I walked through the Virgo embassy's huge gate with its winding iron work. One look past the gate, and it felt like being transported into Autumn Realm entirely. My bookish knowledge had never conjured up the image that laid bare in front of my eyes at the moment. I grazed my fingers over the velvety leaves of a climber that adorned the gate; they were looped around in a way to resemble a rose, with vibrant red flowers peeking from it. I had a temptation to pluck one and put it over my ear, but a stern glance from one of the guards, made me retract my hand.
I crossed the grass-laden grounds in awe. The palace was huge, yet it felt homely in a way a small cottage by the seacoast does. And behind the palace there indeed was a coastline, decked with tall palm trees.
Listening to the gentle lapping of the waves, I stretched my sight to the farthest left corner of the line. The backyard of the palace of Gemini embassy was glinting in the mild sunshine. Only a few days ago, I had been there. And now I was at yet another palace.
The Virgo people did really love their island Virgous, and I was exploring every little detail of its replica. The Palaces of the Houses of Autumn Realm were all unique; this particular one, that stood tall in front of me was made of translucent tan-colored sandstone. Climbing the steps of the foyer, I deeply inhaled the scent of freshly watered grounds swirling in the air mixed with the fragrance oozing from innumerable flower-shrubberies, which seemed to act like a floral fence around the palace.
The interior of the palace came into view and I had to make sure that I wasn't dreaming. I stepped in and instantly felt a warm sensation tiptoeing around me. The dread that had been so imminent in the Gemini Palace was all but absent. I felt relaxed and ventured to the center of the great hall. Every stone and every plant seemed to have been chosen with utmost care. I looked up at the roof and found myself dazzled with baskets hanging from it, they were made of smooth white pebbles and held beautiful geraniums, petunias and hanging trail of white chrysanthemums.
The corners of the roof were lined with perfectly snipped climbers that had the rare twinkling flowers called Orbs of Dusk, majestically throned over it. The orange glow of the flowers, danced around the room even in bright daylight. Oh, what wouldn't I give to be here at the night time!
I heard approaching footsteps from the vast well-lit passage to my right. Una's tall figure came closer, her hair bouncing on her shoulders, dark eyes looking at me with warmth.
"Welcome, I suppose," she grinned at me, like a child grinning at its friend while showing off a new toy.
I nodded with a gentle smile that was plastered on my face since my arrival, still in awe of the surroundings and hugged my satchel lovingly.
"Come on then, before my mother sees us," she said and turned to walk the same path she had come from.
***
Travelling the length of the labyrinthic palace passages, I was now standing in a huge practice room. The private arena, as Una called it, was situated at a far corner from the great hall. The passages had been all decorated with portraits and antiques. I had wanted to observe them all, but Una was in a hurry.
On one side of the room there was an armory, full of swords, maces, daggers, arrows and axes. Gentle cold breeze flew through the huge wall-length windows. There was a massive banyan tree at the farthermost corner of the room; it was magnificent with long straight branches and its silvery white aerial roots penetrating inside the ground.
"So, now that we know that you faint every time you use your Elementation, I am going to try and find the cause of it," she said scrutinizing her weapons, "what sort of magic have you tried till now?"
I realized I was biting my nails again and hastily pulled my hand down. Should I tell her everything?
"I umm... nothing much. Just something here and there." I laughed awkwardly.
"Tell me, Eleni, come on," she had her hands on her hips and let out a sigh.
I braced myself and spoke, "Do you remember that black tow-"
Her eyes flew open even before I could complete my sentence.
"You did that? The black tower?" she whisper-screamed.
"Yes, well... unknowingly," I chuckled like an idiot.
"That was...Oh Heavens! Eleni!"
I blinked at her. Una was baffled, she paced around the area, speaking in broken sentences. I decided to sit on the small plank that was lying near the armory, waiting for her to digest the news. Unwillingly, I removed the satchel wound over my shoulder; it was now even more precious to me, ever since I had found the discarded wand.
"No wonder," she stopped to look at me, "I knew Nigel couldn't have done it."
"Why is that?" I asked with a shrug.
"Eleni," she gasped a little, "those rocks that you summoned are normally found buried deep inside the earth. The tower was tested, of course, they were unearthly, as though coming straight from the pits of Hell. How did you manage that?"
"Well, I-"
"No, Eleni. Summoning such underground rocks requires too much power. I'd be surprised if I could manage it," she shook her head.
"Oh."
Una looked at me suddenly, a determination in her face, "Anything else?"
I recalled the other incident and pursed my lips. I didn't want her to go in a frenzy again, but I had no other option. "I might also have a sprouted a plant that healed a soldier with its fragrance."
She looked at me with narrowed eyes and snapped them wide-open again. I controlled the urge to roll my eyes.
"Everyone has a drop of healing powers, but summoning a healing plant, well... could be possible," she rubbed her chin and added, "What did the plant look like?"
"It had red flowers?" I was wary of every word I spoke by then.
She wet her lips with her tongue and rubbed her chin again, "I might have to check which healing plants have red flowers."
I sighed loudly, seeing that Una hadn't taken this one as badly as the others.
But there it was again, her eyes flew open wide yet again as she added, "It was you and not Serena, that night. You resurrected that tree, " she huffed, "No wonder something felt fishy."
I just nodded with pursed lips.
She clapped her hands suddenly and spoke, "Tie me up in the same way you had done the other day. With branches," and gestured at the tree with a tilt of her head.
The memory of that starry night stung like salt being rubbed on a fresh wound. Doran's vacant eyes. I belonged to his enemy Realm. Could we have been friends if he would've never found out about me? I shook my head, coming back to the problem in question.
I took a deep breath and raised my hands. Focusing on the dangling roots of the tree I willed them to listen to me.
But to my surprise, they did not oblige. The nerves did not hum today, did not sing along to my song, paid no heed to my command. I blinked my eyes, staring at it harder than before, and pushed my willpower even higher. Nothing.
Una was scratching her head. After a few more unsuccessful attempts she opened her mouth, "How about we start with the basic?"
"What's basic?" I asked.
"Right," her voice turned mellow, "You weren't given formal training." Something like pity crossed her face.
Was she really pitying me? Had I been reduced to this? First cruelty because of my dormant powers, and now pity because I couldn't use my newly found powers. I felt defensive all of a sudden.
"If you don't mind, Una, I don't think I can do it today." And just as I said it, I felt dizziness coming over me. But I brought my focus back, not allowing myself to fail in front of her eyes again. "Shall we do it some other day?"
Una eyed me with a mixture of concern and doubt but relented, "Okay."
Fatigue clouded my mind but I willed myself to stay conscious. I picked up my satchel from the plank and put it around my left shoulder, turning to go towards the exit.
"Bye, Eleni." Una spoke over my shoulder, and I bade her mumbled farewell.
Just after walking a few steps, I was struck by my stupidity. Finding my way out of this palace was equivalent to walking in woods on the night of a new moon. My impulsive brain made me take wild turns left and right at every corner.
I stopped suddenly as my eyes fell on a huge portrait hanging on one of the walls, radiating under the light of the Orbs of Dusk.
A royal Lady, sitting on a grand throne; she looked familiar. My eyes flew open as I recognized her.
The lady from the greenhouse.
The one who had asked me about the Midnight Blue, who had clearly mistaken me for a citizen of Autumn Realm - was the High lady of House of Virgo.
Una's mother.
She looked young in this portrait. I knew she had been a Defensor herself, twenty years back.
My eyes moved towards the person standing beside the floral throne of the Lady and the air seemed to have been sucked from my lungs.
Heart palpitating wildly, ears numb, I stared at the other young person, who had a sword in hand and chin raised high. Clearly, the Head Guard of the High Lady.
Sweat formed over my upper lips and forehead, my nails dug into my palms, almost drawing blood. For the first time since coming to the Winter Realm, I felt hot. My brain fogged with a thousand questions. Here was one definite answer, I realized.
Hurt, followed by a sense of betrayal, I took one last glance at the portrait, at the familiar yet strange face and took off running.
***
I ran until I was in front of Libra embassy's gate, not stopping even to catch my breath or cool my thundering body. My heartbeat rang in my ears, as I finally stopped in front of the familiar backyard gate of Libra embassy.
It was just a matter of time, before I passed out. I was still reeling from the shock, my knees giving away and my brain freezing up. It was a miracle that I was still holding my ground.
"Eleni, are you alright?"
A familiar male voice spoke from my side. I looked at the source with panting breaths and suddenly was jolted out of my stupor.
"Doran? What are-" I tried speaking but I was ragged from the run.
"Where are you coming from? Why are you running? What's wrong?" His voice had an edge. As I looked at him, I saw my own luminous reflection in his dark brown eyes.
I simply shook my head, depleted of energy; both physical and emotional.
He took hold of my elbow cautiously and pulled me slightly out of the clear sight of the building of my chambers. I leaned on the brick wall and looked at him with hazy eyes.
Doran looked troubled; his beard grown a little since the last time I saw him and his tunic crippled allover.
"Seriously," I spoke, my breath returning, "what are you doing here?" Not knowing whether the answer would be something that I'd like to know.
Doran's eyes were still uncertain but he spoke regardless, "I just... want to ask you one single question and be relieved from this torture."
I flinched at his words. Torture?
"That tower, it was you, right? And not Nigel?" he said looking straight into my eyes.
My lips parted and eyelids drooped low. Why was everyone asking me the same question today? I did not particularly rejoice in the memories of the fateful day when this nightmare began.
When he didn't get any answer from me, I heard him sigh loudly, "It was indeed you. The Throne Bless me."
I looked up, in a way confirming his theory, our eyes met.
"Don't you understand what that means, Eleni?"
My eyebrows squeezed together on their own accord, looking at him with a question mark painted on my face.
"You saved my life. That's what it means," he took a step closer to me before continuing, "that is why I kept thinking of you."
His words started to make sense, and my brain started clouding with dizziness yet again.
"I owe you the Debt of Life!" He almost whispered; the heat of his eyes, the panic dripping from his body, bouncing off my skin.
The ground shook with my fear. Why did I never think about this? Our fates had been sealed together, the day I raised the tower to save his life.
It was too much. There was only so much that a human could take at a time. My vision blurred completely, a feeling of void birthing in my stomach. I knew I was sinking to the ground, my legs weak and arms sagging. I registered his voice, his words, but they seemed insignificant.
Everything seemed insignificant. My entire existence seemed insignificant. My chest hurt; my entire soul hurt.
The last image that I saw before fainting completely was of the Head Guard of House of Virgo.
My Mother.
***
Note: I hope this chapter wasn't 'Too-much-information.' Please do let me know, if the pacing is too fast. Thank you.
~Happy Reading❤✨~