《Amulet of Infinity》 1 [Origins] Three Jewels The dead rider slid to the ground outside the fence and into the tall brush. The gelding kept walking toward the shallow pool a few lengths away. Esther, one of the girls from the nearby farm, caught sight of its loose reigns and began searching for the lost rider. Seeing no one around, and being intrigued by the prospect of money for a good meal, she borrowed the tired horse and led it away. On a normal day, there would have been many people near the corral, but everyone was at the village green awaiting news from the baron''s trip to the palace. Worry abounded that there would be war, all the men were dressed in ragtag armor with rusty weapons and good ropes. Esther and her sisters lived alone in a small hut left for them by their grandfather. They efficiently gathered the useful contents of the saddle bags and hid the ornate saddle. Vivien, the only one that could pass as a trader and not get molested, saddled the old roan mare and rode to town for supplies. Esther and Sarabeth looked at the items that were left. Sarabeth tossed a wad of dirt over her shoulder, but quickly turned around when the iron pot clanged from the impact. The dirt had split open and three set jewels stared back at her. Esther quickly snatched the brilliant red gem from her sister''s hand. It was mounted on a silver chain and could be worn as a pendant. Sarabeth kept the sea green pendant that was mounted on a gold chain. This left a back hourglass pendant for Vivien that was mounted as a clasp for a cloak. -- Vivien In town, the gathered mass of men were now dispersing as noon had passed without the dreaded news. The tattered cart towed behind her was stuffed with refuse and discarded items from the supposedly cursed forest the sisters lived in. The townsfolk eager to buy old weapons, pots, or bits of cloth gathered around her. The cart was quickly emptied to be replaced with new goods, food, coin, and drink for her to take to the next town. The town elders approached Vivien as she was mounting up again and pressed a worn scroll tube into her hands fearfully. "Please throw this cursed document into the forest before the legend devours us all." She was warned of grave danger if the casing was disturbed by mortal hands. Curiosity is said to have killed the cat, but a warning is the greatest cultivator of that same curiosity. As always, just outside the town''s view, she turned down the dark and foreboding path home. The path behind her seemed to vanish into the woods and soon the house became visible. Sarabeth met her at the stable and presented her with the clasp as the scroll tube began to glow. Ensnared by the light, she brought it into the main house with her. Esther quipped something about a balance of fire and water before a soundless explosion crumpled their awareness. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. -- Esther Esther was the first to awaken. It was a suffocating and dark in the remains of their home. The shroud of smoke hung a few inches above the three sisters and the flames outlined the walls that were there a few moments before. After checking on her sisters, she crawled toward the door as the flames seemed to move away from her. To her horror, the flames moved closer to her sisters and the cracked scroll case. Quickly she crawled back and tried dragging her Vivien closer to the door. The moment she touched her sister, the flames seemed to pause with anticipation and Vivien began to cough. The two grabbed Sarabeth and the scroll and quickly pulled out of the house. When flames touched their trail, steam arose but the straw embedded on the floor failed to ignite. Several yards away, the fire was making its way around the the little clearing to the stables. The cart was still half full and attached the mare. Vivien rushed in and tied the gelding''s reins to the back of the cart as Sarabeth finally climbed onto the cart. Esther helped Vivien onto the bench and they road out of the clearing toward the uncertain forest that had sheltered them all their lives. -- Sarabeth Sarabeth woke to the tugging of her sisters and the heat of the flames. Everywhere around them was on fire except the path she was being pulled down. Steam rose in their trail but no flame followed them. Sitting up, she saw her sisters running around checking the horses and cart. The ground around her was turning to mud under the sweat falling off her from the heat and yet, she didn''t feel as if she was standing over, or sitting in, the oven. Weakly, she grasped the edge of the cart and pulled herself up carefully. In just moments, the cart started moving away from the fire which seemed to fade into smoke as they traveled instead of spreading. Sitting on the hard floor of the cart, she wished she had a better dress than the rags left after the inferno. The warm moisture still beading on her skin and the rocking of the cart lulled her aching body back to sleep. Dreams of soft velvet and lace, goose down pillows, and the soft sounds of the breeze on a lake were interrupted with a sharp jolt of running over a rock. Half asleep, she could have sworn that she was still laying on a pile of pillows in a fine blue dress that would be the envy of the court nobles. The open sky was now dark and streaked with feather-thin clouds and bright stars. Vivien was evidently tired as the cart finally pulled to a stop. She clambered out, feeling fresh but heavier than normal in her clothing. When she turned around, her sisters were staring at her in shock. She looked around and then down at herself. "I must still be dreaming," she muttered. 2 [Origins] Changes When Esther saw Sarabeth''s new outfit, she was surprised at how well it fit. It was a blue ball gown with the traditional empire waist and a skirt that appeared to have been made from the breaking waves of the beach they went to as children. The wagon was lined in pillows that looked as if they were smooth river stone. Vivien''s eyes glowed with greed as she considered the apparent wealth of the dress and pillows. Ignoring Vivien, she watched Sarabeth examine herself before noting they couldn''t stay at a rundown inn with such finery. Sarabeth volunteered to sit up front with Vivien while Esther changed her clothes in the back. While she dug around back there, she began to day dream about wearing the same type of finery as Sarabeth. Such luxury was unknown to them and it would be the highlight of her life to look like a princess as well. But such a big gown was not her style. She imagined a long, straight skirt highlighted with gold and silver needlepoint and a transparent shawl like she had seen when the queen came through town years ago. Slowly she began to hear her sisters yelling and panicking around her. She climbed out of the wagon to ask what was wrong and her sisters nearly fainted against the trees lining the road. She approached them puzzled as they seemed to run from her every move until she caught the phrase, "She''s on fire!" Pausing, she looked at herself. Flames, no, silk seemed to be draped from her arms and her dream dress sheathed her like a glove. "No, I seem to have acquired a new dress like Sarabeth. I just dreamed it up and here it is. Are we witches?" -- -- As the shock wore off the sisters, they checked into the only inn in the small hamlet that was there. Vivien distracted the inn keep while the others in their dream dresses went to the rooms before the price could be raised. Vivien also grabbed a platter from the dining room and loaded it up calling for drinks to be brought by the groggy bar wench. Sarabeth and Esther had found normal clothes to switch into by the time the girl knocked and brought in the ales. They spent the remainder of the night trying to understand the scroll and the stones. The only thing they could make out at this time was that the scroll was about the stones, and they were full of strange magic. They fell asleep in a heap at the table. During the night, the townsfolk and the other guests at the inn ran in panic to attempt put out a fire that seemed to spring up around their room. When they woke up, all their clothes had again changed as well as the room. They quietly packed and began to leave the room when something came flying at them. Amidst the hail of pebbles and dirt, the people let out a chorus of "witches!" As they stood stunned, the three charms they wore began to glow. Everyone and everything around them seemed to slow down. Vivien, not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, shouted "Run!" and ran for the stables as quickly as possible. Their cart was still present, the horse had been hooked to it and it looked like they were about to be lit on fire to remove the taint of magic. The sisters got on quickly while the magic continued to alter their surroundings. Just as suddenly as the world had seemed to stop, the cart and horse began to move at the speed of the sisters. Flying out of the stables they shredded through the solid oak as if it were paper thin. The cart gradually became an ornate carriage and the magic subsided as the angry crowd vanished over the horizon. Only then did they notice a crest emblazoned on all they owned, that of the ancient symbol of yin-yang over laying a mobius strip. The deadly sign of the cursed amulet of infinity. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. -- The Sisters The sisters were approaching a major town of their home kingdom, Tumal, at about the time the wizards were heading out. They had hastily learned from the fear of the people they passed to cover the emblems on their transformed cart. It looked now like a high class coach with draperies decorating the sides. They pulled up to an elegant looking inn with a high wall around its courtyard. They had sold random goods from the inside of the coach to increase their funds on the way and were able to pay for the room and board as well as privacy with no questions asked. Apparently, if they were already surrounded by luxury, the strange fire and magics did not become apparent to those around them. Word had already spread of the amulet''s mark and the Ahnek king''s gathering of the wizards.... They were beginning to feel a little proud of their unwanted fame and almost said something to the innkeep. -- Opposition It wasn''t long until the neighboring kingdom of Ahnek had heard of the appearance of the witch sisters. A powerful trio of wizards waited upon the crowns indulgence and was summoned. They sent Noh, of the green orders, to gather information while Jote and the mysterious Swallow prepared their supplies. Swallow, of the purple orders, was usually a headstrong, but quiet individual. Jote, of the silver orders, was constantly speaking and sometimes oracles would be pronounced without a moment¡¯s notice. In this case, Swallow spoke uncharacteristically over Jote''s monologue indicating he would be sending his writ of life to the exchequer since they were likely not returning, The soldiers, although well trained, almost dropped the supplies in their haste to get away from such a curse. -- The Wizards Riding for days on end is not a joy to many castle folk, especially wizards. Jote, at first tried to pass the time by telling of the historical documents of the kingdom until Swallow cast a silence spell on him. Noh, made use of the time by asking each inn''s bard for a story on the amulet. The most interesting pieces of gossip would be contained in these stories and several things were so common that they had to carry some truth to them. "Gentlemen, when we catch these witches, we must keep them awake and unaware of who we are. If the stories are to be believed, their imagination and will control the amulet. We do not know if they truly are in control or it is and I do not relish being transformed into their toy. But, if we separate the amulet from them and prevent it from contacting anyone else, it will sleep once again." 3 [Origins] First Meetings.... Tumal is a rather rural kingdom, as any cartographer can tell you. Most towns and villages are separated by three days of farm lands making it unusually easy to be someone you were not born to be by just taking a trip. The sisters were now reaping the fortunes of this. Dressed in their finest gowns, wooden placards hanging from the coach doors covering the cursed symbol, and a handsome coachman they picked up along the way had everyone presuming that the cream of society graced them. If not for the years of deceit and practiced isolation that kept them safe from the villagers back home, they would have surely disappointed the town. There was always more to sell from their magical coach than they could account for, and anything that was low class seemed to vanish in the night. Then things began to become interesting.... The wizards had sent ahead a messenger bird to the next town to prepare rooms for them some time ago, but the inn only had a small room in the back left. It was a classy little room nonetheless and they could understand the keeper''s reasoning. Three noblewomen had just arrived that afternoon and caused quite a commotion. It seems they were even kind enough to pay for all the meals that night, as long as everyone left them alone. Ever looking for something to talk about, Jote decided to play bard tonight, claiming he wanted to pay them back for the dinner. It was the music that caught Esther''s attention. That slightly relaxed atmosphere chewed at her opportunistic side. The mix of drunk expressions and unwatched valuables reminded her of the pickpockets back home that had taught her. But as a noble now, it wasn''t a required skill. Ah, chance does appear when you need it most. Apparently drunk, a young man wandered through the crowd bumping and laughing at anything or everyone. The bard''s eyes traced the man through the room as Esther glided lazily toward the man. When he bumped into her, instead of wandering off laughing he fell on the floor spilling his loot. Pretending nothing more than being helpful, Esther reached down and pulled the man to his feet. "Next time, death." He paled and tried to move away. Esther harshly said, "You belong to us now. You will serve me." Jote''s eye followed the red lady and the scruffy hooligan around the room. He noticed how expertly she detached the stolen goods from the boy and then led him off without his ill-gotten gains. The boy seemed frightened of the lady and Jote missed a stroke on his harp. ''What a waste'', he thought. It was hard to stay seated and resume the ballad, yet he did. His heart was jumping every time he scanned the room and happened to find the lady. He knew, empirically, that she should be married to a noble as women were hardly given titles or wealth without a husband in Tumal. Even so, he wanted to court her like a gentleman from Ahnek should. Esther steered her prize to her sisters. The young thief was named Cael. Having gotten a small understanding of the magic, Esther had branded Cael''s forearm with the image of her red tear drop amulet. "I will always know where to find you little thief," was the only warning she gave him. Shortly afterwards, Cael tried to sneak off from them as they headed toward their rooms and started scratching at the brand. The further he got from Esther, the worse the pain and by the time he was at the door, he was gasping in pain and had to be helped back to the bar. Esther poked her head out of the hallway and motioned to him to follow them. This promptly earned him a night in bed tied hand and foot so that he could not escape, should he decide the pain was worth it. -- Travelling In the morning, the three wizards and the three sisters made ready to depart. As they did, they discovered that they were heading in the same direction. Cael, the vagabond, set about dutifully loading the wagon with the assistance of the wizards. Esther watched him talking with Jote, the bard who caught her eye last night while she acquired her new servant. "Gentlemen, we must part company unless you are going to the capital as well." "We are," Jote responded. "I have many stories that I can amuse you with on the journey if it pleases your ears." The road was tortuous to Cael, but Esther and Jote seemed to have no end of fun during the trip. Jote, Noh, and Swallow seemed to pair up nicely with the girls and cause nothing but trouble for the poor vagabond. Cael, trapped by the spell woven on him, had no end of pain when sent to gather fire wood while the others sat around telling stories. But, it soon became obvious to him that the pain was not entirely from the distance. His once rough cut arms seemed to be thinner and the scars vanishing. All of his clothing seemed to be looser and he was having to get more from the infinite stores in the wagon that smaller every few days. What was going on.... was she starving him through her magic? You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Vivien was the first to notice Cael''s discomfort. After spending time with their new travel companions, it was becoming painfully obvious that anything out of the ordinary would be dangerous for them. After all, the guys have hedged about looking for the amulet depicted on the wagon beneath the decorative coverings. Knowing something was wrong, she started planning to make a detour and how to convince her sisters that it would be necessary or profitable. In the meantime, she stopped by Cael''s tent and tossed in something without a word. In the morning, Cael sought out Esther before they broke camp. He carried the package with him and seemed to cautiously argue with himself as he circled the wagon. Once he gathered all the courage he could muster, he finally knocked on the door and entered. Meanwhile, the three wizards steadily packed up their belongings. Cael''s panic was genuine, but it was not for the reason that the sisters were thinking. Cael had hidden many truths throughout the years, but the biggest one was beginning to show. It had started in the last few moons, but now, with three women around all day long and the men.... it was going to be dangerous. Cael, ducked into a tent and removed the dirty clothing, it was time to loosen the bandages. It wouldn''t be long before the wrappings would be useless, but orphans with this problem generally get sold to the houses. No, it would be a fate worse than death if it was discovered. But Esther''s curse was going to be Cael''s death. The package confirmed that it was coming to an end containing a plain red servant''s dress. Folding the dress and hiding it, Cael shuffled trying to hide. Esther listened, calmly, to the request to detour to the town north of their trail. Calm was all she could muster as the continual draw of power between her and Cael seems to be pulling directly from her own body. Finally, she sighed and nodded. "I feel like I''m going to drop dead soon if I don''t get some real rest. The guys really stay up too late anyway." She glanced at Cael and noticed the ill-fitting trousers and overly heavy tunic. "You look like a mess. Can you really not find anything that fits? You are wearing me out just by looking at how badly dressed you are." Cael''s face reddened just moments before Esther passed out. -- Outside Jote was just outside the wagon when he heard a thud inside followed by an unusual silence. "Ladies, is everything alright?" Through the door a muffled response about personal issues came forth just before Cael opened it. "Please leave everything to us. It seems the Lady Esther requires proper rest at an inn. Since you must not be late, we shall part ways here. The Ladies Vivien and Sarabeth hope to see you in the capital soon." Jote glanced at Cael as the final preparations were made for their wagon. Perhaps he was seeing things, or perhaps Cael was getting better food and exercise, but he wasn''t sure that Cael was actually a guy now that he stood straight and almost as proud as the nobles he catered. Though it pained the wizards, a schedule was to be kept and with Esther falling ill, there was no helping it. The parting was quick as the sisters headed off to the nearby town. A quick cleanup of the site made certain that all interested wildlife would not follow either party and the fire was properly put out, the pit ready for the next group of travelers with a layer of stones over the old coals to prevent them from scattering and keep out dead vegetation until they cooled. All three men gave Esther tokens of their wish for her good health to be returned, but they could not know the source of the illness was the young thief in their company. -- The Sisters It took the better part of a day for the sisters to get to the closest inn. Cael sat in the back with Esther wiping her sweating brow with a frown. Cael thought it was time to come clean to Esther despite the sickness and the fact that she likely would not remember what was about to be said. "Thank you for saving me.... In another couple of years I would have been caught and sold to Ahnek." Cael changed clothes and got rid of the long strips of fabric. "No more hiding. Time to be who I was born to be, Micaela, the last heir of the Baron. I am a granddaughter of the King of Tumal." As Cael nursed the sick Esther she noticed a mark on the back of Esther''s neck. It shocked her because of her family''s tradition, kept from the public, would leave that kind of mark. Just who were these women she is mixed up with now. The only other families were all dead, in her opinion, at the hands of her aunt, Princess Anisyble. Prince Magne and the more distant nobility were either dead or out of the picture since before her birth and there are no rumors of three missing girls. 4 [Origins] Tumal in Turmoil "Hear ye! Hear ye!" A winded herald stood next to the town''s orator as the scroll was opened. "King Louis has ordered all available single men and women in this town to attend a grand feast at the next full moon. This includes those who are currently residing as guests. Anyone failing to attend voluntarily will be questioned heavily. Queen Ryanne has been upset by rumors of new members of the royal family in the area without presenting themselves to the palace. As only the Crown Princess is left of the royal family, the culprit responsible for the rumor will be found and dealt with." Cael started packing as simply as possible as soon as the first reading of the proclamation was completed. Vivien, coming in to check on Esther, decided to block the path. "What''s going on Cael? Does this have something to do with you actually dressing as a woman?" "Yes, it does. Anisyble is looking to remove competition to the throne by requiring the people in this town to appear at the palace. She knows someone closely related to her has come to the area because of the wards and sigils. She''ll ensure her place by selling the women who set off the alerts to other countries into political alliances and killing the men. We cannot go there on her terms." "Anisyble? Is that the Crown Princess you''re talking about?" "Yes, that murderess." Sighing while taking a seat, Cael starts her story. "Several summers ago, I was happy. But, then Anisyble''s guards arrived. I was only a child, but I remember her guards running through my father''s retainers like enemy soldiers. I hid in the root cellar where even the maids had forgotten everything and watched as everyone and everything I had ever known was burned to the ground except one old butler, who taught me how to hide and pick pockets until the time came to prove I was still alive. That time may be sooner than I expected thanks to Lady Esther." Cayle took a deep breath. "I am Micaela du Uisce, Baroness in hiding, daughter of the murdered Baron Uisce, niece of the Black Princess Anisyble. And I fear you and your sisters may be my cousins, the children of the dead prince, Prince Magne." ¡°Cousins?¡± Vivien was startled. Since mother and grandfather had never spoken of it, it was possible, but not likely. ¡°I think you¡¯re mistaken. Dad died when we were babies and mom would¡¯ve said something. Even grandpa Louis never said anything during his annual visits. How could a group of people dressed in rags even be related to royalty?¡± ¡°King Louis Tumal dressed as a beggar? Now that would b e a site the entire kingdom would pay to see! We must go in secret to the ball if you want to confirm my suspicions. But we have no protection since we don¡¯t have those three idiots hanging around anymore.¡± Deep in thought, Vivien remembered a basic magic lesson from her mother¡¯s books, sadly, now burned beyond recognition. Each magician has a symbolic color and the color represents their power. Since magicians were few and far between, most people don¡¯t associate the color automatically with magic, but with everything that has happened recently, she figured Esther was likely a fire mage; Sarabeth a water mage; and she herself a shadow mage. She knew mages had the ability to communicate over distance, so she grinned. ¡°We can try something.¡± Stolen story; please report. ¡°Oh, distance communications? Believe it or not, it¡¯s one of the few spells Father taught me before he was killed. It¡¯s very effective when a wind mage casts it.¡± Cael pulls out a gilded leaf and mutters something followed by Noh¡¯s name thinking he was likely also a wind mage. His voice reverberated out of the leaf asking who it was. ¡°It¡¯s your noble travelling companions. Are you going to the Princess¡¯ ball?¡± ¡°I thought it was thrown by the King¡­.¡± ¡°Grandpa wouldn¡¯t know it, but my Aunt killed almost all of his family. He thinks she¡¯s so perfect because no one can prove otherwise. And us girls are all in her sights for the next beheading.¡± Cael wished she had learned the advanced form of the spell, but it was so difficult, she didn¡¯t know of anyone capable of using it in the last century. ¡°Before you ask, it¡¯s because we¡¯re her nieces ¨C or at least I think they are and I know I am.¡± Cael thought a little while longer about her uncle, Prince Magne. She¡¯d never had the chance to meet him, but she recalled her father saying something about a so called Princess of Balance being the Prince¡¯s wife. All she knew for certain was that the woman was from a far distant kingdom and would not have been part of the Tumal or Ahnek disputes of the past several decades. Black Princess Anisyble ¡®How can any of them still be alive?¡¯ The thought just kept running through her mind non-stop like a river through the forest. ¡°Father! Father! We have pretenders in the land!¡± Of course, she recognized the signs given that would have been automatic proof to any of the royal family or the high nobility. After all, if she¡¯d not broken the public wards and set her own, any of them could have read the enchantments on the pages of family crest book. The crests automatically appeared whenever there was pure royal blood that had finally activated their mana pools and started using magic. In pen under all but three of the old entries, she had already written deceased. It was the new three showing similarities to that pacifistic brother of hers in the fierce red of fire, tranquil blue of water, and disturbingly dark grey of shadow that worried her. Her own darker than night black of necromancy and two showing the calm yellow of earth belonging to her parents were the only ones that should be present. How that Ahnek Princess that her mother was came to be entered into the book forever irked her since she should not have Tumal blood and the marriage had sparked a war between the two countries. Her father arrived, seemingly too alert and aware. If he stopped responding to the drugs, she may just have to kill him and wait in the shadows until these cousins were found and erased from existence. ¡°What is wrong dear daughter?¡± Sighing, Anisyble began to concoct a story using the royal ball as a backdrop to expose pretenders to the family that had started spreading rumors that they were the children of her elder brother in order to play on the heart strings of a kind King and were probably sent by Ahnek in an attempt to take over their beloved Tumal. 5 [Origins] A Worrisome Conclusion Noh was surprised when the wind magic started to vibrate the gilded leaf he wore as an amulet. It had been many years since he last used the communication magic. There was no one he knew that still could perform the spell; even his usage of it was only possible if someone else started the connection. Thinking back, his master had made the final journey to the Land of Spirits years ago defending her husband. ¡°Who uses the magic of communication?¡± ¡°It¡¯s your noble travelling companions. Are you going to the Princess¡¯ Ball?¡± Noh knew this was going to be trouble as he listened to Cael¡¯s explanation while motioning Jote and Swallow closer. He had a very worrisome task assigned to him, but it fell in line with the kingdom¡¯s request of their team. About this time, a young man rode up on their camp and handed a letter off to them. Jote smiled for a moment as the introductions were made. ¡°I am Baron Wyen of Ahnek, which of you is Jote the Silver?¡± Jote nodded as the Baron continued. ¡°You indicated that I would be needed to help your group escort some nobles of Tumal to a ball?¡± All eyes focus on him. ¡°What? When we met the girls I had already known there was a ball coming. We should arrive at their camp in two days, by the way.¡± Noh just shook his head at the light mage. Few if any had the gift of premonition and healing spells, but Noh would¡¯ve left Jote behind years ago if he wasn¡¯t a cousin to both the king of Ahnek and the queen of Tumal. ¡°Your cousin must be overjoyed to know your gifts. Oh, wait, she¡¯s not spoken to you since you were five¡­ when her sons died a month after you told her that a woman was out to kill them.¡± Noh knew he shouldn¡¯t have said anything, but Jote surprised them with his response. ¡°We¡¯ll be meeting her as well.¡± This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Swallow readied a trademark ball of steam, not many could use both fire and water successfully. ¡°Start talking sham of a Duke! What have you gotten us into?¡± ¡°Sham, I am no sham! We have four wonderful girls waiting on us to solve a mystery! What more could four bachelors ask for, unless you would rather have the Black Princess? Minor baron¡¯s should know that we Dukes have to marry nobles, and it¡¯s suggested the same for you three. My visions suggest that the ball is the best place to meet the proper women. But, and trust me on this, it will be dangerous to think that the women we are meant for will be pushovers like a village wife. But, it¡¯s not set in stone that the women I¡¯ve foreseen are the ones we¡¯ll marry. I see multiple paths from the ball.¡± Jote frowns for a moment as Swallow begins to enlarge the steam ball. ¡°Wait, wait, wait! If we don¡¯t go, Ahnek and Tumal will be at war and we¡¯ll be framed for starting it!¡± Wyen asked, ¡°And why would that be?¡± With a sigh, the answer shocked them. ¡°Because the girls will be killed. And we have already been linked to them at the village we met them at. The forces after them are diabolical, even I don¡¯t know if what we were told is the truth about their heritage, but they are unknown in Tumal, dress like nobles, and the Black Princess is a textbook example of a paranoid royal: bad for anyone around her. With us around, she¡¯ll think she has a way to divest herself of potential rivals, if she even looks twice at escorted women.¡± -- Troll''s note: Short, but I needed to move the story forward. 6 [Origins] An Expensive Reunion An expensive coach rolled into town and stopped in front of the most expensive looking inn which coincidentally was next to the largest dress shop around. Of course, being close to the capital, it was not difficult to be ignored by most of the town, but the staff sent out more than a dozen bellboys and maids to assist the guests. Four veiled women exited the carriage wearing nearly identical travelling garments resembling shortened empire gowns in blue, green, black, and red. The woman in red requested four rooms with dinner, breakfast, and bathing privileges overpaying with a bag of gold coins to ensure privacy. "If anything''s missing, the one who takes it will be missing in the morning," the woman in blue offered with a bloodthirsty aura to the shivering nods of all the attendants around. The women walk next door to the dress shop. "We have a ball to attend. We are expecting our escorts who will take two of the rooms. No funny business with the arrangements, you will not like Madame Red''s response." Not an hour later four men arrive rode in and asked after a group of four nobles. A rumor had already circulated about the new women in town and a hungry orphan tugged on Wyen''s coattails. "Sir, I don''t think these are the ones you are looking for.... but four women just arrived at the King''s Folly Inn down the street. They are very scary... I mean dignified, but they don''t where the clothes of your kingdom." Wyen looked at his companions while Swallow responded, "A woman who is not dangerous is one who''s still a baby. It''s likely them." Given the event and knowledge of a town''s general layout, it took all of a quarter hour to find the correct inn. Standing guard in front of the store (looking scared, impatient, and attempting to be stoic), a maid approached them and asked, "A-a-are you the escorts for the honorable Ladies?" Jote smirked, "Yes, but I suggest you request time off soon... Tell your boyfriend it''s a life mage boy and if he doesn''t marry you, I''m sure he''ll die in obscurity." The maid looked cross, but nodded as she pointed at the dress shop. "They''ve been there for more than an hour...." If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Crestfallen, the men walked into the shop while thinking of their collective funds on hand. A wall display looked like it had been ransacked as a team of women hurriedly return hats, gloves, boots, coats, and all manner of sample dresses to their proper position. In the back of the shop, three full length brass mirrors are setup and a stern expression is reflected from Cael''s face. "I don''t see why I have to be measured first! It''s not like I''m going to be the star of this ball." "But, you are the only one who doesn''t have properly fitting clothes. Whoever heard of a baroness wearing boys clothes and binding her chest! Such a shame..." "Yeah, you say that now, but your Aunt hasn''t been hunting you down since you were the size of the family hunting dog has she? If that demoness knew of your existence, she''d have killed you too with the self-titled Windslayer who tried to protect your father!" Noh, started at the mention of Windslayer, runs to the back as Esther retorts "Where did you hear Mom''s title? Even my younger sisters don''t know it!" Noh trips over a discarded bolt of cloth falling at their feet. "You''re m-m-mother!?" Suddenly he''s greener than the fabric he fell over, sick at the thought that he let down his master so completely as to not have protected her children. "Master''s daughters?" The room spun as he passes out and the group of women freezes in shock. "Get this man out of here! This area is women only!" The workers ungracefully expel the intruder placing an ex-adventurer who looked more like a golem than a woman at the entry way. 7 [Origins] A short prelude to battle Swallow and Jote , after having a laugh at Noh¡¯s expense, settle in to listen to the story that he reluctantly started. Almost twenty years ago, a teacher was called from Tumal because of magic sickness. No one in Ahnek was familiar with using wind magic and the King ordered Noh¡¯s family to have him trained as soon as possible. The teacher was a well-known assassin called ¡°Windslayer¡±. Information regarding the assassin¡¯s identity was inconclusive including gender information. Two people showed up at that time, a man and a woman. It turns out the woman was Windslayer and the man was referred to as Immortal. Immortal was a life mage and it turned out he would need those services with the regimen Windslayer had been contracted to provide. ¡°I have been trained as an assassin. Esther just confirmed that my master, Windslayer, was her mother. I¡¯d wager Immortal was her father based on how close they were. Because of their status, I never heard their names, but I remember seeing something strange on his back one day when he was practicing with the sword and being told to never ask about it again.¡± Wyen swallowed hard before looking at the others. Windslayer and Immortal where legendary adventurers that retired about the same time Noh was being trained. It was said that they were responsible for the end of slavery and most of the larger criminal organizations in Ahnek andTumal. ¡°So, is it too late for me to go back to Ahnek gentlemen?¡± Swallow looks at Wyen carefully. Jote tells Wyen, ¡°If you leave, you will not make it out of Tumal alive. I¡¯m afraid that the wheels have already been set in motion to capture suspicious nobles. It is why we have to escort them. Couples are less suspicious.¡± ¡°But those girls may be able to gut us in our sleep if they are Windslayer¡¯s daughters. If they think we were somehow responsible for their parent¡¯s deaths¡­..¡± Noh saw the problem quite quickly. ¡°Based on what I know, master was killed more than five years ago. Esther looks to be the eldest, but she can be more than 17 based on how long I was trained. How deadly could they be if the eldest was no more than 12 when training was completed¡­. Windslayer didn¡¯t strike me as someone who¡¯d train a child that early. She was always worried about affecting the body¡¯s development so I wouldn¡¯t stand out in public.¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Around this time. A member of the city guard rushed in. ¡°Bandits! Hundreds of them! Can you fight?¡± All four men nod. It¡¯s almost a vacation from the tension in the air regarding the girls they¡¯re here for. ¡°Cael, you and your cousins are needed. We¡¯re under attack.¡± Noh yelled. To the others, ¡°If they are who they appear to be, do you not think they may be of some use? At least Wyen can put to rest his fears if they aren¡¯t who they say they are.¡± The girls hurried out, having already finished the initial fittings. The group of eight nobles walked out, ¡°By the way, do you girls have your adventurer certificates?¡± Esther being the eldest responded, ¡°I¡¯m the only one old enough to register and I¡¯ve not gotten to it.¡± This shocked the guys who thought that all three of them were over twelve if not fifteen. The guild requires one to be fifteen to register at the very least and nobles enter the advanced school around then under the assumption that basic education would have been handled by their familes. What¡¯s worse, unknown to the guys, Cael was only fourteen herself and was the most educated. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get you special passes to the Ahnek Imperial School after this ball. After all, if the Princess is after you, out of the country will be better and with your lineage, even if it turns out not to be royal, the school will not turn you down. The Windslayer was a great adventurer and anyone connected to her is a feather in their crown.¡± The girls looked between themselves, ¡®school? And an imperial one at that for nobles?¡¯ Esther, speaking for the group, pondered aloud, ¡°Isn¡¯t that just as dangerous as the Princess?¡± 8 [Origins] Non Stop Battle? Sorry this took so long.... The group of eight ran to the town entrance, mana blazing from their hands. True, the girls had little formal training aside from Cael, but they held the fragments of the amulet and it would be no problem for them to trash a few bandits. A large steam ball, a fire ball, two flaming blades after wind blades passed through the fire and binding shadows flowed forward to the oncoming bandit troupe. A strange mist of combined light and water flowed across the town rousing many and banishing hangovers in the taverns and inns. The eight nobles stood at the forefront of a gathering band of adventurers who were all in town because of Anisyble¡¯s ball. Seeing the bandit army and the nobles they could impress, the adventurers rushed toward battle at nearly inhuman speeds. Three quarters of the town seemed to be caught up in the rush and magical attacks were outnumbered twenty to one by the arrows flying at the bandits. Sarabeth yelled, ¡°Everyone down!¡± Gripping her medallion, she willed an illusion of a vast water dragon to appear above the town flowing toward the bandits. Sheer terror filled a large number of the bandits causing confusion. However, Sarabeth collapsed shortly afterwards, unconscious and breathing shallowly. Jote took a moment to check her condition and returned to action using a broad motion to call into being a highly visible and bright sphere of light. Noh used his wind to envelope Esther¡¯s fireball and move it into the light sphere. The three moved the blinding combination magic toward the front lines and forced it down onto the bandits en masse. Caught by surprise, dozens of bandits were blinded while several times more experienced painful burns. By the time this was completed, the bandits were surrounded and apprehended by the defensive forces. A signal was sent for the army to come and take custody of the bandits while the party of nobles returned to the inn after Sarabeth finally awoke. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you ladies had that much power already. That water dragon was amazing!¡± Sarabeth tried to downplay the compliment feeling that it was due to the amulet, not her innate power. While they were waiting for food, they were told the dresses would all be completed in the morning at half price for commanding the defensive forces. Again, there were protests that it wasn¡¯t their doing, but no one paid Sarabeth any attention on this point. Jote said, ¡°The ball¡¯s in a week. We¡¯ll be doing dance lessons and magic lessons until then.¡± Four pairs of eyes scrambled between delight and frustration. The men separated from the women and head to bed after they finally finished a high class dinner, apparently at a discount again. Esther posed an interesting question when they were at their doors, ¡°How are they going to have new dresses ready in the morning? I was never able to sew half a shirt in a day, and these aren¡¯t going to be simple dresses.¡± They guessed, probably half correctly at least, that there were more than a dozen women in the back room who would be working all night long. ¡°Now, we have another issue at hand. The three of us have rarely worn shoes, much less dance shoes.¡± They spent the next few minutes discussing trivialities of the noble lifestyle and etiquette. Cael realized that the sisters had the basics of proper table manners but not much else. She¡¯s surprised at how clean their language was with the lack of formal education. It must be the influence of their grandfather. The dresses were delivered the next morning along with dance shoes secretly ordered by Cael. The men met with the group at breakfast where Cael asked about a practice room for dance. As all the men were nobles, there should be little to no excuse for them to not know the traditional dances of Ahnek and Tumal. Dressed in their new clothes and shoes, the group took the carriage over to the practice hall where they paid the fees and hired a band. For the next four days they practiced the dances with the premise that all the woman had to do was allow the man to gently push her into the next step of each dance, except of course for a few minor steps that were performed without direct contact. Finally, ready or not, the day came for them to head to the capital and register their attendance to the ball. It was decided to register the men¡¯s names only and list them as dates. It was shallow protection as they all knew there would be charms, wards, and other spells scattered around the castle. It was the hope that not providing names would gain them enough time to meet with King Louis before the Black Princess could pull anything that would remove them from this world. Because of the preparations required, more than just wearing the clothes, they arrived the night before the ball. In the morning, a veritable army of maids descended on the high scale inn they stayed at and separated into battalions and further into companies as they went floor by floor to the rooms of the noble women present leaving twenty eight in Cael¡¯s group, seven for each girl. With a sadistic grin, the maids bore down on the unsuspecting trio who had previously used magic to take care of their clothing and looks. Cael, on the other hand, bore it like a true noble even after having spent a while as a thief and cutpurse. The most humiliating part of the process was unmentionably personal as the maids started out with providing them almost nothing but liquids for breakfast, bathing them while giving them both manipedis and an excessive hair treatment, and ensuring that they used the facilities before dressing. Dressing was the most uncomfortable part because of the maid brigade¡¯s theory on corsets: if you can crush another inch out of the waist, it¡¯s not tight enough. By the time the two hours were spent on their hair, they had less than an hour to present themselves at the castle and no food in the last twelve hours. Luckily, one of the maids had beads of healing potions available that also seemed to quench their appetites. Each girl was given three additional beads hidden in their jewelry with one in each earring and one in their necklace. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Arriving almost exactly when the girls were ready, the Ahnek delegation as they were registered, struck dashing poses before the giggling girls. Esther finally spoke, ¡°Do those poses have any battle value? Otherwise, they just make you look like little boys pretending to be heroes. The only real hero is a dead hero you know.¡± Jote nods sagely indicating that the poses are meant to cause incurable laughter in their enemies with a deadpan face. No one believed him of course. Shortly after, they were disembarking the carriage at the castle steps. With a nod, as each man took the hand of their date, the group entered the lioness¡¯ den. Upon entry, the maids and butlers placed an amulet around each neck that caused the symbol of their noble lineages to display above their heads. As predicted by Cael, all eight of them had lineage marks and the three sisters were very similar to hers. But it was the shock and gasps that radiated around the floor that indicated all eyes were on them. The crowd had only a few seconds of silence to contemplate the symbols as a voice rang out from the Royal Balcony, which was situated directly across from the entry. ¡°Esther, Sarabeth, Vivien, and is that Micaela? Dears, you have some explaining to do.¡± Four voices rang out in the silent room, ¡°Yes, Grandfather.¡± But the joyous look on their faces lasted only seconds as black garbed assassins descended on their group led by a fierce woman. Knights and guards alike were pinned in place by shackles of dark magic as fighting erupted. Before much longer, the obvious reason one does not attack a noble party where all nobles were well versed in combat magic came to light as dozens of spells attacked, encapsulated, and even outright destroyed most of the assassins with only the female getting away. Seconds later, and unusually tardy, Black Princess Anisyble came out behind her grandfather immaculately dressed with an impossibly thin smile. With the assassinations failing, the rest of the party resumed and the group got to speak with the King for the first time using their real identities. ¡°Your Highness,¡± Jote began as soon as they were out of earshot of everyone including the Crown Princess. ¡°In honor of my esteemed cousin¡¯s family, I have extended to these four of your granddaughters entry into the Ahnek Imperial School. Since they are obviously still in danger here, and they suspect their foe is here in the capital, it would be the safest place for them and with many noble sons of both kingdoms, you can be assured good prospective partners when they reach graduation.¡± ¡°They suspect someone in the capital? Who?¡± Jote signaled Noh to produce some documents that were magically sealed. ¡°Your Highness, I dare not say as we don¡¯t have sufficient proof. However, these are documents secured by the Lady du Uisce regarding the tragedy that befell your family. Be warned, we also suspect your memories or minds have been corrupted by the culprit and opening this case will release a powerful dispel charm that will affect the entire castle. Since we do not know what was done, we have to warn you that if it was a black magician, you may be nothing more than golems or undead shells. Our suspect however, would not resort to that tactic. If we are wrong about who it is, the possibility remains that you could die. What will you choose, opening the documents that may solve the mystery, destroying them, or leaving them be?¡± 9 [Interlude] Border discussion King Louis called out a decree acknowledging the sisters and Cael as his grandchildren. Princess Anisyble remained next in line for the throne, being the King¡¯s daughter, but should one of Prince Magne¡¯s children, the sisters, bear a son before the King¡¯s death, he shall be the Crown Prince and Anisyble will be reduced to a Grand Duchess. In the end, King Louis ordered the scroll to be read at his funeral and the culprits immediately arrested. Our intrepid group never found out if the King read the document before they were ushered on their way to the school in a royal carriage. At the border of Ahnek and Tumal the group met a small contingent of Ahnek soldiers to relieve their royal guards. ¡°Ahnek welcomes the return of the Silver Duke and his companions. Per orders from His Highness, we are to escort your guests, Baroness du Uisce and the three Princesses of Tumal to the Imperial School. I have also been informed that the Princesses are the children of¡­..¡± The captain gulped very carefully, having not previously read this section of the orders, ¡°The Windslayer and the Immortal.¡± Whispers and glances run down the lines of soldiers on both sides before one and all dismount and bow stiffly to the women. A murmured plea of ¡®please spare us¡¯ is heard to which Esther just tilts her head oddly. ¡°Those who have not offended us shall not receive the treatment our parents were well known for.¡± Noh had told the girls about the assassination, torture, and healing legends revolving around their parents. ¡°After all, we don¡¯t have a healer available.¡± Esther¡¯s attempt at a grim face almost fell short, but that was not what caused another panic among the soldiers. A red bead on a chain was spotted around her neck looking like have a yin yang symbol. Glancing at her sisters, a blue bead of similar design and black hourglass were observed. ¡°Silver Duke, if I may ask, their necklaces¡­.¡± Jote puts a finger to his lips. ¡°Ah, I see, I was mistaken, there are no necklaces.¡± Indeed, as if they never existed, the image of the necklaces vanished in front of one and all, but Sarabeth no longer looks well. Jote suggests the girls return to their carriage as he enters the carriage already prepared for him and the three barons with him. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Esther, in their carriage, scolds Sarabeth. ¡°You don¡¯t know what kind of trouble you¡¯ll make for us if you project another illusion of the amulets we carry. I know, they aren¡¯t together in one symbol, but we¡¯ve had to hide them because of the mark on our carriage. We had to hide it and eventually mounted the royal seal over it. I don¡¯t know how long we can continuously ride in this carriage before it subverts the seal or even fully covers it. Jote told me some of the tales of the amulet when it was held by a single individual. We are the first trio to own it, but each time it appears, kingdoms fall or catastrophes loom. Almost every owner has been a legendary hero who has died young because humanity feared their power. It is no coincidence that we own the amulet even in pieces. Every owner has been someone who was thought to be a commoner but whose destiny or heritage was closer to royalty, generals, or grandmasters of some art. Now that we are in Ahnek, you must double your vigilance, Grandmother Ryanne was a Ahnek Princess before she became Queen of Tumal. We are all in danger of being engaged to a noble¡¯s son by the time we arrive at the school. Personally, however, I believe we are more at risk with the guys we¡¯ve been hanging out with. Dukes and Barons all, but they are young compared to others and all are blood relatives of the king not more than twice removed.¡± --Sorry it''s short, but this interlude marks the transition to our school arc. Dreslief. 10 [School] School is just a means to time skip..... The sisters and their cousin have been at school now for around a year and boredom has set in. At first, the all expected the noble brats in school to pester them to no end, after all, they are the grand children of two royal lines. Unbeknownst to them, Jote and company had already taken the initiative to quell the lecherous boys in the school by filing preliminary engagements with the girls and both royal houses. As the girls hadn''t yet finalized the papers, they were still technically single women of very high value. That was before today. An enterprising young idiot had taken on the job of academy messenger, with a side of gossip for a quick extra bit of cash. Without paying attention to who was nearby, he asked for a silver for the information he claimed would upset the balance of the school. Fifteen students later, he spilled the beans. "The Princess Quartet never sealed the engagements!" Esther was just walking by when she heard this statement. It puzzled her because she had been hearing about the Princess Quartet for some time but no one yet had told her who they wereeven when asked with money, jewels, and food. However, the next statement clearly resolved the issue as one of the boys noticed her and reflexively muttered, "run... it''s the First Princess!" Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. It didn''t help the gossip, as he was currently looking at a ring of fire closing in on his neck. "Uhm... hello yo-yo-your Hi-i-Highness!" "What''s this about engagements? And am I to understand I have one on file?" The boy nodded right into the flame, before straightening up. "You all do. It''s why the guys haven''t bothered you. Especially you. The Duke would kill anyone who approachedhis girl." Esther looked confused, she had never paid attention to titles and didn''t know who was a duke. The boy, fearing for his life, and seeing a way out with his head on explained, "Silver Duke Jote of the Foresight!" After the flames vanished, so did the boy, but Esther did not even notice through the haze of heat spreading around her... -- I realized one thing reading other novels, the school itself is less than useless in the story. It''s what happens outside of class that really tells the story. Your Tardy Troll, Dreslief 11 [School] Fire and Foresight Jote soon showed for his weekly meeting with the girls. Thanks to a combination of his "great" intelligence and the foresight ability of his time magic, he had graduated early after spending all of his time learning the harp so he could play the etherial music that would leak to him from the time streams. Today, however, he had prepared a multitude of water and earth talismans for the impending meeting. He had sent the talisman stash into his childhood where he could safely store and recall them without worry. The trouble with time magic was that anyinformation coming back from the future was only probable and not absolute. This fact made him nervous as the probabilistic information became as close to absolute about this particular meeting as it could be. Esther clearly was in a foul mood, and it was only a week after the earliest predictions. As a fire ring began to contract about Jote, he summoned a water shield talisman and activated it inside the offensive spell. "Esther, we can play this game or talk. I know you''re upset, I expected it in fact. But everything I''ve done is for your protection."Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "Yes," Jote said after noting her expression. "There are reasons. Two types of people attend or work at this academy: those who will respect you and those who believe they have the right to own you. Didn''t your maids explain this to you?" "Maids? Why would we need others? We''ve been fine on our own all this time. When our parents died and we tried to hire a maid to help around the house until my sisters were old enough to handle the chores, we were taught what it means to be a woman without men around. Why would we want to make others feel even worse than that?" Esther was oblivious to the Academy''s policies or its services that were provided to nobles and royals in attendance. She also did not know, or perhaps want to know, about the sister school for servants that was just on the other side of the well-manicured lawns and gardens; although, the four of them often would watch the third school in the area that trained the knights and warriors of both kingdoms. Relieved he did not need the remaining talismans, Jote then explained that each of them should have a head maid, or personal assistant if they preferred, and two additional maids. "These maids would have kept you informed of the politics of both the students and teachers while also quashing any rumors about you. Those are the simpler duties they have." 12 [School] The Case of the Head Maid Shortly after defusing the problem of Esther -- I mean with Esther, Jote proceeded to the Servant Academy. Being a well known figure in the country, dozens of students and teachers bowed out of the way as quickly as possible (giving him direct access to the Head Mistress). Shortly he stood before the open door of an ederly -- pardon me -- distinguished and well retired maid of the royal court. "Lady Mara, it has come to my attention that our four guests from Tumal do not have any maids at this time. Can you help me select them?" "Your Lordship, we have no more girls in either the noble or commoner courses that we can assign them. There are more than enough men, however the penalty.... You do know it is severe enough that we would be asking or forcing them to sacrifice their futures if their status would have risen, My Duke?" Jote well knew of this penalty. It was once thought a myth. Jote quitely responded: "My mother''s personal maid was forced to accept that penalty. Her father tried to prevent it. Alas, she was the last student enrolled in the course and it was an order from the King. Even years later when the contract could have been broken because of Mother''s graduation, the humiliation from that time had served to keep her in that position for life."Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. "No, I will not force your students, Lady Mara, to suffer the penalty by becoming their maids, but I would like to interview and offer them the choice. If they decline, they will not be allowed to say who the prospective employers are or what the penalty is. But, if they are brave, and willingly sign the contract...." Jote knew that few men, if any, would willingly allow magic to change them into women just for a job. Granted, few of the commoner students would really have that choice upon graduation as not only would they be bound by their employment contracts for life, but they were all trained as assassins and foot soldiers by the military. "Mother''s maid eventually did marry one of our butlers and have several sons. They are a very happy family and some even attend this school. Please ask the top four nobles and top eight commoners for those interviews as soon as possible. I don''t want to leave the girls unprotected any longer than required." 12.5 [School] Royal Retribution (Side Story) [Location: Ahnek Royal Palace, King''s Study] It has been a few decades since slaver''s attacked my sister, Ryanne. And yet, I find still in my kingdom that most hated institution called the ''Bordello''. Such a fancy name for a brothel. The Slavers work with the Bordello company to procure women for pleasure usage, of course without either the woman''s family or personal consent. I must have sent patrols to destroy twenty or more this year. But what is more worrisome is that it has been reported my my intelligence chief that four of my Royal nights and their commoner squires were complicit in their operations just a few blocks from the academy. Can you believe it? I have four nieces, guests from Tumal, that may experience the same kidnapping attempts as their own grandmother! Ryanne, no Louis, would go to war with me if anything happened to them. Because of this, I can only summon the offenders and personally take justice. After all, brothels in any shape are considered crimes against the State, or more appropriately, ME. However, I have a juicy punishment laid out for them. My father''s old maid, and good friend of my sister''s has just informed me that we''ve overlooked the assigning of servants to my nieces! Lady Mara has indicated that Duke Jote, who I suggested make engagement documents for the little treasures with approved candidates, wants to interview the candidates. Quickly I wrote up twenty-fourservant contracts and imbued them with my mana. Each contract required my approval before they could be released from their assignments, not even my children or wife can override this. There are a total of twenty squires serving the four idiots -- I mean future maids. Only twelve of them need to survive to ensure minimum coverage, but I hope that they''ll all sign when they here the alternative. Signalling for the chamberlain to send the group to the throne room, I fixed my robes and doned that obscene weight we stupidly call a crown before gathering the papers and heading through the doors.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. "Here Ye! Here Ye! His Royal Highness has arrived. Bow!" I waved off the Chamberlain and ordered the twenty-four criminals to kneel. Guards were then positioned behind each of them before I spoke. "Gentlemen, you serve at the behest of the State, do you not?" Nods from each of them occupied a few seconds before confusion at my cold tone showed on their faces. "Are you faithful Knights and Squires of Ahnek?" Again, nods fluttered down the line. "Oh, good, please sign this posting document I have for you. If you don''t, you''ll be considered a traitor to Ahnek and executed on the spot." The guards handed out the contracts and quills as they were provided to them by my chamberlain. Everyone signed. Good. "Please remain kneeling as I confirm you have signed the documents." I activated the magic of the contracts and felt the tug on my nieces. Screams echoed throughout the room as all but the four noble boys passed out from the high mana being forced into them as they were becoming women. Nodding to the Chamberlain, I called out, "Please take these women to the Servant''s Academy. In the auditorium Lady Mara and Duke Jote will be waiting. Inform them I have chosen the maids and personal assistants of my nieces. Do not tell them about the training crest - after all, it will dissappear on its own once they are fullyquailified maids. By the way, please do inform the other Knights and Squires that they may either die or experience the joys of being a maid themselves should they defy my orders about Brothels and slavery again. They, however, may not receive such nice owners as my nieces." The cold aura I was emitting remained in the room until the last of the guards and new maids had left. I sincerely had hoped that my son was not in that group. Thankfully, that wastrel was only the Third Prince. I hope his example doesn''t bring conflict with his brothers... Whatever, I''ll just tell everyone that the squad died doing their duty in cleaning up a brothel. "Chamberlain, Please see to the destruction of the Bordello''s holdings near the academy personally. Or you can join my son''s group.... Send the women to my sister for protection and bury the men in Traitor''s Field." 13 [School] Calm before Graduation ''Life has somewhat normalized for the "Princess Quartet",'' mused Jote. In the past few semesters, the assigned maids spoke nothing of their pasts to anyone involved. His Majesty reminded them constantly that the head maids are subject to His recall, should it prove necessary for the peace of either Tumal or Ahnek. The only strange thing was the one maid of Esther''s that had dog ears and a tail. Although it was an old story, no one had seen a chimeran in centuries, yet here was one serving the woman he loves. Even his power of foresight had not shown him this possibility. In just two days, the winter solstice and new year festivities were to kick off. With them, the Tumali royal granddaughters would be returning home to their kingdom for the first time since the ordeal of the Amulet hunt began, and as graduates of the Academy. Just thinking about it brought back to mind an old passage he found in a history book:Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. "In the Spring of the first Year of Tumnek''s reign, the great wizard was commissioned to create a talisman of leadership. Should it be broken, the kingdom will fall until his rightful heirs restore the proud sigil." Since he had not yet found the amulet, and the young ladies have not volunteered any information, it was time to focus on this history. By perceiving the history of the book, he knew that this passage was hundreds of years old. Looking through other ancient histories suggested that in ages past, a great kingdom once existed that stretched proverbially from one sea to the other. When the last king died, his heirs had waged bloody wars over the entire kingdom destroying much of its history and shattering a major talisman - the king''s crown. With the destruction of so much and the deaths of so many, the empire faded into history. Jote pondered about the connection briefly as Esther walked in. "We''re done. All of us passed and we''ve proven ourselves to Ahnek and Tumal. Now we have to deal with those so-called engagement certificates! Don''t think I''ve forgotten about that stunt." 14 [Runaways] A new journey In the end, nothing was settled about the incomplete engagements and the two kings stepped in. Before a decision could be reached, the girls and their caravan (fully staffed by ex-soldier maids, mind you). Skipped town before any royal decrees from either country could be handed over to them. Jote and the guys were left holding the bag, litterally in this case, of decrees and maps. It wasn''t unexpected at all.... to the girls who were all fuming over the underhanded (in their opinion) tactics of the guys. Two days later, they were stopped at a river. Daisy, the bloodhound chimeran, was tasked with staying out of sight until they left both Ahnek and Tumal. This was just fine with the ex-prince who''s life was nothing more than humiliation upon humiliation since his men drugged him and forced a dog on him at that brothel. If he''d only been a better leader and more aware of the avarice of his men, it would have been a different story. Because of that, his chance at the living goddesses they now served had been cut short before he even knew they existed. But now, although transformed, she maintained her wind magic and used it to control the maids with an iron will. Not one of them had a chance as they would more often than not pass out within moments of attempting anything that was approved of by Lady Mara.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Daisy sent her second in command to the bridge to deal with the delay. This maid realized with her that there were only two options for their lives at this point: a royal pardon or a husband and both had given up on the pardon. After a bit, the maid reported back to the main carriage (Daisy was using a version of wind whisper to ensure honesty) that the bridge was out. The girls exited the carriageas a group and put their skills to the test. The water was diverted, wind blades chopped trees and shadow and fire were used to essentially build a dam with the trees. Because there was no mortar in the construction, water flowed through it, albeit slowly. In this way, the story of the runaway harem began to circulate amongst the guards of Ahnek. An Ongoing Table of Characters Good afternoon, I''ll try to update this often, I still have at least a half dozen characters to list. No, unlike other places, you will not get their full skill list or stats.
Title Character Family Country Elemental Affinity
¡¤ King Louis of Tumal Wife: Queen Ryanne Tumal Earth
¡¤ Queen ¡¤ Former Princess of Ahnek Ryanne Husband: King Louis Tumal Earth
¡¤ Prince ¡¤ ¡°Immortal¡± (?) Magne (Deceased) Father: King Louis TumalThis content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Life
¡¤ ¡°Windslayer¡± (Unnamed?) Husband: Prince Magne (?) Wind
¡¤ Crown Princess ¡¤ Murderess (?) Anisyble Father: King Louis Tumal Death
¡¤ Baron Uisce (Deceased) Father: King Louis Tumal Fire
¡¤ Royal (Presumed) ¡¤ Noble (Lady) ¡¤ Villager Esther Grandfather: Louis Father: Prince Magne (?) Tumal Fire
¡¤ Royal (Presumed) ¡¤ Noble (Lady) ¡¤ Villager Sarabeth Grandfather: Louis Father: Prince Magne (?) Tumal Water
¡¤ Royal (Presumed) ¡¤ Noble (Lady) ¡¤ Villager Vivien Grandfather: Louis Father: Prince Magne (?) Tumal Shadow
¡¤ Servant ¡¤ Thief ¡¤ Baroness in Hiding ¡¤ Royal Micaela du Uisce Father: Baron Uisce Tumal Wind
¡¤ Wizard ¡¤ Silver Order ¡¤ Duke Jote Cousin: Queen Ryanne Cousin: King of Ahnek Ahnek Light
¡¤ Wizard ¡¤ Green Order ¡¤ Baron Noh Ahnek Wind
¡¤ Wizard ¡¤ Purple Order ¡¤ Baron Swallow Ahnek ¡°Steam¡±
¡¤ Maid ¡¤ Ex-prince Daisy Father: King of Ahnek Ahnek Wind
¡¤ Baron Wyen Ahnek
Help... I''ve been side tracked on both my fictions... I need help to figure out where this story goes as I finish my jam packed schedule of training for a new career. Writer is only a hobby... Be aware, I do not plan to rewrite the chapters but I need a bit of direction. You may comment on any future characters or events that may help move this story foward. Also, please critique my writing style and let me know if you did find some plot holes or need more description or speech in future chapters or revisions.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Please comment below for your overburderned troll, Dreslief.