《The Mission》


 Chapter I

    I.


    The rumours were true, Anna realized as she made her way through the agitated crowd of the New Kingdom. She had never seriously considered that such a place could exist - in fact, if it were not for the opportunity of reuniting with her family soon, she probably would had asked her mentor to stay back home. But what a country she would have missed! Now that she looked around, her eyes were delighted with the richness of the land that spread before her.


    About one hour ago, she had descended from The Nightgale after a three week journey that took her through wild storms until a turquoise blue sea - the Sea of Fortune, she had been told. She had watched sirens singing in rocks and mermaids flailing their gold, silver and emerald tails as the ship made its way to the White Harbour. Still enchanted by the ocean, she wondered the richnesses that lay ahead. She had been received by one of the knights at the Palace, who had been assigned with the mission of escorting her to the Vanguard, the Elezian Palace where her sisters served as ladies-in-waiting to the Queen, and her father pupiled her brothers in matters of the navy. Now that the day had finally come, she could barely refrain her enthusiasm.


    The streets of Elezia were lively. They soon reached the Square, where she admired a magnificent, enormous statue planted at the center and made of bronze. A magnificent peryton stood on its hind legs in a majestic pose, spreading its beautiful wings as if it were about to set flight.


    Around the statue, the country was alive with the hundreds of voices of the people who flooded the streets. No matter the path that the escort chose to lead her to the palace, it would be crammed with the most diverse people and creatures, and the most eccentric shops. Bubbling potions fizzed beneath the glass of The Brewery, the sound of the swords gliding in the smithing wheels and the happy greetings of long known friendships travelled through the air. Anna had to be careful not to bump into anyone as she followed the guard, but this proved to be a rather difficult task.


    Elezians love nature, her Master had told her back in the island. She knew that it was known for its ridiculous diversity of plants, not only grown nationally but that came from other countries, but seeing them was something else. Anna stopped once more to observe the maranijas grown in the Promised Land of Brevylia, the Dragon Tears that were said to cure the Red Plague, or the radiant Rainbow Roses that were sure to help their owners find true love. She was so entranced, that she barely realized that her escort had come back and was looking rather sore.


    ¡°My lady,¡± the guard insisted. ¡°We really must go, otherwise you¡¯ll be late for the royal banquet.¡±


    Anna¡¯s eyes left the stall with much effort, but she promised herself that she would come back later.


    A few more incidents happened that tested her temptation to examine the unknown. The guard was growing impatient at her delay, constantly looking over his shoulder to check if she was still with him or had been enthralled by another shop, another creature... there were too many attractions she wanted to observe! The exotic birds singing at the entrance of Radiant Fauna, the weapons laid out on a market stall, that had been perfectly engineered to draw out the highest energy from crystals, and countless libraries exhibiting books about the various magical subjects.


    Was she dreaming?


    Anna¡¯s fears of sticking out proved at once to be irrational. There was no chance of her being pointed out as different, not in the middle of this immense, surprising clash of cultures. It was the first time on the Continent where she didn''t stand out with her grey dark Hashi robes imprinted with golden stars, and the loose hair that fell to her waist. In fact, she could as well be considered normal as she walked amongst the busy streets, filled with the life of the merchants.


    It was as if the West, North, South and East had blended together and produced the most contained racial mix in history. The people were short, tall, blond, brunettes, they were half animals. Normal creatures and fantasy creatures that she had never heard about passed by flying and running. She recognized a few Brevylians, with their curled horns and their brunette skins, wearing scaled cleavage tops and shorts, revealing too much skin. At first, she had thought that Elezia was a small, warm version of Lightsgate, the mages'' nest. But this was no regular mages'' towns. It was as if magic lived inside the people. As if the town, the streets, were enchanted themselves.


    Sharyans with curled blond hair walked around with harps and violins. Strict, serious Haysians fairly distinguishable by the pale white of their sun-deprived skins, and the blue and white of their fine garments, looked plain uncomfortable as they crossed the roads in sumptuous carriages. After all, Anna realized with a chuckle, the serious kingdom of Haysen had to be the perfect opposite of Elezia. Other races that she hadn¡¯t ever met in real life or even in books, passed by casually. Merchants with human bodies and fox heads sold jewelry in stalls, girls with blue skins and long noses gathered around a flower stall ran by a black-skinned woman with radiant green eyes. Anna nearly bumped into a couple - an elf boy with platinum blond hair and pointy years, and a dark, small Brevylian with curled horns. They made such an exquisite pair, yet they walked side by side holding hands.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    But what made this country truly become alive was the laughter and music that travelled in the wind. Elezia was alive with sun and sea, the inhabitants passed by with smiles and in a hurry, magic was performed effortlessly as if it were norm. Anna''s jaw dropped. One of two children were using Airshifting effortlessly, flying and spinning amidst the busy crowd.


    "Be careful!" Someone shouted.


    The children scurried away, laughing. Of course, Anna had seen people fly before. She herself had done it as part of her Airshifting training. But she had never witnessed such a display of magic being performed in the Continent. Even when magic had been partially allowed in Haysen, it had been subjected to numerous restraints. This... she wasn''t sure of what this place was, but her heart was beating to the sound of its music, and her body was tingling as if the country called her and welcomed her as one of its own. It was colourful, with the predominant luxurious green of enchanted fauna. Trees bearing golden apples rejoiced in the hem of the streets. She was smiling widely, without being able to control her racing heart as her eyes landed on something entirely new every time she looked away. It was so unbelievable to see all those countless magical artifacts, once hidden away but now shamelessly and openly displayed for everyone to see! This country seemed to have a truly rooted affection, or truly worship of magic.


    ¡°My lady,¡± the guard insisted as she wandered off, attracted to a book that was releasing a spiraling, turquoise smoke into the open air.


    The market stalls exhibiting exuberant magic crystals and different races that she had never seen before caught her attention. Seagulls chanted and wherever she went, she could see the crystalline blue water of the ocean, sprinkled with diamonds which reflected the sun above.


    She had travelled through countless countries, and yet she had never felt the brimming energy that transpired from this place. She whispered it to herself, a name that made her tongue roll with delight. Elezia.


    ¡°Wait,¡± she asked the guard.


    A crowd had gathered and she pierced through the guard in order to get a full view of the attraction.


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    A girl stood in turquoise blue robes on top of a fountain, and she was commanding the water, making it shape and glide and twirl through her fingers, as the crowd gasped and clapped.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have it where you come from?¡± The guard asked.


    He said it with slight depreciation. Where you come from. Anna didn¡¯t bother to give him an answer.


    They had indeed Watershifters, a couple of hundreds of them probably, but magic wasn¡¯t used unless strictly necessary in Hashi. Back at home in Hashi Island, kale - or ¡°mages¡±, as they commonly called it in the continent - were praised by Hashians almost like gods. They stood out immediately for their silky robes, kaleri, bearing intricate detailed patterns in gold and silver threads. Each of those robes was designed by special kaleri makers and each one cost a fortune. It would have never been wasted in something as trivial as entertainment or amusal. The girl made the water twirl around her arms, her waist, and then she made it twirl throughout the crowd, making little boys and girls giggle. A baby tried to catch the snaking twirl of water, but the girl was too fast. She couldn¡¯t have been more than fourteen years old, probably not older than Patricia.


    The act ended on a high note. The girl made a slide out of water and glided down, spinning and ending in a victorious bow. The crowd applauded, shower of coins rained in the air. After the Watershifter girl, there were a lot more performers scattered around the street, but the guard pressured them to go on and wouldn¡¯t let her watch the shows.


    ¡°They will still be here tomorrow, my lady,¡± he insisted tiredly.


    A few men exhibited rare species, half eagles half lions, from Brevylia, set on their shoulders. One of them shouted, and the creatures set off flying and breathing fire as the crowds clapped. Every street had a musical group. The rhythm of Drums and violins filled the air.


    The music grew distant as they set off through a road that branched from the main one, this one far less populated. Anna was mesmerized at the red sun that was setting throughout the mountains on the distance, slowly tainting the sky on strokes of violet and grey and gold. Now only merchants in their chariots passed through the main road, all of them respectfully greeting the guard when they saw him as if they recognized him. The guard didn¡¯t answer. This road grew into a larger terrain, and there it was in the distance: the Vanguard.


    ¡°Gods¡­¡±


    She had heard stories that it was small, and in fact, it was perhaps ten times smaller than Haysian''s Diamond Palace. But it was certainly imponent. It seemed to be composed of one main, larger building and surrounded by two smaller ones by each side. It was painted in yellow and green, depicting a peryton in the front. Beneath the dark, spiralling iron gate stood the most beautiful fountain that Anna had ever set eyes upon.


    The guards located inside recognized her escort at once and let them pass.


    ¡°Welcome to the Vanguard, Lady Anna.¡±


    She didn¡¯t bother to correct them. She wasn¡¯t a lady, and she wasn¡¯t a Redfield either.


    They were forced to walk around the fountain in order to reach the entrance. As she stood closer to it. Standing in four opposing corners, like a square, stood four elements: a stag, a fish, a dragon and an eagle. They all looked up, the water sprouting off their mouths and reuniting at the center of the fountain, the stream landing as one.


    Anna realized that it seemed to celebrate the four Elements - Earth, Water, Fire and Air.


    She already felt at home.

 Chapter II

    II.


    The Queen''s private chambers were flooded with golden sunlight that spilled from the windows. The walls were white and the paintings were carved by green, spiraling frames, depicting paintings of nature, nymphs and portraits of the royal couple, with the recent adition of their eldest son, Prince Leonardo. It was an ample room with tall windows that were opened so that a refreshing breeze would carry the aroma of grass and nature from the outdoor gardens.


    The Queen herself was splendid, like the sun inside the room. She was sitting in a table in the corner, and the table was filled with books, scrolls, potions and herbs. She had fiery hair that spilled in waves until her waste in a brilliant shade of red. Her dress was magnificent, in white and green, and her golden crown threatened to fall as she leaned over a book with a thoughtful expression. Four other ladies had joined her at the table, every one of them holding a quill and a parchment, and they all appeared to be involved in a deep, though barely audible, discussion.


    The other ladies, perhaps twenty, were scattered in the tables and couches around the room, entertaining themselves by reading, playing the piano, or even playing cards. Anna stopped, taking in the scene and searching for a familiar face among the dresses. One by one, the ladies seemed to notice her, until one of them jumped hastily from a chair and ran to her.


    "Anna!"


    Her sister crossed the room. Before Anna had time to react, Josephine had flung her arms around her neck.


    "Not a word about Edward," she whispered urgently in her ear.


    Anna disguised her shock behind a courtesan''s smile.


    "How have you been, sister?¡±


    "I''m fine." Her eyes were gleaming. "How about you? Oh, I haven''t seen you in years, Anna. You''ve grown."


    "You''ve grown, Jo."


    She blushed.


    "Well, Patricia was supposed to meet us. I wonder where that girl is, she keeps disappearing lately.¡± Josephine told her. ¡°She left a half hour ago in a rush. But she¡¯s dying to see you." A new flush crossed her cheeks as she smiled. "We¡¯ve all been dying to see you.¡±


    Anna knew perfectly well that one particular woman would much rather see her exiled back at the island. Yet she forced herself to smile.


    "How is your mother?"


    A chair screeched and a plump woman wearing a dress of a dark shade of purple stood up. Lady Olivia Redfield, in flesh and bone - more flesh, definitely, than bone -, who also acted as her stepmother, seemed to have aged perhaps twenty years since the last time Anna had seen her. She looked old, far older than her real age, with white hair sticking out of the feeble, receding strands of dark brown. Anna realized that the hatred that she felt towards this woman was far less intense than before. After all, Lady Olivia had lost her oldest son to the war five years ago, and she loved her children more than anything in the world. The blow had rendered her into such a state of shock during months, that the family had feared for her life. For the first time, a shade of pity mixed with her feelings.


    Olivia certainly didn''t seem happy to see her, as she slowly walked to meet her, her hand fixed on a cane that clicked when it came in contact the pale marble floor. Her chin had doubled, her neck was cramped, reminding Anna of the swollen frogs in the swamps of the Saki lake. Her steely eyes seemed to jump from Anna''s hair to her hands, to her robes, as if she wasn''t exactly sure of which part of Anna bothered her more.


    "Welcome, daughter," Lady Olivia Redfield said rispidly, with a frozen smile and cold eyes.


    She took her hands. The touch of the woman''s cold hands reminded Anna of the way a snake slowly envolves its prey before attacking. She smiled.


    "Lady Olivia," she said, withdrawing her hands from the woman''s grip. "I hope you are well."


    Olivia''s face soured immediately. Anna would never, ever, call her mother. That would mean spitting in her own mother''s memory. Anna had always been true to her feelings and genuine in her emotions. It was hard for her to pretend that she liked Olivia when in fact a part of her downright despised her.


    Of course, the woman had good reason to hate her back. She was as protective of her children as a lioness of her cubs. Even though Anna didn''t directly pose a threat to her dear children, she was without doubt the favourite of her father. It was odd, since she wasn¡¯t even his real child. Lord Walter Redfield had found her once in the middle of a stranded island, practicing Airshifting by herself. He had been incredibly interested on the little girl''s powers and took it as a signal from the Gods - why else would his path cross with an Airshifter who was an orphan? He had taken her home, to Olivia''s great horror.


    Even though Lady Olivia''s impatience grew weary whenever she set eyes on the child, Anna soon realized that the household wasn''t just composed of this horrible woman, but of George and Edward as well. She saw them with a mix of fear and respect at first, but George had soon put her at ease and taught her the Western language.


    In fact, what seemed to drive Olivia completely insane was the fact that her children seemed to adore Anna like she was one of their own, even when she tried her best to put Anna "in her place". She wasn''t allowed to go hunting with them, or eat in the same table as the rest of the family, or even wear the same uniforms as the family. At first, she had prohibited her from altogether playing with her children. It didn''t work, since the Redfields were far too interested in this skinny girl. Not one of them shared her opinion that Anna posed a threat. Soon after Josephine was born, and eventually Richard and Patricia, and they all grew up together and lived together until Anna was old enough to fulfill her dream of living in Hashi Island, where her parents'' roots called to her. She had abandoned the East at the age of ten years old, and came back only a few times, only for meaningful events. She kept a correspondence with her brothers and sisters, though.


    Her father was the one who missed her the most. He used to be enthralled with her and told her that she looked a lot like her mother. When he said it to his other daughters, it was meant as criticism. Josephine had inherited her mother''s arrogance and tendency to complain and see the negative side of things. Patricia had inherited the insecurity and the need to constantly compare herself with the others. But in Anna, it was meant as the most genuine of compliments. She was adventurous and independent, just like her mother had once been. She wasn''t bound to anything. She didn''t appreciate life at court, for that matter.


    Meanwhile, her stepmother had turned a nasty shade of red.


    "Gods'' graces, girl, what in the world are you wearing?"


    "Kale, Lady Olivia," Anna replied softly, blinking with fake surprise. "Hashian mages robes. I thought you would like them, it''s the latest fashion in Hashi Island." She lowered her voice and smiled naughtily. "And they certainly cost more than the attire of any of these ladies - including her."


    The reply seemed to ennerve Lady Olivia to the point that she looked over her shoulder at the Queen to check if she had heard the impertinence, and then looked around as if she were scared of the idea of being associated with a girl that was so obnoxious and foreigner.


    "Don''t worry, Mother," Josephine helped. "Nobody seems to be paying attention to Anna."


    Josephine was right. The ladies didn''t exactly seem to mind that a foreigner in strange robes had entered, even though it was quite apparent that she was a mage and her appearance contrasted so much with theirs. Some of them were even indifferent to the point of resuming back their tasks without a second glance in her direction. Anna was impressed with the absence of reaction that her presence had caused. In Haysen, she could have been hanged just for showing up in at the gates, dressed like that. Yet in this place, it seemed to be considered normal.


    Times really had changed, she concluded.


    "Come," Olivia hissed, still determined to let her know that she wasn''t off the hook. "You better behave yourself, you are about to meet the Queen."


    She followed her to the table where the Queen was gathered with her ladies. The silence fell upon the table and Lydia turned to face them. A lock of hair fell to her bright brown eyes and she blew it out in an unlady like manner. Anna almost laughed.


    "My Queen," Lady Olivia introduced in a gelid voice. "This is Lord Redfield''s daughter."


    "Your Majesty." Anna bowed gracefully and stood back up confidently. She had trained the gesture several times in the mirror, and she knew that she always seemed to flow like water when she bowed. Some of the ladies seemed impressed.


    The Queen''s eyes softened.


    "Welcome to Elezia," she said. "I hope you had a safe journey."


    "I did, thank you."


    "I''ve heard so much about you," the Queen continued. "Rumour has it that you are the current Master of Airshifting."


    Anna shrugged.


    "Perhaps of the Continent," she admitted. Olivia''s throat made a strange sound, like a whine. "But as soon as I set foot in Hashi, I realized that there were far greater mages up there than I am today."


    "Well," the Queen said with a smile. "I''ll be grateful enough to have met the greatest master in the Continent."


    Anna wasn''t quite sure of how to respond. She wasn''t sure if she was being mocked, but she had heard such high opinions of the Queen, that she preferred to believe that she was being genuine.


    "I hope you found the kingdom agreeable?"


    "Oh, yes, Your Majesty," she said excitedly. "I''ve never seen anything like it."


    "Good," the Queen said proudly, raising an eyebrow with a triumphant smile. The stories said that the Queen had been a peasant once, but Anna could scarcely believe it. She had the pride of a powerful woman, as if she had been born to become a Queen. "You are welcome to stay for as long as you would like."


    The Queen waved her hand, dismissing her and giving her permission to leave. But instead of bowing and taking her place back with her sister, Anna didn''t move.


    "Actually, my lady-" The Queen''s eyes travelled back to her. "I was hoping to do something else."


    "Oh?"


    Olivia chuckled nervously.


    "I was hoping to make a small demonstration."


    "Anna," Olivia said, the edge of anger jumping in her voice. "I don''t think that will be-"


    The Queen lifted a hand to silence her.


    "Thank you, Lady Olivia, but please, let your daughter speak."


    "Well, are you proposing to Airshift for us? Right now?"


    Anna nodded confidently. The ladies, sensing a comotion, seemed enthralled at the prospect of witnessing magic.


    "Well, I couldn''t refuse, could I?"If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Anna looked around with uncertainty. She fished out the armband from her kale and tied it right below her shoulder. Several women stood up or approached her, trying to get a better look at the weapon. It wasn''t that they had never seen a Shifting Armband in their lives, of course, but Anna was sure that they had never seen one so artistic. Hashians never used instruments only for the purpose of practicality. Each tool was perfectly handcrafted and aesthetically pleasing. There was a whole business back in the island only to perfect the beauty of the armbands. The instrument itself was a masterpiece, a braceletwhere two dragons carved in silver, turning to each other, held a large diamond - the stone from which she would withdraw the Air power. Across the stone there was a needle. Anna dug it carefully on her arm, the small needle of the armband piercing her skin.


    "Does it hurt?" One of the ladies blurted.


    "Not really."


    Truth be told, the skin was already so accostumed to that feeling, that she didn''t notice the discomfort or pain.


    Anna went to the window and saw that the patio had fresh leaves scattered through the ground. She directed her power at them and chanelled the power of the crystal. She could feel the reserves drawing, boiling on her blood. And then she pointed her hand at the leaves, grabbed and pulled.


    All of a sudden, they raised in a spiraling dance, flying from down below, to the window and into the living room. They danced across the room in twirls until Anna released them back to the window. A rain of leaves fell from the sky. Several nobles looked up with a frown.


    Inside, the ladies were clapping.


    "Oh!" One of the women yelled excitedly. "So could you breathe under water, if you''d like? Create an air barrier around your head?"


    "It doesn''t work that way," Anna said. "We can''t really conjure anything out of nothing, only manipulate what is already there. But nice try."


    She seemed almost embarrassed. The ladies around her laughed.


    "Oh, it looks like you''ve managed to capture someone''s attention, Lady Anna," the Queen said happily.


    A small, chubby toddler with golden locks and bright green eyes approached them excitedly, running with difficulty as he wore a wide grin.


    "Prince Leonardo, please greet Lady Redfield," the Queen commanded.


    The child looked up at Anna and gave her a naughty smile. His eyes were twinkling, and something about his overall expression made it look like he was the sort of kid who was constantly getting himself into trouble. She wondered if he used his adorable bright green eyes and golden locks like a shield.


    "Welcome to the Palace, Lady Redfield," he said in a perfect Elezian, bowing his head.


    "Thank you," Anna said.


    "Jon," the Queen commanded. "Now it''s your turn."


    There was a second prince clutched to the Queen''s skirts, apparently, but he had been hidden by the table. The small prince came to sight, nervously and trembling at the prospect of talking to a stranger. He looked like he was perhaps two years old, and he was very small, with a mesh of dark curls and shy brown eyes that went tearful as soon as they set on Anna. However, he seemed to force himself to bow, mumbling in an Elezian as perfect as his brother''s, "Welcome to Elezia, my lady."


    He looked at the Queen and she gave him an approving nod. With relief, he went back to his spot behind the table and out of sight. Most queens settled on sending away their children to live in one of the royal residences and outside the intrigue of the court lifestyl, and then hire tutors to live with them until they were old enough to be trained as princes and princesses. Anna had never heard of such small children being allowed into the chambers of their own parents.


    "If you had come two or three months later, I would introduce you to the future Princess," she said as her hand gently caressed her womb. "Or Prince, of course - but this time, I''m certain it will be a girl."


    Anna smiled with embarrassment. She did not even know that there was another Elezian prince on the away. Truthfully, she did not even know that the second Prince existed as well. Perhaps she ought to study more history, but until then, the countries of the Continent had barely interested her. She had always thought that Hashi and Brevylian Islands were so much more worthy of attention. That was, of course, before she had set foot inside this new kingdom. The happy streets and magical children still reverberated in her mind.


    "May I assume that you haven''t seen your family in a long time?"


    "Yes, Your Majesty, I haven''t seen them since-"


    Her breath got caught up in her throat. Since George died, she meant to say. The Queen tilted her head and gave her a look full of sorrow.


    "Your brother payed a dear service to this country. He was a good friend, a loyal soldier and a fierce protector of a realm. He died in the name of Elezia."


    Anna''s throat clenched.


    "I know," she managed to say.


    ¡°The Captain Redfield is out at the moment,¡± Lydia said, ¡°but he will return shortly. I¡¯ll make sure you know it when he arrives. Now go and catch up with your sisters, I know you have a lot to talk about. I¡¯ll notify you as soon as your father comes back. He is tremendously eager to see you, he has been talking about it for a good while.¡±


    "So am I, Your Majesty."


    <hr><hr>


    "Ask for a favour!" The walls of her sisters'' chambers shook with Olivia''s screams. "I have never been so embarrassed in my entire life! Never!"


    "The Queen didn''t seem to mind, Lady Olivia," Anna commented tiredly as she withdrew the kales from her case and hung them next to Josephine''s dresses.


    ¡°I was appalled!¡± She yelled. ¡°How could you speak up with such impertinence?¡±


    ¡°The Queen certainly didn¡¯t seem to find it impertinent, Lady Olivia. Wouldn¡¯t you say so, sister?¡±


    Josephine kept her eyes nailed to the ground. Anna sighed. Some things didn¡¯t change. Her sister had never been able to stand up against their mother - not when she was seven, not when she was seventeen.


    "Shameful!" She yelled. "And what are those?"


    "I told you before, mage''s robes."


    Anna was concerned. Olivia''s face shifted from red, to white, to purple. She opened and closed her mouth and then, with a roar, tossed her a menacing look before turning around and banging the door with a crash. Her personal servant ran after her, closing the door softly.


    "You really ought to be softer with Mother," Josephine said. Her whispered voice contrasted with the violent tone that had been heard only a few seconds ago. "She hasn''t been the same since George died."


    "You''re right. I''m sorry."


    A few seconds slipped by. Anna couldn''t help but wonder what had happened to Edward.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think this room is so much better than the one we had in Grovesry Mansion?¡±


    Anna couldn¡¯t care less about the Redfields¡¯ current lodgings.


    "What happened to Edward?" She demanded bluntly.


    Josephine sighed.


    "We''re not supposed to talk about it," she said.


    "I''m your sister."


    "But Mother told me not to tell anyone-"


    "Then I''ll just ask Patricia."


    "He eloped," Josephine blurted out.


    Anna''s jaw dropped.


    "What?"


    "Yes."


    "Edward?"


    "Yes, Edward," Josephine said coldly. "About two months ago. We were as shocked as you are, believe me."


    Anna tried to process this new information, but it was scarcely believable. After all, Edward had always, always, followed their father''s orders without questioning. He had been married once already, out of duty.


    "And the Queen?"


    "She wasn''t pleased, of course," Josephine said, raising an eyebrow. "She is patient and understanding, but even she had a hard time accepting that the heir to one of heir Great Houses had disappeared over one night. And to marry someone, after he had been married to her sister."


    "Her sister?"


    "Edward''s first wife, Constance Roseblade? Gods, Anna, you were at the wedding."


    "I''m terrible with names. And back then, Lydia wasn''t even a Queen. How could I remember?"


    ¡°Anyway... we woke up one morning and he was simply... gone.¡±


    Anna was still fascinated with the story. She couldn¡¯t imagine that her strict brother, Edward, the one who always took care of the youngest and enforced the rules when they were children, had managed to run away without consent.


    "But who was it? Who did he run off with?"


    Josephine gave out a cold laugh. She opened her mouth and swallowed, as if it pained her too much to say it out loud.


    "A Brevylian."


    Anna had a hard time picturing Edward, who was strong and with snow white skin, with a small Brevylian with dark skin and curled horns by his side.


    "Mother said it bewitched him. We never even saw them together."


    Anna laughed. No, she definitely could not paint a mental image. Josephine grew impatient.


    ¡°Can you act more concerned and less enthusiastic? This is really serious, you know.¡±


    "Of course it¡¯s serious, but it¡¯s so unlike him... though Edward was always secretive about his life. Not a single person in this family knew everything about him. He was always fond of keeping us in the dark when it came to his private life. He wouldn''t talk to us about the simplest meetings at court, and would make sure to keep us in the dark."


    "Not me," Josephine whispered in a way that made Anna wonder if she was talking to herself. "He always confided in me."


    There was silence. Slowly, Anna came to a terrifying conclusion.


    "So... Richard is the head of the family now? After father?"


    Josephine''s eyes seemed to die a little.


    "Yes," Josephine confirmed Anna''s fears. "Of course, he turns to Mother every time he ought to make a decision. Papa is giving him a really hard time, though, you¡¯ll notice it when you see it."


    If the situation hadn¡¯t been so serious, Anna would have probably laughed at the idea of her baby brother becoming head of the family. Richard had always been the spoiled one. With George and Edward above him in the line of succession, no one had ever seriously considered that there was the possibility of him becoming the heir to the family. While his parents had been hard on George and Edward''s upbringing, they had spoiled Richard and let him do as he pleased.


    Richard¡¯s strongest weapons resided in shouting and throwing tantrums. Anna remembered several episodes of him running away as a child when things didn''t work out his way. His punishments were a lot lighter than his siblings'' had been. It was also no secret that Walter strongly preferred the company of his oldest sons to Richard''s. He often sent him away as a child if he was being too noisy and barely cared about his youngest boy¡¯s education or upbringing, leaving the boy starved for his father''s attention. His mother compensated by giving him anything he wanted and controlling the boy to her will. She loved George, but her time with him was limited due to his constant studies, and her affection for Edward had dried out when she realized that her second son could barely afford to share a single detail about his personal life. Eventually, she could barely stand Edward¡¯s sight as soon as his marriage to Lady Constance Roseblade ended, effectively killing any chance of Lady Olivia having any prospect royal grandchildren. Her affection had fully turned to Richard. As a result, Richard had grown up to become a twenty-year-old with a child''s mentality.


    Anna made a mental note to refrain from stirring the conversation in front of Patricia. After all, they had always been close. The brothers and sisters had paired up a long time ago. Anna and George, Josephine and Edward, Patricia and Richard. A new bond linked her with Josephine... the loss of a brother.


    "Of course, Mother is thrilled that Richard is the leader now. She was convinced that Edward was to blame for the first failed marriage." Josephine explained tiredly. "She told him that he had stained the Redfield name."


    She tried to remember the Queen''s sister, Lady Constance Roseblade, and then it dawned on her. She was a beautiful thing, shy and gracious, who never spoke out of turn. She always wore magician robes and demonstrated Fireshifting at her own wedding.


    "What? But that''s-!"


    "Insane? Irrational? I know, Anna, but this is mother we''re talking about. She always has her eyes set in wealth and power, and she will do anything for the name of this family."


    "How did she die?"


    "In our country estate, in the autumn of... four years ago already? The Queen buried her sister. She died from the Pox, it came during the middle of the summer and her health deteriorated until it wiped her clean in her sleep."


    Four years had passed since then.


    "I might understand why he did it, if he loved her," Josephine said. "But I can''t understand why he would love her. You know, a Brevylian."


    "What''s wrong with Brevylians?"


    Josephine shuddered. "They''re dark creatures, or so they say. He knew that Mother would never accept him marrying her, so he ran. I never thought he would do it. He left one night and didn''t come back."


    Her sister''s ignorance made her feel a sour taste in her mouth. It was Josephine speaking, but the words came from Olivia.


    "Perhaps people aren''t divided in races, Josephine," Anna said coldly, in a very different manner than her usual self.


    "Ugh, stop patronizing me," Josephine snapped. "I can''t stand the thought. I can''t stand the thought of him putting the entire family at stake for that- that- thing!"


    "She''s not a thing," Anna snapped. "She''s a girl. Just like us."


    "Well excuse me, but I don''t remember ever ruining a family''s legacy."


    "She didn''t ruin our legacy. And Edward wanted this."


    "That''s- that''s what I don''t get. How could he do this to me? How could he do this to us?"


    Her eyes flooded with tears. Anna hugged her.


    "He just left!" She yelled. "And he left his family to die!"


    Anna was at a loss for words. All she could do was stroke her sister''s hair and speak to her Father urgently. Certainly, he would know what to do.


    All the warm feelings that had greeted her in this country were gone. All she could feel was a cold sweat, as she wondered about the fate of her family.