.Eyes Of Void.

-41-

Everything was hazy.

I was reading and suddenly hazy.

"Audrey!" I heard Mystery.

"No she doesn't matter."

"She doesn't." I said for some reason, not remembering why.

"Audrey?!" Why are you looking for me? You don't matter.

"ETHAN!!!!!" I heard her scream and a door kicked down.

Another door was blasted through.

"DON'T TOUCH HER!!!" Why? I wanted it. Give him back. "Hey Audrey! Snap out of it!"

I blinked, feeling like I was waking up from a lucid dream and confused why everything looked like my dream before I started coughing.

It scared me that it came out as blue smoke, my stomach felt queasy but I didn't throw up.

 "What is the meaning of this?!" Mother marched in with her white nightgown on, I stayed silent as I was still trying to connect reality to what I dreamt and how all of it connected.

"I am sorry for such rude behavior but that man over there!" Mystery pointed at Ethan who was tied up with vines against his room's door, why are we in his room? "Has not only been behind turning the council against the Highness but also gifted her this, knowing what it was precisely." She uncurled her fit, the broken pieces of an incense stick previously clutched in it.

"That's vanilla." My mother said seriously.

"Pay closer attention Majesty." I smelt the air too... Wait I remember... That's...

"What are yo--Wait that's..?"

Please don't be what I think it is.

"Alernia? Yeah thought so too, it is no uncommonly sold in small oil form in vials, waaaaaay less potent then what was used in the trial, people like to put a few drops in the incense to relax but for us to smell it? This must have been doused in it and it was Ethan's gift to the princess, it makes someone compliant to anything while thinking they want it, borderline hallucinating." She waved her hand while the realization set it.

Ethan tried to use this to... To rape me?! That's so low... Oh my gods what would have happened if Mystery hadn't come...

"Why?!" Mystery screamed in Ethan's face.

"I will be king!" He dared to give an answer, my throat tight as he thought this would help him be king.

"That stupid wish drove you to this?!" 

"Ethan." Mystery straightened and clasped her arms behind her back as my mother talked, standing ready to act if ordered as everyone was frozen by the magical aura she exuded, order and silence was what she wanted. "You stepped over the line." And those words sealed his fate for good. "Mage please take my daughter away."

"Highness." I hooked my arm around hers and held it tight, the images of what could have happened to me if she was late playing in my mind.

"I don't wanna be alone tonight." I muttered, too scared to be alone after what almost happened.

"I'll watch over you." She promised.

"Good."

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The morning I was woken up by the scream of a maid surprised to find Mystery sitting in my room like I had asked her.

She left me with Eleric before parting ways with me to get ready for the trial of this morning.

Tho I am now hearing rumors about the trial being pushed to the evening, I guess it has something to do with Ethan's transgression.

"Don't worry, he won't hurt you anymore." Eleric said, using his magical gift to calm my nerves, a hand on my shoulder as I sighed.

"I know, I just..."

"No don't think about what could have happened, he'll learn to never try anything of the sort."

"You know what is going on."

"I cannot tell, now come."

"Why can't you?"

"Mother's orders, to make sure those on his side don't run."

"Why?"

"I already said to much, come now."

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We were summoned outside of the court, in the grass outside, I was standing with my mother and siblings while many guards were present and even the mages. This was something important.

And I soon saw why.

I watched them push Ethan forwards, he was dressed in peasant clothes with his circlet on his head and pushed to the middle of the circle that was forming by the rest of the guards, the mages been distributed along the length of it.

"Ethan." Mother said in the same voice as I heard earlier in the night when she discovered this, she's never been this scary. "You committed treason to the crown, you attacked the future queen of the land, harmed my mages." I am happy mother believed me when I said he hit Mystery. "Threatened my mages, stole from the riches and turned people against the future queen of their nation... I should behead you for that." For once he learnt his lesson and shut his mouth. "Get on your knees and implore my pardon!" He dropped to his knees, bowing his head against the ground.

I wished he would speak back right now, just so he could finally get his deserved punishment.

"I deprive you from your titles Ethan, from now on you are nothing but a man, no, not even a man, a vermin." She took his circlet and threw it in the air, head mage Belladonna caught it and mangled it completely with her air magic before throwing it over her shoulder to be lost in the grass like a lost rusted nail would be.

"The honor of my daughter has been damaged because of you but I'll be merciful." I think I am starting to understand what is preparing here. "You either walk away from here to never return with no honor or you stand and fight my daughter's champion for the little dignity you have left." Knowing him... He'll fight.

"I'll fight." He whispered but loud enough for us to hear, like I expected from him... suffer.

"So be it! Court mage Mystery step forth." She did it without a word as the guard formed  the final complete circle around them. "Ethan of no title you will fight the mage you disgraced, the silver dragon, the queen's beast, the silver monster, you will not leave this ring by your own strength."