Note: I couldn't help it, you guys. Potterverse just doesn't leave my mind. So, what Hermione's doing up there is sort of alchemy. Alchemy in my terms is a fantasy word for "chemistry ."
Also, I would highly recommend you to check out the final part of chapter 8 to better understand this one. Maybe you'll connect some dots lol.
~Happy Reading❤️✨~
***
This was the fifth time now, that I was coming to the Virgo embassy. I knew my way around much better by now. I at least knew where I would find that portrait.
It mocked me yet again, sending shivers down my spine, as I moved past it. My mother with a long sword in hand, the blade touching the land, standing beside the floral throne of High Lady of Virgo House.
In some other life, I might have felt proud about the portrait, about my warrior parent, but right in this moment, it felt like nothing but a prickling thorn in my side. Why had my parents not paid heed to the laws? Why create such an Abomination? Why make their own lives miserable?
Clenching my fists, I exhaled through my mouth and walked past the portrait. I reached the entrance of Una's private arena, and was shocked to find her not alone. I saw my doom dancing in front of me, as I recognized the other person standing with Una.
"Your Highness," I bowed for the second time, at the High Lady of House of Virgo.
Her eyes fell on me, as I stood rooted to the spot. "So, this is the one who comes into my palace without my knowledge?" Her breathy voice echoed in the room.
"Mother, I..."
The Lady cut off Una, "You what, Una? You thought I wouldn't know that you were meeting a girl from another Realm?"
My breath hitched in my throat at her words, at her tone. I looked at Una and she was just as shocked as I was.
"How did you know?" She asked, her voice barely audible.
"This is my Palace, young lady. I have eyes and ears everywhere," the Lady answered, staring at me still, her face determinedly furious, "Didn't we meet before, girl?" Her eyes suddenly narrowed.
"At the greenhouse."
"Yes. Indeed. Midnight Blue. Small world, eh?" She snorted.
I nodded, panicking to the maximum.
"Come here, girl," she raised her chin.
I crossed the threshold with trembling knees, and stopped at a safe distance from her.
"You are a Liberan calligrapher, aren't you?" she asked and moved closer to me. I refrained from taking a step back. She walked around me, assessing me, with her wise, dark-green eyes. Like a predator on hunt.
"Y-yes." I managed to speak.
"Then why is it that you can do Earth Elementation after being a Vacuusha for your entire life?" She hissed like a serpent, close to my ears.
"Mother..." Una started, but the Lady raised a palm to her, motioning her to stay silent.
My palms were clammy, sweat forming on my forehead, my feet couldn't bear my weight. I couldn't bear the weight of her stare. Did she have people following me? How much did she know?
I answered meekly, "My parents were from Autumn Realm. Other than that, I know nothing," I added even more softly, "Your Highness."
"Why would two people from my Realm, go stay in another Realm? Unless..." she stopped in front of me, her eyes narrowed, ready to pounce on the meek prey.
"Mother, that's enough." Una bellowed suddenly, her voice cutting through the tension.
In two long strides, she was beside me, and enclosed her hand around my elbow, staring down at her mother. "She is my friend. I know the reason; I know her history. If you don't trust her, then at least trust me."
I deadpanned at Una. She was defending me. No, she was lying for me, lying to her mother, to the High Lady of the Virgo House. Both the mother and daughter stared at each other for a heartbeat too long. I understood where Una got her fierceness from.
"Use your head, Una. Don't be so emotional. People betray you when you get attached." The Lady matched her daughter's fierceness. I could see the signs of a young Defensor, that she herself had been twenty years ago, two Conquests ago.
"This doesn't concern you, mother," Una said and let go off my elbow.
The older woman looked from her to me pointedly, I could see the thoughts behind the sharp greens of her eyes, bubbling. "Is your Mark any dark?"
I looked over her face, her intimidating, cruel face. None of this was my fault. It was all my parents' fault. Remembering Una's words, that her mother was dead serious about finding the Eclipses, I knew I had to sport a nonchalant face now.
"No, Your Highness, it isn't." I bowed my head slightly.
She clasped her hands at the back, licking her lips dry. Suspicion dripped over her features. "As the High Lady of your Realm, I command you, to train with Una until the final day of Round Two of the Conquest. Use all your magic," she leaned in, dropping the volume of her voice, "And then show me your Mark."
I did not let any kind of reaction appear on my face. Una sighed audibly, apparently, relieved. But the intense terror in the pit of my stomach, was going to make me throw up. Showing her my Mark, was almost as good as a suicide.
I nodded at her, nevertheless.
The Lady moved her fierce gaze away from me and looked at Una, "Nothing about this affair should affect your performance in the Conquest." And with that she turned over her heels and walked past me.
But she turned back around elegantly, and said to Una, "Don't make the mistakes that I made."
***
I was numb. Nothing made sense as I felt like being awoken from a long deep slumber. I was panting, lying on the floor. Exhaustion creeping in.
"No. No, don't lose your consciousness again, Eleni. Fight it!" I heard a distant feminine voice as a gentle splash of water landed on my face.
I sat up remembering where I was. Right, I had used my powers, and fainted yet again. Una's tired face came into vision and I was fully awake. "Did I pass out again?"
"Unfortunately, yes. But you are up early this time," she extended her hand, and pulled me up. My legs still felt weaker but at least I had my wits about me.
I looked at the small sapling, that I had managed to spring up from the ground. Una had made me focus harder, teaching me the tricks of Earth magic. I remembered the basics of Air Elementation, that I was forced to learn since childhood. The Elementation worked the same way, but instead of searching for the coolness of breeze surrounding me, now I had to look deep inside the Earth.
Una was trying to find my range. It had felt thrilling for a while, to be able to know how much I can do, what all I can summon, and till what distance would my powers work. But even after tons of practice, I kept fainting. My Mark aching.
Even my muscles were sore from all the core exercises she made me do, insisting that it helps to improve cognition of mind.
I stood up and drank water from the pail she was holding out, spilling some over my thick overcoat, in the process.
"Let's take a break, how about a tour?" Una said suddenly grinning.
"Yes sure."
I picked up my reliable little satchel and slung it over my shoulder, as I followed her out of a backdoor of the private arena. Una always had assured me that I was safe in the Virgous palace, but I couldn't help but feel exposed. And today, I indeed had been exposed. The unyielding face of Una's mother flashed across my eyes and I went limp some more.
We walked through a narrow passage, and I could see a huge hall coming into view. It wasn't a hall, per se, but some sort of kitchen?
The entire room was swarming with life and florae. There were many women, young and old, dressed in floral gowns, working on the huge long platforms, which were attached to the walls. The platforms, as I observed, were cluttered with leather-bound books, stacks of vials, stony mortars and pestles, oddly shaped and colored crystals, myriad leaves and flowers – both dried and fresh.
Different kinds of smell wafted in the air, confusing my olfactory senses. There were tables in the center, from where the women fetched some objects and made their way back to their respective platforms. I watched the ladies handling large steaming cauldrons, some glancing in the open books by their sides, and crushing an ingredient or adding a pinch of something in their potions.
"No. They shouldn't be working at this time," Una mumbled by my side.
"Who are they?" I asked.
"The Alchemists, silly," she said with a shrug.
My eyes widened. Of course, how did I forget! The Earth Elementals were the most powerful healers and alchemists, since they commanded the solid elements.
A book - All About Alchemy, suddenly flashed in my mind. Prince Nova! I closed my eyes shut, reminding myself, that was not my issue.
"What are they working at?" I asked in an unsure voice, trying desperately to not think about the incident I had witnessed at the library.
"They are always working on some potion or drug," she shook her head, "never tire, these women. But this time, they are actually working on deducing how a mythical drug was created."
"What do you mean?" I asked, not having understood even a bit.
"Before coming to the Winter Realm, our Head Alchemist, invented a drug. Even she didn't remember clearly, how exactly she made it, since it was a result of an accident. She was very close to finding the missing element of the drug. But..." Una let out a sigh, "Everyone is busy deducing its recipe ever since."
I stared at the entire room, swallowing the information. The alchemists or the witches, as they were anciently called, were in the middle of a beautiful rhythmic chaos. I had an urge to walk past their platforms and take a look inside their bubbling cauldrons, read a recipe from their book, or hold one of those shining crystals and play with their magic.
But then my nose picked up a particularly pungent scent and my eyes opened wide.
"Una, what's that smell?" I asked her, sniffing a little more.
"That's the drug, that they are working on. I know it's got a foul smell."
The smell triggered a memory of a carriage that I had seen in passing, the carriage with the black soldiers. I deadpanned at Una. She raised her eyebrows in response.
"Nothing." I quickly said.
"It's a mess after..." Una stopped short of her sentence.
I turned my head sideways to look at her tensed face.
"Is there something bothering you?" I asked.
She let out a huge sigh before speaking, "Remember, I told you about my second mission?"
I dipped my head in a nod, replaying her words in my mind. She had informed Serena and me, about a missing member of her court.
"Well, our Head Alchemist, is missing."
I gaped at her. My mind jumbling with thoughts.
"She is the best healer, in all the Four Realms... or was," Una said looking around the room, "One day she was here and the next we know, she was gone, without a clue."
I remained silent for a while. It was unbearable, watching Una, a strong mighty warrior, being so tensed. There must be more to the story. I wanted to prod further, but she turned suddenly and started walking.
I looked at the hard-working ladies one last time, and inhaling the scent of herbs mixed with their concoctions, I followed Una.
"Are you okay?" I asked as she stopped in front of a huge door.
"Yes. I am sorry for that, but it's just..." she trailed, pinching the bridge of her nose, "there's a lot on my plate, right now."
In that moment, I saw how truly exhausted she looked, there were dark circles under her eyes, her sandy skin now dull, her eyes missing their twinkling darkness.
"Is there anything that I could do to help?"
She chuckled softly, "I have a duel in two days. Want to go on my behalf?"
I shrugged playing along, "If Spikes won't mind, then, I am in."
"And ruin my ranking?"
"Or maybe I'll improve it." I grinned toothily.
She laughed a bit louder this time, and I loved that sound.
"Thanks, Eleni," she said and her eyes widened sharply, "I just realized that you are a Corresponder. This is confidential, you know. I shouldn't have said anything. I can just see the headline now - An abducted Alchemist!" She groaned.
"Una, why would I give out such a huge secret of my House?" I frowned at her a bit hurt by her words but my eyes flew open, "and wait abducted? How do you know the Head Alchemist was abducted?'
"Her private chamber was a mess, there were clear signs of struggle... wait, My House? You are a Virgo?"
We both stood transfixed for a few moments too long. Clearly, this conversation neither had a head nor a tail, just two terrible secret-keepers, blurting truths left and right.
"Why didn't you show mother your Mark?" she asked.
"It's faint." I stuttered through the lie. Half-lie, I suppose. I was surely a Virgo. Half-Virgo.
Half an Earth Elemental and half some other Elemental.
"Oh, finally, I had my suspicions that you were a Virgo. The Throne alone knows how happy I am right now!" she exclaimed giddy with joy.
I couldn't help but smile, however I hated myself more in the moment. She had been nothing but generous and helpful to me, and all that I was giving her in return were lies and betrayal. Was I committing a treason to my House already?
I still kept fainting, every time I used magic and somehow my brain had figured out the reason - incomplete use of my powers.
Using only Earth magic, wasn't enough.
I kept my gaze to the floor, watching Una's heavy leather boots, as my thoughts collapsed onto one another.
Did I really wanted to know, though, who my father had been? Which Realm he had belonged to?
Did I really wanted to find out my other Elemental power, that lay deep somewhere in my veins, ready to pounce, probably at the worst moment?
Was I ready to really become a Luesha?
I shut my eyes with fear. No.
No.
No.
I raised my eyes, looking into Una's, making up a decision – I would learn to control my power. I did not ever want to know what that is.
My secret power should always remain a secret.