Wenly lit the seventh candle and placed it in line with the circle he'd drawn on the floor. The throne room was dark except for the pale glow of the Ulah moon seeping through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Tonight, he'd finally know what M.A.G.E was planning. He'd be able to protect his family. He just needed the twins to do the spell.
A knock sounded at the door and he straightened his jacket before he walked to it. Anna stood next Andy. "Finally," he said as he stepped aside to let them in.
"What exactly do you need us to do?" Anna asked then stepped into the throne room.
"More importantly, who's the unconscious guy you have tied up?" Andy said as his sight fell on Orrick Hast.
"He's the leader of M.A.G.E," Wenly answered. Tied to a chair in the centre of the circle was Orrick. Wenly had him transferred from Greegveryn to the palace dungeons and tonight he had him brought to the throne room. With his mother and everyone else distracted with the Dello ball tonight was the perfect night to perform the spell. "And as for what I need you to do, that's simple." He took a step towards Orrick. "I need you to get into his mind."
"Yeah, that sounds totally simple," Andy rolled his eyes.
"I trust you can do this," he said. He needed them to do this.
"Okay but I need to ask you something first," Anna said and he gestured for her to go on. "Why us?" she asked. "There must be a dozen other witches and mages you could have asked for help. Why choose us?"
"Yeah, we're not exactly the most skilled mages," Andy added.
"True," Wenly said, "but you are the only witch and mage I can trust not to ask questions."
"Are you sure about that?" Andy folded his arms over his chest. "Because I have plenty of questions."
"Not the kind I can't answer." He pulled out a piece of folded up paper and handed it to Anna. "This is the spell we'll need to access his mind."
"," Anna read out loud. "This is a mental spell. I saw it in Zoriah's spell book. It's level one magic, it's forbidden." Wenly hadn't expected them to know that.
"You want us to do a forbidden spell?" Andy frowned. "Won't we be thrown in jail or something?"
"No," he lied. "I'm the crown prince, you're under my protection. Nothing will happen to you." As long as they didn't get caught.
Andy turned to his sister. "I'm not sure about this."
She sighed heavily. "Andy," she said, her voice strained, she sounded exhausted. "He said it's okay."
"Yeah, and that's a totally good reason to do this," he turned his head to Orrick. "I just don't think this is right."
Anna huffed. "Fine," she said in a harsh tone, "If you don't agree that's okay. You can't even do magic anyway, so we don't even really need you here."
Andy visibly flinched. "Okay," he said. "I'm going to bed." He was out of the room before the crown prince could stop him.
"Sorry about him," Anna said. "Can I still do the spell on my own?"
The spell would have been more effective with the both of them but..."Yes, you can." Wenly turned to Orrick who'd started to stir. He opened his dull grey eyes and laid them on the prince and then Anna.
"Nice to see you're finally awake," Wenly spoke.
"What can I say," he tried to shrug but the restrains around his body made it hard and he winced, "I do love my naps. Who's the girl?"
Wenly's eyes hardened. "You don't need to know." He turned to Anna and said, "Get behind him, put your fingers against his temples and say the spell." Anna looked gingerly at the man and bit her bottom lip. Wenly's face softened as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. He won't hurt you. I'll be right here." She nodded and stepped into the circle.
"What are you going to have her do?" Orrick asked. "Read my mind?" He scoffed. "Little girl—"
"I'm seventeen, I'm not a little girl," she said with strong conviction.
"Okay fine, young woman," he corrected. "You're on the wrong side of this. Whatever the prince might have told you it's a lie. Lies are all people like him know. They lie to keep power, to oppress those with none and take away from those who they can't control. You're a witch, you know power. Don't let him control you."
"He doesn't control me," she said fiercely. "No one does." She placed her fingers on his temples and started chanting the spell.
Orrick fell silent as his eyes rolled back into his head and he gasped. "Akre juthin poyo." A beam of light shot through his forehead. "Akre juthin poyo." It projected a vision onto the wall.
Orrick sat on the floor of his cell. He had his knees brought to his chest as he whistled a tune the prince did not recognize but then he suddenly stopped. "What are you doing here?" he asked without looking up.
"Is that any way to greet an old friend," a voice spoke. A familiar voice. There was no mistaking that thick Gomean accent. "And after I came all this way."
"We're not friends," Orrick said in a clipped voice as he finally raised his gaze to meet Vory Mon. The older man stood in a dark cloak that covered most of his body but not his face.
"Don't say that, Orrick," he placed his hand over his heart, feigning hurt. "You might hurt my feelings. After all I've done for you—"
"Done for me?" he scoffed. "I'm in here because of you."
"You're in here because of your own foolish mistakes," his tone had grown colder. "I warned you about attacking the palace. Not only did you disobey me but you killed the emperor."
"I don't quite remember it going that way." He rose to his feet. Mon was taller than him, with broader shoulders and more muscles but Orrick stood his ground as he glared at the older man and asked again, "What are you doing here?"
Mon's lips curved into a smile. "I'm planning something," he started. "Things have changed. The empress is distracted with the arrival of two humans from earth. They came with an artefact, the empress called it the Foxton amulet. She believes she can use it to reinforce the barrier. I think it's a fool's errand. Nothing will save that barrier at this point. But for my plan to work I need your help my old friend."
"Ouch," Anna reeled away from Orrick and the projection dissipated. The skin on the back of Anna's left hand, were the Foxton tattoo was imprinted was raw. She winced as she held up her hand. "I'm sorry, I couldn't keep going," she said apologetically and staggered back. She would have fallen but Wenly rushed and caught her.
"No, it's okay. I got what I needed. Thank you."
Her eyes were dazed as if she was fighting to stay conscious. "Who was that man?"
"Someone with a lot of explaining to do." His jaw clenched and he clutched his fists.
>>>>>>>
Val stood in front of the tall doors of the ballroom. Her hands shook and her heart hammered. She was about to do something crazy. She'd done a lot of crazy things in her life. But none of them included loving Sage Logan. Loving her made sense. It felt right. She knew she couldn't live without her. No matter how afraid she was, she wasn't going to let Sage slip away. She wanted to fight for her. She was going to fight for her.
"Val?" Andy's voice came from her left. "Wow, you look great."
She was dressed in a smoky grey tulle gown with a black bodice with silver chains dangling from the sweet heart neckline. Black rhinestones were embedded into the skirt and they shimmered like stars. She wore an onyx tiara with black diamonds, it sat in contrast with her bleached white hair. Her hair was styled in a way that revealed the shaved side. She felt more herself than she'd ever had.
"Thank you," she said to him then turned back to the doors. Her hands were still trembling. She didn't think she could get them to stop. After tonight everyone would know. They'd be no hiding anymore. Was she ready for this? Her mother... No. It didn't matter what her mother thought. This was her life. And she wanted to spend it with Sage.
"Are you going in?" Andy asked.
"Can I ask you something?" she turned to him. He nodded. "Have you ever felt pressured to live someone else's truth even if it wasn't your truth?"
He furrowed his brows. "I don't think I get what you mean."
She gave a listless smile. "I've spent most of my life in etiquette classes, learning the proper way to walk, to talk, to wave, to smile because that's what my mother wanted, it's what a princess does. I tried my best to fit into this glass mould of what a royal is supposed to be and what they're supposed to like, who they're supposed to like. Then I met someone." She smiled wider. "She helped me see that there's more than one way to be a princess. I don't have to act like I'm someone I'm not. I don't have to pretend to be something I'm not. I don't have to live someone else's truth."
Andy smiled too. "That someone sounds pretty amazing if she helped realize all that."
"She is." She was smiling brightly now and her hands were steady. She stared again at the doors, her heart was calm, she wasn't scared anymore.
"Thank you," she said to Andy.
He knit his brows. "For what?"
"Listening," she moved to hug him but he stepped back.
"You're weren't just about to kiss me or anything?"
"Kiss you?" she chuckled. "I was trying to hug you."
"Sorry," he stepped forward. "I've had a weird night." Val hugged him.
"Wanna talk about it?"
"Nah," he stepped back. "You have a girl waiting for you." He moved past her then looked over his shoulder and said, "Say hi to Sage for me," he winked and walked away.
The ballroom was packed, Val swallowed the lump in her throat as she walked through the canopy of sparkling lights. She spotted her mother first. She sat on a throne in the left corner of the room as she watched her guests dancing. Val remembered when she was younger and she and Kol would sneak into the ball. They'd hide underneath the tables and watch the feet of dancing guests and daydream of when they'd be old enough to attend the ball.
She walked down the stairs and as she did so she spotted Sage standing alone in a corner. She was wearing a midnight blue gown with long sleeves and a slit on the side that reached her lower thigh. Val tried to remember if she'd ever seen Sage in a dress before. She hadn't. This was a first. Her long dark hair fell over her shoulder in a cascade of wavy locks. She was also wearing... makeup? She looked beautiful but so much unlike herself. Val could practically feel her discomfort from where she stood.
She waded her way through the dance floor and stopped in front of Sage, who didn't seem to notice her presence. Her eyes were glassed over as if her mind were somewhere else. Preferably, somewhere with less people and more weapons.
"Good evening miss Logan," the princess said.
Sage looked up with a jarred expression until her eyes landed on her. "Valneela," she said. "Hi."
"Hey," the princess said back lamely. "I didn't take a ball to be your thing."
Sage shrugged. "It's not. You can thank your brother," she pointed to Kol who sat alone at a table, "and Anna. They insisted I come."
"And the gown and make up?"
"Salena's idea," she frowned. "She said I'd look silly coming to a ball in my armour. But I feel sillier standing here in this stuff."
"Well, I think you look beautiful," the Kuth guard's cheeks flushed red.
"Y-you look great too," she stammered. "You look like you."
"Thanks," she smiled. "I feel like me. Would you like to dance?"
Sage smiled. "Aren't you worried your mother will see us?"
"Let her see," she took Sage's hand and tugged it as she pulled her towards the dance floor.
"I don't think my date is going to a appreciate a princess swooping me away," Sage said as Val placed her hands around her waist.
"You have a date?" Val frowned.
"Another thing your brother and Anna insisted on," she told her.
"Remind me to kill the both of them." They both chuckled. "So where is this mysterious date. Awfully terrible of them to leave a girl as pretty as you alone." She twirled Sage.
Sage nodded her head to the other side of the ball room to where Nicco stood talking to someone. "My gods, please don't tell me you came here with my brother. I might die right here, right now."
"Ew, no!" she scrunched up her nose as if she smelled something foul. "The guy talking to him."
Val looked back to her brother and turned her eyes to the person standing in front of him. She could only see the back of his blonde head so she wasn't sure who it was. But he seemed to be doing a little more than talking with Nicco. He placed his hand on Nicco's bicep and leaned in close, whispering something into his ear.
"He seems to be doing a little more flirting than talking," the princess commented.
Sage chuckled. "Better him than me." She leaned in closer. "I'm so glad you came."
"I'm glad too," and then Val kissed her.
>>>>>>>
Kol stared with wide eyes as his sister made out with Sage in the middle of the dance floor. The entire room stared. It wasn't every day the princess kissed a commoner.
So, it turned out Val's secret boyfriend was actually a girl. Kol felt a little tinge of hurt that his favourite person hadn't trusted him with the truth but he was happy for her and terrified for her. The look on the empress's face wasn't exactly pleasant. He wanted to run over to them and whisk them to safety. But he knew the empress wouldn't risk saying anything. Not here. She'd wait for the end of the ball then her fury would fall like Rumon's spear.
Kol turned his head in time to see Anna walking back into the ballroom. Something cold and heavy plunged into his gut. He wanted to run but he knew he couldn't. He had to face what he'd done. He had to try to explain why he'd done what he'd done.
"Anna," he called out to her. She was standing next to the buffet.
She looked up then frowned when her eyes landed on him. "I don't really want to talk to you right now, Kol."
"I understand that," he said. "You have every right to be upset with me. But please just let me explain."
"Explain what?" he could tell she was fighting the urge to yell. "Five minutes after you tell me you like me, you go and kiss my brother. Who does that?" she sounded exasperated.
"I didn't intend to. It just..."
"It just happened?" she scoffed. "That's a lame excuse and you know it."
He froze then sighed. "I'm sorry."
"I don't need your apology," her voice was colder than a Zouyean winter. "You could have told me," her voice softened. "If you like Andy and not me you could have just told me."
"I don't," he said urgently. "I don't like him. At least not like that. Andy is great but I just think of him as a friend. I like you."
"Well, you kissed him not me," she turned away from him.
"Anna," he tried to reach out for her but at the same time the doors to the ballroom burst open. The sound drawing everyone's attention and the music came to an abrupt halt. Hundreds of pairs of eyes turned to the top of the stairs as a woman stumbled into the room.
She was wearing a pair of black trousers with the right leg ripped off, a blouse that was mostly in shreds and covered in dirt. Her hair was a dishevelled mess with twigs sticking out of it. She wasn't wearing shoes; her feet were coated in a thick layer of mud. Her face was bruised and cut. Kol's stomach twisted as he looked at her. What could have happened to her?
"Who are you?" the empress asked from her throne. Her voice echoed as the room had fallen eerily silent.
The woman didn't answer, someone else did. Anna stepped forward, her eyes wide and with a shaky voice she said. "Aunt Layla?"