Chapter 63

Just then, there was a light rap at the door. Renart answered it and brought in the guest. Tinasha’s eyes widened at this unexpected visitor. “You are…” “My name is Valt, Your Highness.” The mage smiled brightly and bowed. This was one of Nephelli’s guards; Tinasha had caught a glimpse of him before at the training grounds. She stared intently at him. “You’re suppressing your magic. In truth, you have more than a nation’s chief mage, don’t you?” “Oh, certainly not that much. It’s simply that most of that magic is acquired, and I don’t need others knowing about it, so I keep it hidden,” he replied. Tinasha nodded. How exactly one came to possess more than their natural amount of magical power was a private matter, often concerning unique circumstances. Tinasha herself was the same way, so she pressed that matter no further. Instead, she asked, “Why have you come to see me? Do you have some idea who the assassin is?” “No, nothing to do with that…,” he admitted, looking uncomfortable as he showed her the books of magic he was holding. “I had a question about a spell. I’m sorry to bother you at this hour.” Tinasha was taken aback at this but soon broke into a smile. Tuldarr attracted the interest and admiration of mages from other countries. Approving of this young man who made no secret of his passion for study, even under such circumstances, Tinasha offered him a seat. “Go ahead and ask. I hope it’s something I can answer. Whatever I can’t, Renart can.” “Princess Tinasha, I’m not sure this is…” “I’ll take you up on that, thank you,” stated Valt. Sitting around the table, the three of them debated various topics related to magic. It was a wonderful break for Tinasha, who had been spending all her time and energy on curse analysis and coronation arrangements as of late. After their third cup of tea, Valt got to his feet. Beaming, he said, “Thank you so much. Now I’ll be at liberty to get back to guarding Princess Nephelli. We’ve obtained the cooperation of the king of Farsas, too, so their engagement should come any day now.” “What?” Tinasha replied blankly. Valt went on, matter-of-factly. “That is Yarda’s intention, considering that he’s taken Her Highness into his care. It’s the perfect opportunity, seeing as the pair have been acquainted for so long. I’m positive they’ll make for a loving couple.” After a pause, he added, “Princess Tinasha, that man will be perfectly happy no matter whom he marries.” Valt broke off there, fixing Tinasha with an incredibly earnest look. “So you should set yourself free as well.” He flashed her a wry smile, as if sympathizing with her. What did Valt mean by that? While Tinasha was too stunned to speak, Renart said, “What do you think you’re doing? She is—” “I am well aware she’s the princess of Tuldarr. Please take very good care of yourself. Thank you for indulging me.” Before Tinasha could get a word out, Valt bowed smoothly and took his leave. Tinasha had the distinct sensation of having been left behind. She glanced at the tabletop, where cups full of cooled tea sat. “Set myself free…?” Valt had looked at her with the eyes of one who could see through to the truth of almost all he heard. Maybe that explained the keen sense of loss Tinasha felt. She pressed a hand to her aching heart. “…Who he marries is not my concern.” Farsas wasn’t her home, nor were she and Oscar mere citizens. Forlorn or not, she couldn’t let her feelings get the better of her. There was no other option. She would just live out the rest of her life with this inexhaustible heat inside her. Tinasha thought of the day she would leave Farsas. Her coronation was in less than three weeks. Another week passed, but the missing officer still hadn’t turned up. That night, a despondent Nephelli reluctantly left her room at the personal invitation of Oscar. She made her way to the great hall, ringed by her guard soldiers and lady-in-waiting. A deep-blue carpet covered the floor of the glass-ceilinged chamber; bowls of fruit and cooked dishes were laid out on top of it. From deeper within, the king of the castle asked her, “How are you feeling?” “I’m very sorry I made you go to all this trouble…” “It’s no hassle. I should be apologizing for the lack of progress in our search,” Oscar stated, sitting down directly on the carpet and encouraging Nephelli and her attendants to partake of the food. The princess’s guard contingent consisted of two military officers named Nino and Lucanos, as well as Valt the mage. On Oscar’s side were Als, Kumu, Doan, and Sylvia. The entire group sat in a circle. Nephelli, seated next to Oscar, gradually began to smile as he urged food and wine on her. For the first time in a while, she began to feel relieved. A half hour after the modest banquet commenced, a pair of mages appeared at the entrance to the hall. One was the next queen of Tuldarr, and the other was her attendant. As Tinasha brushed her long black hair back, she surveyed the guests and then waved to the king. “Pardon the intrusion, but I’ll be going back to Tuldarr for a while.” “Got it. Is it urgent?” Oscar inquired. “Not particularly,” she answered, smiling faintly. Sylvia grinned. “Princess Tinasha, won’t you have a drink before you go?” “I’ll get yelled at if I drink in Farsas.” “That’s right. Oh, then sing us a song, if your matter is nothing pressing. You’re here and everything,” said Oscar. “A song?” Tinasha repeated, acting a little hesitant, but ultimately, she acquiesced to his request. She sat down between Sylvia and Doan and summoned a small lyre into her hands. After strumming it once to check all the strings, she began to sing in a clear voice. “You wish for the unseen, and the unseen is a different thing. No matter how brightly the sun’s rays shine on the earth, some things will never come to light. Her face is forgotten, but her song goes on and on. Fragmented memories wander about like traces of a dream long past.” Her resonant voice had the power to sink deep beneath the skin. The guests’ eyes fluttered closed naturally as they listened in ecstasy. The lyrics brought to mind scenes from ancient history. Tinasha’s song melted into the evening air as she sang the verses once more, languidly, before drawing to a close. Her listeners remained enraptured, however, as if they had come to the end of a long story and could not break free from it right away. Save lingering reverberations of the song, silence fell upon the hall. Tinasha stood and returned to the doorway, where Renart was waiting. She smiled. “I will be on my way, then.” “Okay. Be careful getting back,” Oscar replied. “Princess Nephelli, please take good care of yourself, too,” Tinasha appended. “All right…,” Nephelli muttered. Tinasha spread her arms wide and said the incantation for a transportation array. She opened a portal large enough to encompass Renart, too. As she watched them wink out of sight, Nephelli let out another deep sigh. Aware that Nephelli remained in low spirits, Oscar took the opportunity at the end of the banquet to invite her to go outside the castle with him the following day. There was a small lake a little south of the city, and they could do some hunting while they were out. Nephelli was reluctant to accept, but as it was a special invitation from him, and security would be heavily tightened up, she agreed. The following morning, she woke up early and began selecting her outfit for the day. There was still plenty of time before they were to meet. After a great deal of indecision, she chose a white dress, as Oscar seemed to favor them. It had been an exceedingly long time since she had enjoyed something to look forward to like this. She borrowed a horse and rode out to the castle gate, where he was waiting for her. Once close enough, she beamed at him. After staring at Nephelli, Oscar gave some order to the lady-in-waiting behind her. She ran off, returning quickly with a short veil. “You might get sunburned,” Oscar explained. “Th-thank you…,” Nephelli mumbled, unaware how her cheeks were flushing as she put on the veil. Such keen thoughtfulness was welcome. It made her feel warm and cherished. Oscar and Nephelli passed through a transportation array along with a party of twenty guards. It took them to a clearing just before a small forest. On closer inspection, a path led deep into the middle of the woods. It appeared to branch off along the way. “The woods aren’t dense enough for one to lose their way—but don’t leave my side. The lake is on the other side of these woods,” Oscar said, and Nephelli nodded and carefully urged her horse to follow after his. Right behind her were Gait and Valt, as well as Nino and Lucanos, the Yardan officers. Farsasian soldiers rode at the front and rear of the party, while mages were interspersed throughout. It was more than enough to defend against an attack. As he led his horse with one hand on the reins, Oscar turned to Nephelli. “It’s best you get some fresh air outside every so often.” “Thank you for thinking of me,” she responded, smiling at him. While the princess knew there was still an emotional distance between the two, this gave her hope for closing it. As the party meandered through the forest, they passed many forks in the road. Suddenly, the light grew dim. Looking up, Nephelli saw that clouds had formed overhead. They were flowing quickly, suggesting swift winds in the sky. Oscar turned back to gaze at Nephelli. She inhaled sharply, sensing a sharp glint in his dusk-colored eyes. She opened her mouth to say something. However, Nephelli was quickly silenced as a curious fog rolled in. It grew denser at an unnatural speed until she couldn’t see a thing. “Wha…?” she gasped, about to break into an instinctive cry of fear, but a man’s hand reached out from the mist to steady her. When he suddenly couldn’t see in front of him, Gait frantically urged his horse ahead toward his lady. “Princess Nephelli!” The vapor was so thick that he couldn’t see his own hands. Desperately, he felt around in the air. His hand landed on a soft body. “Gait?” asked a clear and familiar voice. It was his lady. Just as relief swept over the man, the mist thinned as abruptly as it had appeared. Surroundings became visible once more, and light poured in from above. Now that Gait could see, he was aghast as he realized there was something very wrong. Glancing behind him, he saw Valt and the two officers staring around, just as stunned. At some point, every single person from Farsas—including the king—had vanished. “Wh-what in the world…?” The three men exchanged glances and stayed on guard, but there were no signs of any suspicious presences. Unfortunately, there was nothing to suggest the people from Farsas were around, either. Gait turned back around and said to a shaken-looking Nephelli, “Princess, let’s go back to the castle for now. I’ll open a transportation array.” “But…” “You are our top priority. Once we’ve gotten you to a safe place, we can worry about the others.” Nephelli hesitated for quite a while before finally giving a little nod. With his lady’s permission, Gait began an incantation. However, he couldn’t transport them directly inside another country’s castle; he could only take them outside its front gate. Just as the portal was opening, something whizzed toward the group from the trees. It was an arrow headed straight for Nephelli. Fortunately, it struck a barrier Valt had erected, and then it fell. The party was startled for only a moment before a hail of projectiles rained down from all around. “Assassins!” The two officers drew their swords. Arrows were coming from the left-hand side, deep in the foliage. Lucanos shouted, “That way—and hurry!” In the direction he indicted, something glittered in a gap through the trees—the lake. Everyone made for it, with Nino riding in the lead. Just before arriving at the lake’s shore, Nino jerked hard on his horse’s reins. Roughly thirty mounted men were barring the way. One glance at their motley attire revealed that they were not soldiers, but some sort of bandit crew. Their weapons already drawn, they smirked at the woman in the center of their group of five. “That’s the girl. Don’t let her get away.” When Gait heard that, he sprang into action. If this was all part of a plot, then he had to ensure Nephelli’s escape, at the very least. He wove a teleportation spell and reached out to the woman in front of him. As he did, however, the unthinkable happened. Behind Nephelli, Lucanos slowly lifted his sword to bring it down on his princess. Gait was momentarily stunned by the cold gaze the other man fixed on Nephelli. “Princess Nephelli!” he cried, too late. While Gait shook with dread that he had lost his one chance, Lucanos grinned, confident he would carry out his task. Astonishingly, both of their expectations were dashed. Nephelli pulled her own sword out of nowhere and parried Lucanos’s slash away. The would-be killer stared dumbly at her blade, which was glowing a faint purple. Amused, she let out a laugh. “It was you?” She tore off her veil. Underneath was the face of the frighteningly beautiful mage of Tuldarr. “Ridiculous! When did you change places?!” “Before, obviously. You’re so slow,” Tinasha taunted, keeping her eyes on Lucanos as she turned her horse around. A cruel smile split her red lips. Next to her, Gait was in shock. “That can’t be… How could I mistake the princess…? Where is she…?” “She’s with Oscar. They’re fine. My curse song made you mix us up. Last night, I altered your awareness, although it evidently didn’t work on everyone,” she admitted, shooting a look at Valt. He gave a guilty smile. Gait, on the other hand, hadn’t picked up on it in the slightest; his jaw dropped open. He knew of curse songs but would have never expected there to be anyone who could use one. Lucanos, having revealed himself as the assassin, looked flustered as he backed his horse up. Tinasha directed a mesmeric smile at him. “Did you kill the missing officer? He was close to the lady-in-waiting, so he knew about the poison tasting. I surmised that the real assailant killed him to buy time. So all that was left was to bring whoever remained into the open.” Tinasha readied her sword, a provocative grin on her face. “You can’t fall back now. You attacked me; that’s undeniable. Now it’s Tuldarr who will deal with you.” “Damn you…,” Lucanos growled, resentful over his failure. Tinasha kicked at her horse and rode toward the man, thrusting her slender sword at him. He defended with his own blade and struck back at her. As she dodged his blow, Tinasha cried to the last three men, “Valt, hold the barrier! You two, watch the rear!” “Yes,” Valt replied immediately. Gait and Nino obeyed in kind. The bandits were galloping toward them on the thin passage through the forest. Despite his nerves, Gait drew up a spell aimed at them. Seven light blades burst forth and struck the center of the oncoming group. The conjured things flew through the air and cut down the first ten riders, who fell limp from their horses, spurting blood. Yet the enemy was only confused for a moment; the other bandits let out a war cry and continued the charge. The awful sound of their horses’ hooves trampling over their fallen comrades filled the woods. Nino rode out in front of Gait and slashed at the brigands. He inhaled sharply, and his next sword strike brought death upon one ruffian. The difference in swordplay between a court officer and a bandit was stark, but the enemy had ever more men. Fortunately, just as the Yardans were losing hope, Farsasian soldiers appeared behind the brigand party. Als was leading them from the vanguard. “You can kill them all. Don’t let them get away!” Cries rang out. In an instant, the forest turned into a battlefield. Tinasha kept her hands on the reins of her steed even as she parried away Lucanos’s fierce slashes. This was her first time using a sword in a duel to the death. She had guessed that Lucanos might run away once she revealed who she really was, but he seemed intent on slaying her. Perhaps he was too focused to realize the rational decision. Tinasha met his strikes, though her nerves bled into her movements. Lucanos grinned. “Not used to real combat, huh? If only you hadn’t stuck your nose in another country’s affairs. You could have lived a comfortable life.” “I’m used to battle. I’m just not accustomed to a sword,” Tinasha asserted. Even so, she had to overcome this. That’s what being a ruler meant. Lucanos drove his heavy blade at her from head-on, taking advantage of the difference in height between them. Tinasha flicked it away with a snap of her wrist, which twinged with pain. Tightening her fingers around the hilt of her weapon, she slashed at Lucanos’s neck. She could see him drawing his sword back lightly and moving to drive it toward her left side. But she didn’t waver. She absolutely had to stand her ground. Tinasha held her breath. For a moment, she heard someone scolding her from the back of her mind: Use magic! However, Tinasha refused with a daring smile. She wouldn’t cast a spell. Instead, she raised her left elbow to stop her opponent’s blow. I am faster. Convinced of that, Tinasha thrust her blade into his neck. Her hand tingled with a dull, heavy feel. A spray of blood bloomed, and Lucanos’s face twisted. At the same time, the edge of his sword bit into her elbow. “Ugh… Ah!” Tinasha’s mind went blank with the pain, but she pushed through it via force of will. She pulled out her blade. Lucanos’s dropped, his arm hanging slack. He was swaying unsteadily on his horse, and Tinasha eyed him, breathing heavily herself. “…Tell me the name of the one who sent you.” His head was bowed, his windpipe pierced through, yet he was still on his horse. As planned, Tinasha hadn’t killed him. She would heal Lucanos and get him to tell her everything he knew. After that, the nations involved could decide his fate. Unfortunately, the moment Tinasha spoke and lowered her weapon, a blow came rushing toward her at a terrifying speed. “Wha—?” The attack came at an unguarded moment. Lucanos should have been on the verge of death, but he still possessed the strength to brandish his sword. Tinasha drew up a defensive spell. Her hastily cast barrier repelled the strike on its downswing…but it smashed the skull of the horse she was riding. The force of impact threw Tinasha from the saddle, and she collided hard with the ground. “Guh…” The impact knocked the breath out of the young woman. The pain left her consciousness hazy. A black figure suddenly appeared above her. With blurred vision, she saw his sword bear down upon her again.