rid of the tears that didn¡¯t stop.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°You have to understand that it has nothing to do with you. Trust me this is just something that happened between your parents and even if you want to you couldn¡¯t help them ¡­¡± Daphne said, feeling uncomfortable with the situation and even while saying it, she knew that you shouldn¡¯t say something like that to a child.


    Seeing Daphne¡¯s pained expression at her lack of tact, Spera couldn¡¯t help but let out a little chuckle, which as a great improvement at the moment.


    Sighing Daphne leaned her upper body a bit backward, sustaining her position with straight arms which palms sunk into the soft mattress.


    ¡°I am not sure what happened ¡­ even my parents, that seem to know everything that goes on in this kingdom, can¡¯t tell me what¡¯s up. But you have to believe in one thing for sure ¡­ your parents love you with all of their heart and could never hate you. That I swear on my family.¡±


    She said glancing at the dark corner of the room where she could make out her father, only because he wanted her to, and gave a slight smile. She, too, knew of the misunderstandings that could happen between parents and children.


    Spera seeing her smile started shuffling closer to Daphne. She, however, started tensing up. When Spera was almost touching her, she even shifted her body a bit, creating more distance between them.


    Seeing her reaction, Spera remembered her initial reaction to her crying. Even if at that time she was more preoccupied by her emotion, she was quite sure that Daphne had started to reach out to her, only to stop before touching her.


    Slowly Spera reached out her hand towards Daphne. But just before she touched her arm, Daphne jumped up from the bed and took two steps back, leaving Spera sitting on the bed, her legs tucked under her and her hand reached out into the air.


    But Daphne knew she had just made a blunder. Slowly Spera turned her head to her, her eyes narrowing. Not knowing why Daphne had the feeling as if she had just provoked a predator that was now on the hunt.


    ¡°Princess ¡­¡± she muttered, looking to the corner for help, but her father had already faded from the room once again. Even using her magic perception, she couldn¡¯t feel him in the room. Which meant that she was now alone with Spera.


    Looking back at the girl on the bed, she could see a smile slowly spreading on her face, causing a shiver run down her spine.


    Shaking herself she started thinking Don¡¯t be a fool she isn¡¯t even two years old. She can¡¯t be a threat to you ¡­


    ¡°Daphne ¡­¡± The sweet high voice of the child shook her out of her thoughts. Focusing on her once again, she noticed that she had already slipped down from her bed and stood only a few steps away from her, smiling up from her.


    Shocked she took a few steps back, in her haste, one of her feet slipped a bit and she had to catch herself by grabbing onto the armchair, unconsciously placing it between herself and Spera.


    ¡°Princess ¡­ what is wrong ?¡±


    ¡°Oh nothing ¡­ ould you ome back to the bad?¡± She said tilting her head to one side and widening her smile.


    ¡° ¡­ I am fine.¡± She said swallowing hard.


    ¡°Daphne ¡­¡± she said.


    Seeing her momentary lapse in attention, Spera jumped forward, her hand latching onto Daphne¡¯s right hand and hanging on. She could feel a prickling sensation start from her hand up through her arms towards her body, however, it wasn¡¯t uncomfortable.


    Daphne almost screamed in shock when she had felt Spera¡¯s hands on hers. On instinct, she tucked her hand away but Spera wouldn¡¯t let go. When her brain finally registered the situation and the implication that came from it she froze.


    Looking down on the little girl who wasn''t even two years old, she felt a shiver run down her back.


    ¡°Princess ¡­ are you alright ?¡± She asked a quiver noticeable in her voice.


    ¡°Yup, no Poblem!¡± Spera said smiling up to her.


    Not breaking eye contact, Daphne knelt down in front of her on her knees to be eye to eye.


    ¡°Princess ¡­ can you tell me what you feel?¡±


    ¡°Wha ou you meen?¡± Spera asked inclining her head to the side.


    ¡°Urm ¡­ Sorry, I voiced that wrong ¡­ Can you tell me what you felt when you touched my hand?¡± Her eyes showing mounting concern for her.


    ¡°My am ingle a bid !¡±


    Nervously, Daphne started inspecting her arms, even caressing them, while her hands shimmered in a light blue. Seeing the light Spera muttered ¡°Pwetty ¡­¡± In a small voice but loud enough that Daphne could still hear her.


    Looking up from her arms, she saw Spera focused on her hands and gave her a little smile.


    ¡°You think so?¡± She said, shifting backward and sitting down on her heels.


    Holding up one of her hands, the light suddenly started swirling around her hand, forming little flames on her fingertips. Closing her hand, the light started shining brightly while covering her hand.


    ¡°Here you go ¡­¡± She said with a smile, extending her still closed fist towards Spera, her palm turned upwards.


    Excitingly looking at her hand Spera moved closer so that her face was only a little distance away from the fist.


    ¡°Whoa ~¡± she exclaimed as Daphne opened her eyes and a little translucent Dragon sculpture could be seen on her palm.


    Taking it from her, Spera turned around towards the light and the sculpture started to shine in a light blue light.


    ¡°Daphne! Look! Look!¡± She said turning back to her and smiling brightly.


    ¡°Yes, Princess ¡­ I can see it. It looks nice, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yesh! ¡­ What ish it?¡±


    ¡°... That, my little princess, is a secret. I hope you can keep it with you.¡±


    ¡°Bud I don laik seeques ¡­ Daphne, can ou ell me whad id ish?¡±


    Stroking her hair with her other hand, firstly tentatively then getting more confident with each stroke.


    ¡°Princess¡­ You have to remember that there is always a time for certain things. Right now is not the time for you to know what it is.¡±


    ¡°Bud ou will dell me in whe fiutshue, ighd?¡±


    ¡°Yes, princess. When you are old enough I will. For now, think of it as a friend ok? If you ever need one, just talk to it.¡± She said with a smile that said that this topic was now finished. Spera had so many questions, but just as Daphne had said, time will tell.


    So she let out a ¡°Un!¡± and nodded her head strongly. She trusted Daphne.


    Spera had to initiate physical contact with Daphne who didn¡¯t want to touch her even after she must certainly have had a very good reason for not telling her the truth.


    ¡°Princess ¡­ I think this would be a good time to go back to bed,¡± Daphne suddenly said, looking out of the window into the dark night.


    ¡°Alright,¡± She answered, stepping towards the bed, but stopping on the edge.


    ¡°Daphne ... up!¡±


    And without hesitation, Daphne stood up again, walked towards her and lifted her up by grabbing her under her armpits and sitting her onto the bed.


    Quickly turning around, Spera reached her arms out towards her and hugged her waist.


    This once again caused Daphne to freeze on the spot.


    Even if she knew that she didn¡¯t hurt the Princess it was still strange for her to be willingly touched by anyone.


    Slowly she relaxed.


    Looking up towards her while still hugging her waist Spera gave her a bright smile.


    ¡°Daphne, an ou day wif me undil I fall asliep? ¡°


    ¡°Of course, Princess.¡±


    Letting her go Spera shuffled to the other side of the bed, patting the place next to her obviously wanting her to sit next to her.


    Climbing onto the bed, she leaned against the headboard making herself as comfortable as possible.


    With a jump, Spera suddenly dived towards her, making her groan as a slight ache spread through her abdomen.


    But she was soon distracted from the uncomfortable feeling as Spera cuddled up next to her, placing her head on her lap and tightly gripping onto her thigh.


    Seeing her like that, Dahne couldn¡¯t help and let out a small smile, starting to pet her head as she had done before.


    When her breathing had evened out and Daphne was sure she had fallen asleep, she leaned down and placed a kiss onto her forehead.


    ¡°Thank you¡­ You don¡¯t even know what you did for me, but I now owe you my life, my little princess. Sleep tight, nobody will ever get to you with me here.¡±


    She said, but she knew that the thing that would probably hurt her the most wasn¡¯t something she could protect her from. Since it wasn¡¯t an enemy one could destroy.


    She knew it since she had lived with it her whole life.


    A tear trailed down her cheek as she looked down on the little girl in her embrace.


    ¡°She is just a child¡­¡± She said while stroking her head. A sigh slipping from her lips as she leaned her head against the headboard her eyes falling closed.

 Chapter 17

    After a few weeks, Daphne started to be more comfortable with Spera¡¯s touch. This gave her a certain peace of mind, as she could finally have a place where she could stop worrying about the people in her vicinity.


    This also affected her behavior towards others as she started to be nicer to the staff and her subordinates lessening the rumors that circulate around her and lightening the atmosphere.


    She still refused to touch others except for Spera but didn¡¯t almost run away when somebody entered her personal space, which for her was an immense progress.


    Spera, however, could still remember the first time Lorain had seen Daphne touching her.


    As Daphne¡¯s mother she was the most aware of her daughter''s condition, and even with her own immense Mana pool, touching her daughter had always caused her pain. Not only physical but also mentally as she had wanted to touch her but couldn¡¯t.


    So when she found them in Spera¡¯s bedroom, playing on the floor, her daughter tickling the little princess, she hadn¡¯t registered Spera¡¯s laughter or delighted expression only the fingers that tickled the princess.


    Screaming at her daughter she had taken Spera away from her, cradling her in her arms.


    ¡°Daphne! How could you! You know what your touch can do!!!¡±


    Seeing her mother''s reaction and the fear in her eyes, Daphne couldn¡¯t react.


    If my mother even sees me as a monster, then maybe I am one.


    ¡°Lorain! No! Daphne didn urt me!¡± Spera exclaimed after seeing the effect Lorain''s words had on her new best friend.


    When Lorain sat her down on the floor, the shock of her proclamation making her a bit dizzy, Spera immediately went to Daphne and held her hand, showing Lorain that she had nothing to fear.


    Looking back on it, maybe that wasn¡¯t the best way to handle the situation.


    Lorain had fainted after seeing it, the relief and shock at the discovery too much for her.


    Even Spera started to think about the peculiarity of this ability to touch the untouchable.


    If what Daphne had said was true, the reason people felt pain was because her Mana pool was too large, causing her to emit much more mana than anybody she ever met.


    This caused her touch to be harmful to those that had less than her. For example, somebody that had a small or almost non-existent Mana pool, like some of the servants, could even die at her touch.


    Daphne hadn¡¯t gone into too much detail, but Spera was sure that it was in some way similar to what happened when her seal opened.


    Thinking about it, the seal caused her a searing pain, that had immobilized her for almost two months, and if she could trust Deli, these repercussions would only increase as the years went by. Whereas Daphne¡¯s touch had only tingled a bit.


    ¡°I look forward to my future ¡­¡± Spera murmured, so lightly that even Daphne that sat beside her, once again on the floor, couldn¡¯t hear.


    ¡°Princess ¡­ what did you say?¡±


    ¡°Nothing ¡­ Oh yeah, Daphne ¡­ how is the situation with my parents going?¡±


    ¡°My, my, princess you still shock me with your language progress. But this is as expected. Well, back to your parents, there seems to be still no change.¡±


    ¡°Haaa ~ Really? I want my parents back!¡±


    Turning her pitying eyes on her Daphne gave her a small smile.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me! I also want to have my mother''s good mood back! Do you have any idea what pain in the ...¡± Having realized her almost blunder, Daphne ¡®suddenly¡¯ had a coughing fit.


    ¡°Oh come on¡­ do you think you are the only one that swears around here? Did you ever have the pleasure to be present when one of Solomos¡¯ subordinates made a mistake or Leon didn¡¯t make any progress in one of his techniques? I think even you would blush on a few of their choice words.¡±


    ¡°Oh really? ¡­ It seems to me that I need to have a little talk with my brothers.


    But could you tell me why you were attending both of my brother''s training sessions? I thought you had to remain in your room for all eternity?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha ~ funny joke. No, just until my father thinks that I am safe again.¡±


    ¡°So, until all eternity and ten years?¡± Daphne said, breaking out into a laughter that was infectious, making both of them giggling a few moments later while laying on the ground.


    ¡°Yeah ¡­ but jokes aside ¡­¡± Spera said, trying to breathe again.


    ¡°Do you have an idea?¡±


    ¡°Well, I think the best option would be to ask my brothers ¡­¡±


    ¡°Samuel and Leon? They will never help me ¡­¡± Spera said, her head dropping as her eyes saddened. She had wanted to befriend them from the first time she met them, like Daphne, but they both didn¡¯t give any indication that they would appreciate her friendship. Her sudden improved speech, gifted from the portion of her memories that she got back a few months ago finally fully integrating, disturbing them more than others.


    ¡°Hahaha ~¡± Daphne couldn¡¯t help but giggle. How cute this dense little princess was.


    ¡°It¡¯s no laughing matter. Yesterday, Leon glared at me when I moved just a little bit and when I got down from the bench Samuel started yelling at me ¡­  I just wanted a bit of water ¡­¡± She said, tearing up at the memories.


    ¡°And it¡¯s not like this was an unusual behavior. This is normal!¡±


    Looking up she could see Daphne sitting next to her, as if in a daze. Staring at her as if she was the cutest thing she had ever seen.


    ¡°Trust me ...¡± She suddenly said, ¡°that was just your impression.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Can you help me?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say ¡­ you didn¡¯t say the two magic words ¡­¡± She said with a mysterious smile on her face. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Magic words?¡±


    Getting closer, Daphne¡¯s lips almost touched her ear as she whispered ¡°big brother.¡±


    Looking at her in astonishment Spera couldn¡¯t believe her.


    Just those two words? Can it be that easy?


    But the smile that Daphne gave her after she leaned back confirmed her words. Her expression said that she was looking forward to a good show.


    Giving her a shaky smile Spera just thought Trying cost nothing ¡­ I hope.


    The next day, Samuel had the first shift of the day.


    Like always he took Spera out to the training field to let her watch him train his subordinates.


    This, however, was just a manifestation of his attitude towards this ¡®guard duty¡¯ that his Majesty had ordered. Even after all this time he still wasn¡¯t satisfied with the time left for him to ¡®educate¡¯ his team.


    He couldn¡¯t care less what the child did, as long as she was still unharmed by the end of his shift he was fine. Well, that was how he first thought about it.


    Now a few months later, he slowly felt attached to this fragile, cute little creature that seemed to hold a great burden but didn¡¯t want to let others help her carry it.


    He thought back to a few weeks ago. His men had just started training with their new equipment, courtesy of his sister, that had small projectiles shooting through the air with just their mana as fuel.


    He had almost fainted from fright when Spera had suddenly moved from her spot, putting herself in such unimaginable danger that he roared at her in fear, making the little girl frightened of him.


    Today they would once again practice with new weapons. Having learned from the past, Samuel, however, decided that his men would do one-on-one practices instead of freestyle. This hindered their process of fully understanding their new weapon since they couldn¡¯t use it to its full capacity but detained them to a range of a few meters that could be avoided without problems.


    Checking the equipment once again, Spera found him crouched next to the bank she always sat on, on the edge of the huge training field.


    The rest of the squad was a few meters away, talking with each other, except for Rui.


    When Spera had first met him, she had the feeling that he was on the wrong team.


    The feeling she got from him, resembled Leon and Jeanne so much that he stood out from the entire squad that had more than twenty members.


    Now after Daphne had told her about her two brothers, it all made sense. Rui was originally a subordinate from Leon, who he trusted so much that he entrusted him with his brother¡¯s safety. Now she finally understood Daphne''s laughter after she had told her about Rui.


    Thinking about Daphne¡¯s encouragement, she hyped herself up and slowly approached Samuel from behind, deliberately making enough noise for him to know of her approach.


    ¡°Samuel ¡­¡± She called out in a low voice, her nervousness making her voice quiver a bit.


    ¡°Yes, princess?¡± He said, turning around on the balls of his feet, still crouched down to be on eye level with her.


    She froze for a moment, her courage fleeting as his face stayed in a cold expression.


    You got this¡­ Daphne said you just had to call him!


    Lowering her gaze, she stood before him, lightly shifting her weight from one foot to the other and back, giving out the clear signal that she was nervous.


    ¡°I wanted to ask ¡­¡± She began but felt the words stuck in her throat.


    Seeing her so obviously in discomfort, Samuel took pity on her and lowered himself on his knees, shifting closer to her while making the effort to dampen his constant powerful aura.


    ¡°Princess, take your time.¡± He encouraged her but wanted to smack himself since the words he wanted to say came out cold and distant.


    Peeking at him, Spera took a deep breath, closed her eyes and thought to herself Just get it over with!


    ¡°I-I-I wanted t-to ask i-if I could start calling you b-big b-b-brother ¡­¡± She finally squeezed out, her eyes still tightly shut and her body starting to curl in itself, making herself smaller than she already was.


    Suddenly two strong hands grabbed her under the crook of her arms and quickly lifted her up.


    Shocked, Spera opened her eyes to be greeted by Samuels'' face, dazzling with a huge smile as he hugged her tightly against his shoulder.


    Spera was so shocked that she froze for a few minutes, only coming back to herself when Samuel started to spin her around, repeatedly shouting ¡°Yes, Yes, Yes!¡±


    Seeing his obvious joy at her request Spera couldn¡¯t help but laugh out.


    Daphne was right! He is a big ol puppy!


    For a few moments, the atmosphere was very warm and sweet. Spera loosened up and started smiling and laughing at Samuel who started asking her, again and again, to call him ¡°big brother¡±, seeing his happiness she gave in and started calling him again and again, making the grown man delirious with joy.


    Suddenly she could feel the shift in the air.


    The warm breeze that had encircled broth of them started to get colder and colder until everyone felt a shiver run down their spine.


    The chatter of the squad quieted down, only whispers could be heard, that got lost in the wind that suddenly picked up.


    And then in the middle of the training field, a black shadow suddenly appeared out of thin air. Spera recognized him as Leon when he crossed the distance between them in an instant and appeared only slightly further away out of thin air.


    His sudden appearance, shocking the entire squad, the entire training field quieted down, only the birds in the vicinity could be heard.


    ¡°What is up? Why do you create such a commotion?¡± His deep voice sounded out, making the hairs stand up on each person that heard it.


    Samuel however totally ignored his basic survival instincts and happily ran to his brother.


    ¡°Leon, Leon!¡±


    ¡°I heard you the first time!¡± He growled out, a slight tick could be seen at the corner of his left eye, signaling his annoyance at his brothers'' behavior.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t guess what just happened!¡± Samuel exclaimed, stunning everybody by his unaffected mood.


    Leon shot him a glare which didn¡¯t impress Samuel but intimidated Spera who was still held in Samuels'' arms.


    Frightened she borrowed her face in his neck.


    Daphne even if you tell me that he would never hurt me, he is still scary! I don¡¯t want to! Samuel was hard enough ¡­ I don¡¯t want to try the same with Leon. Spera thought, near tears.


    But thinking about her parent''s current situation, her small hands grabbed onto Samuels shirt, gaining support from the contact.


    Forcing herself to ignore the bone-numbing fear she felt in Leon''s presence, she slowly looked up and forced a wobbly smile on her face as she faced Leon.


    To say that he was surprised would be the understatement of the year.


    The small princess, that always feared him and started shivering when he only came near her, was now before him trying to smile at him.


    He knew that he was terrifying to others. Even experienced veterans had a hard time not shivering in his proximity. But now before him was the little angel, who wasn¡¯t even two years old and overshadowed these veterans by a large margin by trying to smile at him.


    ¡°L-L-Leon ¡­¡± Her soft voice sounded in the silence that had ensued after Leon¡¯s glare.


    Everybody''s attention now lay on her, and she could feel her nervousness being taken up a notch.


    Seeing his unemotional face and the murderous aura that emitted from him, she tightened her grip on Samuels shirt.


    Skipping the entire conversation since she knew that she would only stumble over her own words, Spera took a deep breath and directly looked into his eyes.


    ¡°Big Brother Leon!¡± She almost shouted, the relief at having finally bringing herself to utter those words making her voice louder than intended.


    Even with his facial paralysis, she could see the shock that Leon experienced at her words.


    She was fascinated as his hard green eyes softened, and she could feel the atmosphere immediately warming up.


    She had hoped for maybe a smile but knew that this was something to work for in the future. For now, the lightened air was a great process, causing her to beam at her new big brother.


    Seeing as everything had worked up just fine, exhaustion suddenly hit her small body and she could feel her eyelids falling close. Making herself comfortable in Samuels embrace she started dozing off. But before she could fall asleep she could feel cold fingers stroking her hair, causing her to smile.


    I really have to give it to Daphne, she knows her brothers better than anybody. Samuel the big ol puppy and Leon the shy facial paralysis but caring big brother ... my mind is screaming at me that it is some sort of cliche, but since I can''t remember what it is it shouldn''t be important right ?


    ¡­ I hope everything works out according to our plan.

 Chapter 18

    The next few days were peaceful.


    Spending more time with the siblings, Spera started to gain a better understanding of their character and relationship to each other, making her more comfortable in their interaction.


    Even Leon started to sometimes slightly raise the corners of his mouth, causing Lorain to suddenly profoundly thank her when she saw her again.


    But something disturbed Spera. No, more precisely someone.


    And this someone was called Rui.


    Since the ¡®big brother¡¯ incident, he had started to actively isolate himself from the squad causing Spera to worry.


    She had tried to talk to him, but he had just ignored her, turned around and suddenly disappeared making it clear that he wanted to have nothing to do with her.


    She was saddened by that but having asked her big brothers about it, they also had no answer for her. They just said to give him time to work out his problem by himself and if he was ready to talk to somebody they would be there.


    Later, by Spera¡¯s request, Samuel and Leon had talked with Rui a few days later as the situation seemed to not be able to be resolved by sitting it out. But instead of resolving the situation, he started to increase his self-isolation.


    And somehow Spera got the feeling that this was her fault. But she didn¡¯t have time to ponder about it since Rui¡¯s situation wasn¡¯t the only thing that started to change.


    The status quo had also started to shift without anyone noticing.


    One afternoon, Spera had once again watched Samuel¡¯s squad¡¯s training, afterward, she and the three siblings walked together to her room.


    They still had to talk about their further plans to resolve her parents¡¯ situation, since any plans that they had till then didn¡¯t work.


    But what shocked them when they opened Spera¡¯s bedroom door, was that somebody was already there.


    Someone Spera hadn¡¯t seen in a long time: Lidiana.


    In an instant, all five people froze.


    Lidiana looked a bit embarrassed, but after a moment she straightened and glared at Spera and the siblings.


    After getting over their shock at seeing Lidiana in the room, the three siblings immediately moved in front of Spera, obviously for protection.


    Seeing their action, Lidiana sneered at them.


    ¡°Well, well, if it isn¡¯t the mutt.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Spera asked, angry at being insulted but also nervous at her presence in her room.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to tell you,¡± she said as if to convince herself.


    At her answer, Daphne took a step forward, but Samuel hurriedly grabbed her arm.


    Looking back at him he shook his head, signaling that they should be very careful in how they treated her.


    And Daphne knew, as long as Lidiana was here as a guest, sent by the Draconian Queen, they as servants couldn¡¯t touch her.


    Seeing the situation, Lidiana became braver.


    ¡°Ha! Seems like the mutts know their place!¡± She said, insinuating that, since Daphne, Leon and Samuel were born from parents of different species, they weren¡¯t any better than the mutt-blooded Speraenya that hid behind them.


    Hearing that, all three had to try very hard not to leak their killing intent.


    Spera however, being much nearer to them than Lidiana immediately felt the shift in the air.


    Stepping forward she saw the frustration on their face that mirrored her own feeling of helplessness in this situation.


    ¡°Come here!¡± Lidiana suddenly ordered Spera.


    Confused, Spera pointed at herself.


    ¡°Yes, I mean you. So not only are you a weak bodied bastard, you are also dumb? I thought after your speech suddenly improved you could finally be of use. Man, I almost feel sorry for your bastard father, but he couldn¡¯t keep away from the tree-hugger, could he?¡±


    That is so inappropriate to tell a two-year-old child ¡­ Spera thought, anger bubbling in her that she swiftly suppressed.


    Analysing the situation, Spera knew she couldn¡¯t defy her.


    So reluctantly she took a few steps forward to stand in front of Lidiana.


    Seeing her move, all three siblings wanted to grab her to place her behind them but a slight shake of Spera head made them pull back their already stretched out hands.


    ¡°Well, at least you have courage.¡± Lidiana said while looking her up and down.


    ¡°With few scales, you could almost pass as one of these disgusting monkeys, a half-elf of Solaris, if you just color your hair.


    Looking at Lidiana, through her sky-blue reptilian eyes, like she had just realized how idiotic the other woman was, Lidiana¡¯s anger started to grow.


    ¡°How dare you look at me like that?¡± She asked, making a motion as if she wanted to hit Spera.


    Noticing her movement, Daphne couldn¡¯t suppress her killing intent for a moment, making all four others choke on their spit as the atmosphere, for a split second, turned scary and intimidating.


    Spera whipped around and saw Daphne standing behind her, her hair billowing behind her as the air crackled around her.


    But as soon as they felt their sister lose reason, Leon and Samuel hastily clutched one of her arms each, of course being conscious of her condition they were careful to grab onto her sleeve covered arms, the dress material having been bespelled to prevent at least a great portion of her Mana to be released, shaking her out of her state but still numbing their fingers.


    Blinking, Daphne looked at the others and saw fear and relief in their eyes.


    ¡°Sorry¡­¡± Daphne muttered and looked at her brothers in gratitude.


    Still nervous her brothers looked at her in suspicion, slowly taking their hands off her arms and giving her a shaky smile.


    Seeing that Daphne had caught herself, Spera gave her a smile and turned back to Lidiana, seeing her shivering in place while her face was a white as a piece of paper.


    It took a few moments, but Lidiana started to regain her standing, shakily stoking her skirt and hair she calmed down.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Standing tall once again she took a deep breath, but this time she had lost the arrogant tilt of her head.


    ¡°Well, since even the ogres in Tenebris Silva didn¡¯t want your mother, I shouldn¡¯t expect a decent child to come out of her ¡­. I feel really disgusting looking at you, why did the bastard have to shame us by making a mudblood with the treehugger ...¡±


    As Lidianas insults started up again, Spera felt helpless.


    She was just a small child, what could she do against a grown-up pure-blooded draconian, who was in her own words ¡°Blessed for being chosen by the Queen.¡±


    And that she should be grateful to even be in her vicinity.


    Her helplessness welled up as she felt tears gathering in her eyes and her face heating up.


    Looking down she hid her obvious feelings.


    ¡°Well, but at least he now has his retribution ¡­¡± Her high pitched voice sounded again, tugging on Speras nerves.


    ¡°... really he sacrifices so much for this ...family ¡­ and now is stabbed in the back by the mudblood and the half-elf. I could almost pity him.¡±


    She said. The shock at her words making Spera look up at her, ignoring the dark aura that started brewing behind her once again.


    Seeing her eyes, which were glittering with unshed tears, a sneer formed on Lidianas face.


    ¡°Ho? You didn¡¯t know? If it weren¡¯t for you did you think that your father would have chosen your mother as his wife? He couldn''t give up a child of royal descent even if his was a bastard¡¯s mudblood born child. And with his marriage to your mother, you both destroyed his future no wonder that he hates you right now ¡­ At first, I thought he could have at least tender feelings for you being his child, but seeing the situation right now, even that seems impossible ¡­¡±


    Spera was rattled ¡­ did her father really hate her? but he said that he loved her ¡­ even if she hadn¡¯t seen him for a few days ¡­ feeling confused she stared at Lidiana, one word repeating in her head over and over again.


    ¡°We destroyed his future?¡±


    She asked as her body started to slightly tremble.


    Raising one eyebrow, Lidianas eyes turned cold and cruel as if she saw an already wounded prey in front of her but wanted to play with it until it had no will to live anymore.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡±


    Shaking her head, Spera started to fear Lidianas answer.


    Suddenly a warm hand touched her left shoulder. Looking up she saw Daphne stand almost next to her. Seeing the sorrow in her eyes she was sure.


    ¡°You knew?¡± She whispered. But since all four adults had a high enough cultivation they, of course, heard her.


    Tightening her grip on her shoulder Daphne could only say a half-truth, they were still in front of an enemy.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that Madam destroyed his future. She just changed it.¡±


    ¡°HA!¡± Lidiana laughed out loud. ¡°Oh, that is a sweet way to put it. Changed it? Changed it! Yeah, sure she changed it. From being the third in line of the throne and having the prospect of having a wonderful fianc¨¦e and three mistresses to being banished to a small kingdom and only being allowed to have this one wife. She sure changed it, that whore!¡± Lidiana suddenly exploded and started screaming at Spera.


    Frightened by her sudden outburst and terrified by the implications that she made, Spera shrunk back and a tear ran down her cheek.


    Reaching for her, Lidiana grabbed her right arm hard and yanked her towards her.


    ¡°Aah!¡± Spera let out a pained gasp as Lidianas hand bruised her arm and the motion of being ripped from under Daphne''s hand, made pain spread through her shoulder. Another tear fell but she gulped down the moan that builds in her throat.


    ¡°Lidiana!¡± Daphne screamed at the same moment when she lunged at her, but Leon and Samuel who had suffered in silence behind her immediately jumped forward and held her tight, Samuel being a bit careless and touching one hand to her exposed arm, receiving a jolt that made pain course through him, but him being her brother he had experienced that more than his fair share so he got a grip rather quickly, shifting his hand to her covered arm.


    It was almost over. Just a few more minutes and Lidiana would lose interest in the princess and they could care for her. They couldn¡¯t make a move, even if they wanted to rip her apart.


    Terrified, Spera stared at Lidianas eyes that were only inches away from her face.


    ¡°You disgusting spawn. If not for you ¡­¡± She started to say. But seeing the tears in her eyes, she suddenly smiled and straightened once again, sneering down at her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be such a wimp!¡± She spat out as she pushed Spera away from her.


    Losing her balance, Spera crumbled to the ground her elbow hitting the ground painfully as a stinging pain shot through her knee, robbing her momentarily of her breath and making her freeze for a moment in a fetal position.


    ¡°You dare!¡± Daphne''s roar thundered through the air as Leon and Samuel appeared next to Spera and worriedly started inspecting her little body.


    The air crackled and small flames started gathering around Daphne, her hair billowing around her.


    ¡°Eak!¡± Lidiana squealed as she ran out of the room, but as soon as she crossed the doorframe, she slowed down to a quick walk, her pride not allowing her to ¡®run¡¯ away.


    Spera still frozen, could see her retreating back through the open door.


    Making sure that the woman had finally left, Daphne turned towards Spera, the door immediately falling close behind her.


    ¡°Princess ¡­¡± She said, hurrying to Spera and kneeling in front of her stunned body.


    she could see a small scratch on her elbow where she hit the ground, the shoulder straps of her dress not being able to hide the bruises that slowly formed on her arm and shoulder.


    Immediately Daphne''s hand glowed in a blue light and pressed against her bruises, soothing the pain that racked her body and making her snap out of her stubbor.


    ¡°Daphne ¡­ what d-did sh-she mean ?¡± She asked the shock still influencing her and making her stutter while her body started shivering.


    ¡°Princess ¡­ I can¡¯t answer that. I would like to beg you to ask your parents when you are a bit older. But please believe one thing. Your father loves both you and your mother with all his heart. Nothing will change that.¡± Seeing her nod her head, Daphne gave a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Now could you tell me if you are hurt somewhere else?¡±


    ¡°My knee hurts ¡­¡± She whispered, mentioning it made her aware of it once again and the pain started to cloud her mind once again.


    Lifting the long skirt of her dress, Daphne saw in horror that Speras knee was bent in an awkward angle that was very unnatural.


    Looking up at her brothers, they could see that something was wrong.


    ¡°Leon, Samuel ¡­ hold her down ¡­¡± Daphne gritted out. Pain in her eyes.


    The shock in their eyes spoke volumes.


    Looking down at the little girl on the ground that looked up at them in pain and innocence, they knew that she had no idea what would happen in a few seconds.


    Steeling themselves, both men held down one of her shoulders. Confused Spera looked at both of them until she could feel Daphne''s cold hands at her painful knee making her gasp. Looking downwards at the woman that knelt in front of her, she looked at her in confusion.


    ¡°I am sorry.¡± Daphne uttered, looking at her in compassion.


    ¡°Wha ¡­ AAAHHH!¡± Spera screamed, as Daphne gripped her leg and quickly pushed the leg into its socket once again, healing it immediately with healing magic.


    At the pain, Speras little body started buckling and Leon and Samuel held her down while gritting their teeth.


    As soon as the pain came, it went away, leaving Spera feeling battered and bruised, even if there was none on her body anymore. Sleepily she looked up at Daphne that hovered over her nervously.


    Giving her a slight smile, Spera closed her eyes as she fell in unconsciousness, tears streaming out of her eyes.


    Gathering her in her arms, Daphne stroked Speras hair. Swearing to never let anything hurt this precious little girl again. Even if she knew that she could never fulfill her promise, the world was too cruel for that.


    Suddenly the door was pushed open, Mesanth and Emerthelil standing in the door looking like they rushed over.


    ¡°What happened, we heard Spera cry!¡± Both said almost at the same time.


    Seeing them, Daphne couldn¡¯t fully conceal her disappointment.


    Walking out with Spera in her arms she sneered as she walked past them.


    ¡°If you had been there, I wouldn¡¯t have to tell you what happened.¡±


    Looking stunned by her words, Mesanth and Emerthelil looked at each other in confusion.


    Taking pity at them Leon and Samuel stepped forward.


    ¡°Master ¡­¡± They bowed and motioned for them to enter the room, even as Emerthelil wanted to go after Daphne to hold her daughter.


    The next time Spera woke up, she was in her own bed, her mother and father sitting on the edge of her bed, hugging each other while her mother cried on her father''s shoulder.


    ¡°Mommy, Daddy ¡­¡± She whispered, not trusting the scene before her eyes. She had wished for her parent''s reunion for such a long time, that she sometimes dreamed of it only to be crushed by waking up.


    ¡°Sweety!¡± Her mother exclaimed, extracting herself from her father''s arms and hugging her tightly to her chest.


    The warmth of her mother''s body giving Spera finally the reassurance that this was real, tears gathering in her eyes.


    ¡°I am so sorry,¡± her mother whispered over and over again.


    Even though her parents never told her why they had fought, it being ¡°grown-up problems¡± was the only answer she ever got on the topic. However, now that her parents were reconciled she didn¡¯t place much importance on it. The only important thing right now was that they were back again.


    Even if Lidiana''s words still haunted her, she didn¡¯t speak of it to her parents. It wasn¡¯t yet time for that.


    As such the months went by, and it was finally time for her birthday again.


    She hadn¡¯t brought up the courage to tell her parents about her condition. The possibility of her death too scary to even think about, making her repress any thought about her ¡°Birthday-trip¡±.


    Standing in front of the mirror like last year, she gave the little girl in front of her a smile of encouragement.


    ¡°You can do this!¡± She cheered for herself as the searing pain in her core started to spread.


    ¡°Aaaah!¡± And with a scream of pain and agony, she fell to the floor.

 Chapter 19

    ¡°I can¡¯t get used to this ¡­¡± Spera moaned as her consciousness returned to her and she found herself in Deli¡¯s room in the God Realm once again.


    Seems like she might appear here every time.


    Standing up she dusted of imaginary dust from her being.


    Pleasantly surprised she discovered that her soul had once again undergone a change.


    Now it had the form of a toddler, making it easier for Spera to move her body since it now resembled her body on Prena.


    Looking around she discovered that she was standing in the middle of the room, facing Deli¡¯s work desk.


    Seeing Deli working on her desk, behind mountains of papers, she cheerfully called out,


    ¡°Hi Deli how are you?¡± just hoping that her nice personality was dominant right now.


    She knew, given Deli¡¯s behavior last time, that she was now obviously ignored by her. It seems like her appearance in the God Realm causes a disturbance in the atmosphere that even Demi-Gods or Saints could feel, so obviously Deli, one of the three most powerful Gods after the Allfather, couldn¡¯t very well not notice her manifestation.


    Giving a loud sigh, Deli started answering her, slowly looking up.


    ¡°Well, hello to you, too, how was your ¡­¡± but just as she wanted to ask the question, her eyes finally landed on her soul, causing them to grow wide in shock.


    ¡°What the ¡­¡± she muttered before frowning.


    ¡°WIJU! GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE!¡± She suddenly yelled causing Spera to take a step back, as she felt the anger that radiated off her.


    Did I come at the wrong time? Why is she so mad? Did something make her personally balance tilt to the dark side? I want a cookie!


    Spera''s thoughts were in turmoil and she didn¡¯t even notice the rather strange thoughts that slipped in, her eyes fixed onto Deli that had walked from around her desk and was starting to pace back and forth before her desk, always sneaking a glance at Spera before starting to mutter to herself.


    Spera nerve endings tingled, even if at the moment she didn¡¯t have any, the stress of Deli¡¯s obvious discomfort at her appearance making her agitated. What the hell was wrong?


    Moments later, Wiju burst through the door.


    Behind him, a nervous Sougua closed them, at the time also repairing the lock that had been busted open by Wiju¡¯s strength, before freezing as he turned around and his eyes fell on Spera who stood in the middle of the room.


    Looking at her brother, Deli didn¡¯t hesitate.


    Pointing at Spera she bit out ¡°Explain¡±, confusing the uninformed Wiju. He had run to his sister¡¯s aid when he heard her bellow but didn¡¯t have the time to get extra information. Not that it would have helped since Sougua also hadn¡¯t known what the problem was before entering the room.


    Looking at Spera, his eyes also widened. Looking at the three other people in the room, each staring at her with shock, Spera couldn¡¯t help it anymore and snapped.


    ¡°What the hell is wrong? You are making me extremely nervous right now ¡­ Can one of you please explain your current behavior?¡±


    ¡°Little one ¡­¡± Wiju started, seeing that her current behavior seemed to anger the already furious Deli he wanted to at least avoid the worst case scenario.


    Turning to Wiju, Spera started at him with expectation.


    ¡°You see ¡­ your current soul form shouldn¡¯t exist ¡­¡± He started.


    Spera¡¯s mind blanked at that. What the hell did he mean?


    Uncomfortable at the situation, he slowly walked towards her, distancing himself from Deli.


    ¡°Last time you saw your soul form right? This form should stay until you reach Demi-God stage and then your physical form would manifest as your soul form. Since reaching Demi-Godhood, even if one is fast, would need at least 20 years in every time zone in existence, there has never been a toddler-formed soul.


    And even Demi-Gods aren¡¯t in their pure soul state like you but have a temporary physical form that is then refined into a physical body when reaching Godhood.


    Furthermore, there is also the problem that neither your soul nor your physical form even started to cultivate. So ¡­ your current form shouldn¡¯t be possible ¡­ even with our blessings and the loosening seal.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Spera asked a quiver in her voice at the uncertainty that made her terrified.


    ¡°Well ¡­¡± Wiju began. But suddenly the entire room decedent in a red light as a high pitched siren started going off.


    ¡°What the hell!¡± Spera screamed startled.


    Deli froze in place and her mouth dropped open in shock.


    The next moment, she sprang into action.


    ¡°MUWA! MUWA! What happened?¡±


    Suddenly the third of the three siblings ran into the room, looking quite exhausted as if he just had an extreme exercise.


    ¡°Status!¡± Deli barked, glaring at him.


    ¡°Mass-Genocide in Realm 310 Planet 14. A species is under the influence of a new chemical compound and lost all reason. We look at a casualty rate in the millions.¡±


    ¡°How did this happen?¡± She asked hurrying back to her desk to sift through documents in agitation.


    ¡°Little one ¡­¡± Wiju suddenly whispered to her.


    Looking at him in surprise, Spera ¡°hmmd¡± in acknowledgment.


    ¡°Maybe we should go to my room ... ¡°


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you help?¡± She asked looking back at Muwa and Deli running around and screaming at each other. It was like a trainwreck ¡­ you just couldn¡¯t look away from it.


    ¡°Come on ¡­¡± He said, lightly pushing her out of the room, the noise and screams quieting down as the door closed behind them.


    ¡°You see, it isn¡¯t like I don¡¯t want to help them ¡­ It¡¯s just that I can¡¯t.¡±


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.¡°Why?¡± She asked, but her attention was on the corridor they walked down. It was the first time that she saw anything else other than Deli¡¯s room in the God Realm.


    ¡°Well ...¡± He said looking a bit depressed ¡°... you know that each God has its own domain right?¡± To which Spera nodded.


    ¡°Deli and Muwa¡¯s Domains overlap in such situations like the one Muwa just stated. When a huge number of humanoids are killed in an act of murder, such as war or genocide, they have to navigate together to resolve it.¡±


    ¡°Is that the reason for the sirene? ¡°


    ¡°Oh, you mean the new device that the little workers installed?¡±


    ¡°Little workers? Like fairies?¡±


    ¡°Well ¡­ that''s not wrong or right but in this case no. Fairies are used by Gods to influence the mortal world mostly. In the God Realm, each Domain has its own workforce.


    You meet Sougua, right? He is the secretary of Deli or more precisely, the Chief of Deli¡¯s workforce. And a few thousand years ago, since it came to a very serious situation and they couldn¡¯t respond in time since the communication between the Domains wasn¡¯t very good, many souls were lost. In response to that, they set up a system where in accordance with the severity of the situation different kinds of alarms go off in the respective Gods¡¯ Main Chamber.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so the room I always wake up in is Deli¡¯s Main Chamber?¡±


    ¡°Yes ¡­ and now you will see mine,¡± he said, stopping in front of a huge double-winged door that was formed like a book with the symbol of a scale in the middle.


    As they entered the room, Spera could see that each wall of the room was packed with books, from top to bottom. The center of the room was occupied by stacks of papers, and she could even see three big computer screens situated around them, calculations running at a high speed through the monitor.


    Looking at Wiju, while pointing at the screens, too shocked at the chaos that seemed to increase and decrease while just observing it for a moment, Spera couldn¡¯t even find her voice to ask all the questions that suddenly filled her mind.


    ¡°Hoh! I thought that since you had my blessing you wouldn¡¯t be as affected as other souls by my room, interesting¡­¡± He said while rubbing his chin. A book suddenly appearing in front of him and a new line magically appeared on the otherwise blank page.


    ¡°Wha ...¡± Spera could finally utter, staring in shock at the book that seemed suspiciously like an observation diary that the scientists on earth used to document animal behavior.


    ¡°Oh, this?¡± Wiju said, the book suddenly disappearing. ¡°This is nothing. Just a little hobby.¡±


    ¡°Aha ¡­¡± Spera uttered, not believing him, but knowing that she wouldn¡¯t get any answers. At least not now.


    Turning back to the center of the room, she pointed once again at the screens.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Calculators ¡­ Can¡¯t you see?¡± Wiju said, looking at her like he was in front of an idiot. And this damn book appeared again.


    ¡°Of course I see that this are calculators,¡± Spera answered, finding it easier to speak when she was facing Wiju instead of his room.


    ¡°I mean, what kind of calculations are these? And why do you need them?¡±


    The book disappearing again, but Spera could see out of the corner of her eye that a new line had appeared in it.


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t possibly think that I would judge every single soul by myself, could you? Do you know how many souls are in the multiverse? And I don¡¯t even mean those once alive, right now ¡­ there are trillions, no, quadrillions more that are awaiting judgment, are being cleaned or, at the moment, wait for their reincarnation.


    Even if I had all the time in the world, I couldn¡¯t judge them all personally and at the same time collect the wisdom that was found in the multiverse.


    So using the advanced technological process that was found in the multiverse, my helpers created, the Judge123, a device that judges the souls by the universal code of conduct that Deli and the Allfather have set up. Each soul can be processed in a matter of seconds.¡±


    ¡°But isn¡¯t that unfair? They don¡¯t have a real judgment, they are just processed like ¡­ like¡­¡±


    ¡°A product in a factory?¡± Wiju asked, looking at her with sympathy.


    ¡°Yes ¡­¡± Spera answered, looking down.


    ¡°Well, not really. You see, if that was the only thing that ¡®The Judge¡¯ did, we wouldn¡¯t be needing three devices for it, would we?¡±


    He said to which Spera found herself nodding.


    ¡°You see, what I just described is the function of the middle device. Named Judge1. He compiles a file of the soul¡¯s life and gives a primary judgment if the soul should be processed by Judge2 or Judge3.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that is the reason for the mountain of papers that seem to be alive?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you could see that?¡± He said a new note in the book being added after it spontaneously re- and disappeared. ¡°Normally that shouldn¡¯t be possible, maybe this has something to do with Muwas blessing¡­¡± Wiju started to mutter.


    ¡°Wiju?¡± Spera asked, bringing him back from his thoughts.


    ¡°Yes! Right! Was I at Judge 2 and 3 right? Well, they are what you mortals would call heaven and hell ¡­¡±


    ¡°What? These machines?¡± Spera asked in surprise, remembering on her first meeting with Deli that she had also spoken about being sent to heaven or hell.


    ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s more of a calculation of karma and the resulting reincarnation ¡­¡±


    ¡°But, why wasn¡¯t I processed by this? Why did I meet Deli in the first place ¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, you see, your case was really special. You were the grey of the grey area when it came to the calculation of your previous life and the lifetimes before.


    And normally if a soul is in the grey area, I will personally judge it, but since it was such a special case ... well, more precisely, the first time such a case appeared, the authority to judge you was handed over to the God or Goddess that has a higher position in the God realm and in my case that was Deli. If Deli also hadn¡¯t found a solution to your case, you would have been judged by the Allfather, and if he hadn¡¯t been able to make a judgment then you would have been given to the void.¡±


    ¡°Ok, that is too much ...¡± Spera said, her soul not being able to process the entire conversation.


    ¡°So, to make it simple ¡­ I was very lucky to get Deli to by my caseworker?¡±


    ¡°Caseworker? ¡­ Good name for that. But yes, you had tremendous luck in the judgment department. Maybe you should talk with the God of Luck when you have the opportunity and thank him for it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I would like that ¡­ when can I meet him?¡± Spera asked exhausted.


    ¡°Not now ... you have a long way to go before you are capable enough to meet other Gods besides the Origins.¡±


    ¡°But I already met Sougua ¡­ Why can¡¯t I meet other Gods?¡±


    ¡°Sougua is protected by being Deli¡¯s worker. All our workers are protected by the God they serve, so it wouldn¡¯t be a problem for you to meet mine and Muwa¡¯s workforce, but other Gods and workers would be compromised by the power of your blessings. So, before you learn how to control them and not let their power leak out, you can¡¯t meet the others.¡±


    He said, giving Spera another blow, that made her quiet down for a few moments.


    Wiju could see that she needed a moment for herself, so he manifested a comfortable armchair and started relaxing in it, closing his eyes and leaning his head back, while taking off his glasses.


    Coming out of her thoughts, Spera found him like that and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle a bit. He reminded her of Daphne that also loved to relax like that when she had finished perfecting a new spell.


    ¡°Hey, Wiju ¡­¡± She broke the silence with a whisper, not knowing how he would react. She could see him flinch at the sudden noise, but she really wanted to ask this question.


    Slowly he opened his eyes, without his glasses Spera could see them for the first time. And the thought that came as fast as it went was that they looked old. So old and lonely.


    But with a blink of his eyes, that impression was gone. Back was the fun, witty scholar who couldn¡¯t wait for a new discovery.


    Putting his glasses back on, he smiled at her, giving her the hint to talk.


    ¡°I wanted to ask you a question ¡­¡± She started, still slightly disturbed by what she saw in that unguarded moment. But she knew they weren¡¯t friends so she had no right to ask what he hid underneath his mask.


    ¡°Well then, you already woke me up ¡­ tell me,¡± he said with a grin. He liked questions. They always gave way to new knowledge.


    ¡°Well, you see one of my friends has a very big mana pool ¡­ whatever that is ¡­ and please wait a moment, I haven¡¯t finished the question yet.¡± Spera said as she saw Wiju wanting to start an explanation on mana pools.¡±


    ¡°You see because of her big mana pool, she can¡¯t touch other people since that would inflict pain on them. But I am totally fine when she touches me ... why is that?¡±


    She asked, but Spera could see that halfway through the question Wiju became quite uncomfortable, the armchair dematerializing while he started walking back and forth in front of her.


    When she had finished her question, he also stopped, directly in front of her, making her take a step back.


    Stretching out his hand he placed it on her head, making her flinch from it. But seeing that nothing happened, Spera relaxed. When she did, suddenly a warm current started to flow through her, not uncomfortable, just warm and soothing, making her look up at him with questions in her eyes. But he just shook his head indicating that he would explain later.


    Taking his hand back from her head, he looked at her in shock, and also a mixture of fear and excitement that Spera couldn¡¯t explain.


    ¡°Well, it seems like you are able to surprise me at every turn ...¡± He said with a sigh, but at the next moment, he started to chuckle.


    ¡°What? What is going on?¡± She asked in fear.


    ¡°Oh my, this is too good. Those two should be finished by now ¡­ let¡¯s go back to Deli¡¯s room alright? I want the other two to know this, too.¡±


    He said pushing her out of the room, down the hallway. Spera not able to make sense of his behavior just trotted along. It wasn¡¯t as if she could just leave if she wanted to.


    Even if right now the wish was very strong.

 Chapter 20

    The door they stopped in front of was one that Spera could immediately associate with Deli.


    It was also a double-winged door, but on hers, every kind of skeleton could be seen, animals and humanoid, while one door was white and the other pitch black.


    Standing in front of it for a moment, Spera didn¡¯t understand why Wiju didn¡¯t just enter. But since he didn¡¯t she wouldn¡¯t dare, too.


    After a few moments, she finally figured out why.


    It was to listen to the siren, or better to the lack of it.


    Wiju looked down at her, seeing the realization in her eyes, he just smiled and went to knock on the door before pushing it open, after hearing a Deli¡¯s voice call out with ¡°Enter!¡±.


    The room was still pristinely clear, but the mountains of papers around delis desks had easily doubled, while an exhausted Muwa lay before the desk and Deli reclined in the office chair behind it.


    Both just inclined their heads to look at the visitors. Seeing that it was only Wiju and Spera, they lay back down again to relax after the hell they had just been through. Mass-Genocide was such a pain in the ass to work through ¡­ the one responsible would be sent to hell for the next few generations, and if Deli had to personally put him there.


    ¡°You two ... I have to say something important.¡± WIju started, which made them immediately give him all their attention. If Wiju says that it was important¡­ It wasn¡¯t something one could dismiss.


    ¡°You see, I scanned Spera¡¯s soul right now and there seems to be another repercussion from the seal and our blessings.¡±


    This caused Deli and Muwa to jump up and crowd around Spera, who shrunk into herself, making her appear almost like an ordinary soul again.


    ¡°¡°What do you mean?¡±¡± Both of them asked at the same time.


    ¡°You see, the little one doesn¡¯t only get injured when the seal loosens at her birthday ¡­ it seems like the stored mana is first pumped into her mana pool which then forcefully expands to minimize the damage to her mana veins. Only then, when the mana pool can¡¯t expand anymore, the excess mana is released in her veins.¡±


    ¡°¡°¡°How will that affect me? / What is going to happen to her?¡±¡±¡±


    ¡°In my calculations, her Mana pool will expand with each seal release. And if the expansion size is proportional to the released mana that I already calculated ¡­ it could be possible that after her 11th birthday, the little one will have a mana pool almost as big as one of the old gods,¡± he expounded.


    Spera, not understanding the dimensions he was talking about, looked at all three of them. But besides Wiju who was looking excited at the prospect of a new research subject, Deli and Muwa looked shellshocked.


    ¡°Urm ¡­ Wiju?¡±


    ¡°Yes, little one?¡±


    ¡°How big is that? I mean ... how powerful is an old God?¡±


    ¡°Well, ¡®Old God¡¯ is the title the Gods that were created after us three origin Gods got. Given their lifespan and the fact that their domain is very powerful, they are an existence that a normal mortal turned God could never achieve.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Spera could only utter. Now totally understanding why Deli and Muwa hadn¡¯t moved an inch since the revelation.


    ¡°Is that the reason why I can touch Daphne?¡± Spera asked, finally remembering what brought this topic on, to which Wiju only nodded.


    ¡°Yes, given your current Mana pool I find it astonishing that you can even touch other people except for those with big mana pools ¡­ maybe this has something to do with your core still being sealed ¡­ I will try and find that out till next time, all right? Please remind me of that. Sometimes I have too much on my plate, then it¡¯s easy to forget a thing or two,¡± he said, to which Spera nodded.


    ¡°But back to the topic on hand, you see ¡­ a large mana pool is also very dangerous. At least for someone that is bound to be in a mortal form when they are casting their magic.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°You see, invoking a magic is made out of different components. Mana release, Mana control and the image of the Magic you want to invoke are the key factors to using Magic.


    Now if you have such a large Mana pool as you will be getting, it will make controlling that amount of Mana very hard. And any excess Mana that is poured into the spell you want to invoke, will cause the spell to become more powerful and in most cases more deadly, even to the caster since mortal bodies aren¡¯t build to release godly amounts of mana. You might have a change if you survive your 11th birthday and your veins are strong enough through the mana explosions. But even then channeling too much Mana might cause serious damage to your body.¡±


    He said, each word frightening Spera more and more. She could almost picture it, her being unable to control her Mana being torn apart from the inside out by her own power.


    ¡°But there could be a way to control it right? There has to be a way!¡± She cried out, desperation coloring her voice.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see ...¡± Wiju said, making a motion with his hand, but nothing happened.


    Turning to Deli who still stood in shock behind Spera, Wiju snapped at her.


    ¡°Deli get yourself together. You know I can¡¯t summon my books into your room if you don¡¯t allow it!¡± He said, causing her and Muwa to snap out of their daze.


    ¡°Ah yes ... Right! I allow it!¡± She said, clearly not knowing what she had just agreed to but not willing to admit it. Somehow Spera found the current Deli quite cute.


    ¡°There we go!¡± Wiju exclaimed as he once again motioned his hand, and an old looking brown leather-bound book with gold symbols all over it appeared in his hands.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Spera asked curiously, stepping closer, but still not able to see what was in the book.


    ¡°This is the record of the magic system that was erected on your planet ¡­ there were many created to try out which would be most successful and of course, we had to keep tabs on how they were built and affected the mortal life¡­ let¡¯s see¡­ oh, here it is! ¡­ blah blah blah¡­ alright, mana, image, control ¡­ Ah, here we go!...


    The first time a humanoid is able to use magic is after their twelfth birthday. On that day they will have to undergo a ceremony to be found worthy of the gift of magic. This ceremony is commonly called awakening ceremony where the core of the mortal is unsealed and their potential and power is set free. After the rite of passage, the humanoid has to invoke a series of magics to showcase ist affinity with the elements.¡±


    Wiju started reading, and Spera could hear Deli and Muwa breathe a sigh of relief.


    ¡°But what will happen? It said that I will have to invoke my first magic then. If anything happens and I use the wrong amount of mana ¡­¡± She started, her feeling of helplessness at the situation becoming bigger and bigger. Was she just to survive her 11th birthday only to die at her 12th?


    ¡°Yeah, that wouldn¡¯t be good ¡­¡± WIju said, pondering the issue in silence.


    Suddenly Muwa spoke up,¡± Then she just has to learn to control the mana right?¡± Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Making Wiju exclaim with an ¡°AH!¡±.


    ¡°Thank you, brother. I knew there has to be an upside for being simple! Why didn¡¯t I think of that? You just have to learn superior mana control! We have almost ten years till then if you give your all you should be able to learn it!¡± He said starting to ramble on about her future training plan, ignoring Muwa¡¯s shout of protest when he realized that his brother had just labeled him a ¡®simple thinker¡¯ or better known as ¡¯idiot¡¯.


    ¡°Of course ¡­¡± Spera said, this conversation too important to her to try and pacify Muwa even if she found him very likable.


    ¡°But Wiju, before that, could you maybe explain to me what Mana is?¡±


    ¡°Ah right, we never got to that¡­ You see Mana is in everything. It creates and it destroys. We will soon start with a meditation exercise where you will truly grasp the existence of Mana. Just understanding Mana by talking about it isn¡¯t possible. You have to feel it. Now you see what is important to remember that Mana is in EVERYTHING this means it is even in yourself. Now in your last life, you lived an existence without Mana or Magic¡­ but it wasn¡¯t as if you didn¡¯t have it. You see many mortals think that their Mana pool, the place where mana is stored to be used, to refine the mortal body, is situated in the mortal body. But why is it then that Godhood exists. I told you before when a mortal becomes a Demi-God he sheds his mortal body and manifests his soul in a physical form. And this is only possible because his Mana pool is in his soul,¡± he rambled on, Spera nodding her head while trying to wrap her head around this concept.


    ¡°You see, because of that, you have to allow the Mana from your Mana pool to be used by your body. The magic system of your world preventing that connection until your 12th birthday.¡±


    ¡°But if the connection isn¡¯t open how could my situation happen?¡± Spera asked, still remembering the time she first touched one of the little lights in her mother''s womb.


    Wiju, remembering it glared at her, part fascination, part frustration at her past.


    ¡°Well, yes, normally a baby, whose soul hadn¡¯t been anchored to the body yet, as it was still in her mother¡¯s womb, so the barrier between soul and body hasn¡¯t been erected yet, doesn''t try and absorb a Mana-particle,¡± he declared, clearly placing all the blame on Spera.


    ¡°But enough of that ¡­ let¡¯s try it out shall we?¡± He said, obviously happy with the next experiment.


    ¡°Alright, that is my cue to go ¡­¡± Muwa¡¯s deep voice suddenly sounded out.


    ¡°Yes, and I have to get back to my work ¡­ brother, you can gladly use my room for practice but please keep the noise down will you?¡± She said turning to her desk as Muwa left the room, the door snapping shut behind him.


    ¡°Alright!¡± He said, a transparent blue wall suddenly rose between them and deli.


    ¡°Now, she shouldn''t hear us anymore. And we are still under her time zone ¡­¡± He said while laughing.


    ¡°That was the only reason wasn¡¯t it?¡± Spera asked, looking at Wiju like she stood in front of a child that had just successfully played a prank on somebody.


    ¡°... Well, let¡¯s go on ¡­¡± He immediately switched the topic, but the top of his ears turned slightly red.


    ¡°I will try to teach you the technique for mana control. Given that it will be more difficult to use this technique when you are in your mortal body, I can¡¯t promise you anything but at least you will not release 100% of your Mana at the ceremony.¡±


    ¡°That is a relief ¡­¡± Spera said sarcastically. But at least she now had hope.


    ¡°You remember your first birthday right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah ...¡± Spera said while a shiver ran down her spine.


    ¡°Given that it was the first release of the seal, it should be the smallest Mana release.


    Do you remember feeling pain ¡­¡±


    ¡°... everywhere?¡± Spera interrupted him, anger in her eyes. Why was he talking about that?


    ¡°... Yes, of course. But the most pain should have been just above your navel right?¡±


    ¡°Well, if you say so ¡­¡± Spera answered, not very sure of herself.


    ¡°Maybe I am going at this wrong ¡­ alright! Do you know a meditative stance?¡±


    ¡°Like those from the monks and what I saw in animes in my previous life?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t see someone meditate in your current life?¡±


    ¡°No never ¡­¡±


    ¡°Strange ¡­ but yes, like those. Now follow along. Sit down with your legs loosely crossed and both feet resting below the opposite knee. Yes, like that. Try to keep your back straight. Yes, like that, it is important to lift yourself up through your spine. Now drop your hands at your sides. Place your right hand on top of your left with your thumbs very lightly touching, resting them on your lap at your navel. This makes it easier for your Mana to circulate through your center. Your shoulders can be pushed back slightly while letting the muscles in your shoulders and back relax. Wonderful. Remember this posture and every time you meditate, try and recreate it like this.


    For the next steps, it will be easier for you to close your eyes.


    Now, try to feel the mana that is in your body,¡± he said, suddenly falling silent, letting Spera drown in her hectic mind that still hadn¡¯t processed everything that she learned in her present visit.


    Seeing that after a few moments she still made no progress, Wiju knelt down in front of her, his fingertips lightly touching hers. Opening her eyes she looked at him quizzically.


    ¡°Give me your hands,¡± he said making her palms face him, while he connected each fingertip with his own.


    ¡°Now close your eyes once again,¡± he continued.


    Seeing her comply he didn¡¯t waste any time, slowly infusing his own Mana into her fingertips. But only enough for her to feel the manaflow on her own.


    ¡°Do you have it?¡± He asked to which she hummed as a positive answer, too engrossed by the warm feeling that spread through her fingers.


    ¡°Now, slowly follow the current through your arms, up your shoulder, towards the middle of your collarbone and down to your navel ¡­¡± and just as he said that and Spera followed his instruction closely, her consciousness was suddenly transported in front of a sea.


    Looking around, there was nothing else other than the sea that enclosed the small island that Spera found herself on.


    Confused at the scene and enchanted by it, Spera was startled as Wiju¡¯s kind voice suddenly sounded next to her ear.


    ¡°Wow, little one, you surprise me every time,¡± he exclaimed in astonishment, and Spera could swear she heard a bit of affection in his tone.


    ¡°Where are you? ¡° She asked looking around and not seeing his figure anywhere.


    ¡°Right next to you, little one. But your consciousness is in your Mana pool right now, so you can¡¯t see your surroundings. You have to make sure in the future, that you''re either in a secure place or that somebody you trust with your life is with you. That is because you are defenseless when you are there.¡±


    ¡°How do I get back?¡± Spera asked uncomfortable at the idea to be so defenseless in front of someone she didn¡¯t even really know.


    ¡°Close your eyes and relax. Try to feel your soul-form and think about the place where you entered from, meaning in our case Deli¡¯s Main chamber.¡±


    He patiently explained and after a few minutes, Spera found herself back on the ground of Deli¡¯s room.


    ¡°Wonderful. Now, you know how to feel the Mana, it is time to try and release it. Remember your fingertips that became warm and comfortable when I released my Mana in them. Now concentrate on them and try to push the warmth outwards. Yes like that ¡­¡± He said just as Spera lost her concentration for a second and an enormous wave of pressure spread out from her fingertips, making Wiju pull back his hand on instinct.


    ¡°Try to suppress it. That is too much¡­. think about a faucet, now try and slowly close it, yes like that  ¡­¡± He encouraged her.


    But suddenly Deli appeared next to him. Surprised by her appearance he exclaimed, ¡°How did you enter?¡± Which caused Spera to once again lose her concentration, giving way to her Mana to gush out again.


    ¡°Stop it!¡± Deli suddenly commands, seeing that even after many tries Spera couldn¡¯t regulate her Mana-release.


    Wiju immediately grabbed Spera¡¯s hands, and from one moment to the other, she couldn¡¯t release her Mana anymore, which caused her to stare at Wiju in shock.


    Really these Gods weren¡¯t good for her nerves ...


    Coming back to them, Deli bought with her a round ball.


    Flinging it at Spera she just uttered ¡°Use this,¡± while turning around and walking a few steps before materializing a table with three chairs and a beautiful tea set in the middle.


    In a cold voice, she spoke up once again.


    ¡°Make the pearl shine for ten seconds at the same intensity and you can take a break and go back home¡­ If not I have no problem with making you stay here until you can accomplish it,¡± she commanded, her dark side in full view.


    Wiju gave Spera a pitying smile but soon walked to his sister to sit down and observe her trying to overcome her new challenge.


    At first, it was easy for her. Three to four seconds on the same intensity were no problem. It were the other six seconds that made her gnash her teeth and be on the verge of crying. Like Wiju said, she imagined a faucet, letting a small stream of mana flow into the ball. But even after a few hours of trying she could only get to nine seconds.


    Defeated she sat down on the ground looking at the two Gods that sat on their chairs having a cup of tea with relish.


    Her frustration making a tear slip from her eye.


    ¡°How far are you?¡± Deli¡¯s cold voice suddenly sounded next to her ear, even if she could definitely see her sitting a few meters away drinking tea.


    Gritting her teeth she pressed out ¡°Nine seconds ¡­¡± Which earned her a chuckle.


    ¡°Alright, I am not like that. Come over and get a cup of tea, then I will send you home.¡±


    She said and Spera was sure that her good personality had just taken over, if not the ¡®dark¡¯ Deli would have let her try until she reached ten seconds.


    ¡°That you,¡± she whispered in exhaustion but she knew that the Goddess could hear her.


    Drinking the tea that Deli gave her, she found her entire being relaxing, but even when asking Deli or Wiju what kind of tea that was they wouldn¡¯t answer, drinking theirs in silence.


    When they had finished, Spera had the sudden urge to talk to them again, feeling that even if she learned a lot about Wiju at her visit she still didn¡¯t have a grasp on Deli, who was still very important to her.


    But before she could even open her mouth, Deli¡¯s face grimaced annoyance in her direction and with a sideways gesture of her hand, Spera¡¯s soul flew out of the room once again, waking up on Prena with her whole body wrecking in pain once again.

 Chapter 21

    Three months later ~


    Spera still cursed the Gods in her mind. They didn¡¯t tell her that the healing time wouldn¡¯t only increase the pain in intensity but also in length ¡­ wouldn¡¯t that mean that for the entire tenth year of her life she would be bound to bed?


    Even if the memories she received from a class called ¡°biology¡± were filled with a great load of information that she had to process, it still got very boring being bound to the bed.


    At least one thing that started being better after her sudden relapse and the long recuperation was that the relationship of her parents went back to the way it was. Taking off one burden that was on her mind.


    And Spera was over the moon when her mother told her that she would finally graduate from mashed and pureed food and could finally enjoy the delicacies that the world had to offer.


    But only one piece of one type of sweet per day, which made Spera pout. But she knew that her mother only said that to look after her health. Too many sweets weren¡¯t good for her teeth and body. Interestingly, many dishes that could be found on Earth were also present on Prena, only their color was slightly off. So Spera was quite surprised when she had purple noodles with a dark blue sauce that tastes like Spaghetti Carbonara.


    Really ¡­ it was better to close your eyes while eating, lest you think that you are being poisoned right now.


    Another thing that was different, was her ability to finally spot Jeanne when he was in her room.


    At least she wouldn¡¯t always have an almost heart attack when his voice suddenly sounded or he suddenly appeared in one corner of her room.


    It wasn¡¯t so much that she could see him, more that she could feel him.


    After waking up, her perception of her surroundings had skyrocketed, making her finally feel what Daphne meant with excess Mana that was emitted from her. Now looking at Daphne, she would feel waves upon waves being expelled from her entire body.


    Since she had given away her ability to see him almost from the get-go, so shocked by her new perception had she been, that she had stared at him until he was too uncomfortable to remain in the shadows, he had taken it upon himself to figure out a way to still be invisible from her.


    This was a blessing for Spera since it kept her entertained while she was on bedrest. Each time she saw him, he gave her a small gift, making them pile up in her room until Emerthelil put an end to it, making him gift sweets and other edibles which were mostly good for her body than material gifts. The abnormal colors of the sweets at least not being as disturbing as bright green meat.


    One day after sifting through all the presents Jeanne had given her, Spera found a board game. Remembering a few games of her previous world she still couldn¡¯t make sense out of it, so for the next few weeks instead of gifts and treats Jeanne taught her how to play ¡®Fintikus¡¯. The game seemed to be a mishmash of chess, Ludo and twister.


    Her immobility making it hard for her to compete in the third part of the game but it did give her a reason to want to move again. This change in mentality helped her body get faster into shape, the exercise making it easier for Spera to start moving without the fear of pain. Still, the game was very confusing and even after all the time she didn¡¯t really get the rules, always losing against Jeane, But at least her time on bedrest had come to an end when Jeanne gave up teaching her.


    It was a few days after Spera had recovered her mobility, but she didn¡¯t tell her family or friends. Spera had a plan. Given her apparent immobility, the guard of the three siblings was lowered and they took more interest in going after their hobbies than staying by Spera¡¯s side all the time. They still we''re otakus in their own right and it was scary what devotion they had to their respective hobbies.


    Seeing the chance for exploring on her own at least the floor of the castle that she was on, Spera slowly made her way out of her room. Standing in the corridor not knowing where to go now, she tried to get a sense of her surroundings with her newfound power. She had experimented with it and noticed that it was quite similar to an echo-location that she sends out, any obstruction through mana being reflected back on her, similar to how bats locate their prey and navigated in the dark on earth.


    Maybe they also have such animals on Prena? I am really interested in that ¡­


    Spera thought her echo-location still not having given her a feedback, other than the general layout of the floor. Surprisingly it seemed like the walls were reinforced with Mana making it impossible for Spera to scan the interior without opening the door and maybe alerting others with that.


    She knew that to her left were her parents¡¯ room and the sitting room where she spends most of her first year, so she turned right excited to explore the unknown.


    Toddling along the corridor she perceived that the mana in the air became thicker and ticker. Scanning, again and again, she was surprised that she couldn¡¯t find any signs of life on the floor ¡­ well except for the person that had followed her in the shadows since she left the room, but knowing that he was only there to protect her, Spera completely ignored him.


    When she came to the stairs that her mother had taken before to take her out of the castle, she curiously looked around. Shockingly the Mana concentration abruptly lessened when she stepped onto the staircase.


    Surprisingly there was another corridor next to the stairs, that she hadn¡¯t noticed before ¡­


    Was it covered in Mana? Was that the reason why she could suddenly see it?


    Slowly Spera inched towards the corridor, purposefully sending out an echo towards the corridor.


    Surprisingly it was as if a wall of pure Mana appeared before her. Stretching out her hand, it passed through without any problem.


    Closing her eyes and gathering up her courage she took a big step forward, passing the wall in one breath.


    Number 7 was shocked ¡­ his charge had suddenly disappeared. He was just behind her, but then in the blink of an eye, she had vanished.


    Flustered he materialized before the wall Speraenya had just stood before, but he couldn¡¯t see her anywhere. Touching the wall he stood before, his hands meet a solid surface.


    Where did she disappear to?


    He asked himself before vanishing in search of his charge.


    Standing behind the wall, Spera was stunned by the sudden appearance of the black-clothed man.


    She had known that she was being followed but still the appearance of a person out of thin air was shocking.


    Hesitating if she should step back into the main corridor, Spera heard a faint noise from behind her.


    Turning around and staring down the dimly lit corridor, she could make out a grand door at the end of it that was opened with a slight gap, light shining from it into the corridor.


    Toddling towards it she sent out an echo, however, the entire surroundings she found herself into was filled with Mana, rendering her echo useless.


    Curiosity killed the cat ¡­ but I am a draconian so I should be fine, right? She thought gathering up her courage to open the door a bit more to slip into the room without alerting someone if they were in it.


    Looking up, Spera couldn¡¯t help to let out an audible gasp.


    She had found herself in a grand library that seemed to consist of floors upon floors of shelves with books in them, the entire room much much higher than any room she had ever seen. Searching through her memories, she thought that the best way to describe it was as if she stood in a high steeple which walls were made out of bookshelves.


    It was at least much higher than any other room she had seen in this castle. Seeing nobody in the room, Spera curiously toddled around the room in wonder.


    Interested in the books that filled the shelves, she got closer to them to inspect at least the ones that she could reach.


    Surprisingly she could only read half of the bookcovers, the other words consisting of strange symbols that made no sense to her.


    How can that be? Didn¡¯t Wiju say that I could understand the written word after a few moments of studying it? Why isn¡¯t the blessing working right now?


    She thought, sending out an echo to realize that these symbols itself were filled with ManaIf you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡­ Did that affect her ability?


    Curiously she tried to pull one of the strange books from the shelve, but it wouldn¡¯t budge. Trying out one of the books Spera could read, it let itself be pulled without any problem.


    Not really sure why, but Spera had the hunch that the books were bespelled to be only available when one fulfilled certain conditions. She remembered such a story from her previous world were the protagonist of the novel couldn¡¯t use books that were more powerful than his cultivation.


    Spera¡¯s eyes started to sparkle as she read the titles that she could understand. ¡°Introduction to mana-Manipulation¡±,


    ¡°Cultivation for beginners¡±,


    ¡°How to strengthen your body properly¡±,


    and many more, all being introduction books for certain skills or abilities.


    But according to the Titles, Spera could conclude that they were all just theoretical books that talked about the fundamentals and had no specific knowledge. No secret manuals or techniques that could make her more powerful than anybody else. Seems like she was still too young and too weak to be worthy of those.


    As Spera was immersed in her thoughts, she didn¡¯t realize that she wasn¡¯t alone anymore until an amused voice sounded out from behind her, shocking her into freezing on the spot for a moment, before quickly turning around towards the man behind her.


    ¡°My, my ¡­ what do we have here? It¡¯s lovely that the princess graces me with her presence ¡­ but I didn¡¯t expect any visitors ¡­¡± He said, his voice getting lower towards the end. And with a bit of a sharp undertone, he asked ¡°How did you get in?¡±


    ¡°Old Zong ¡­¡± Spera whispered, still remembering the man that she only met shortly after her birth.


    ¡°Hoh? The princess knows of me! I am honored,¡± he said making Spera nervous with the hostility he still emitted towards her.


    ¡°Now, I will ask you one last time ¡­ How did you get in here?¡±


    Scared, Spera could feel tears gathering in her eyes and looking up towards to imposing man she stuttered a bit.


    ¡°T-The d-d-door w-was o-o-open ¡­¡± She said, fiddling with her fingers while looking to the ground.


    ¡°Tiang Zong, stop scaring the poor little girl ¡­¡± Suddenly a deep voice interrupted them from deep within the library.


    Recognizing the voice, Spera looked up in pleasant surprise.


    ¡°Grandpa Fon!¡± She exclaimed, a bright smile on her face while two tear marks could still be seen on her cheeks, as the bear demi-human, still with white streaks in his hair but not as lifeless as before, appeared behind Tiang Zong.


    ¡°Well, how is my favorite little draconian?¡± The old Bear asked, sweeping her up into his arms.


    ¡°Fine, now.¡± She said, snuggling into his embrace.


    Zong was shocked as he saw the old bear smiling gently down at the little princess. Before, the only time he had ever shown such tender care was when he was in the presence of either Mesana or Emerthelil. Since both didn¡¯t have as much time for him in the recent months, he had become grumpy and quickly irritated at anything.


    But even if he wanted to trust the little girl, it just wasn¡¯t possible for her to be here right now.


    Suspicious, he studied her again but even with his Mana-enhanced sight, he couldn¡¯t find any abnormalities that could have allowed her to cross the barrier he had set up.


    Seeing as he was ignored by the duo that was happy at seeing each other, he moved towards the door, using a spell to find out the reason for Speraenyas arrival.


    His spell showed him how effortlessly she had just stumbled thru his barrier and that even then, the Shadows her father had planted around her, couldn¡¯t enter. So it was just an abnormality with her, his barrier was still intact.


    Looking further, he saw that yes indeed, the door had been unlocked, and only because of that could she enter his domain.


    Furious he whipped around while barking out ¡°Fon! I said it again and again! Don¡¯t f***ing forget to close the damn door!¡± to which both recipients of his scream stared at him in shock.


    Gently setting Spera down onto the ground, Fon slowly approached the man, which surroundings crackled with dark energy. Spera had never before seen such a spectacle, well, at least on Prena. It was frighteningly familiar to the outburst of Deli¡¯s dark personality, but what did that mean?


    ¡°Tiang ¡­ calm down alright?¡± Fon soothingly said, his hand outstretched with their palms upwards, signaling that he wasn¡¯t a threat. Old Zong, however, started to growl at him. Curiously Spera took a step forward, to get a better look, however, this caused Fon to whip around, giving her a hard stare. Commanding with a voice, Spera associated with one used to demand a dog to listen to its owner, he barked out ¡°Stay!¡± before immediately looking back at Tiang Zong and dismissing her.


    Stunned Spera stood rooted to the floor, a bit scared by the scene that played out in front of her.


    With each minute the dark energy around Tiang Zong started to thicken, his dark hair fluttering without any wind, his former black eyes now shone in a bright purple light that together with his pale skin gave him an otherworldly feeling. Gone was the nervous envoy that had greeted us at Coalesco or the stern librarian that had discovered her moments before.


    This man was dangerous, Spera¡¯s gut feeling told her.


    ¡°I told you time and time again, DON¡¯T. LEAVE. THE. DOOR. OPEN!!!¡± He screamed at Fon.


    ¡°Tiang ¡­ Please, you are losing it. Come on, I know you can do it. You are stronger than that.¡± Fon said, almost reaching the man, but being stopped by the energy that suddenly started attacking him, causing cuts to appear on his hands and arms.


    ¡°Grandpa ¡­¡± Spera whispered, not wanting to disturb the two, but still worried for him.


    ¡°Everything alright, sweetie.¡± He said, his gaze not leaving Tiang. And just as a new wave of dark energy build up, a drop of Fon¡¯s blood dropped onto the floor.


    In the next moment, Spera didn¡¯t even know what happened. At once, the library shone in a bright light and Tiang Zong screamed out in pain, crumbling to the floor, her Grandfather, however, didn¡¯t let that happen, catching the man before he hit the ground, cradling him in his arms.


    Seeing as the situation was over, Spera ran towards both men, hug-tackling Fon which caused all three of them to lay on the floor, Tiang and Spera on top of Fon who groaned in pain. Spera in her haste had kneed him in a very painful place.


    Just as Fon had gathered his composure enough to start and lecture Spera on not causing pain to the male anatomy, Tiang started waking up, with a groan as his eyelids fluttered open.


    ¡°Hey there ¡­¡± Fon murmured, one hand stroking Tiangs hair as he sat up with Spera cradled in his other arm.


    ¡°Everything ok?¡±


    ¡°Yes ¡­ sorry, I don¡¯t know what happened.¡± Tiang answered with a tight smile, immediately inspecting the cuts on Fon¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Your eyes were pretty ¡­¡± Spera said, wanting to change the topic as she felt that both men were embarrassed at the outburst.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Tiang asked, looking at her curiously.


    ¡°Well, they glowed purple. It was really pretty, like daddies eyes when he is angry but only in purple,¡± she said with a smile.


    But the shocked expressions of both Fon and Tiang told her that she had once again said something wrong. In confusion, she looked from one to the other, with her eyes asking them what she had said wrong, but they seemed to be in their own world forgetting that she was present.


    ¡°I knew that you had a bit of that blood in you, your horns not really hiding the fact, but you yourself told me that you had no power from that side.¡± Fon asked, fear in his voice.


    ¡°I don¡¯t ¡­¡± Tiang answered, one hand absently rubbing the right horn on his forehead while thinking.


    ¡°But the power and the eyes do suggest that at least dormant, you have a bit of their power.¡± Fon said, distancing himself from Tiang by standing up.


    Looking up to him with pain at his apparent reaction Tiang also stood up.


    ¡°I don¡¯t. You have to believe me Fon. I was abandoned because of that. You know my story. How can you think that I would purposefully hide this? ¡±


    ¡°I am not sure what I should believe ¡­¡± Fon said, walking deeper into the Library, his arms tightening around Spera.


    ¡°Grandpa ¡­ what is going on?¡± She asked in confusion. Given what she had witnessed, their relationship should be quite close. Why was he walking away from Tiang when he obviously was just as confused as her Grandpa?


    ¡°Nothing sweetheart, I just have to think about something before talking with him again.¡±


    He said, coming to stop in front of a table with two chairs and a few snacks on top of it. Apparently, Spera had interrupted their little tea-time.


    Sitting her down onto the floor, Fon let himself fall into one of the chairs that creaked under his weight.


    Seeing that her Grandpa was in his own world, Spera looked around and started inspecting the books on the shelves around them. Surprisingly she could read none of them, suggesting that they were now in a section of the library that no normal humanoid would have access to.


    She could hear Tiang approach a few moments later. Looking up his face was still too pale for comfort and he looked nervous, his hand gripping his shirt while he walked closer.


    ¡°Fon ¡­¡± He called out, his voice sounding weak.


    Her Grandfather, who until that moment was still caught in his own thoughts, whipped his head towards him. She could see his desire to go to Tiang and assure him that everything was ok but at the same time his uncertainty held him prisoner in his chair.


    Giving him a slight smile, Tiang saw that as an invitation to get closer, gently sitting down in the opposite chair.


    ¡°Fon, I thought about it, but I still can¡¯t find the answer as to why this sudden power manifested.¡±


    ¡°How can you not ¡­ Tiang, I know that you don¡¯t want to talk about your age but I am pretty sure that you are old enough to know your own body. How could you not even have an inkling that this power lay dormant?¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe you just made me angrier than I have ever been!¡±


    ¡°Or maybe he ate something that caused it  ...¡± Spera butted in seeing that they didn¡¯t come very far before trying to blame it on one of them.


    This caused both of them to stop and stare at her.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Tiang was the first to snap out of it, standing up he walked over to her and crouching down to be on eye-level to the toddler.


    ¡°Well, mommy said, the reason why Grandpa Fon suddenly changed a year ago was because he ate something wrong, and sometimes after I eat my meal I also get a stomach-ache. Maybe you also ate something that just had the effect to make your power appear,¡± she said with a smile, rubbing her stomach absently while remembering the pain she sometimes felt after a meal now that her food was more solid.


    She didn¡¯t notice the glint that appeared in both men¡¯s eyes, which vanished as suddenly as it appeared.


    ¡°Hey ¡­ Tiang, could it be because of me?¡± Fon suddenly said, looking at the other man nervously.


    ¡°Why would you think that?¡±


    ¡°Well, you tried to heal my affliction ¡­ maybe because of that, a bit of the ¡­ substance that caused my affliction was transferred to you, causing the sudden appearance of your new power. And because of your race, it didn¡¯t have the effects that I had but added to yours.¡±


    Which caused a thoughtful expression to appear on Tiangs face.


    ¡°You could be right ¡­ I will talk with Jeanne and Mesanth about that and maybe they can confirm our hypothesis,¡± he said, making Fon smile at him. Seeing that the problem was solved, at least for the moment, Spera stood up and toddled to Fon, followed by Tiang that also once again sat down in his chair.

 Chapter 22

    ¡°Grandpa ¡­ Daddy says that you would soon leave¡­ how long are you going to be away?¡±


    Spera asked, looking up at Fon with eyes willing him to deny her knowledge.


    ¡°Oh, sweetie  ...¡± Fon said, picking her up and sitting her on his knees while hugging her tightly.


    ¡°I will need to leave in about two weeks. You see because of my affliction, his majesty, your father, had allowed me to reside in the castle for a few months after your birthday, but the less time my troops patrol our kingdom, the more unrest will spread through the four great cities.¡±


    ¡°Four great cities?¡± Spera asked looking up to Fon curiously. Her parents have never talked about them, only telling her about the main city where the castle was built in.


    ¡°Do we have a map?¡± Fon asked Tiang, knowing the men had the entire Library memorized.


    ¡°Yes ¡­ wait a moment,¡± he said, standing up and vanishing in the depths of the library only to return moments later with a large scroll that seemed to be very old.


    ¡°This was the most recent map I have found of the Praestolatio Island,¡± he said, spreading the map on the table, the snacks having suddenly disappeared without Speras notice.


    What she saw, stunned her for a moment.


    On the map, the island looked like a square, standing on one of its corners, but she could see that the contours of the island had been changed many times, leaving slight traces of the former lines that showed a much bigger island that had more of a round surface.


    Curiously, Spera extended her index finger to touch the lines, but her finger was immediately grasped by Tiang who scowled down at her in reprimand.


    ¡°Sweetie you have to be careful ¡­ Even if Tiang says that this is the most recent map of the island, it¡¯s still a few hundred years old. So you can¡¯t touch it without the right method.¡± Fon¡¯s gentle voice sounded out from behind Spera, while one of his big callous hands stroked her hair soothingly. He had seen that she became depressed when Tiang had rebuked her.


    Spera nodded in understanding. Thinking about it, Tiang¡¯s hands had glowed with Mana when he had carried the map to them.


    That must have been the activated technique Fon had talked about.


    ¡°Grandpa ¡­ can you tell me now about the four great cities?¡± She said, dismissing the previous incident.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Fon said relieved, flashing Tiang a smile over the top of Speras head, knowing that even if he didn¡¯t show it, he had been worried that his reaction had been too harsh.


    Focusing on Spera once again he started to explain.


    ¡°You see the island? It is named Praestolatio ¡­¡±


    ¡°Like my name?¡±


    "What do you mean?¡± Fon said, looking questioningly to Tiang, wanting to know if he had an idea what had once again popped up in her quirky head. To which he just slightly shrugged with his shoulders, but immediately focusing back on the book that he started to read that had suddenly appeared in his hands. Fon gave up. He just couldn¡¯t understand the other man.


    ¡°Well, Mommy says that my name is Speraenya Emerthelil of Praesto ¡­ is the Praesto from Praestolatio?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you mean that! We will get back to that a bit later. For now, let¡¯s focus on the map, shall we.


    ¡°Alright, Grandpa!¡± She said, turning around and beaming a smile at him before looking back onto the map, her little face only inches from the map, careful not to touch the old parchment.


    ¡°Grandpa¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, sweetie?¡± He said, every time feeling a bit of warmth when she called him that.


    ¡°Why are the edges so jiggly.¡± She said, her finger hovering over a spot where many lines where overlapping, each drawn in different intensities.


    ¡°Sweetie ¡­ I will also explain that to you in a second. Just have a bit of patience, alright?¡±


    ¡°Un!¡± Spera nodded her head, enjoying his petting once again.


    ¡°See, the four big red dots on each cardinal point?¡± He asked.


    ¡°What are cardinal points?¡± Spera asked while looking at each big red dot with interest.


    ¡°You see, since you can¡¯t say up, down, left and right when looking at a map. See if you just turn the map, these directions would be useless. Now a few very intelligent and powerful mages found out, that the Mana veins on Prena, that is the name of our world, given by an oracle, have a very unique pattern.¡±


    Seeing her wanting to ask something again, he patted her head once again, slightly shaking his head, signaling that she had to wait for later.


    ¡°You have to understand, that nobody has ever achieved to explore the entire planet, so there is no evidence but there seem to be two directions that the Mana veins flow.


    From Perendim to Lindje and from Jug to Veri. Interestingly from Perendim to Lindje the Mana just flows but the quality improves the further you get to Lingje. That is until the forbidden lands. A topic I will not discuss with you until you are older.


    But from Jug to Veri the quality of Mana diminishes but interestingly the overall quantity doesn¡¯t change. There are a few theories on why this happens but this isn¡¯t important right now.


    These changes, however, give us the opportunity to determine exactly where we find ourself in the known world.


    See here,¡± Fon said pointing at the corner of the map. Looking closer Spera could see four arrows that were in a right angle with the letters P, L, J and V on them.


    ¡°This is always on a map, telling the person looking at it how to hold the map to be accurate. This is very important to remember.¡±


    He said, waiting for Spera to nod before continuing.


    ¡°Now back to our beautiful island. As I said the red dots are the four great cities of Praestolatio.¡± Starting on the top, he pointed at each city in a clockwise fashion, calling out the names.


    ¡°Kita, Azuma, Minami, and Nishi. These names existed since the beginning of this islands records. Each city has a port and a town center for the richer population, such as merchants or small noble families. But they also all have an area around them were very poor people live. Even with the great management of your father, we couldn¡¯t reduce the slum sections in the outskirts.


    Now this one here,¡± he said, pointing to the middle of the island where a big blue dot was marked down.


    ¡°This is the crown city of our island, where we are right now. Maybe your parents have already told you, but it is called, Praesto, after the royal family. This was since the beginning of the records that we have the name of both the royal family and the crown city.


    The city around the castle was also build to accommodate the important noble families of Praestolatio, but this is something you only have to worry about in a few years.¡±


    ¡°But what about the jiggly lines?¡± Spera asked, even if her head swam from all this information. On one hand, she found it good that she didn¡¯t have to hide her intelligence from her family and friends, on another she knew that some information she got wouldn¡¯t have normally been told to a child.


    ¡°Well, these are the infamous underground tunnels of Praestolatio. See here ¡­¡± Fon said, pointing at one almost invisible line that connected Kita with Praesto. Looking closer Spera could see that all four cities were connected with such lines. No, Grandpa said these were tunnels. And all of the cities had a tunnel to the capital.


    But there were also a few lines that seemingly ended in nowhere.


    ¡°Many famous geographers have debated if only the Main Island should be under the rule of the Praesto crown, given that through these tunnels many islands are connected to Praestolatio such as Ino, Shila, and Zong,¡± he said the last name with such a pride in his voice that Spera looked up in astonishment, only to see Tiang sitting opposite of her, blushing.Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°Given that these tunnels give access to almost everything on this island, even the castle, they are only known to the royal family and its closest and most trusted allies.¡±


    ¡°Then what about Tiang? Does he knows this because he is the librarian or why?¡± She asked innocently, looking up at Tiang who still had a slight blush on his cheeks.


    ¡°Hahaha ¡­¡± Fon suddenly started laughing loudly at her question, his shoulders quivering and his entire body shaking with his laughter, making Spera look back at him asking him if he was ok.


    After a few seconds, he had himself once again under control, his voice still shaking with laughter.


    ¡°No, sweetie, Tiang just does this for fun. Don¡¯t ask me, I don¡¯t know what fun a room full of books has. No, his real identity is as the adviser of the Praesto crown.¡±


    Shocked Spera looked to Tiang, seeing him having once again an impassive expression on his face.


    ¡°Wha- ¡­¡± Just as Spera wanted to say something, a loud booming noise reverted through the library.


    Turning his head towards the direction they had just walked from, Tiang narrowed his eyes.


    Suddenly a small smile bloomed on his face. Looking back at Fon and Spera that looked at him with a blank stare, not understanding what had just happened.


    ¡°Fon it seems like we have a guest ¡­¡± Tiang said, and suddenly their surroundings started to blur, making Spera¡¯s mind a bit dizzy.


    When everything came back into focus, Spera found herself with the two other man and the table with the two chairs, a few meters away from the door she had entered.


    Not being able to have the time to ponder their sudden instant movement, another loud banging sound came from the door, the doors vibrating towards them.


    Someone must want to get in here really badly.


    Tiang seemed to find amusement in the situation.


    Waving his hand, the door suddenly burst open, revealing a disheveled Mesana and two black-clothed figures on each side of her.


    Seeing the figures, Tiang frowned but didn¡¯t comment on their presence.


    Mesana immediately rushed towards Fon and Spera, falling on her knees just in front of them to be on eye-level with Spera that had slipped from Fons lap, still holding onto his trousers.


    ¡°Darling, do you know how worried I was?¡± She said while giving her a tight hug.


    Immediately she let her go and held her at arm''s length.


    ¡°Never do that again ¡­¡± She said while giving her best glare, earning herself an eager nod from Spera.


    Relieved, Mesana let out a sight relaxing a bit and pulling her lightly towards her again. Spera, now nestled into her arms enjoyed the feeling of her hair being caressed.


    ¡°You had us all worried. We searched the whole castle and couldn¡¯t find you.¡± Mesana explained her reaction to Spera in a soft voice. Looking up towards her aunt, Mesana could see the surprise at her admission in the little girl''s eyes.


    Giving her a small smile she continued, ¡°Luckily I remembered that Tiang had just opened a new portal to the library on your floor ¡­¡± at which she glared at Tiang, only earning herself an indulging smile back.


    ¡°Knowing your ¡­ Luck, I thought that it could entirely be possible for you to stumble into it.


    When Number 7 told me that you suddenly vanished when facing a for him very solid wall, I was very sure that you would be here.¡±


    ¡°Number 7?¡± Spera suddenly asked, feeling like she had heard that term before.


    ¡°Ah right!¡± Her aunt exclaimed.


    ¡°They never got introduced to you, right?¡± She asked which Spera answered with a nod.


    Turning towards Tiang, she asked in the nicest voice that Spera had ever heard her speak, well, disregarding the voice she used when talking to or about Warthon, ¡°Tiang could you allow them entry!¡± Which made Spera finally notice that the two black-clothed men, that had appeared with her aunt, didn¡¯t move from their initial position by the door.


    Turning back to Tiang, she could see him reluctantly swiping his hand towards the men, making golden symbols appear on both men¡¯s hands.


    What frightened her, however, was the sudden exclamation of pain that started as soon as the symbol appeared and only ended with both of them kneeling on the floor holding their hands and a fully formed symbol that spread upwards till reaching the elbow. The entire torturous process (of forming the symbol) lasted only a few seconds, but it felt much longer.


    In fear, Spera turned back to Tiang.


    ¡°Do I also have to have that? It seems painful ¡­¡± She asked, feeling tears well up while only thinking about the possibility of enduring such pain for her beloved books.


    Which caused Tiang to raise one brow. ¡°No, you little monster. Seeing as you are standing here without any problems, which I have to seemingly point out is IN the library, the library seems to accept you without any interference on my part,¡± he said, enjoying his little jab at her but also seemingly disturbed by her existence


    ¡°You speak as if the library was sentient ¡­¡± Spera said, not sure if she should be frightened or curious at the possibility.


    ¡°Well, yes of course it is ¡­¡± Tiang said as if it was totally normal.


    Being to afraid to ask any further and maybe having a distorted sense of normal by associating with Tiang too much, seeing the mirth in the expression of Mesana and Fon a sentient Library was NOT normal, Spera turned towards Mesana.


    Looking at Spera''s expression, Mesana couldn¡¯t help and let out a low laugh.


    ¡°I know ¡­ I freaked out when he told me ¡­¡± She said, patting Spera on the head as if to tell her that everything will be alright.


    ¡°But back to the topic at hand ¡­¡± Mesana suddenly said, the two man having made their way over to the group giving her the opportunity to change the heavy topic, ¡°These are Kuanjing and Heishe, codename Number 7 and 8,¡± she said gesturing to each one.


    Pointing at the slightly smaller man, who had a ¡®7¡¯ engraved with black thread on the black uniform at his chest, Spera exclaimed in surprise.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one that suddenly appeared when I walked thru that strange wall?¡± She asked, omitting the fact that she had noticed him way before that for obvious reasons, not noticing Tiang¡¯s flinch when she mentioned the Mana-Wall.


    Number 7 immediately knelt before Spera.


    ¡°Young Mistress I have to apologize for my lack of attention that has led to such a situation. I will receive any punishment you deem necessary,¡± he vowed, totally disregarding the fact that he had just asked a two-year-old toddler for punishment.


    Hurriedly Spera told him to stand up which he did reluctantly, not perceiving his wrongdoing as forgiven, but Spera felt uneasy seeing him kneel in front of her.


    Standing next to Number 8, both men took off their masks, revealing features that in Spera''s former world would be associated with people of Asian descent, with black hair and eyes, Kuanjing having a light blue while Heishe had a light purple shimmer to his hair.


    But what got most of Spera''s attention were the bright purple markings that ran from their ears over their cheeks down to their mouth and formed some kind of collar on their neck.


    Looking closer she could see a black light flashing from them from time to time.


    Looking at them in fascination, her gut feeling screaming in dread totally ignored, Spera asked her aunt in a hushed whisper ¡°What are those?¡­¡±


    ¡°They both wear the collar of servitude,¡± she said disregarding their strange markings. Looking at her aunt and seeing her hard eyes, Spera knew that she wouldn¡¯t get any information on the markings ¡­ well, she did have other sources that she could ask. She thought, shuddering at the birthday that would be in a few months.


    Shaking off these thoughts, Spera showed interest in the collars. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that make them slaves?¡± She asked, a new memory piece having told her about stories on earth wherein most fantasy worlds there was slavery.


    But she was immediately rebuked by her aunt that looked at her in shock.


    ¡°Where did you hear that? You are too young for that kind of information! But only know that, if you come across a slave, it means that that person has no free will whatsoever. And you can¡¯t save them from that. However, the collars of servitude that Kuanjing and Heishe wear are proof of them being retainers of your father.


    This is a great honor. Of course, given these times we live in, your father can¡¯t trust people outside our immediate family with our lives so these collars have the restriction that the retainer can¡¯t purposefully act against the Lord and our family. They can even refuse orders given if they are against their morals¡­¡± She said, but she saw that Spera¡¯s attention was once again on the strange markings on the men''s faces.


    Giving an audible sigh Spera turned towards her.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t tell you what they are, but that I won¡¯t. Even if you are more intelligent and mature than your normal toddler ¡­¡± She said, earning herself a snort from Tiang, ¡°Nicely formulated.¡± He uttered with a smirk, ignoring Mesana¡¯s glare.


    ¡°As I was saying¡­ you are still a small child, there are things we keep from you, not because you wouldn¡¯t understand them, but because we want to protect you for as long as we can.¡± She ended by giving her a sad look and pulling Spera into her arms once again.


    ¡°I understand ¡­¡± Spera muttered into her shoulder.


    Even if I do understand it, doesn¡¯t mean I approve of that ¡­ but like she said, when I get older I will get that information!


    A few moments the entire library was shrouded in silence, nobody knowing how to continue.


    ¡°Enough of that!¡± Mesana suddenly exclaimed, not being able to endure the silence.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! Your mother is extremely worried, seeing that you went missing while under protection ¡­¡± She said, causing Number 7 to flinch, ¡°and the impossible sibling trio started to blame each other for their negligence when I left to get you, I still can¡¯t understand how you got them on your side. I really have to praise you for that,¡± She said, finally standing up from the crouch she was in since entering the library.


    Walking to her father, who sat totally forgotten in his chair with a depressed expression, she pressed a kiss to his cheek cheering him up.


    ¡°Bye dad, let¡¯s talk later, alright! I have to pacify Thelil, she is having one of her ¡®mother nature¡¯ phases because of Spera¡¯s disappearance and try to survive the next few hours,¡± she said cheerfully, gabbing Spera¡¯s hand and dragging her out of the library without sparing Tiang another glance.


    ¡°Bye-bye!¡± Spera called to both men, waving her free hand while being pulled and stumbling along behind Mesana that blushed at her show of affection.


    Almost at the barrier, Spera suddenly heard Fon scream ¡°Tiang did you see! She kissed me! My little girl kissed me! Does that mean that I am finally forgiven?¡±


    To which Tiangs soft voice answered ¡°Yes, it does indeed seem like you are forgiven ¡­ But she still blames me for stealing you away ¡­¡±


    But before Spera could hear more Messana pulled her through the barrier, all sounds of the library suddenly disappearing.


    What did Tiang mean? Spera pondered, not noticing Mesana having pulled her back into her room and her mother rushing towards her before she was enveloped by her mother''s warm hug.


    The excitement of the day catching up to her, she could only murmur ¡°I¡¯m back,¡± before falling asleep in her mother''s arms.

 Chapter 23

    Waking up, Spera had to endure not only a sermon from her mother, no even the three siblings, Mesana and Lorain gave their input, making the entire conversation last more than three hours. At the end of it, Spera wasn¡¯t even sure anymore of all the things that she had promised them only to be released sooner. But one thing was now an unbreakable rule in the Praesto Household, Spera had to tell somebody where she wanted to go if she left her room, even if it was only a small walk like for example to the sitting room.


    The next few weeks Spera spend her time once again either with her mother in the sitting room, now being able to read some of the books she found out that most of them were novels or rather easy instruction books and started to devour them with each visit, with the three siblings either in her room or on the training field just outside of the castle grounds, or with Mesana who took her sometimes with her to the sentient library. When Mesana had asked her the first time after her surprise visit there to once again step foot into the magic construct, she had been a bit scared. But Mesana reassured her that as long as Tiang had nothing against her she would have no problem with leaving the library unharmed whenever she wanted.


    One thing, however, became more clear the longer Spera spend time in the library, Fon,Tiang and Mesana always present, was that Mesana and Fon had quite a loving relationship even if Mesana was too shy to always show it and  Fon was very overbearing with his show of affection. But what surprised her was that her normally very loving aunt was ignoring Tiang and giving him the cold shoulder at every occasion. Tiangs amused smile made her relieved but she had never seen her aunt act like that. She knew that people couldn¡¯t always be nice or friendly with each other, she already had too many examples of that in her short new life, however she had classified her aunt as more of a blunt person that would either love or hate the other, this kind of cold treatment didn¡¯t speak for either category.


    She had once asked Tiang about it, still pondering his meaning of him having stolen Fon from her, but he just said that she needed a bit of time to accept that Fon wasn¡¯t only hers anymore. Any further question was only answered with a slight smile.


    A few weeks later, the day arrived that everyone had dreaded, even if they didn¡¯t speak about it with anyone else. Fon was finally leaving on his mission, likely being away from the castle for at least a year, if nothing unexpected happened. But with the secrecy around the topic, Spera wasn¡¯t so sure if what she would have called unexpected wasn¡¯t already considered normal.


    She could feel the atmosphere in the library plumbing when Mesana could finally be convinced to bring her there. She could see that it was akin to torture for her to be in one room with Tiang without her father present. Even if he mostly didn¡¯t interfere he was often used as an excuse as to not have a conversation with the other person.


    However, Spera was too worried about her upcoming birthday to really involve herself in the situation, not even noticing that as time went by Mesana and Tinag got more and more depressed, mostly not even giving a noise from them when they were in the library.


    But what terrified Spera and made her unable to even notice such change, was her deteriorating body, as time went by and her body got weaker the closer it got to her birthday she couldn¡¯t even be sure that somebody caused it, no evidence having resurfaced until now, two months after she felt the first symptoms.


    When she almost fell down the stairs one day, her legs suddenly gave way under her when reaching the top of it having insisted to try and climb the stairs by herself, only Leon''s quick reaction of catching her saved her from certain death.


    After that everyone was on edge, she could feel eyes on her all the time, even from the shadows. Which didn¡¯t really frightened her since she could still make out Jeanne whenever he appeared in her room¡¯s shadows, not having found a way till now to hide from her superior sight.


    One evening after she had an afternoon nap, they started to become regular two weeks after her almost tumble from the stairs, she was woken up by two woman voices that talked next to her bed, their voices obviously whispering as to not wake her. But it could also be that they didn¡¯t want to be overheard.


    Opening her eyes so that the other two couldn¡¯t see it, she recognized two of the castle¡¯s maids, that had sometimes come to deliver beverages or documents to her mother when she was in the sitting room, never really getting close as they were always intercepted by Lorain.


    ¡°Look at how pale she is ¡­ do you think it¡¯s ¡®that¡¯?¡± The young draconian woman with brown scales and hair said, her green reptilian eyes looking at Spera in pity while she was slowly cleaning the room from a fine dust layer.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know ¡­ I heard that she has a mysterious illness that always acts up on her birthday ¡­¡± The other maid, who had black hair, dog ears, and a bushy tail said, her yellow eyes focusing on wiping the window.


    ¡°Is she contagious ?¡± The draconian woman asked in worry.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so ¡­ at least the people close to her haven¡¯t shown symptoms of having caught the disease ¡­¡±The Beastwoman answered, her voice very calm.


    ¡°So you think it¡¯s more likely that she is like this because of her disease and not because of ¡®that¡¯?¡±The first maid asked, her hands tightly clenching onto a feather duster but her movements stopping.


    ¡°Yes, I mean how could the administer ¡®that ¡® to her? Even if she holds no value for the king, she is still his heir as of now. Nobody would dare to do ¡®that¡¯ to her.¡±The other maid said, motioning for the draconian to once again start working which she did in a fluster.


    ¡°But ¡­ you know there are ways to persuade somebody to do this ¡­ and it isn¡¯t even so hard to do ¡­¡±The maid said after having calmed down a bit.


    ¡°So you also noticed huh? She will get what she deserved. I will not help her. Even if I don¡¯t like such mixed blood in our royal bloodline an innocent child shouldn¡¯t suffer for that ...¡± The Beastwoman said, anger in her voice. Spera had once heard that Beats People were very protective of their young ¡­ seems like it also applied to children of other races.


    ¡°Wow ¡­ I would almost think that you are loyal to our king ¡­¡±


    ¡° ¡­ I wouldn¡¯t say loyal. But like I say I have a bottom line and children are definitely under it. You really have to be low to take out revenge on an innocent child ¡­¡±The Beastwoman clarified but Spera could see a light blush on her cheeks.


    ¡°Hey have you heard ¡­ The king seems to be  showing feelings ¡­¡±The draconian suddenly changed the topic, catching Spera and the other woman off guard.


    ¡°No! You can¡¯t be serious!¡± The Beastwoman exclaimed in surprise.


    ¡°Shhh! Speak quieter. You don¡¯t know who is listening.¡± The draconian quickly moved to the other maid and covered her mouth, only after the other nodded did she let go of her.


    ¡°Nobody is, you can trust me on that ¡­ Now back to our King, what do you mean by breaking character?¡± The Beastwoman said, but still trying to talk quieter.


    ¡°Well, I heard that when the commander reported the almost fall of the princess to his Majesty he destroyed his entire study. The butlers that had to clean it up even had to swear to never reveal whatever they found in the study on a death curse that the witch invented ¡­¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    The draconian said with fear in her voice.


    ¡°The Witch? Why would he use her for something like that? I heard that she is very hard to handle and even her two brothers avoid standing in her debts.¡±


    ¡°Apparently she volunteered. I never saw the Commander and the Shadow so surprised.¡±


    ¡°You were there ?¡± The Beastwoman asked surprise.


    ¡°Yes, Madam Lorain rotated our shift on that day which put me near the study. When Sir Jeanne informed me that the KIng and the deathly trio wanted some refreshments, I got to overhear the entire conversation.¡±


    ¡° Wow ¡­ Maybe I have to overthink my feelings once again ¡­¡± The Beastwoman muttered, still loud enough for Spera to hear but she did have to try hard to catch these few words.


    ¡°What do you mean ?¡± The Draconian said, not having any trouble hearing her colleague.


    ¡°Better question ¡­ Do you know why so little people can actually say that they are loyal to our Preastolatio crown ?¡±The Beastwoman countered, her ears and tail standing proudly as she took up a body posture of a wise mortal.


    ¡°Because we are a pawn in the dangerous game of the draconian royalties ?¡± The draconian asked naively which caused the Beastwoman to pat her on the head like she would to a little child. Given the soft eyes, she had while looking at the cute maid she did see her as such.


    ¡°No ¡­ Well, maybe a little bit. But the most important reason is that our King is portrayed as a cold, ruthless warrior that judges everyone on his own morals, not on rules and regulations that are in place. He is too unpredictable and most people fear for their life every time his red reptilian eyes lay on them. But if what you are saying is true. And with the existence of the little princess, his majesty is finally able to show his feelings and maybe even settle down a bit, I think most people would follow him. At least on Praestolatio ¡­ You know all that he has done for us and all the plans he has but hadn¡¯t had the time to realize¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve seen the plans. Even if it was only on accident and Sir Jeanne would have almost killed me for it. I hope he can follow thru with them.¡±


    They talked, slowly walking out of the room, still engrossed in the conversation, not noticing that Spera''s eyes had opened and she now lay in bed with tears in her eyes.


    ¡°So, I didn¡¯t only bring daddy misfortune. I can be the reason for people to follow him.¡±


    But Spera knew it wasn''t as easy as that. This one time her father had an unexpected show of emotion only because she almost died in the accident, she didn¡¯t want to do that ever again. It was scary.


    With new enthusiasm Spera started thinking about ways to make her father¡¯s image more positive, however, everyone that knew her would have said that she just did it to block out the reality of her birthday being only weeks away.


    One evening only a few days before her birthday, Spera''s body was so weak that she had stayed in bed for the whole day. She didn¡¯t even have the strength to open her eyelids, just laying conscious in bed, but others thought she was sleeping. Her mother had spent most of the day by her bedside, crying softly while hugging her to her chest. The uncertainty of her survival was looming over the family.


    When Emerthelil had fallen asleep, her father had quietly entered the room. Not being able to see, she could still feel his presence standing next to her bed, and the sorrow that he emitted while looking at her.


    After a few seconds of just staring at her, he sat down on the bed, caressing her face with his callous hand and kissing both Spera and Emerthelil on the forehead, his lips lingering on Speras a few seconds longer as if he had to fight his need to cuddle on the bed with his family, that seemed just so fragile at the moment.


    ¡°Jeanne ¡­¡± He father''s voice sounded in the quiet room and Spera could feel the other man materializing in his favorite corner once again.


    ¡°Yes, master ?¡± He said and Spera just knew that he was bowing to Mesanth.


    ¡°How far along is the plan ?¡± Mesanth said, exhaustion clear in his voice.


    ¡°Master, we need at least another three months to be ready ¡­¡±


    ¡°I will give you two ¡­ I am really at the end of my patience.¡±


    ¡°Master please think it thru. If we make a mistake all our plans will be useless .. think about the end goal ¡­¡± Jeanne said frantically.


    ¡°I know, I know ¡­¡± Mesanth said in defeat.


    ¡°Why do you think I don¡¯t just eliminate them all! Even if I don¡¯t want to admit it, we need them ¡­ but their interference has to end ...We have to make them understand that even if I don¡¯t retaliate doesn¡¯t mean that I am too weak for it !¡± He said viciously.


    Jeanne could feel the bloodlust in Mesanth at that moment, because of which he almost acted against him, bloodlust wasn¡¯t good for the master''s condition. But just as he wanted to act, Mesanth let his head fall into his hands and his shoulders started to quiver.


    ¡°Master ¡­¡±


    ¡°Jeanne¡­ I just want to be with my wife and child. Is that so wrong ?¡± He asked and lifted his head, anguish in his eyes. Jeanne knew that even he didn¡¯t know all the troubles his Master had so he couldn¡¯t even advice him.


    ¡°Master ¡­¡± but before he could even utter something, Mesanth interrupted him once again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare say that it will be better in the future! You can see your wife and children whenever you want! I have to plan such meetings for weeks, sometimes even months in advance.¡± Mesanth almost shouted but in the last moment remembered that Emerthelil and Spera slept beside him.


    ¡°This servant understands ¡­ I will try to hasten the process. You will just have to concentrate on your child ¡­ the last two anniversaries of her birthday had such an outcome. Forgive me for saying this, but I think we will have to prepare for a repetition. And with her current weak body, it will be even more dangerous than before ¡­¡±


    ¡°Did you find the cause of her condition ?¡±


    ¡°No sire. We tested her on all common poisons but couldn''t find a match. It shames me to say but there is nothing we can do for the princess.¡±He said with a bow, sadness expressed in his normally emotionless eyes.


    Disregarding his friend, adviser, and servant, Mesanth grunted out an ¡°I know.¡± before climbing into bed and gently holding Spera in his arms.


    Jeanne took that as his cue and disappeared into the shadows, knowing that he only understood a fraction of his Master''s anguish.


    Mesanth slowly adjusted his body to lay more comfortable, and hen whispered into Spera''s ear, ¡°Forgive me for being such a bad daddy ¡­ I can¡¯t even protect you from such pain¡±, a teardrop escaping from his eyes while he curled around his precious little girl and silently weeps into her hair.


    Unknown to him, Spera had heard the exchange and couldn¡¯t stop herself from tearing up. Mustering all the strength in her body that she could find she turned her head away from her father so that he couldn¡¯t see her tears.


    But she was shocked when she finally opened her eyes slightly, she could see her mother looking at her and her father her hands pressed over her mouth to muffle the snops that came from her crying.


    On her birthday, both of her parents didn¡¯t leave her side.


    Spera and Emerthelil wondering how Mesanth could have made that happen, but too happy about his presence for them to ask him.


    And unlike the two birthdays before, a few minutes before midnight the seizure started. But this time it was as if her body was burned from the inside out, making Spera that hadn¡¯t uttered a word for the last few days scream in pain.


    Her parents immediately woke up, in tears, Emerthelil tried to heal her daughter but nothing they did helped their little angel that withered from the pain between them.


    Suddenly her lips started to turn purple, which was a sign that she couldn¡¯t breathe and her gasps for air confirmed their suspicion.


    Knowing that they couldn¡¯t do anything Mesanth tightly hugged Emerthelil to his chest, her anguish palpable as she, again and again, reached for their little girl.


    Jeanne that had appeared only seconds before immediately summoned his daughter who was shocked at Spera''s appearance. The siblings hadn¡¯t been on duty for the duration of Spera''s bedrest.


    Using wind Magic, she tried to push air into her lungs but her body wouldn¡¯t allow her to.


    Just as everyone had given up hope, the clock strikes 12 and it was visible that her body took a turn for the better.


    Her little chest expanding as she hungrily took a deep breath with her eyes opened wide.


    Everyone thought that this would be the end of it, that she finally would open her eyes and grace them with a little smile. But to their horror, Spera''s body fell to the bed once more, her eyes closed and wouldn¡¯t open again.


    Seeing her unresponsive daughter just lying there, Emerthelil couldn¡¯t hold it anymore and broke down, screaming her pain while Mesanth could only hold onto his wife, silent tears flowing from his eyes.

 Chapter 24

    Regaining consciousness, Spera found herself in Delis Main Chamber once again.


    Looking around, she found the three siblings sitting around the table and drinking tea in leisure.


    Sensing her appearing, all of them turned to her and their eyes widened in shock.


    This time her form hadn¡¯t changed.


    But why was her soul suddenly shimmering golden?


    Deli abruptly stood up and walked towards her, Wiju and Muwa shortly behind her.


    ¡°How the hell could that happen? Isn¡¯t it bad enough that she already has this form? Wiju what''s going on!¡±


    ¡°Sister I don¡¯t know, last time I couldn¡¯t pick up anything unusual about her. And nothing on Prena could have possibly made her attain that.¡±


    Seeing both of his siblings with such frantic looks on their faces, Muwa couldn¡¯t help but let out a small chuckle, causing both of his siblings to look at him in astonishment. He never laughed!


    ¡°¡°Muwa ?¡±¡±


    ¡°Sorry, let¡¯s sit down and calm down. You are scaring the little thing ¡­¡± He said, his normally cold voice warmed with amusement.


    Looking at Spera they could indeed see that, now that her facial features were more pronounced, that her eyes held fear in them and she slightly trembled.


    Walking back to the table all four took a seat, a new chair for Spera materializing out of thin air.


    ¡°So where should we start ?¡± Wiiju opened the discussion after everyone made themselves comfortable and had one cup of tea.


    ¡°Like we already established, nothing on Prena could cause this change ¡­ so it has to be something she did here in this Realm ¡­¡± Muwa pondered.


    ¡°But she didn¡¯t really do something special ¡­¡± Deli contemplated.


    ¡°Could it have been because she spend so much time here? ¡°


    ¡°That can¡¯t be .. if that would be that easy, Sougua would already be much more powerful ...¡± Deli answered.


    ¡°Speaking of him, how old is he exactly ¡­¡± Wiju asked, his curiosity piqued.


    ¡°Older than you, that''s for sure ¡­¡± Deli said dismissive but gave him a knowing smile. Damn, that was a low blow for the God of Wisdom.


    ¡°Wow ¡­¡± Wiju said, too astonished by the fact that Sougua could be almost as old as their father.


    ¡°Guys concentrate! We can talk about that when the midget is gone¡­¡± Muwa suddenly interrupted. His voice sounding impatient. /said impatiently.


    ¡°Well thank you ?¡± Spera said, not sure how to take that.


    ¡°So going back ¡­¡± Wiju said but was immediately interrupted by a disgruntled Spera.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ignore me !¡±


    ¡°Well, what do you want me to say? You are a midget¡­ live with it!¡± Muwa exclaimed, ignoring her and treating her like air. I thought he was one of the good guys ...Spera lamented, which caused her to close her mouth and pound thru the rest of the conversation.


    ¡°Could it have been her control training ?¡±


    ¡°But she only reached nine seconds ¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, well don¡¯t sound so dismissive or the little one will cry,¡± Muwa said, causing Deli and Wiju to look at Spera who was turning her head away, not giving them the satisfaction of seeing her upset expression. How dare they say it had only been nine seconds. They were damn hard to reach, alright?


    ¡°What else happened last time? I was so focused on the incident that I lost track of her ¡­¡± Muwa reluctantly admitted.


    ¡°Hmm... I showed her my room ¡­ we talked and then we went back to meet up with you two ¡­¡± Wiju explained, still thinking about possible explanations.


    ¡°Could it have been your room or the knowledge she got ?¡± Deli asked him curiously.


    ¡°Not possible.¡± WIju strongly rejected, making Deli recoil a bit b his intensity.


    ¡°Than it has to be the training ¡­¡± Muwa insisted.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see how that is possible ...Spera! Stop slurping the tea !¡± Deli suddenly jelled, causing all three to look at Spera who was nursing her second cup of tea.


    ¡°No, it can¡¯t be ¡­¡± Deli suddenly exclaimed when she saw her like that, her eyes going wide.


    ¡°It could be possible,¡± Wiju said, his eyebrows furrowed as he looked at Spera in concentration, who was frozen in place.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Muwa explained.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t see why it only became visible after she went back to Prena. Shouldn¡¯t the effect come instantaneously.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm ¡­¡±


    ¡°Guys, don¡¯t ignore me ..:¡± Muwa begged.


    ¡°Now you know how I felt don¡¯t you ¡­¡± Spera grumbled in satisfaction but was immediately focusing once again on Deli and Muwa.


    ¡°Well, when everything else is deducted this is the only possible explanation, even if it sounds ridiculous.¡± Wiju conceded.


    ¡°Hahaha ¡­¡± Deli suddenly started laughing.


    Seeing as how the discussion had ended, Spera looked at Wiju hopefully. Maybe he would be so kind as to grace her with his newly acclaimed knowledge.


    ¡°Little one. Don¡¯t be shocked. But it seems like you gained a sliver of divine energy by ¡­ consuming our tea.¡± He said, causing Spera to drop the cup on her hands. almost throwing it across the room. She didn¡¯t want that! She wanted to be normal!


    Hearing her thoughts, Delis dark personality manifested and sneered at her.


    ¡°Too late for that,¡± she said derogatory.


    ¡°What exactly does that mean ..¡± Spera asked shakily, ignoring Delis remark. She had become kind of used to her abusive remarks the last time she had been here. Every second of her training had consisted of crude and derogatory remarks and cursing, her dark personality being more intense because of the genocide.


    Seeing the situation, Wiju interrupted, ¡°What we want to say, is that because you consumed a heavenly item, in this case, the tea brewed for the Goddess of Death and Life, your soul has been refined to a state, where it is receptive to divine energy and started absorbing it as soon as you once again arrived here. Seeing as it doesn¡¯t absorb more, I think your soul has reached its limit of how much divine energy it can absorb. Seeing as you are originally a mortal soul it isn¡¯t surprising that your soul has many impurities. Normally every soul is cleaned when reincarnated, because of your unique situation, it would be almost impossible to attain divinity, the impurities of your former life heavily restricting your soul. Let''s see, maybe for an example, most people have to carry a 5 kg backpack, while running a marathon to reach the goal which is complete divinity, but because of your situation, you are starting with 10 kg and the possibility of you accumulation baggage is also possible. So you see, your soul being in humanoid form, even if it is that of a toddler and also having a sliver of divine energy even with your extra baggage is ¡­ let¡¯s say mildly very surprising.¡±


    ¡°Ok ¡­¡± Spera breathed out, too shocked by Wijus revelation.


    But suddenly it seemed that she had thought about something, her head swirling around to stare at Muwa, who was a bit taken aback.


    ¡°Could my soul influence my mortal body ?¡±The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°How exactly?¡± Muwa asked, confused by her sudden intensity.


    ¡°I mean could my refined soul cause my body to be sluggish, have difficulty breathing, make my toes and fingers numb in the evening and over the cause of one year let it lose all strength?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so ¡­ Is that what happened to you ?¡±


    He asked earning a strong nod from Spea.


    ¡°Wiju ¡­ could I have ¡®that¡¯?¡± He suddenly said after contemplating for a few moments.


    ¡°You know I don¡¯t like it if you touch my stuff ¡­¡± He said sullenly, but at the same time, a thin book appeared in his hand. He started using it as a fan, baiting Muwa who looked at him in complete indifference.


    ¡°Oh come on ¡­ you aren¡¯t funny ¡­¡± He started complaining when not receiving the reaction he had hoped for but handed the book over without any further complain.


    Spera being able to finally see the book was surprised when she noticed her name on the cover. Looking up Wiju nodded, indicating that yes indeed it was a book about her.


    ¡°What is that book ?¡±


    She asked after Muwa didn¡¯t say another word, just skimming through the book. The only sound in the room is the sound of tea being drunk and the rustling of the pages. If it hadn¡¯t been a situation as dire as it was, Spera could have almost found it relaxing. Of course minus the three psychotic Gods that became stranger the more time she spends with them.


    ¡°This is a record of your current physical body. Given that you have a blessing of a high God, and not just one but three even if your two blessings are just minor, there has to be a certain importance attached to your mortal body.¡±


    ¡°You are keeping a journal like a crazy scientist aren¡¯t you ?¡± Spera asked, quite confident in her assessment, and seeing the flustered look on Wijus voice she had just hit the bullseye.


    Seeing him blush, Deli couldn¡¯t refrain from murmuring ¡°Cute ¡­¡± Which caused him to blush even harder. And Spera could only agree, at that moment Wiju looked really cute.


    ¡°Well back to the topic ¡­¡± Muwa interrupted after a few moments of awkward silence. He had stopped flipping thru the book and his finger seems to point at a specific content.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see ¡­ Given the injuries of her Mana veins thru the unraveling seal placed by the ¡­¡±


    But before Muwa could speak or more like reading aloud more of the content, Wiju had already recovered enough to slap his hand over his mouth, muffling the words to come.


    Surprised Spera, Muwa and Deli stared at Wiju who seemed like someone that had just prevented a disaster.


    ¡°Wiju ¡­¡± Deli said in a sweet voice, ¡°let your big sister hear what you are calling her would you ?¡±


    With fear in her eyes, Wiju grabbed her hand, looking at her with puppy eyes.


    ¡°Sis I am so sorry. I didn¡¯t remember to change it afterward. I had a bad day when I wrote it so please ¡­¡± He begged but Deli ignored him, reaching out and taking the book from Muwas hands. After reading the passage that Muwa had just wanted to say, her aura darkened and a tick started at her left eye corner, revealing just how angry she was at his written words.


    The next moment her being once again regained tranquility, as she lifted a finger and moved it along the words, small puffs of smoke becoming visible as she burned out the words her younger brother had written.


    ¡°Now you can continue ¡­¡± She said, handing the book back to Muwa while Wijju cried at the damage to his precious report.


    Spera could only look on, curious just what he had written but too scared to ask.


    ¡°Muwa, can you just tell me what is going on ?¡± She said, not wanting to waste more time. She knew she still had training to do, and this time she wanted to reach the f**king ten seconds.


    ¡°Well according to this entry ¡­¡±He said, clearly avoiding the word ¡®journal¡¯,¡± Your condition was caused by the combination of your weakened body, because of the loosening seal, your advanced healing abilities which prolonged the condition and made it sometimes even seem like you were getting better, and the culprit of your state, a very special toxin that was administered orally. I would guess through food and, or beverage.¡±


    ¡°So I was really poisoned ¡­¡± Spera muttered, feeling relieved at knowing the truth but feeling hate for the unknown assailant.


    ¡° Well, you were ..¡± Muwa suddenly said mysteriously.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Spera looked at him in surprise.


    ¡°Well, you see ¡­ it seems like this time the seal loosened enough for a bit of my blessing to manifest. Given the boost from the freed mana, it cleansed your body of the toxin.¡±


    ¡°So that means I am going to be alright ?¡± Spera asked him, hope shining in her eyes.


    ¡°Not really. You see because your Mana veins not only had to endure the freed Mana but also the additional strain from the cleansing, your body was more hurt that it should have originally been. This caused a great stress on your system, so it shut down.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean shut down !¡± Spera almost screamed, only in the last second remembering that they were still talking telepathically and too much noise would lead to her imminent doom.


    ¡°Haa ~I mean, that you fell into a coma. given the intensity of the injury, your body will not let you wake up until at least a quarter of the damage has been repaired.¡±


    ¡°Of how long are we talking about?¡± Spera whispered depressed.


    ¡°Depends ¡­ given the high recovery rate of your system and the high-tier healing spells cast on your body I would say at least one week.¡±


    ¡°That would be almost half a year here !¡± Spera exclaimed.


    ¡°Well, you don¡¯t have to stay in this Main chamber¡­¡± Wiju suddenly interrupted.


    All three turned to him and gave him a questionable look.


    ¡°What? Just let her stay at one of the faster Main chambers and everything is alright. I would even sponsor a few books ¡­ of the harmless variety!¡± He exclaimed seeing Speras excited and Delis worried look.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted her to meet your friend? After that, you can just let her stay in one of the minor gods main chambers where the time difference isn¡¯t implemented and she can spend the rest of the time training and reading.¡± He said to Muwa giving a glance at Spera who was relieved by the suggestion.


    ¡°But you have to meet me once a day for tea !¡± Deli said, not wanting to be left out.


    ¡°No problem!¡± Spera said joyfully, still worried about her parents for a week-long coma would make them anxious but at least she would be getting stronger while here.


    ¡°h right !¡± She said when she remembered a thought that she had before,¡± Muwa you said something about your blessing manifesting .. what exactly is going on?¡± She asked scooting closer to the cold man, that looked at her with warm eyes.


    ¡°You know that my blessing affects your body right ?¡± He said which earned him a nod from Spera.


    ¡°Well, additionally to that it also helps with resistances, making it easier for your body to acquire them. Now that you have been poisoned, the entire blessing is used to counter it, giving you a poison resistance. But don¡¯t mistake it for an immunity. Until you have your awakening ceremony you can still be killed by a strong poison so be careful not to overtax your system, quantity can also be a problem, not only quality.¡±


    ¡°You said until my awakening ceremony ¡­ what is after that? Do I then get the immunity or what ?¡±


    ¡°No ¡­ but your enormous mana capabilities would boost your resistance and natural healing abilities so that no poison found on Prena could kill you.¡±


    ¡°Wow ~ ¡± Spera exclaimed in wonder.¡±Thank you!¡± She said while showing a brilliant smile.


    Suddenly a voice sounded next to her, that seemed like it came from the depths of hell, even if Spera now knew that such a thing didn¡¯t exist.


    ¡°Why are you thanking him ¡­¡±The voice growled out. Turning around Spera was face to face with the darkest side of Deli that she had seen until now. Shuddering in fear, she leaned back.


    ¡°Urm ¡­ I mean ¡­ his bl-blessing is so good. I ¡­ If I did-didn¡¯t have it, I w-would be d-dead ri-right ?¡± She stuttered, thinking that she had done something wrong.


    ¡°Hooo~?¡± Deli breathed out, a vicious smile playing around her mouth. Frightened Spera closed her eyes in fear.


    ¡°Interesting ... ¡°Delis'' voice sounded once again, but this time sounding almost normal.


    Opening her eyes once again, she saw that the dark side of Deli was still dominant, but not as deep as before.


    Wanting to desperately change the topic, Spera turned towards Wiju who also looked slightly intimidated by his sister.


    ¡°Wiju! You have a book on everyone right !¡± She hurriedly said. Wiju thankful for her interception looked at her in gratitude and nodded his head, not hiding his little hobby anymore.


    ¡°Do you have a book on my grandpa Fon?¡± Spera curiously asked, still glancing at Deli that seemed to work at balancing her personalities at the moment.


    Relucent Wiju gave a nod, but this time taking a bit more time.


    ¡°Than can you tell me what he does? I mean as his job. Daddy doesn¡¯t want to tell me and I am really worried about him. When he came back the last time, he was only a shell of his former self !¡± Spera suddenly said desperately but saw the reluctance in Wijus face, which was confirmed when he denied her request.


    ¡°Why !¡± Spera said in frustration.


    ¡°Your parents don¡¯t want you to know and I will respect their decision,¡±Wiju said to justify his decision.


    ¡°But you are a god !¡± Spera said, a little bit angry at his attitude.


    ¡°And? Even if I have divinity my mother taught me that I have to respect other people''s decision if they don¡¯t endanger another. Me not telling you what is going on is in no way dangerous to you or others in your surroundings.¡± Wiju said, offended by her tone of voice.


    ¡°Alright, alright I get your point ¡­¡± She said, seeing that he wasn¡¯t to be swayed.


    Deli and Muwa looked at her in understanding.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about it, even I lose to his stubbornness at that topic,¡±Deli says with a smile.


    ¡°As the God of knowledge is my responsibility be careful what I tell others. Even if my position makes me able to know everything that is in existence, I set myself a few rules to be able to interact with others ¡­ ¡°Wiju said, suddenly feeling like he had to defend himself.


    ¡°We know ¡­¡± Deli and Muwa pat his shoulder.


    ¡°Well then do you want to continue the training?¡± Deli said, wanting to end the topic with that.


    ¡°Yeay ¡­¡± Spera exclaimed unenthusiastically, still remembering her last training session.

 Chapter 25

    Deli started leading her out of the room, walking down the corridor, passing Wijus door and many other big doors, until the door got smaller and smaller.


    Coming to a stop in front of a plain, dark wooden door, which hinges seemed to almost fall of.


    ¡°Were here ¡­¡± Deli suddenly said, seeing the confused expression on Spera face she couldn¡¯t help but let out a small chuckle.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t want to really spend the entire time in our high real Main chambers right? You do know that the time there is flowing very slowly. Your mortal body needs about a week to recover enough ¡­ do you really want to spend six months in my room. Not that I am complaining but I think it would be quite boring for you since you would have to train the entire time.¡± She said, chuckling once again when seeing Spera desperately shaking her head.


    Pointing at the rundown door, she spoke once again.


    ¡°This is an abandoned room of a small deity, as such, it is free for your use and the time in here flows even a bit faster than on Prena, requiring you to only spend two to three days in here for a week to pass.¡±


    Pushing the door open, it started creaking ominously but Spera couldn¡¯t see it breaking anytime soon.


    The room inside was bare, the floor made out of concrete, but Spera could see a big pillow in the middle of the room, with a small podest next to it, holding the crystal she had used last time for her concentration training.


    ¡°Well then, get on with it. I will visit throughout the day, but I don¡¯t think you will notice me so just start training.¡± Deli said, pulling the door closed behind her as she left the room.


    Making herself comfortable on the pillow, Spera took the crystal ball into her hands and started her training.


    Nothing else to do, so I should just train a bit ¡­


    For the first two trials, Spera could still only reach the nine-second mark, making her mana explode in her direction every time afterward.


    Before starting the third trial she especially took a deep breath and tried to calm her mind, which had been agitated my the two failures.


    This time she could finally maintain the light in the ball for ten seconds, but in the next moment, the ball suddenly started to increase it¡¯s glow as she felt the resistance within the ball lessen. Pulling her Mana back the resistance in the Ball suddenly intensified as the glow in the ball almost vanished. Panicking Spera poured more Mana into the ball, making it glow once again. But just as it had stabilized the resistance suddenly vanished completely making her being blasted from the ball, as the excess Mana was being released towards her.


    As she lay on her back, even in her soul-form she felt like she couldn¡¯t breathe. Gasping for air she slowly pulled her body up into a sitting position.


    Looking down she could see no signs of bruises.


    Of course, there are no bruises, dumbass ¡­ you are in soulform right now!


    Spera started scolding herself, but then she suddenly saw something interesting.


    Instead of bruises, her soul suddenly had a few spots that didn¡¯t shine as brightly as the rest of her. Touching one of the spots, a slight ache traveled true her soul. Overall Spera felt quite battered at the moment. But a noise from Delis direction let her jump up and start training again.


    When she was at a point where she almost gave up, her entire soul riddled with not-glowing spots, she suddenly heard Delis voice behind her.


    ¡°Spera, dear. I would recommend for you to train as long as I didn¡¯t say that you should stop. Wouldn¡¯t you also think so ?¡± She asked, but her voice towards the end was so sweet that it made Spera shudder in fear. Without saying anything else, she could hear Deli sit down on a chair behind her. Not daring to turn around, Spera nodded and started practicing once again.


    Immersed in her training, Sprea took no notice of the time.


    After training until her mind screamed at her to stop, but still going further of fear from Delis reproach, it was as if she fell into a trance, her mind shutting off and the true benefit of training as a soul emerged.


    she could feel the fatigue that had accumulated in the last hours, draining away, and came to the realization, that it had just been her mortal mind that had held her back. It had been that mind that had told her that she couldn¡¯t train anymore. truthfully it had also been the immense concentration that had been needed for the exercise that had put a strain on her mind.


    As only a soul with a now turned off mortal mindset, she just knew that it wouldn¡¯t be strange to train until eternity. As such two days went by until deli finally told her to stop. But just as she stopped, her mortal mindset came back online, making her fall to the ground in exhaustion. Looking up, she could see Deli sitting in a comfortable looking armchair, drinking tea while smirking down at her.


    ¡°So .. how far ?¡± deli asked crypoticly, but Spera knew that she was asking about her training process. What else...?


    ¡°First circle steady ¡­¡±Spera gritted out, as she knew that she had once again disappointed. And just as she predicted, disappointment flashed through Delis eyes, which she quickly masked with indifference while taking a sip of her tea.


    ¡°How long can you hold the second one ?¡±


    ¡°I am blasted away by the third turn. It¡¯s too fast for me to retract my Mana ¡­¡± Spera excused herself.


    ¡°But in the first circle, you can hold the glow steady throughout, right ?¡±


    Which Spera answered with a sharp nod. ¡° Yes, not one flicker.¡±


    ¡°Haa~ alright ¡­ Muwa had wanted you to meet his friend, but there seems to be a small complication so the meeting was postponed to next year.¡±


    She said, causing Spera to look around and finally notice that they were alone in the room. Spera had previously thought that all three siblings would visit her, was slightly depressed by that.


    ¡°Where is Muwa ?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Went out for a bit to arrange the meet-up. He was behaving really secretly so I wanted to go find out, but Wiju said that I should oversee your training ¡­¡±Deli said with a slight pout.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back to my room. We will meet them there ¡­¡± She said, starting to stand up but seeing Spera not move, she settled into her armchair once again and drank her tea, waiting for the little soul to open her mouth.


    ¡°Deli ¡­¡±Spera suddenly started, finally being alone with her.¡± I wanted to thank you ¡­¡±


    Surprised Deli almost choked on her tea.


    Few people ever thanked her, more likely cursed at her, and she knew that given her situation Spera shouldn¡¯t feel gratitude towards her.


    Seeing Deli¡¯s confusion, not knowing what she talked about, Spera couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    ¡°Deli, thank you for letting me reincarnate into my current life.¡± She said.


    ¡°Even if you are always threatened ?¡± Deli asked incredulously.


    ¡°That is just because I am weak right now. But you three gave me the tools to make me stronger, now I only have to grow up.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Deli stared at her in shock and bewilderment. She had never anticipated such a reasoning.


    Without her even noticing a glimmer of warmth entered her eyes, a bit of goodwill towards this little soul took hold of her. She was indeed special.


    They sat in front of each other in silence, until Wiju and Muwa loudly entered the room.


    ¡°Hey, Sis! I am back !¡± Wiju called, Muwa humming to go along.


    ¡°There you are! Took you long enough.¡± Deli muttered. Getting up to meet them at the door. Spera following behind in silence.


    All four of them slowly made their way to delis Mainroom, Wiju chattering along the way and talking about a new kind of spell somebody had attempted to build which caused a disturbance in that particular worlds mana which made new Mana beasts appear. Interested in the topic of Mana beasts, Spera having never heard of the terminology before, she wanted to talk with Wiju but one look from Deli let her shut up. The look explicitly saying ¡®You are too young to know¡¯


    After a while, Spera saw her opportunity to once again talk with Wiju, ass their topic came to an end.


    ¡°Wiju!¡±


    ¡°Yes, little one ?¡± He asked in confusion.


    ¡°Could you tell me what happened with my Grandpa ?¡± She asked.


    Confused about her meaning, Wiju let a book appear in his hand, flipping through it at an alarming speed while muttering to himself.


    ¡°No, that she couldn¡¯t know about him ¡­ him neither ¡­ That side of the family is still a secret to her .. Who could she mean ?¡±


    Hearing that Spera was too confused to interrupt, trying to gain more knowledge about her apparent ¡°Family secret¡±, but Deli seeing this, quickly interrupted.


    ¡°Spera who do you mean ?¡± She said with a sharp glint in her eyes, that discouraged Spera from pouting.


    ¡°I mean my Grandpa ¡­ I told you about his condition when he came back right? Well, he was one day suddenly better, but there is still the possibility of him being affected. I just want to know if he will be ok ¡­¡± She said, letting her head drop with sorrow. She could still vividly remember that day in the sitting room, and the incident in the library. Even if on the surface they didn¡¯t have anything to do with each other, her gut told her that they were.


    Silence followed her statement, which caused Spera to look up. She saw Wiju and Deli staring at each other, obviously conversing but she couldn¡¯t make sense of it. Looking at Muwa, he just stood to the side, leaning against the wall comfortably with crossed arms.


    ¡°Alright! Alright! ¡° Delis sudden voice brought her back to the conversation. Seeing Wiju smile at her and Deli looking sullen, it seems like he had won the little altercation.


    ¡°Well dear, I can¡¯t tell you everything ¡­¡± He began, two books appearing in each of his hands, already opened at a certain page,¡± But I can tell you that given time, your Grandpa will be better once again. He will never return to his top form, but there will be no deterioration of his condition ¡­ Just ¡­ he will have to have a better ¡­ relationship ¡­ with his partner.¡± He ended, blushing slightly at the formulation.


    Seeing Spera tilting her head to the side and looking at him in confusion, he knew that she didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°I am not having that conversation !¡± He suddenly almost screamed, causing Deli and Muwa to chuckle.


    ¡°So he will be alright ?¡± Spera asked, still confused about the last few sentences.


    ¡°Yes, yes ... ¡° Wiju said, blushing.


    ¡°Ok ¡­¡± Spera said hesitantly.


    But she was interrupted by Deli that still chuckled a bit, ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s go to my room. I think the conversation has ended.¡± She said with a tone that didn¡¯t allow any resistance. Silently they walked towards her room.


    Entering Delis room, the table with tea and four chairs had already materialized in front of her desk, which made Wiju and Muwa immediately sat down upon.


    Hesitantly Spera also sat down, followed by Deli who seemed to gracefully glide onto her chair and immediately take up her cup of tea.


    ¡°Come, drink a cup of tea and then you can be on your way,¡± Deli uttered after a few tense seconds that Spera hadn¡¯t moved, over the rim of her teacup. Wiju and Muwa had also leaned back in their chairs and started sipping on their cup, Spera being sure to have seen Muwa adding something to the cup out of a small silver container that had been hidden underneath his clothes. Seeing her noticing his actions, Muwa had winked at her and put his index finger on his lips, asking her to keep it a secret.


    Brought back to the situation by Delis words, Spera looked up in confusion.


    ¡°Do you think that is such a great idea? The cup last time let her gain the small margin of divine energy and I already had two before¡­ What if that large amount has larger consequences ?¡±Wiju interrupted, finding his sisters behavior quite dangerous. If she earned more divine energy, nobody could predict what would happen to her. It was too dangerous.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I want to find out,¡± Deli said righteously. Even if she liked this soul, the unknown was much too enticing for her to just let it be.


    ¡°So I am your guinea pig ?¡± Spera asked, feeling a bit stifled by her attitude. She had thought that the last few interactions let her at least claim a bit of affection from Deli.


    ¡°You could say that ..¡± Deli said offhandedly, feeling a bit wronged by her accusational tone of voice and Wijus and Muwas disappointed looks.


    ¡°Wow, I feel loved ¡­¡±Spera muttered in a whisper, but since all three people present were Gods they could naturally hear her.


    ¡°Well right now you are more of an interesting research subject than anything else ¡­¡± Deli conceded, not realizing that she had hurt Spera''s feelings with her off-handed command.


    ¡°So you don¡¯t even see me as a mortal?¡± Spera asked incredulously, her eyes starting to sting with unshed tears as she stared at Deli¡¯s cold facial expression, not one hint of the warmth that she had previously seen could be spotted.


    Which made Deli look at her with an expression that told Spera that she was cute to even think that this could be possible.


    ¡°Be satisfied as being seen as anything other than an ant! If I so wanted to I could wipe your whole planet. The only reason why I don¡¯t is that my mother asked me to be more compassionate, or I wouldn¡¯t even have tried to get acquaintance with you and would have wiped you the first time you came here. Don¡¯t interpret my tolerance of you as a weakness. Now drink your damn tea and be on your way!¡±Deli said, her countenance starting to blacken as her dark personality became stronger, a sneer on her lip, belittling Spera''s feelings of hurt. Deli had started to feel irritated since Spera had started questioning her, like a little pin, starting to scratch at her heart.- Now that she had let out her feelings, she felt refreshed but seeing Speras hurt expression, an uncomfortable feeling settled in her heat. Not wanting to further analyze it, she took up her cup, that she had banged on the table when she lost her temper, small cracks having appeared in the fragile porcelain and lifted it to her lips, the cup slowly repairing itself throughout the action.


    Helplessly Spera looked at WIju and Muwa that had kept quiet throughout the entire confrontation, seeing them looking uncomfortable, she knew that they felt their sister having gone overboard but they wouldn¡¯t interfere. Which caused disappointment to course through her soul.


    Looking down at her small fingers, feeling powerless she only muttered, ¡±That escalated quite quickly ..¡± which made Wiju show a forced smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t take it personally, she had a lot on her plate and took it out on you. Even if what she said is the truth.¡± He started, excusing his older sisters behavior.


    But he was shocked by her next question.


    ¡°Am I a burden ?¡±


    Spera asked her insecurities welling up again and making Delis speech much more impactful than it would have normally been.


    Taking a moment to take a deep breath and organize his thoughts, Wiju spoke up once again.


    ¡°No, but it isn¡¯t as if we are emotionally attached to you.


    Yes you are a distraction from out normally boring life and maybe in the future, we will even come to care for you, but as it is you have the status of an interesting toy.¡±


    He said, not wanting to lie to her and also wanting her to understand her current situation.


    He had seen that his sister became more tolerant of the little soul, and even he had fun talking with the curious little thing, but still, she didn¡¯t amount to much in his current life.


    And if she wanted to survive she had to understand that.


    Depressed but seeing a silver lining in Wijus words, Spera took up her cup of tea and slowly drank it up.


    Seeing as they still all stayed in an uncomfortable silence throughout the process, she took her remaining courage and started saying her goodbyes to them.


    Just as she wanted to ask Deli to sent her back, Muwa opened his mouth. He had kept quiet since entering the room, surprising Wiju and Deli.


    ¡°Little one ¡­ let¡¯s talk next time alright. And I also want you to meet my friend.¡±


    Smiling up at him, Spera felt her depression lessen.


    ¡°Of course. I would be delighted ¡­.¡±


    But before she could say anything else, Deli and Wiju interrupted her.


    ¡°Speaking of which ¡­¡±,¡±... Who is your friend ?¡±


    ¡°¡±I didn¡¯t know you had any ¡­"¡± They both said teasingly.


    Which made Muwa glare at the both of them.


    ¡°See you soon ¡­¡± He muttered, almost turning away from Spera in the process, but this caused Spera to only smile much brighter up at him.


    ¡°I look forward to it ¡­¡± She said.


    But suddenly Deli snapped her fingers and she just vanished from her place, making Wiju and Muwa frown at her.


    Pleased by her action Deli just shrugged her shoulders and gave them a mysterious smile, while once again sipping her tea leisure.


    But at the moment Spera could only think So last time the trip through window was just her amusement huh?

 Chapter 26

    When Spera woke up, the now familiar pain of her injured Mana veins assaulted her senses. But she could feel a kind of resistance to it, the pain still present but no longer filling her every thought. Like they were being detached from the torment her body once again went thru.


    One thing to note however was that the lethargic feeling of the past months seemed to have vanished.


    Thinking about it Spera concluded that the languor was a side effect of the poison and that now that she was cured of it, her body was fine once again. Well except her damaged Mana veins.


    But how could she prove it?


    Even her parents who at first had suspected poison had associated her former state to her strange ¡°illness¡± that she always got on her birthday after the poison test had been negative. It wasn¡¯t strange seeing as even Muwa told her that her poison had been very rare and to most deathly. This meant she had to catch the criminal in the act.


    She had a few suspicions after having overheard the maids last time, but the sudden worsening of her body had made her incapable to investigate further.


    Her prime suspect obviously being Lidiana using one of the lower maids to do her bidding.


    After having thought about the issue for a few minutes, the pain had subsided enough for her to be sure not to have it show to obviously, Spera opened her eyes, to her family that was still in the room.


    Emerthelil used the last of her energy to move to the bed, Mesanth always supporting her, only to hug her tightly and fainting on the bed.


    Her father also moved to the other side of the bed and lay on the bed with them.


    Everyone else seeing this, quietly exited the room, giving the couple to rejoice on the survival of their child.


    Thanks to Muwas blessing, Spera body seems to have gained a boost on her recovery rate, and two months later she was finally able to leave the bed.


    in celebration of her recovery, Emerthelil prepared a surprise.


    Entering Spera''s room with a big plate, the delicious smell of the food filling the room and making Spera''s head quickly spin around from her place on her bed where she had just looked out of the window.


    Staring excitedly at the plate in Emerthelils hands she gave a bright smile to her mother.


    Suddenly it was as if a dam broke in her mind, memories of different kinds of food started appearing in her mind. Seeing the great number of different foods and noticing that to each food a category, called cuisine, as well as the ingredients and preparation methods were included, Spera was sure that her former self quite loved to eat.


    Now she finally understood the annoying and persistent info spamming that had always appeared in her mind every time somebody talked about a dish or the conditions for the preparation for the dish appeared before her, like the campfire in her early days that had her mind screaming for marshmallows.


    When seeing the food, the color was still quite disturbing, but she had already grown accustomed to it. She could still remember the times where she had timidly bitten into a bright orange piece of meat, just to be surprised by the soft and chewy texture that seemed to melt on her tongue. The times where she had stared down in disgust at a bowl of black liquid with green chunks floating in it, only to be surprised by it being a wonderful potato soup.


    So right now staring down at the plate her mother had brought her, filled with a variety of strangely colored meat and vegetables the impact wasn¡¯t as strong as before.


    Armed with her new knowledge about the food from earth, she started eating her dish, comparing the meat and vegetables with ones that were similar from earth.


    It was obvious after a few bites, that the cook had taken her weakened condition into consideration, cooking the ingredients a few moments longer, making them easier to eat, but also, unfortunately, losing a bit of the normal flavor.


    But this allowed Spera, for the first time to really taste the spices used in the dish. Surprisingly she could only taste very few spices, however, the spices itself had a more concentrated taste, making the dish still very tasty.


    Looking up, she saw her mother gazing at her with love and concern.


    ¡°Mommy, how come the flavor is so strong ?¡± She said, ignoring the fact that a normal three-year-old wouldn¡¯t ask such a question. It was already established that she was a strange kid.


    Chuckling at her daughter''s question, Emerthelil sat down on the be and petted her head, causing Spera to lean into the touch.


    ¡°Well you see, the spices used by our kitchen, are all gathered from the forest, making them grow much stronger and also making the taste much more concentrated. The chef had to be really careful not to overdo it. Before we had to be careful since little children can have an overload of sensation if eating a meal that was seasoned too much so it has to be increased little by little. Did it taste bad ?¡± She asked concerned.


    ¡°Nononono, it¡¯s really tasty,¡± Spera answered with a smile, once again picking up her fork to start eating again.


    Emerthelil once again patted her head and proceed to tuck Spera''s red hair behind her ear. Satisfied with the results, she stood up and excused herself, telling her daughter that she had a bit of work to do. Of course, her work consisted of finding out, which bastard dared hurt her sweet little daughter.


    After finishing her meal, Spera leaned back against the headboard, once again thinking about her predicament. Just how could she prove that somebody had poisoned her. And how did they achieve it?


    Muwa did say that the poison had been administered by food or drink, but she hadn¡¯t detected anything wrong from her food, and her mother would have analyzed her food before giving it to her to eat.


    So that would only leave her with something that she drank ¡­


    Just as she pondered over it, dismissing the beverages that Daphne and her brothers would give her throughout the day, the door opened once again and a maid came in, with a small bowl in her hands.


    Suddenly a small shiver ran down Spera''s spine and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up.


    That had never happened before.


    Suspiciously she looked at the maid. She was one of the few draconian maids working in the castle had been assigned to her side by Lorain a few weeks before her second birthday. But since she was always in the background, Spera had never really paid much attention to her.


    Now looking at her closely, she could see that she was quite a beauty. Soft brown hair, deep blue eyes, that emitted a very gentle look and small green scales on her face, arms, and legs.


    Suddenly Spera''s mind came to a halt. Didn¡¯t the scales on her arms and legs indicate her to be of high draconian heritage? What would such a person be doing working as a maid for her father, a person viewed by the Queen as an enemy?


    But that couldn¡¯t be .. that would mean that she was an enemy.


    Lorain wouldn¡¯t knowingly assign somebody like that to her side. So that would mean that she had been pressured to do that, this maids background made her think that she wasn¡¯t a threat to her.


    But one thing that Spera couldn¡¯t understand was that her symptoms of the poisoning emerged a few months ago, and the maid had served her for more than a year.


    Wasn¡¯t that an indication that she didn''t poison her? Or was she once again to naive ¡­


    If not for the uneasy feeling that became more intense the closer the maid got, Spera would have dismissed her musings.


    But she wasn''t sure what this feeling indicated. Was this once again something that she got as a side effect from her blessing. Could one of her blessings act as a sort of sensor for things dangerous for her? Thinking about it either Delis or Muwas blessing could have such a side effect, Delis blessing could make her sensitive to her immediate death and Muwas could react to a substance that would harm her body. She had to ask them next time, for now, let it count as her blessing for this allowed her to finally find the perpetrator or at least the puppet that was used for it. Spera was sure that the maid was just being used.


    But for now, that wasn¡¯t important, what was important was that she had to think about a way to let her parents find out about the poison in the soup. Damn you Muwa, why didn¡¯t you tell me what kind of poison it was!


    ¡°Young miss ¡­¡± the maid said, bringing Spera out of her musings.


    Startled Spera looked up and was frightened that the maid had already reached her bedside. How the hell should I behave right now? Looking around she could see that nobody else was in the room. Damn them! Why isn¡¯t Jeanne in the corner of my room like usual?


    ¡°Here you go. Please drink your medicine.¡± The maid said with a smile. Only now Spera could finally see the coldness that was underneath her gentle eye. No wonder I hadn¡¯t noticed her before. She was a superb actress.


    And now she finally knew why the maid hadn¡¯t poisoned her before. Not that she didn¡¯t want to, but that she didn''t have the opportunity for it. The medicine she held out to her, which Spera stared at in disgust, had only been described after her second birthday when her parents worried that she wouldn¡¯t recover after the having suffered twice from the mana explosion.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    Funny how the thing that should have helped you get better, was used to poison you-


    Spera laughed at her own joke with a bit of mirth in her eyes.


    The maid, not knowing what happened to the usual docile princess looked at her strangely, Spera noticing a sliver of disgust entering her eyes for a moment before it disappeared without a trace.


    Straightening her body, Spera took the bowl out of the maid''s hands, her name escaping her perfect memory, making Spera doubt that she had even introduced herself to her.


    Stalling for time, Spera looked up to her and smiled.


    ¡°What is your name ?¡± She asked, turning the bowl in her hands, no indication of drinking it anytime soon.


    Surprised the maid hurriedly bowed her head.


    ¡°That was my mistake young mistress. I am called Yuyan ¡° She said, freezing in her position until Spera told her to get back up.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok. I was just surprised that I couldn¡¯t remember your name.¡± She said with a small smile.


    ¡°Yuyan ¡­ where are you from ?¡± She suddenly asked in a childish tone of voice after a moment of complete silence.


    ¡°I come from a small island called Desmos not far from here ¡­¡± She replied, but Spera could see her unease.


    ¡°Oh really ¡­.¡± She said, making a mental note to ask Tiang where exactly Desmos was located. If her hunch was right it couldn¡¯t be far from Coalesco.


    Just as she wanted to once again talk about something unimportant to stall for time, Lorain entered the room. Seems like Jeanne did do his job and went so far as to inform his wife.


    Pleasantly surprised Spera smiled at her with obvious warmth.


    Loran seeing the maid hovering on Spera''s bedside became irritated. Her husband had told her that the princess had behaved suspiciously when the maid had entered and since it was still not proven that Spera''s condition had only deteriorated because of her illness or if someone else had their hands at play, everyone was cautious.


    ¡°You can go now. ¡° Lorain stated with a very cold voice., making the maid shudder. Reaching out for the cold medicine that was in Spera''s hand, she wanted to go out. But how could Spera let her take the evidence with her? Holding tightly only to bowl, she turned pleading eyes towards Lorain. Understanding her little princess, murderous intent slowly crept into Lorain''s eyes. If Jeanne or one of her three children had been present, they would have screamed to the maid to run for her life.


    In a motion, that Spera couldn¡¯t follow with her eyes, Lorain appeared next to the maid, striking her neck, making her slump to the ground.


    ¡°Are you alright ?¡± Lorain suddenly said, making Spera''s gaze turned from the motionless body in front of her bed to the woman that was like a second mother to her and looked suddenly quite scary. With a  wobbly smile, Spera pressed out an ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Glancing from time to time at Yuyans body.


    ¡°Can you tell me what¡¯s going on ?¡± Lorain asked, lowering herself to be on Spera''s eye level.


    ¡°She was acting strangely¡­¡± Spera said, giving the bowl to Lorain, sure that she could connect the points. She was never convinced that it had only been her illness, but she could never find out what caused it.


    ¡°I will not disappoint you, ¡±Lorain said, noticing that once again her little princess had been forced to grow up.


    Saddened she got up, took the offered bowl and started to leave the room.


    ¡°Get a bit of sleep. You are still healing. Have good dreams my little princess.¡± She said warmly before leaving the room, Yuyans body vanishing as the door closed behind her.


    Signing, Spera made herself more comfortable and closed her eyes. Lorain was right, she was still healing. She had confidence that Lorain would find out now that she had the minion and the poison in her hands.


    Later that day, Mesanth sat behind his desk in the office, despairing about the mountains of paperwork that had started to accumulate in the last few weeks. The missions and incidents that had begun accumulating over the last three years straining the manpower needed to deal with them all.


    Just as he once again looked at the report before him, telling him about unrest in a small town south from Azuma which could indicate more than what was mentioned in the report.


    Suddenly Jeanne materialized before him, immediately bowing and waiting for the command to be at ease.


    Irritated by the work and wanting to take his frustration out on someone, Mesanth let him hold the position for a few moments, the silence pressuring him to finally call out ¡°At ease.¡±


    ¡°What can I do for you ?¡± Mesanth drawled, leaning back in his armchair and interlacing his fingers with one another observing his friend as he brushed the imaginary dust from his uniform, a sign that he too was frustrated about the position but knew his station as a servant didn¡¯t allow him to vent them. Jeanne looked up at him, his eyes promising retribution, and Mesant knew that he had just ordered himself two new stacks of paperwork. But thinking about it, it was worth it.


    With a small smile, he accepted the challenge, the confrontation coming to a close and the tension evaporated.


    ¡°Sir, it seems like we have a winner. ¡° Jeanne said in a low voice, making Mesanth almost jump out of his chair.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say that immediately !¡± He complained, moving towards the door, Jeanne only a few steps behind him.


    ¡°You found it appropriate to play around, so I adjusted to the situation.¡± Jeanne defended himself, a shadow of a smirk could be seen on his lips.


    ¡°Sir¡­¡± Jeanne suddenly said before Mesanth could open the door to the hallway under the stairs in the entrance hall.


    ¡°What is it now ?¡±


    ¡°My dear wife is in her special room¡­ so I would suggest using the other stairs.¡± Jeanne said mysteriously, but Mesanth knew what he meant, his face showing displeasure at the idea.


    ¡°You know I don¡¯t like them. Can¡¯t we go the normal way ¡­¡± Mesanth started whining, looking with pitiful eyes at Jeanne who almost couldn¡¯t the corners of his mouth which started twitching harder the longer he looked at his friend.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be such a baby. ¡° He said harshly. ¡°I endure it, You can too. You are the king.¡± He said as if his station made him immune to the threat.


    ¡°I hate you!¡± Mesanth said, without much power behind the statement.


    Giving him a genuine smile, Jeanne sarcastically answered ¡°Me too.¡± while laying one hand on the doorknob making it glow in an ominous dark-purple light, before opening the door and revealing a slightly hovering plate, just big enough for two people.


    Getting on it, Mesanth closed his eyes in dread.


    He could hear Jeanne chuckle before his voice called out ¡°Attention !¡±.


    And just as he had known it would be, the plate started moving at an incredible spread, his stomach protesting against the flight upwards, but he still held his eyes closed.


    He could still remember the first time Jeanne had tricked him onto the platform, the visual input overwhelming him and causing him to vomit over the entire plate.


    It had been a chore to clean the entire platform and the surroundings, Lorain refusing to give him a helping hand.


    That indeed was a lesson on humility.


    When the platform came to a stop, they found themselves in a small hallway that was dimly lit.


    ¡°Really Jeanne? Come on! I know that you have real lighting. I had to pay for it. ¡° He said giving a side glance to him, seeing the disappointed expression on his face. Waving his hand, the lights brightened, revealing that the walls had portraits of Daphne, Samuel, Leon, Lorain, and Jeanne on them, picturing them at different ages.


    Walking thru the hallway, they came to a black door them gave them entry to Jeanne¡¯s and Lorain¡¯s bedroom. Being situated in the servant quarters but still far away from the normal servant, Jeanne being the head-butler and Lorain the head-maid, gave them the possibility to have a more luxurious bedroom then the others. The walls were painted in a soft lilac color which was accentuated with a grey bordure that was affixed along the walls top section. Mostly picturing flowers, but Mesanth that had already studied it in detail could also see Jeanne¡¯s and Lorains personal history pictures throughout the bordure.


    The simple double bed was made out of very expensive Elwood, a mana infused timber that indicated the element used with the mana. In this case, the bed frame was pitch black, indicating the use of the darkness affinity.


    Turning right and walking past the fireplace with big comfortable armchairs and the wardrobe also made out of Elwood, also colored pitch black, Jeanne had to step before Mesanth to lay his hand onto a special place on the wall, revealing a new door when infusing his Mana into it.


    The door swung open and revealed Lorain, standing over a table with different viles and a small cauldron brewing next to her, placed on another platform them was glowing red and emitting extreme heat.


    Mesanth was still surprised by the room, the walls filled to the brim with different books, dangerous plants and even a few cages with small animals, even if he had seen it more times than he could count. Staring transfixed at Lorain that seemed to pour together a bright goey purple substance and a bright green liquid only to get a yellow liquid with a brown sediment.


    ¡°Did she catch another new one ?¡± He asked his friend without looking at him, having noticed a new cage in the back of the room, almost hidden underneath the table.


    ¡°Yes she found it in the gardens and I couldn¡¯t say no to her ¡­¡± Jeanne said with a bit of a helpless expression but his love for his wife clear in his normally emotionless eyes.


    ¡°You never do ¡­¡± Mesanth complained, still remembering the different creatures they had to secretly dispose of because Jeanne couldn¡¯t tell Lorain to get rid of them.


    ¡°So !¡± Mesanth suddenly called out, bringing Lorains attention to their arrival,¡± Jeanne told me you had a winner ?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Lorain just said, turning back to her experiment.


    ¡°A bit of an explanation if you wouldn¡¯t mind,¡± Mesanth said impatiently.


    ¡°Actually I do mind since this here is the poison your daughter ingested so I want to find out more right now. Ask Jeanne, I told him the important bits.¡±But didn¡¯t you want me here ?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Did I say that ?¡±  Lorain said irritated, forgetting for a moment who she was talking to. But knowing her reason for it, Mesanth accepted her behavior, turning to Jeanne.


    ¡°No. Seems like I misunderstood.¡± Mesanth said with a glare to Jeanne that couldn''t hold back his laughter.


    ¡°So ¡­ care to explain?¡± He asked with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°What my dear wife is experimenting on right now, is a very rare poison called ¡®Night¡¯s death¡¯, given in small doses to the victim it can cause exhaustion, organ failure and finally death. It was found in the princesses medicine ¡­¡±


    The anger that rolled off Mesanth at his words was almost palatable.


    ¡°Did you get the confession ?¡± He gritted out, holding onto a sliver of common sense.


    ¡°I have to confess, that the maid only admitted to poisoning the princess and gave up the merchant that sold her the poison. However, she didn¡¯t implicate anyone else making the confession almost useless for our purposes.¡±Jeanne said softly, not wanting to convey the bad news but having no alternative.


    ¡°Sooo~ we have nothing ?¡± Mesanth almost screamed in frustration. The plans had been set into motion months ago but still didn¡¯t bring the desired results and now they had the perfect opportunity to finally nail them, but it still wasn¡¯t enough.


    ¡°The princess told us, that the maid told her that her home-island is called Desmos. We looked it up and found no such island. However, we did find a small village on Doratio with that name. And now please guess what island is almost exactly next to it.¡± Jeanne said, a small smile spreading over his features.


    ¡°Coalesco ¡­¡± Mesanth breathed out.He knew the islands of the draconian empire like the back of his hands. They had them!


    ¡°Can you prove it ?¡± He immediately asked, resisting the urge to hug Jeanne in his excitement.


    ¡°We send a few spies. They answer and the report should be back in a week, tops.¡±


    Jeanne said and couldn¡¯t even blink before he was enveloped into a big hug from his best friend.


    Just as they started cheering for their success, a scary voice sounded next to them.


    ¡°If you want to disturb me any longer ¡­ be prepared for the consequences.¡±


    Turning, they came face to face with a fuming Lorain, broken test tubes littering the table behind her and black smoke rising from the liquid that was spilled.


    This time both men felt a shiver run down their spine and started hugging each other, in fear.

 Chapter 27

    The next few days an unnatural silence descended over the castle.


    They had heard about the maid that had dared to poison the princess, earning herself


    inhuman torture and finally a painful death.


    Fear spread thru the servants, unrest could be felt as they didn¡¯t know how to judge the


    incident.


    Their king became a monster in the eyes of most, rumors spread about his cruel deeds and


    the population of Praestolatio held their breath, feeling that something would soon happen


    that would have a great impact on their island.


    In the castle, Spera had finally recovered from the effects of her injured Manaveins.


    To celebrate her recovery, Daphne and her brothers had commissioned a few toys being made by a very famous artist of Praesto.


    One evening a few days after Spera had received the toys, she finally got the opportunity to play with them. They were all small objects made out of wood, which had different colors and smells, making it very pleasant to play with them and try to build large and small structures, even trying to build the little cottage of Warthon that she had loved at first sign. Thinking about it, she became a bit depressed. She hadn¡¯t seen Warthon for a few weeks or went back to his house since the last time and that was when he had been injured.


    Just as she absentmindedly placed a slightly bigger piece of green wood over two others, balancing it so that it looked like it was suspended without touching them, the piece slipped thru her fingers and when she grabbed it a sudden sharp pain spread from her hand. In a reflex she flung the toy from her hands, making it bang against the wall. In bewilderment, she looked down and was shocked to see her palm smeared with blood.


    It took a moment for her to register what had just happened, and when it clicked into place, she couldn¡¯t hold the scream that had build in her with tears in her eyes.


    Her door flew open to reveal a frantic Emerthelil, Mesanth only a few paces behind her.


    What Emerthelil saw when she entered her daughter''s room in a fluster after hearing her soul rendering scream, made her feel like a knife had been plunched in both her heart and gut.


    There on the floor staring at her with scared and pleading eyes was her little precious baby, her hand smeared with blood and the smell of it permeated the air. She even feared to take a breath and stood frozen for what felt like hours, only to be jolted out her state by her husband''s voice right beside her, cursing in a loud voice.


    ?These damn bastard! Wait till I get them! JEANNE !!!¡° He screamed fuming on the spot. But his little outburst gave Emerthelil the push to rush to her daughter, taking her hand in her hands and chanting a small verse in a language unknown to Spera. But before she could ask her mother about it, her thoughts were distracted by the light that suddenly covered her hand.


    She had seen her mother using magic on a few occasions, mostly when she was injured or something was difficult to achieve with a little magic help. But that couldn¡¯t compare to the power of the magic she used at the moment. Spera could feel the Mana in the surroundings gathering around her mother, giving her a majestic aura that made her shine brightly.


    She was so distracted by her mother''s supernatural appearance that she didn¡¯t realize the arrival of Lorain, Jeanne, Daphne, Leon, Samuel, Mesana, and Warthon.


    All looked with shock at the bloody spot on the carpet and Speras hand that was being healed by Emerthelil and everyone could conclude what had happened.


    Immediately, Lorain, Daphne, and Mesana rushed to them while the men started a heated talk with each other.


    ?Are you alright sweety?¡° Mesana asked, hugging her tightly while Emerthelil started huddling to them, brushing her hand over her hair and cheeks.


    Daphne looked at them anxiously, knowing that she couldn¡¯t participate since she could only touch Spera and none of the other woman or she would hurt them.


    Lorain seeing that looked at her with sad eyes, wanting to console her but knowing that she couldn¡¯t.


    Seeing her wringing her hands before her while kneeling a bit away from the others, Spera, when finally calmed down enough to think, she wiggled a bit to signal them to let her free and reached over to take her hand.


    ?I¡¯m fine.¡° She said, looking intensely at Daphne. Rom Wiju she knew that Daphne was akin to a time bomb and only her mental strength kept them all save. She couldn¡¯t be the reason for her to lose to her feelings.


    ?Baby ...¡° She heard her mother''s voice behind her, hurt in it at her behavior that indicated a dismissal of her and Mesana for Daphne''s sake. She knew that her daughter had started to spend more time with the woman, even touching her, which was still a mystery and a miracle that made them fear for her future but be glad for Daphne.


    A silence descended over the room, making the woman and Spera aware that the men had stopped talking and had moved towards the wall, that had a small bloody spot on it, the green toy that had blood on it lying to their feet.


    A murderous aura started to leak from Mesanth as he bends down and picked up the toy carefully with his forefinger and thumb.


    As he rightened himself and tilted the toy, a glint could be seen by everyone that stared at him.


    Standing up, the woman started crowing around Mesanth and everyone could finally see the blade that had been embedded along one edge of the toy, the sophistication of the work leaving no one questioning that this had been deliberate.


    Spera, that had been picked up by her mother, could feel her shake. Looking up she could see the emotions warring in her eyes. Sadness, anger, relieve, helplessness. She could see them and many more but she knew that her mother blamed herself.


    ?Mommy ¡­¡° She said while snuggling into her mother''s bosom.¡°I am alright.¡° She said, holding her healed hand up right before her mother''s eyes.


    ?Thank you, sweetie.¡° She said, forgetting her previous behavior. Relieved she walked to Spera''s bed and sat down on it with her, taking distant to the others, that had started searching the toys, and started to observe them while petting her daughter until she fell asleep. After that, she just gazed down at her.


    Hearing a small shuffle in the direction of the others, Emerthelil looked up, to see Jeanne, Samuel, and Leon trying to hold Mesanth back while Lorain and Mesana talked to him, trying to calm him down. Slowly easing out of the bed, as to not disturb her daughter, she hurried to her husband, squeezing through Lorain and Mesana to fling herself towards Mesanth, her arms going around his neck and hugging him tightly.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    ¡°Shh ¡­ Shh..¡± She murmured, stroking his hair until he calmed down enough for the men to let him go. Immediately he hugged her back, squeezing her against his chest and acting as if he never wanted to let her go.


    When Emerthelil could feel that Mesanth was once again under control, she turned around, still encased in his arms, leaning against his chest and nuzzling his neck from time to time.


    ¡°What happened ?¡± She asked the others, her cold voice in stark contrast to her lovely appearance and the warm eyes that observed her husband.


    Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the uneasy looks that they gave each other. Annoyed, she turned to them, giving them a glare.


    ¡°Well ?¡± She said with a raised eyebrow, but she could feel that Mesanth was unhappy that her attention wasn¡¯t on him anymore, him tightening his hug around her waist making her impossibly closer to him. So while not breaking eye contact with Lorain, knowing that if somebody could tell her what was up, the elderly woman would be the one, she leaned her head back, settling back against him


    ¡°Your Majesty ¡­¡± Lorain started, while stepping forward, seemingly protecting her children behind her even if Daphne stood in a small distance careful not to touch anyone.


    Lorain''s formal approach, raising the hairs on Emerthelils neck, telling her that this wasn¡¯t good news.


    ¡°It seems like every piece of the new toys had been tampered with ¡­¡± She said, showing Emerthelil a few pieces that had either needles or small blades embedded in them.


    ¡°How could that happen !¡± Emerthelil almost shouted, only holding back since she knew that they also blamed themselves for this incident.


    ¡°We are not sure Madam ¡­¡± Jeanne intercepted seeing that his wife was a little hurt by Emerthelils reaction.


    ¡°How could you not be sure? You are the fucking Head of security!¡± She whirled towards Samuel that stood behind his mother with his head hanged low, Leon patting him on the shoulder to cheer him up and Daphne hovering near him to give her support.


    ¡°Don¡¯t scream at him !¡± Lorain suddenly bit out, positioning herself in front of Samuel and stunning Emerthelil. She looked quite vicious with her flashing eyes and her hands balled into fists at her side.


    ¡°Well then what do you think I should do ?¡± Emerthelil said, a defeated undertone in her voice. She had seen them restraining her husband. This meant that they could once again not take action, even if they wanted so desperately to do just that.


    Lorain stepping forward, pity and compassion could be seen in her eyes, even if Emerthelil didn¡¯t want such emotions directed towards her, getting defensive when she was near enough to touch her.


    ¡°Your Majesty, one thing is clear, the toys had to have been tampered with after they arrived at the castle. Leon and Samuel inspected them separately before allowing the princess access to them. So this means it has to once again be one of the servants. The maid Yuyan still didn''t confess. Maybe ¡­¡± She looked over her shoulder and Emerthelil knew that she was seeking permission from her husband, that given the headnod that she could feel against her cheek he gave her.


    ¡°Thank you, your majesty. Daphne, you got it ?¡± She asked turning towards her daughter, pride in her eyes that couldn¡¯t be overshadowed by the recent incident.


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor¡­¡± Daphne said, slightly bowing to the royal couple, giving her family air kisses and then vanishing out of the door, most likely going to the dungeons to finally get the pieces of information that they wanted.


    ¡°Your Majesties. I think we should also leave.¡± Lorain suddenly said, gripping her two sons and dragging them out of the door, stunning Emerthelil. Mesanth had been silent since before so she wasn¡¯t sure if he also hadn¡¯t anticipated their sudden exit. But his next actions proved her wrong.


    ¡°Jeanne ¡­¡± His voice sounded near her ear, the fury and desperation making it deeper and sending shivers down her spine.


    ¡°Yes, master?¡± Jeanne stood at attention before them, slightly bowing his head while placing his right hand above his heart.


    ¡°Isolate the room, set up the level 3 Barrier I have to talk with my wife.¡± He said, falling silent once again and leaving Emerthelil more confused than before.


    ¡°We have different levels of barriers? And what is a level three ?¡± She said turning around in his arms.


    He gave her a small smile and started petting her head, which helped him calm himself even more.


    ¡°A level three barrier is a sound barrier that alerts the people inside if someone is approaching the area of the barrier. The other levels aren¡¯t important right now, if you ever need one, just ask Jeanne he can cast up to Level seven barriers that are almost impenetrable and he knows what kind of barriers are needed for different situations. Maybe later I can teach you but not right now.¡± He said just as Emerthelil felt a slight pressure descending on her ears and a small ¡®plop¡¯ could be heard.


    ¡°What was that ?¡± She asked hectically looking around but not seeing any difference.


    ¡°You can¡¯t see it, sweety. The barriers are woven into the walls of the castle, one of the reasons why I told you that it is very safe here ¡­¡± He said for which he earned himself a glare.


    ¡°Very safe? Very safe ?!?¡± Emerthelil screamed at him, struggling out of his hold and distancing herself. She could see the hurt in his eyes, but her fury was too strong to comfort him.


    ¡°My daughter was not only poisoned but just now survived an attempt at her life! And you tell me that she is safe here !!!¡± She cried out, tears burning in her eyes and to take off the edge of the anger that builds inside her, she picked up a small bowl that lay empty on the bedside table and hurled it across the room, making it shatter against the wall. But just after she had done that, common sense returned and she swirled around to the bed, signing in relieve that her daughter hadn¡¯t woken up. Where did this terrible temper come from?


    Dismissing it, she turned back to her husband, that stood rooted to the spot, his hands held up defensively and staring at the shattered pot that had left a dent in the wall, gulping audibly before looking back at his sweet loving wife.


    ¡°Sweetheart ¡­ please just trust me ok ?¡±


    ¡°I want to. I really do, but these incidents keep piling up and I am just so worried. Why can¡¯t we do something.¡±


    ¡°Because we need proof. I have to obtain waterproof evidence that they are targeting the ¡®royal family of Prena that had been reinstated by the draconian ruling house¡¯, do you understand ?¡± And the funny thing was, she did. But still, she wanted him to say it.


    ¡°Why ?¡±  She said, not looking at him but at her daughter. She didn¡¯t deserve this.


    ¡°You know I can¡¯t explain sweetheart ¡­¡±He said, inching closer to take her in his arms but she avoided him.


    ¡°So it once again has something to do with your big dark secret that I can¡¯t know ..¡± She said, scowling at him in anger. She hadn¡¯t forgotten their previous fight. And she damn well made it clear that she wouldn¡¯t forgive him the next time. And here they were, once again fighting over this ¡®secret¡¯ that she couldn¡¯t know about.


    Disappointment sliced through her.


    ¡°I  am sorry sweetheart but it¡¯s too important. Just this I can tell you ¡­ we need irrefutable evidence of them betraying me. With that, I will have reason to dispose of them.


    Anything less will get us in very dangerous even deathly trouble.


    Get the perpetrator, I don¡¯t think that Lidiana would make the rookie mistake of dirtying her


    own hands, place her under a truth curse and make her tell you about Lidiana being the


    mastermind ¡­¡± He said, his eyes pleading with her, and she knew that she would once again forgive him, he had done too much, and sacrificed tremendously for her, making it impossible for her not to forgive him.


    Luckily, knowing Daphne, the biggest part of the plan would most likely be done by tomorrow. The woman was scary when she got her hands on a new ¡®research subject¡¯ ...


    ¡°But what about the queen? Is she getting away with trying to hurt my baby.¡± Emerthelil almost screamed as fury licked at her heart just thinking about the woman.


    ¡°Don¡¯t aim too high!¡± Mesanth immediately cautioned her.


    ¡±The queen can¡¯t be touched. We have to weaken her support first


    and one way to do that is to remove her loyal supporters.¡± He said, finally getting the chance to take his beloved into his arms, which he immediately did, squashing her against his chest and holding on for dear life.


    ¡°Just endure it. I promise that we will get our revenge. But not now, the queen is still useful.


    Please trust me.¡± He pleaded into her ear, and she could feel his desperation.


    ¡°You know I do ¡­¡± Emerthelil sighed, letting her body melt against his and surrendering.


    ¡°Mommy? Daddy?¡± a small sleepy voice bought them out of they own little world. Looking towards the bed, they could see their daughter struggling to sit up, rubbing her little hands against her eyes.


    Walking to the bed, they laid on each side of her, hugging her close between them


    ¡±Yes, sweety ?¡± Emerthelil finally asked after all three of them were comfortable.


    ¡°Trust you too !¡± Spera answered cutely, snuggling deeper into her parent''s embrace, who looked at each other in shock over Speras head.


    Just how long had she been awake?

 Chapter 28

    A few days later, Spera woke up in the middle of the night, not sure what had been the reason for it. After a few moments, just laying in bed with her eyes closed, she could feel her body tensing, every instinct in her screaming at her to flee from her position.


    Desperately Spera tried to calm down, somehow she knew that at the moment she was still save ¡­ until she ¡®woke up¡¯.


    Finally, after a few agonizing moments of listening to silence but knowing of the danger around, she could hear a small shuffle from the direction of her door. With a small ¡®click¡¯ her door was gently pushed open, making as little noise possible, but for Spera, each noise seemed so much louder. Turning to her side, as if still asleep, pushing her bed covers down with her feet, making the chance of her possible escape better, she was now facing the door and opening her eyes a little bit, she could make out the form of two humanoids dressed in all black with small, light bodies that seemed to glide over the floor, their steps making no sound.


    Seeing them nearing her bed, Spera closed her eyes again, praying for somebody to rescue her.


    But they didn¡¯t seem to move from her bedside.


    After a while Spera could hear murmurs that sounded like they were fighting between each other, focusing just on her hearing she could hear a few words.


    ¡°... really necessary?¡±


    ¡°... weak ¡­ no mercy ¡­ bastard ¡­¡±


    ¡°... just a child ¡­ nothing wrong ¡­¡±


    ¡°... example ¡­ regret going against ¡­¡±


    ¡°... heard ¡­ chronic illness ¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ see! ¡­ think as mercy ¡­¡±


    Spera could feel the discussion tilting. The opposition slowly being won over by the person that stood nearer to her bed and that felt more dangerous.


    Trying to prolong the inevitable and giving someone the chance to rescue her, Spera moaned and turned so that she lay sprawled on the bed, the covers discarded on the floor and highlighting her beauty.


    And she knew that it had worked when the second person said ¡°¡­ cute ¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ¡­ fool! ¡­ Mission ¡­¡± The first person admonished the other, taking a step closer to Spera but his arm being held back by the other.


    ¡°But ¡­ look¡­¡± The other person said when Spera gave a small mewing sound and curled into herself, dying of mortification inside but her survival was more important ¡­ I hope ¡­


    ¡°Enough!¡± The first person suddenly shouted, disregarding their situation. Ripping his arm out of the hold of the other person, he crossed the distance between him and Spera in only a fracture of a second, his hand tightly gripping her chin. Spera having given up the pretense of being asleep at the exact moment that he had shouted, tried to free herself, but the man easily overpowered her.


    Prying her mouth open, Spera knew her time was up, so she could only take a gamble, opening her mouth voluntarily, she inhaled deeply and screamed on top of her lungs.


    She could hear loud noises from her door and it exploded inwards, showing Warthon standing in the doorway, power radiating from him.


    The second man met him in combat as the man that held her mouth was on his own mission.


    Immediately the man pushed a small vial to her mouth, pouring a bitter liquid into it while blocking her nose making it impossible for her to resist his strength.


    And Spera just knew by the burn in her throat and the way her body started to scream in pain that she had been poisoned once again.


    She could hear a roar from Warthon that sounded like an enraged beast as his power exploded from him. Through her tears, Spera could see a dark aura descent over him, his beautiful blue scales and hair started spotting a few black patches.


    The second man was flung across the room by that power, falling lifelessly to the floor after hitting the wall.


    The man that had given her the poison, immediately turned to flee, seeing that the door was blocked by Warthon he turned to her window and started running towards it, but Warthon suddenly appeared next to him, his punch sending the man sprawling to the floor.


    Suddenly Spera¡¯s view was obstructed as a body moved before her sight, warm arms circling around her and pulling her convulsing body into a soothing embrace.


    Drawing strength from the embrace, Spera forced her head to lift, seeing her mother before her, tears in her eyes as well as an overwhelming fear. And Spera knew that she had been the reason for that to happen.


    She could see her mother glowing, but something seemed wrong as she started to get angry, the glow intensifying before suddenly vanishing, her mother''s eyes filling with tears and a helpless expression as she hugged her tighter to her bosom.


    Even as the pain racked her body, she could see that her mother''s lips were moving as tears spilled over her cheeks, the warm drops landing on Spera''s face.


    Concentrating all her remaining energy to her mother she could finally make out her voice over the whooshing sound that was filling her head, beckoning her to just let go and fall asleep, she had done enough, she had endured enough ¡­


    ¡°¡­ sorry ¡­ my love ¡­ sorry ¡­¡± She could hear her mother''s heart-wrenching words through the fog that started to descend on her mind.


    No! I can¡¯t leave them! I finally have somebody that loves me! They need me!!!


    Spera clinging to these thoughts and drawing strength from them, that even she didn¡¯t know that she was capable of, and finally started fighting against the drowsiness, each of her mother''s tears that fell on her face giving her new motivation, something warm blooming in her chest and slowly filling her body, the strength returning to her limbs and the cramps starting to lessen in their intensity.


    When she finally had enough strength she lifted one of her arms, her mother overjoyed at her slow recovery, cautiously looking at her daughter for any indication that her condition would once again take a turn for the worst.


    Raising her hand to her mother''s cheek, she weakly wiped one of her cheeks, her mother immediately leaning into her touch, one of her own hands covering Spera¡¯s to press her cheek firmly against it, making them both smile at each other with affection.


    A noise behind her mother, made Emerthelil turn around revealing the situation in the room. Her father stood next to her bed talking with Jeanne, fury in his face, but something told Spera that he had also shed a burden, hope could be seen in his eyes and a smile graced Jeanne¡¯s lips indicating that something good has happened.


    Confused Spera looked at the chaos, her ears still filled with a buzz that made the obvious loud and chaotic room look like a silent movie.


    Letting her gaze wander, she took note of her room being filled with all her loved ones, as well as Tiang that had finally left the confines of his library which shocked Spera and made her stare at him, resulting in him giving her a reassuring smile and then vanishing from the room as if he had never been there.


    Given that nobody else had seemed to notice him, Spera filed this away to the back of her mind, knowing that it was just one of the questions she would ask him at her next visit.


    Looking to the side, specifically the wall the first man had been thrown against, she could see Leon and Samuel standing over his still form discussing in hushed voices, but for all, she knew they could also scream at each other.


    Her gaze wandering further, she could see the second man, slumped against another wall, his body struggling against restraints that had been forced upon him.


    Just before him stood a figure, on the first glance Spera couldn¡¯t even believe that this was the Warthon that she had come to know and love. The dark energy that had manifested when he had barged into her room still hung around him, less than before but it still changed his looks and made him feel terrifying to Spera, the aggression that came with the energy pulsing off him in waves. Spera had to look twice to be sure, and only because of her fragile looking aunt that stood before him, trying to sooth Warthon by gently touching his chest and arms, running her hands in a slow motion while her mouth moved, Spera could only guess that she also tried to calm him with her voice. And it seemed to work, after staring at both of them for a few moments, she could see that the energy was visibly diminishing.


    Emerthelil having seen the look of fear in her daughter¡¯s eyes while looking at Warthon in his battle state, gave her a little shake, making her focus her attention on herself once again.


    ¡°Baby, I want you to try and not fear him¡­¡± her mother¡¯s voice soothingly broke through the buzz in her head that slowly started to recede.


    ¡°But he is scary ¡­¡± Spera answered with a small voice, the aftereffects of the poison making it painful for her to speak.


    ¡°Yes, that is true.¡± Emerthelil conceded, no point in trying to deny something obvious, but her daughter should still understand the most important point. ¡°But only to others. You see, Warthon has this power, to protect. And only then he will use it. Look at him.¡± She suddenly said, knowing the situation, she knew that her daughter had to see the next part. That was only fair to the man that protected her since they got to know each other.


    Following her mother¡¯s instructions, Spera looked up, just in time to see the moment when Warthon came out of his ¡®state¡¯, the energy dispersing and his scales and hair regaining their beautiful blue color. His body lost his energy as if somebody had cut a string attached to his body, making him slump against Mesanas shoulder, her arms coming around his waist to hold him, even while she struggled under his own weight. Slowly the strength returned to his body, but still the vision of fatigue overlapped with his as Spera saw him giving her aunt a tight hug, lifting her slightly off the ground, and then walking to her father, his features tight.


    They talked for a few moments, Mesana never leaving his side until he looked at Spera.


    And Spera could see the fear in his eyes. Not understanding why he was fearing her, she looked back at her mother, who herself was watching Warthon with a gentle expression.


    ¡°Mommy?¡±


    ¡°Yes, darling?¡± She said, looking down at her daughter who had an adorably confused expression on her face.


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.¡°Why is he fearing me?¡± She asked which caused Emerthelil to be so proud of her, it indicated that she could read people and that made her feel less afraid of the possibility of her being conned later on.


    ¡°Because, my love, you are very dear to him. If you care about somebody, you feel pain if they are afraid of you. You see I also made the mistake when I first met both your father and Warthon when they were fighting their enemies and protecting me, to show my fear of their strength. I didn¡¯t even realize how much I had hurt them.¡±


    ¡°But why would it hurt them?¡± Spera asked, inclining her head to the side.


    ¡°Because it indicates that you don¡¯t trust them to not hurt you. If you are absolutely sure that they would never hurt you, you wouldn¡¯t fear them even if they display their might or do something that isn¡¯t nice to other people.¡±


    ¡°But ¡­ I can¡¯t help it. It was the energy that was making me feel uncomfortable not Warthon ¡­¡± Spera said, defending herself.


    ¡°I know sweety, I know. I just wanted you to understand that sometimes, even if you don¡¯t want to, you can hurt the people closest to you with your reaction to certain sensitive situations, this one included,¡± Emerthelil said, hugging her tightly. She didn¡¯t want her baby to grow up, but she had the feeling that she couldn¡¯t prevent it so it was better to give her as much advice and assistance so that she could handle everything that was thrown at her in the future.


    Looking over her daughter¡¯s head to her husband and his best friend, she could see both of them smiling at her, a certain weariness still in their eyes that she blamed herself for, but at least her daughter hadn¡¯t reacted as badly as she back then.


    Seeing that everything had been resolved, Lorain and Mesana came to the bed, inspecting Spera. Even if both of them were no doctors, they had enough experience to at least tell them if a doctor was needed. If they saw it necessary they would get one, even if that would alert the opposition of their failed plans and would make it impossible to finally resolve the issue.


    Spera still felt very warm, at some moments almost too warm but she had the hunch that this was her life-saving blessing from Muwa at work, trying to counterattack the poison in her system.


    Falling asleep under the prodding and magic invoked by Mesana and Lorain to monitor her body, both women could only find the slight fever to be abnormal.


    They had already interrogated the living assassin and had found out that they had tried to poison their princess with a high concentration of Hishmak and Zumbelt, two poisons that with Spera¡¯s heritage should have killed her on contact.


    ¡°How is she?¡± Mesanth asked, knowing that his daughter had been poisoned with Hishmak making it impossible for him to get near her at the moment.


    ¡°She is fine brother,¡± Mesana answered soothingly, standing directly before him and staring him in the eyes to underline her statement. She knew that if it came to his family, Mesanth would be so crazy as to get near his daughter, which would poison himself in return, if he wasn¡¯t sure that he could trust their diagnose.


    Seeing their princess asleep, everyone slowly exited the room, leaving only Mesanth and Emerthelil with their daughter.


    Emerthelil sitting on the bed, her daughter sleeping next to her, and caressing her daughter¡¯s head, looked up to her husband, which facial expression almost screamed that he also wanted to stay with them.


    Giving him a small smile she said, ¡°Tell me when you have everything ready. I want to see her one time before her death.¡±


    ¡°Sweetheart, you don¡¯t have to ¡­¡± Mesanth tried to persuade her but was immediately rebuked.


    ¡°That woman ¡­¡± she spat out, internally wanting to call her many names but restraining herself since she was still in her daughter¡¯s presence, even if she was asleep, ¡°... tried to not only physically harm my daughter, but she also cursed at her, gave her information she was too small to be able to endure and now tried to poison her. I damn well will see her before she bites the dust ¡­ are we clear?¡± She asked with a dangerous undertone in her voice and a glint in her eyes that reminded Mesanth that he stood before the most beautiful and powerful predator he had ever encountered.


    ¡°Of course my love,¡± he said, giving her a kiss on the forehead and leaving the room to take care of his ¡®problem¡¯.


    A few hours later, Mesana came back to the room, exhaustion clear in her features but also a feeling of being free of a burden she had carried with her.


    ¡°Everything ready?¡± Emerthelil asked, not looking up but focusing on playing with her daughter¡¯s hair, her nervousness slowly disappearing as the soft stands of red hair flowed through her fingers.


    ¡°Brother said you can have her. They got everything they need.¡± Mesana said quietly, not wanting her niece to wake up at this topic of conversation, her tail swishing left and right behind her, betraying her excitement about what was to come.


    However, Spera still woke up, sensing the presence in her room.


    Scrunching her nose and trying to push her mother''s hands from her hair, she slowly opened her eyes, yawning cutely while sitting up in bed.


    Seeing her aunt, she gave a smile and stretched her hands out to her for a hug, snuggling into her embrace.


    ¡°Seems like I am not needed here ¡­¡± Her mother said with a small pout but her twitching mouth corners betraying her affection.


    Still, a bit muddled because of the fever and just waking up, Spera slowly looked at her mother, giving her a bright smile and slumping forward to lay on her lap. Chuckling Emerthelil helped her sit up again and gave her to Mesana who embraced her and cuddled her tightly.


    ¡°Baby, I have to go for a moment, but I will return soon. Alright? Be nice to your aunt, ok?¡± Emerthelil said, giving her a kiss on the forehead, and after getting a head nod from her, slowly walked out of the room with a warm smile on her face.


    However as soon as the door closed behind her, the smile fell from her lips and a feral look took over her beautiful features.


    No one saw her, but if they had been in her presence they could have felt the power that threatened to burst out of her with each step she took towards the stairs, walking through a hidden door that revealed a staircase that led into darkness.


    Walking down the stairs, the air became stale and it reeked of mold, blood, and death.


    She stopped at the end of the stairs, finding herself before a massive door that looked unbreakable.


    Lifting her hand before herself, she murmured a small phrase and a sharp wind flowed over her palm, drawing blood and slashing it against the door, which turned dark-red and opened for her.


    * caution violence and gore ahead *


    With a sneer she walked into the room, which held a few cells, each encased with metal beams that glowed in the darkness, a sign of them being strengthened with Mana, making it almost impossible for anyone to break out of them.


    Emerthelil paused a moment to appreciate the construction, thanking whoever was listening for the hidden treasures this castle held for her family.


    She walked to the end of the room, coming to a stop in front of the only cell occupied at the moment.


    A sorry creature could be seen slumped on the floor, and Emerthelil could almost feel pity for her. Almost.


    ¡°Well, well. What do you think about your new accommodations? They are a bit¡­ gloomy don¡¯t you think?¡± Emerthelil asked in a quiet voice talking as if she had just met an old friend and was discussing the weather not the interior of their cell, but in the otherwise silent room, it reached the person without a problem.


    The creature looked up, revealing a face full of blisters, one eye bleeding and the other having a dark green discoloration around it. Looking at Emerthelil with hatred but also acceptance of her situation, it sneered at her in an answer.


    ¡°Oh my!¡± Emerthelil exclaimed, seemingly surprised at her state, one hand supporting her chin as she looked down upon Lidiana, the coldness in her eyes and the sneer on her mouth betraying her state of mind.


    ¡°It seems like you didn¡¯t want to talk. Dear me, why would you be so stubborn? If you had just told the truth from the beginning they would have given you an ¡­ almost ¡­ painless death.


    And you had to give Daphne so much work. How will you compensate me if she comes to me to complain.¡± Emerthelil said looking at the blisters that not only appeared on her face but also on her limbs, evidence of Daphne having touched her too long, for her body to suffer from an extreme case of Mana-overload. As she surveyed the damage she also saw the cuts that graced her skin, as if someone had traced her Mana-veins with a knife.


    ¡°I see Leon also had his fun ¡­¡± She said, which earned her a feral scream from Lidiana, that seems to have also suffered damage to her windpipe. Knowing that this could have only occurred after the information had been extracted, Emerthelil scowled. She wanted to hear the vile creature beg for her life ¡­ should she heal her? Looking in the eyes of the woman, and seeing the acceptance in there, even if hidden under pain and fury, she knew that even if she healed her she wouldn¡¯t hear her beg.


    Walking closer to the cell, Lidiana tried to pounce on her, only to fall flat on her face, bloodying the skin on her face, arms and legs further, filling the air with the scent of fresh blood. Looking down, Emerthelil could see that her feet dangled at an unnatural angle and their form also seemed to be a bit off. Looks like Samuel had his fun too. But it also said something about the loyalty of the woman and her perseverance that she had to suffer under all three of the siblings, most prisoners only endured two at the max.


    Seeing the broken woman before her, Emerthelil couldn¡¯t help herself and asked.


    ¡°Was it worth it?¡± which made Lidiana lift her head with the last of her strength, sneering at her, which was quite grotesque, her gums bloody and some teeth missing as well as a yellow substance tickling down one corner of her mouth.


    Emerthelil lifted one hand, a light shining around Lidiana¡¯s throat as she healed her. Even if she didn¡¯t want to, she did want an answer.


    Feeling the pain in her throat lessen, the first thing Lidiana did, was laugh at her, the sound like someone was dragging their nails over a sandpaper, making the hairs on Emerthelil¡¯s neck stand up. Suddenly Jeanne appeared next to her, out of the darkness, making her flinch, but he just ignored her reaction, dragging her a few steps away from the cell while giving her a reprimanting look, but keeping silent, still positioned between the two woman.


    Inhaling deeply, Lidiana glared at them both through her ¡®good¡¯ eye.


    ¡°You have no idea what you provoked! Do you think that your husband didn¡¯t touch us, just because he didn¡¯t have the evidence? You are so blinded to the truth, I will enjoy knowing that you have now signed your own death warrant.¡±


    Furious Emerthelil lashed out to her, part because of what she said, but also because she knew that her husband kept secrets from her.


    ¡°How can you say that! You attacked a child! Do you have no compassion or common sense? My daughter did nothing wrong.¡±


    Which made Lidiana sneer even bolder at her.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know, do you? O,h how sweet and cruel his highness is ¡­ speaking of your child, that child wasn¡¯t even supposed to be born! How is it wrong to end an existence that shouldn''t exist! Nobody with that cursed blood should be allowed to live ¡­¡±


    She said slumping to the ground as her outburst had robbed her of her remaining strength.


    ¡°What.Do.You.Mean?¡± Emerthelil screamed, lunging at the cell, her hand coming in contact with the bars and the magic in them activating, burning her palms slightly. Jeanne having reacted a second too late, immediately pulled her from the bars, inspecting her hands, wanted to drag her out of the room towards a healer, the downside of being a healer making it impossible for herself to her own wounds, but Emerthelil resisted for once showing her true strength as she glared at the man that took a step back at her power and bowed on the cold stone ground.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Emerthelil asked once again, this time more subdued but glaring at Lidiana.


    With a smile the woman just uttered the words ¡°Ask about Tenebris ¡­¡± she said falling silent, closing her eyes and letting her head fall to the side in exhaustion.


    Unsatisfied with her answer, Emerthelil¡¯s power flared up, making Lidiana scream as if her body had been lit on fire. Emerthelil knew that given the Mana-overload that she had suffered any exposure to strong Mana would make her boil from the inside out


    However she didn¡¯t get any answers, even if she made her experience the feeling for more than half an hour, the only thing she got were screams upon screams.


    Feeling a bit fatigued after using her Mana at such a high level for so long, Emerthelil stopped for a moment to breathe deeply in and out, making Lidiana fall unconscious.


    Before she could begin once again Jeanne interrupted her.


    ¡°My Queen ¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± She snapped at him. It was clear for her that he also kept secrets from her and at the moment that was a sore spot for her.


    ¡°His Highness would like for you to attend the happening in the great hall,¡± he said with a bow. The Queen was even scarier than his wife, even if he would never admit that to somebody else.


    Giving one last look at the sorry figure of Lidiana in the cell, Emerthelil sneered and turned around walking out of the dungeon without another word.


    Seeing that Jeanne wasn¡¯t following her, she turned back around and raised one eyebrow prompting the man to hurry after her.


    Closing the door behind her, the dungeon once again descended into silence.

 Chapter 29

    Following Jeanne up the stairs and down the corridor, they came to the entrance hall, which was filled with people.


    Seeing the situation, Emerthelil stopped in her tracks.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say the great hall?¡± She asked Jeanne, not looking at him but instead of all the unfamiliar people in maid and butler outfits, knowing that even if she hadn¡¯t met them much, these people were her servants.


    ¡°Well, tomatoes, tomaatoos ¡­ isn''t the entrance hall a great hall ¡­¡± Jeanne said with a smirk, vanishing from his spot.


    ¡°Damn shade ¡­¡± Emerthelil muttered, searching for her husband. Finding him she made her way over, to the top of the stairs, standing regally next to him as he was discussing something with Warthon.


    Noticing her presence, Mesanth turned to her and gave her a small kiss on the cheek, shocking her so much that she just froze until her husband''s voice bought her out of it.


    ¡°I would like to have all of your attention.¡± His voice boomed through the room, silencing it effectively and making every servant turn towards them.


    ¡°It seems like there was a bit of a misunderstanding about the reason why I have asked you all to get together. I would like to announce that my daughter, your princess, has successfully survived a vicious assassination attempt, made from the midst of our community. It saddens me to not be able to confirm all predators being caught.


    However we could round up the majority of them,¡± he said, making a long pause in which the entrance door was opened and nine people in shackles were brought in by soldiers under Samuels command.


    ¡°I demand all of you to the witness their punishment, for it to serve as a warning to never think about harming my family again.¡± Mesanth suddenly said with a vicious undertone, glaring at the crowd that started to shake in fear under his red reptilian eyes.


    A buzz started to fill the room at his words, as the servants couldn¡¯t hold their silence anymore.


    Everyone knew what was going to happen and why they were here.


    It was going to be the only punishment that could soothe the royals ¡­ death.


    And it was going to be made an example.


    Some started to cry, others to shake in fear and the ones that recognized a friend or family member had to be supported or held back in fear of them behaving discriminating.


    It had been the rumor that their king was an unfeeling block of ice that despised his wife and child, but seeing him now, furious about the attempt on his child and holding his wife''s hand, displaying his affection, it was clear that they had to overthink the rumors.


    ¡°Guards!¡± Mesanth shouted bringing the people out of their pondering.


    The guards trained under Samuel stood at attention, revealing their excellent discipline.


    ¡°Bring each person to their position. Start reading their name, indiscretions, and punishment. When all is revealed deliver the punishment,¡± he said imposing, with a wave of his hand a broad armchair appeared behind him. With a tuck of his hand he sat down and Emerthelil fell next to him.


    Emerthelil finally snapped out of her shock. Understanding the situation, she gave him a blinding smile and before the eyes of everyone she cuddled against him, her arms snaking around his waist and giving him a tight hug before losing her embrace and kissing his cheek.


    Settling back down in his arms, she could feel warmth filling her as his arms hugged her tightly to his side.


    The first person that was pulled forward and had his mistakes read in front of all, was an earth-draconian indicated by his brown scales on his face and arms. Mesanth even suspected that he had a quite strong bloodline the dark brown color of his hair and eyes almost black, being a sign for a strong earth affinity that was almost only found in the great families.


    ¡°Being presented is Olin Honerath.¡± The voice of the guard boomed through the room, confirming the suspicion of Mesanth that he was at least a member from the branch family of the grand Honeth clan.


    ¡°He has been accused of poisoning three guards posted near the royal chambers, making it possible for the assassins to infiltrate the premises and entering the princess¡¯s room,¡± he spat out the last few words. Each guard let out a low growl. They had been there when Samuel had taken Spera to the training and had seen her overcome her illness time and time again. The cute princess had found her way into their hearts even if their training made it almost impossible for them to show it. However, the feelings were there.


    ¡°He is sentenced to be beheaded,¡± he continued, awfully cheerful for saying something so vicious.


    The man¡¯s expression did not change at his words but his brown slit eyes showed resignation and no regret for his actions.


    ¡°Do you have anything to say for yourself,¡± Mesanth said, not expecting an answer and the man didn¡¯t disappoint. Lowering his head he effectively blocked out his surroundings and stayed mute, one of the guards couldn¡¯t resist kicking him in the side, his behavior seen as an insult to their master, but even then the man stayed quiet.


    Seeing that Mesanth leaned back, nuzzling Emerthelil¡¯s neck for a moment to center himself and then without an emotion on his face he waved his hand, indicating that the next prisoner should be announced.


    Immediately, a young woman was lead forward, the fluffy ears on top of her head, giving way to her descendants as a rabbit-beastman.


    Interested, Mesanth leaned forward. He could understand why the draconian would want his daughter dead, but he had no knowledge of a grudge between him and the beast-folk if anything he treated them quite well.


    A scuffle broke out in the crowd and an older woman, also a rabbit-beastman with the same shade of brown and black but with a few gray spots in her fur broke through the ring of servants and had to be quickly held back before she could reach the prisoner.


    He could see the desperation in her eyes, as she looked up to him. Without another word she fell to her knees, bowing low to the ground.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I beg you to spare my daughter. She was forced to do this as to save me. I hope you have mercy,¡± she started, but Mesanth soon turned her out, looking at the guard he motioned him to continue.


    ¡°Presenting Elisa, servant of his majesty. Proven to have poisoned five guards on the lower levels, endangering not only the royal family but all servants as well as the injured guards in the infirmary,¡± the guard said, his voice almost dripping with venom when he talked about the possible deaths of his comrades.


    The mother had frozen in her action as soon as he spoke, and now lifting her head she could see the freezing gaze Mesanth directed at her.


    ¡°I will not pardon such behavior,¡± he spoke slowly, crushing the fleeting hope in the mother''s chest. Another servant came forwards, awkwardly helping her up and supporting her through the crowd of people, vanishing in a room to the side.


    Raising his voice Mesanth gave his verdict, ¡°I will punish her the same as the man before. As they have committed the same crime their punishment should also be identical. Before my law everyone is equal!¡± He boomed, both terrifying people but also giving them a kind of reassurance that quieted the underlying tension to an extent.


    After his words, he focuses for the first time on the woman that had been judged. Same as the man, he could see the resignation in her gaze, but there was also a hint of sadness when she glanced in the direction her mother had been brought. At least she feels something ¡­ Mesanth thought a bit uneasy that it seemed like he had another group of people he had to worry about. With a small sign to Jeanne, he ordered him to find out the reason for her betrayal. Even if it wouldn¡¯t save the woman or make her actions undone, it could at least prevent something like that from happening again.


    After the woman had left the center of the room, two women were lead forward, both struggling immensely even if they seemed very exhausted.


    Mesanth looked at them in interest, one being a wolf-beastwoman and the other being an elf. Both races had no hatred against his family. This was very disconcerting, making Mesanth feel vulnerable as his potential enemies seemed to grow before his inner eye.


    ¡°Presenting Aranjana,¡± the guard said, the elven woman being pushed a step forward falling hard on her knees, ¡°and Yolena.¡± Which caused the wolf to be manhandled to the ground, making her growl viciously at the guard.


    ¡°Both are guilty of helping the infiltrating by seducing the guards on duty. The guards have already been disciplined and demoted for not being able to resist their advances,¡± he said, looking ashamed of the behavior of his colleagues.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Given that they are not showing remorse at their actions and their consequences, they are sentenced to 25 whiplashes and banishment from Praesto,¡± he stated, causing the women to struggle even further but one punishing hit from their respective guard in their guts made them still their movements and hang their heads in resignation, making it clear that they had given up.


    For the next judgment, two people were brought before him at the same time, one being a deer-beastwoman and a wolf-beastman. He could clearly see their regret, and even bound tightly by the guards they couldn¡¯t stop fidgeting, indicating their strong desire to flee the situation.


    What surprised Mesanth was the woman. Deer-Beastfolk were said to be too timid and too gentle to even think about betraying somebody, and given that the woman looked like she wanted the ground to swallow her and was near tears, he could see that something drastic had to have forced her to her current state. However overall her outward appearance was identical to the reports he had received about the species, eyes the colour of the forest, her hair even if cut short looked soft and had a wide range of brown hues as well as a few white strands in between telling him that the woman was very young for her species.


    Suddenly a loud growl reverted around the room, as Mesanths stare intensified on the woman.


    Everyone¡¯s eyes focused on the wolf-beastman that knelt next to the woman, his eyes staring at Mesanth with fury and it looked like he wanted to attack him if given the chance, which made Mesanth chuckle seeing as he was held down by two guards and bundled up like a present.


    ¡°What are you growling at ¡­cub,¡± Mesanth said amused, the man looking at closer inspection more like a boy having just reached the threshold of being an adult.


    The wolf was stunned in anger but before he could utter something else, the deer found a sliver of courage and snapped at him ¡°Shut up!¡± which stunned him into silence. Looking bewildered between the woman and the king, Mesanth had an inkling at just how inexperienced he really was.


    Seeing as silence had returned to the hall, Mesanth motioned for the guard that had read the punishments before to continue his duty.


    ¡°Presenting Elain and Faron, found guilty of disclosing information about the royal family and as such betraying the trust of our king to third parties. Given that they have confessed and helped in the capture of three other traitors their original punishment of 20 whiplashes and being banned from Praesto was put to a halt. Final judgment will be given to his majesty separately to today¡¯s events,¡± he said, receiving a nod from Mesanth as a sign that he had made the right decision to halt their judgment. Given their behavior they still had use and could even be converted to be loyal to the royal family.


    ¡°Thank you. I will get back that after everything is solved. Please lead them out, and make them arrive at my office tomorrow morning,¡± Mesanth said, looking forward to the future of the pair. This could be fun ¡­ In stunned silence, Elaine and Faron were lead from the hall, Elaine not being able to hold back her tears any longer started crying just as they exited the room while Faron had a blank expression on his face, not daring to hope but couldn¡¯t help himself to want to.


    The next prisoner that was lead forward looked surprisingly human, if not for his bright red hair.


    ¡°Prisoner Nr. 3, was not willing to state his name. He was found through following leads and as such it is confirmed that he colluded with our enemy. Given that he was uncooperative in our investigation he will be escorted to level 5 after given a punishment of 10 whiplashes,¡± the guard continued. Gasps could be heard when he read the sentence out loud, most of the people that could imagine what he will be put through looked at him with pity in their eyes, but the man remained unresponsive. His head held high and his orange colored eyes looking dull towards Mesanth and Emerthelil.


    Emertheli, not being able to stand his gaze shuddered involuntarily and snuggled closer into Mesanths arms, making him tighten his hug around her. These eyes were eerier and he motioned for the man to be removed. He made a mental note that he would visit the man later and study him some more but right now his wife was more important.


    The next pair that was presented were two draconians, a man and a woman. Mesanth was relieved that Warthon had gone to his daughter¡¯s room before he could see them, the man being of the water tribe. This would have hurt his friend, even if he himself wasn¡¯t responsible for the behavior of his people. But Mesanth couldn¡¯t say that he was surprised that another fire-draconian had tried to harm his family. It was common knowledge that the fire tribes and his family had a very strained relationship only duty holding them back from outright fighting each other.


    Both draconians had the common color scheme of their tribe once but much lighter than the prisoner of the earth branch family.


    As the guard read their names, Mesanth knew why. They were not even members of a branch family disallowing them from carrying a last name. However, their crime almost had him jump out of his seat and kill them then and there, preferably by slowly choking them to death.


    Only knowing that he couldn¡¯t openly take his revenge, which would undermine the image they wanted to portrait, kept him in his seat.


    ¡°Presenting Corana and Liord, found to be ¡­¡± Suddenly the guard stopped and gulped, his body freezing and a rage seemed to momentarily show in his expression before he could control it, once again a blank mask slipping onto his face as he continued, ¡°¡­ responsible for poisoning the medicine of our princess with a multitude of level 2 ingredients. Only the luck of our princess let her keep her life.¡±


    The hall fell into silence, even the breath of the prisoners could be heard before a low whisper started to hum in the air. Most of the guards couldn¡¯t conceal their disgust for the deed, looking at the two as if they wanted to kill them.


    Emerthelil started silently crying, in her eyes intense emotions warred but one thing was clear, her eyes asked the ¡°WHY?¡±.


    ¡°Sentence: death by beheading,¡± the guard shouted over the buzz, his voice clipped as he spoke.


    However, Emerthelil couldn¡¯t hold back her question anymore, standing up even when Mesanth tried to pull her down again and asked in a loud voice ¡°Why did you do it? What has a three-year-old child ever done to you?¡±


    Their answer was a sneer that had Emerthelil almost run down the stairs and give them a good beating but Mesanths grip on her arm tightened and her pulled her once again to himself but she wouldn¡¯t budge, making him stand up with a sigh and gathering her to him, feeling her body vibrating with suppressed rage and other strong emotions.


    Just as they were lead out of the hall, the woman turned around, staring at Emerthelil with hatred in her eyes and shouted at the top of her lungs, ¡°If you really want the answer why don¡¯t you ask your husband?¡± Making Emerthelil turn to Mesanth, doubt clear in her eyes.


    ¡°We will talk later,¡± he assured her. Now that the imminent threats had been resolved he could finally open up to her.


    ¡°I better hope you will, dear ~¡± She said, giving him a sweet smile while jamming a bent finger between his ribs, making him gasp in pain as he looked at her in reproach. Seeing her smile he could feel a shiver run down his spine and kept quiet, placing a hand over his rip and rubbing it lightly, pouting a bit.


    Gathering his composure, he looked back towards the crowd noticing some smiling at the couple even if they were distressed by the events.


    ¡°I hope this will be a lesson to all of you,¡± Mesanth said to the crowd, seeing some in tears other not even trying to show their fear and anger, as well as the sorrow of losing a friend and some even a family member. Many women fainted after they had ended the proclamation even before the punishment was carried out.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go get our treasure ¡­¡± Mesanth turned to Emerthelil, pulling her with him.


    Emerthelil could only nod, to numb because of the events that happened in just one day. She had woken up in fear of her daughter''s death, and now finally they could relax in their own home.


    Looking up at him, she could see him smile down at her, his affection clear in his eyes. She couldn¡¯t help herself and blushed under his gaze, making her lower her head, berating herself that she was too old for that and even had a child ¡­


    Still blushing she looked up once again, giving him a small smile she grabbed his hand and they both walked towards their daughter¡¯s room, hand in hand.


    They came to the room, finding Spera, Mesana, and Warthon sitting on the bed talking to each other gently with smiles on their faces. Seeing his sister and daughter so happy, a warm feeling started to fill Mesanth¡¯s chest.


    Walking to them and kissing Mesana¡¯s cheek as well as Spera¡¯s forehead, after his mana-reaction to her made it clear that no Hishmak remained in her body, a smile spread on his face too, feeling a bit stiff since he hadn¡¯t done that in a while.


    He could feel his wife slipping her small warm hand in his, giving him a squeeze and looking at him with affection and understanding, even if she was still angry that he kept secrets from her.


    ¡°Mesana, Warthon, thank you for taking care of Spera,¡± he said, making it clear that he wanted a bit of personal time with his family. Seeing how impatient he was, Mesana couldn¡¯t be angry with his behavior, standing up she gave him a kiss on the cheek, took the hand of a stunned Warthon and dragged him out of the room.


    ¡°Daddy, is everything alright?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my treasure, everything is just perfect,¡± Mesanth replied, gathering Spera in his arms and hugging her tightly to his chest. Smelling her scent and feeling like everything will finally be ok, he couldn¡¯t help his smile widening and looking over his daughter¡¯s shoulder, he gazed at his wife that stood before him with a light sheen of tears in her eyes, also smiling at him beautifully.


    They stood there for a moment just basking in that revelation, Spera looking slightly confused but seeing that her parents looked relieved and happy she also snuggled into her father''s arms with a smile on her face.


    ¡°Close your eyes sweety¡­¡± Emerthelil suddenly said with a smile moving towards the door, waiting until Spera complied before she opened the door and let Mesanth carry her through.


    Walking down the halls and stairs they came to a beautifully carved wooden door, picturing flowers and other floral designs.


    ¡°You can open your eyes, sweetheart,¡± Emerthelil told her gently when they came to stand before the door.


    Opening her eyes, Spera looked curiously around marveling at the small details that made the door look almost alive.


    Mesanth sat her down in front of it and motioned her towards the door, taking small steps towards the door, she looked back at her parents that stood behind her, smiling at her.


    Turning back to the door, she hesitantly placed her hands on the door and just before she pushed she noticed a shadow falling on her, but the door swinging open and revealing a beautiful garden that made her mind blank, made her forget it.


    She could hear her mother''s giggle behind her, and a grunt from her father but was too entranced by the garden to give them her attention.


    Slowly she took a step on the grey marmor tiles that lay between the wildflower gardens.


    Then another, and another. Before she could think about it, Spera found herself walking, then jogging and then running through the garden, the flowers never seeming to end.


    The air was clear and after running a bit she found herself exhausted, coming to a standstill she took a deep breath, pushing her chest out while straining her arms backwards.


    Finally, she looked back to her parents and couldn¡¯t help showing them a bright smile, seeing them standing only a few steps away from her, hugging each other and smiling at her antics.