.Eyes Of Void.

-21-

"How many times did all of you almost end up dying?!" Eleric asked of me, shocked as I nodded to myself, knowing it was a lot to hear.

"I am not lying, Eleric; if it weren't for the mage, we wouldn't be here."

"Well lucky you, you get time with your mage while mine it as oblivious as a rock to its own existence." I chuckled at the comparison.

"Do not lose hope, mine isn't as easy to charm as you think, she takes her role really seriously and hell she even keeps away from cussing more then we do because that's how she was taught."

"So we are not having much luck huh?"

"I wouldn't say we do have any luck really."

"So anything else happened?"

"No not really." Mom told me to keep what we called the void a secret while we don't find anything out about it and I know the mages will not speak of it so I cannot be the one to break the secrecy of it.

To ensure nothing got out I hadn't even told him it wasn't Mystery who saved me from the magical yeti.

I yawned a little, trying to hide it but failed.

"Ah we've talked for long enough sister, I'll let you retire for the night." He said while standing up from my armchair while I've been sitting on my bed.

"It is fine Eleric."

"I insist, it was not even two days ago that you were almost killed it takes some times to get back to normal so rest." He ruffled my hair and left.

I sighed and sent the maids away, not keeping them around, it was late enough and I was not unable to undress by myself.

I closed the door and took everything off, folding all in a neat pile on my desk and putting on a light green night gown.

I closed the window flaps and blew out the candles around the room, feeling my way to the bed and climbing in.

What a week this has been.

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After all that happened the last few days, it was quite hard to get back to the old boring lessons on political alliances and geography.

I looked out the window with a sigh, staring at the elm tree and trying to see if a certain mage was perched in its branches.

It was scary at the time but also more entertaining then most of my days were, to be in deadly danger, at that moment it was different, a bit later it was thrilling but now even that became tiring, fearing if that was the last attack against my life or just one of the many more to come.

"Please your highness do pay attention it is important for your future."

"Sorry miss Loptar." I said, looking down at the book open on a map in front of me but just as she started to talk again, her voice faded from my ears once again.

I knew Mystery said she'd die for me but what if she died? I don't want her hurt...

And what if she failed the trials? She wouldn't would she? She can't fail she has still so many tricks up her sleeves we don't know abou--

"Highness." A voice brought me back to reality and I looked towards the door at a guard. "Her Majesty has summoned you to the courtyard."

"Lead the way." I said standing up.

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I hid my disdain at the familiar carriage rolling up through the castle gates.

"All will be fine." Eleric whispered to me, all of us here with mother standing a bit ahead of us.

"Like it always is?" I said with an eye-roll.

"Just keep your cool for now." He said.

As the carriage stopped, the door of it was opened and a man I never missed step out.

It was the son of my father's brother, sadly him and his wife had died long ago and he grew up with us but he was a rotten egg.

He was a war-loving man that couldn't do anything well outside of belittling woman and swinging a sword, I don't know how he became like this with my mother to teach him.

"Dear aunt it has been so long." He said with a large smile, it has been so long because you avoid this place like the plague Ethan and would only come back for one reason.

"Good to see you Ethan, welcome to the capitol."

"Ah this place never change, the same old." He said as he approached us, not even bowing to my mother like how he should.

"Ethan." Eleric greeted him with a nod, they were complete opposites in every way.

"Good to see you cousin."

"Same here."

"Hello you two." He ruffed the two younger siblings hair, I could see Meridith with murder blazing in her eyes as she cared a lot about her hair being neat. "And hello you too, still playing dress up I see."

"Ethan." I nodded a greet too. "And I am not the one to play you know that very well." I said with a cold calmness.

"You look like a boy Audrey."

"I do not Ethan, you'd know that if you were around more this is my usual outfit and also the one for riding horses, plus it is tailored to my body so it isn't masculine."

"You'd look better in a dress."

I had to hold myself back from throwing a punch as that wasn't how a future queen behaves, I can't let him get on my nerves.

"Why are you here cousin if I might ask?" Eleric came to my rescue letting me relax as Ethan looked at him.

"For the trials what else? I'll finally be king as all the low lives cannot best me." He always spoke of being king ignoring he'd just be consort if he won, unfortunately there is no rule that someone from my family couldn't participate, even Eleric could have if such was needed.

"They won't be weak." I said, mostly speaking of Mystery as she was one of the two I knew would participate.

"I am not either, I paid a man to enlighten me in the art of true magic." I liked him even less because of that, he did believe in magic but didn't believe in elementals, he thought they were fraud that only used part of their magic on purpose and not because they were born with a different sort of magic altogether.

"Ethan come, we'll guide you to your quarters so you can get settled in." Mother said.

"Gladly aunt, let us go."