Fanny's POV.
The great hall was filled with nothing but silence.
Fanny was sitting in front of him, avoiding her brother's glare. Her hands were on her thighs. Her legs were tight shut as if they were glued together, shaking lightly. There was nobody else except the siblings, the older one glaring at the younger. Everything was too intense not even the slightest air dared to pass between the two.
"Where did you run off to?" he interrogated.
"I told you before," Fanny said, though it almost sounded like a mumble. "A friendly forest, not far from the castle."
"You know what happens when you lie to me," Tigreal argued.
"But I didn't!" Fanny fought back, standing from her chair. She was barely keeping her anger at ease, even though she was trying to. Her mind told her to stay calm, yet her heart screamed the opposite.
"We've been searching for you for two days!" he shouted.
She was indeed gone for two days, lost in her way back, with nothing to eat and only a bottle of water to survive. She breathed, regaining her concentration, and spoke again. "I didn't mean to," Fanny said much calmer, but she felt her tears forming. "I swear."
"You didn't mean to," he repeated, his sweat now dripping from his forehead. "For the last two days, did you ever think of coming back?"
"Of course I did," she said. "I wanted to. I just... didn't think I deserve it." She inhaled unsteadily, trying to fight back her sadness—or frustration—that lingered inside her. She swallowed, trying to look calm, but failed miserably.
"You could've died." His voice was breaking.
"I—"
"You had nobody to protect you," he said, anger starting to fill him up again. "What help did your cables had to offer? Nothing. You had no sword or any weapon in your hands. You could've been killed and I—"
"Just because you're so much older than I am doesn't mean you can look down on me!" she boomed as she hit the table, suddenly on her feet. She shouted much louder than she expected. Much louder than she wanted to.
Tears were streaming down her red, flaming face. She pursed her shaking lips, trying her best to control her breathing.
She couldn't hold it anymore. Her heart was barely containing all the different emotions she was feeling, and she had no other choice but to let it out. She yelled one simple sentence that made her brother flinch as he heard it.
Fanny refused to think it was true, but sadly, it was. Her brother may not realize it, but she felt it was what he had always done to her in her life. She loved her brother with everything she had, and he paid her love back with nothing but his arrogance. She wanted to let everything out. She had to. She was sick of the constant underestimation she had received in her life.
"I understand," she said. "Older siblings would always want their younger ones far from any harm. They would do anything to keep them safe and sound, loved and secure."
"Fanny—" he started, but it was her turn to cut him off.
"But that only applies to little children," she went on. "Should I remind you again that I'm not a kid anymore? Or did you not know any of that? Or maybe you just didn't care? Or perhaps you spent too much time in this castle and everything that revolves around it to remember that your 'beloved' sister is no longer a five-year-old?" Her feet stayed in place, but she stood tall and her eyes were focused on his, having more anger than he did.
He was probably filled with more regret now that she saw him clearly. Her brother was an expert at hiding his feelings, but Fanny could always see what he was hiding deep inside.
"You could've been killed." His voice was now stern and clear.
"But I came back in one piece! Not a single body part of mine is missing!" she cried.
Her brother sighed heavily in utter disappointment, burying his face with his hands. She didn't feel sorry yelling at him. Not now, at least.
"Thank the Lord of Light for being with you," he managed, then continued. "But that doesn't mean your action was easily forgivable."
"'Forgivable', you say?" she repeated in disbelief, looking away. He thought her action was unforgivable.
She couldn't look at him without tearing up even more. She didn't want to look weak and worthless, not in front of him.
"Well," Fanny started, "I guess an eleven-year age gap wasn't a good idea to begin with."
A huge age gap was between them indeed, and there was nothing they could do to get rid of it. The only way to avoid pointless fights was to understand each other, but Tigreal was stubborn as he was selfish. There was no way nineteen-year-old Fanny could bring out the brother she had hoped him to be.
She left him standing alone in the hall. You let me down, brother.
***
Odette's POV.
Golden rays of the sun shone through Azure Lake, arriving like mother earth's gentle touch of hope. It was a beautiful day, but that was always how Azure Lake accepted nature. The birds were singing their beautiful anthem and the green grass performed their dance with the morning sun as its spotlight. Odette was awake, sitting on her bed as she let out an elegant yawn.
She woke up beside her lover who was still in his sleep, his dirty blond hair messy as ever. She was hoping he dreamt of her, even though she hoped for it almost every night. Its been several weeks since he stayed here, and she hoped it would stay this way forever—much longer, if possible. He was the best company she had ever had since she ruled alone.
Just as she was about to start her day, she noticed something odd. The cracked tiles of her floor was clean and the broken walls of her castle was as good as new. Everything came back to how it was.
The beloved swan castle was restored.
Who did this? Odette asked herself as she got out of bed, perplexed. Her mind was full of unanswered questions. She was expecting an ordinary day to come, but instead she witnessed the unexpected. Whoever used their time of their life rebuilding her home deserved everything the world has to offer.
She gently shook Lancelot's body to wake him up, but he didn't move an inch. Could he be the one doing this? Another question. Maybe that's why he seems so tired. Another thought.
She had to face this strangeness alone. With a joyful heart and a puzzled mind she left the bedroom and off to the castle foyer.
It was good as new; the previously ruined stairs were now flowing as if nothing had ever broken them, the shimmering white chandelier was hanging steadily on top of the ceiling, and then she saw the statue of her father, the king himself, in the center of the foyer fully recovered from the violence of the abyss.
She realized how much she missed him. How much she missed her parents.
Odette could feel her tears coming down. Her childhood, her memories she'd barely hold on to, and the incredible days she used to spent with everyone she loved. They were all gone, all because of Alice's unstoppable greed for power. She stood still, immediately covering her mouth and took several deep breaths to stop her from crying.
Too late. Lancelot had awoken from his sleep. He can't see me cry.
"Oh, Lord..." Lancelot gasped, looking around in awe. "Is this how your castle used to be like?"
"More or less," Odette said proudly. Despite the sincere smile she was trying to pull off, her eyes told no lies. Dearest Lancelot pulled her into a tight embrace.
"Are you alright, Odette darling?" he asked. His face was still tired, but that was not what she was thinking. If he asked such thing, then he couldn't be the one doing all this.
"I'm fine," she said. "I just... miss my family." Her attention switched back to her father's statue.
They were too close she could feel Lancelot's breaths against her cheek.
"I'm sorry, love," he managed to say. "But they know you're strong on your own."
"Only because you're here with me," Odette breathed, their faces even closer. If they moved a little bit they would be kissing, but that was not her intention at all. She would want to know more about his past life, his family, and why he had ran away.
"Don't you miss your family, Lance?" she asked, finally breaking away from his grasp and sat on her white throne with swan sculptures beside it.
"Miss them?" he scoffed. "Unless they were better, I'd say I've taken the right path."
"What?" Odette gasped. "I would never say that to mine..."
"I guess we're different. They never respect me, might as well just leave the castle. So much for being a part of the Baroque family." Lancelot looked away from her, not wanting her to see his pitiful side. He covered his face with his hand, embarrassed.
She knew about the Baroque family. A very wealthy one with so much pride and possessions, and yet it wasn't what Lancelot saw in them.
Odette caressed his hair, hopefully throwing his frustration away. "Not a single of them ever respect you?"
"Does an annoying, selfish, and temperamental little sister count?"
"If that's what she does, then I suppose it counts," she said, giving him a grin. "I didn't know you have a sister. What's she like?"
He gave out a loud groan. "Trust me, you don't want to know her." Lancelot faced her again, his confidence showing up once more. "Worse than an abyssal demon."
"Lance!" Odette squealed, hitting him on the shoulder. "You're not suppose to say that!" But in the end, she still laughed anyway, harder than she should. They both did, only Lancelot's was more of a low chuckle.
"Her name's Guinevere and it's the truth," Lancelot stated. "She always knows how to get on anyone's nerves. Even my own father's."
"Do you miss her?"
"I'd do anything to avoid her presence. So would you."
Odette released a giggle. "Maybe she's trying to be fun."
"She's far from that."
***
Guinevere's POV.
Ursula: Academy of Magic was young Guinevere's second home. A school of witchcraft and wizardry, much pleasant of what Guinevere always loved; magic. Her first year was when she was ten, when her father King Arthur Baroque sent her to Northern Vale, insisted that she learnt her magic to fulfill the requirements of being a Baroque. Little did he know it was the start of his daughter's incomparable talent.
However, the Magic Academy has changed so much throughout the years. History lied deep beneath its grounds, buried under the laws of the academy for various reasons. Not a single living thing dared to unlock its secrets, or a curse may occur, equivalent to the unholy abyssal enchantments. The dark history was long forgotten. It was now an ordinary place for witches and wizards to enhance their knowledge in sorcery.
Guinevere Baroque was sitting in class, taking the most front seat and listening to every word Professor Eudora was speaking.
"Now as I was saying, I've prepared some types of magic orbs on this table. Can anyone tell me their names as well as their speciality?" she asked the class which seemed dormant. There were four artificial giant spheres floating on the table that came with various colors and shades, each creating a ghostly sound.
Without a doubt, Guinevere raised her hand.
"None other than Miss Baroque," Eudora sighed. "You may speak."
She cleared her throat to get the class' attention. It didn't work, but she went on with it anyway. She stood up from her desk to show each and every orb she was about to explain.
"This one is called the Galaxy Orb," She pointed her finger to the dark violet orb, glimmering beautifully in the dim lighted classroom. "This violet colored orb came from space. It is used for burst damage, and will function effectively if combined with any magical power of our own. If it is overly used for the wrong reasons, however, it may cause serious chaos."
"This is the Energy Orb." She was now pointing at the bright turquoise sphere, mixed with different shades of blue and cyan. "It may not look dangerous, but if you successfully hit your target, they will suffer a pretty great amount of pain. The usage of it may vary, though. It is called an energy orb, after all. It depends on your own strength and weaknesses in magic."
"Now, this is the Fire Orb," she went on. Her attention was now on the incredibly bright red orb, producing an incandescent glow from the overly hot temperature. "It is almost untouchable. Aim it on any target and it will never miss. Anyone who wields this orb is a special witch or wizard, and whoever is being targeted will see their death within seconds."
"Lastly, the Dragon Orb." It was a yin and yang representation of the eastern region of the Land of Dawn. The orb's core was divided into a perfect black and white division. "It is a huge part of the ancient eastern history, Cadia Riverlands. The yin and yang symbol is a theory of dualism, describing how contrary forces are, and how they complement each other. A black dragon once created an interdependent connection between them. Hence, the dragon in the middle. But then Cadia Riverlands fell apart, and the reason behind it is still a mystery to this day. The Dragon Orb is now in its sleep, and who knows when it will awaken."
Guinevere finally caught her breath, tired from the continuous speaking she just did. She was proud of it, but then again, she was never disappointed in herself. I'm the top student of the Academy for a reason.
"How do you know all this?" Eudora asked, too impressed to pay attention to the other students.
"I read it in a book called History of the Dawn," she said. "Quite an interesting book, I must say. It provides—"
Before she could finish, the class door suddenly opened to reveal Professor Gord in his particularly strange color of his skin, half magenta and half blue. Guinevere's proud smile turned into a frown right away. His presence would always freak her out.
"Guinevere, you are to come to my office this instant," he instructed, his voice unbelievably deep and demanding.
"But, I-I'm in the middle of a class, Professor—"
"Did I not make myself clear, girl?"
And so Guinevere obeyed his orders without another complaint.
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[ an; this took so long to write mostly bc of gwen's pov lmao i just know i'll have so much fun writing her for the next chapters !! i hope u enjoy this chapter as much as i did writing it <33 ]
xoxo, cel.