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The next day I woke up early, the sun shining through the window when I put on another simple dress and decide to go somewhere. A place I had promised myself to stay away, but I couldn't.
I stand still before the door, realising that if I would knock no one would answer, never again. Instead I take the doorknob, pushing against it when the abandoned room appears in front of me. Carton boxes all over the floor with Valentina's stuff in it.
After my mother had died my father had done the same with her stuff, except for her coronation dress. That was the only piece we had left of her. I walk in further, closing the door behind me and see Olivia sitting on the bed, holding a picture in her hand.
'Rosalia', she whispers and tries to stand up but I gestures she shouldn't. After one nod she turns to the picture again and I look around the room, not understanding how my father wanted to break it down. Every piece of my sister would be thrown away in only a few days, we would have nothing to remember her.
I look over Olivia's shoulder, staring at the image of her and my sister a few years ago. Both of them smiling bright. I doubt I have a picture like that with Val.
'I should clean up', she whispers after a while. It sounds like she couldn't speak louder. The once so brave and arrogant Olivia had made place for another broken soul. I couldn't possibly hate her.
'Let me help you', I whisper when I take a few books of the shelves. Realising my sister had never read those before. The sun comes up higher once we are working and I open the doors to the balcony, letting fresh air coming in.
'Have you been here all week?' I ask when I stare at our front yard that now looks more like a battle field. My sister had laid there in the mud and I hadn't been able to safe her.
'Your father wants to throw away everything. I started yesterday with packing', she says soft. I turn to face her, seeing the pain in her eyes when she takes the dresses out of her closet.
'I couldn't protect her', Olivia whispers before closing it. Leaning against the closet she turns to me, barely able to stand up straight.
'You did everything you could', I assure her but she nods her head.
'I should've fought. I should've ran after her the second the left, but I couldn't', her voice breaks. Olivia walks over to the bookshelves, helping me to get rid of them one by one.
'You were in pain, Olivia. Your whole side was ripped open there was no chance that ...'
'We should fight for love', she interrupts me. I stare at her for a moment, not sure if I understand what she has told me.
'You loved Valentina?' I ask again.
'No, I was in love with her', she says soft. After that Olivia kneels down on the ground, holding her head in her hands. I take my arms around her and for once we sit down together, showing how fragile we actually are.
'I had no idea', I whisper. 'Did my sister feel the same?' Olivia nods her head a little, wiping the tears out of her eyes once we release each other.
'She started the Selection to hide who she was. There was no chance we could ever be together'. I lean against the shelves, Olivia doing the same when we stare at nothing.
'I'm sorry you have to find out like this, Rosa'. I look down at my hands, realising I had never truly known my sister. I used to think she went after all the men in the castle and felt herself too powerful because no one was good enough. Apparently she had been in love with someone I would've never thought. She had loved Olivia.
'Did anyone else know?' I ask after a while. Olivia takes a few other books, laying them in the box before answering me.
'I've never told anyone, I'm not sure if Val has'. I sit up straight again, my dizziness coming up when I take another few books. We didn't speak about it anymore, my sister had never been able to be herself while all I could wish for at this moment was that she had been able to tell me the truth.
She hosted a Selection to hide who she was, afraid to get judged. She would've married someone she didn't love, only to please other people. Olivia takes another book out the shelve, opening it before throwing it away. I look up at her when she keeps standing like that, her eyes confused at the paper.
'Rosalia?' she asks and I stand up when she hands me a few loose papers.
'Why are these papers in her book?' I ask loud, needing an answer when I stare at the title.
'She has never read these books', Olivia says unsure.
'Ivory. The truth behind the myth', I whisper. Olivia keeps staring at me when I sit down on the bed, needing to read every detail. There was no way Valentina had torn out these pages of my book. She couldn't have.
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'Ivory?' Cameron asks when I hand him the pages. It was the first time since the war we had spoken again and I realised we couldn't ignore each other. I needed him.
'Read further', I urge when I walk up and down my room, too nervous. He glares at the paper, leaning back in my chair when he continuous.
'Ivory is a third island that is known for its conflicts with other Kingdoms. No one knows who rules the land, no one knows who their soldiers are because they are all covered up just like their leader: The Shadow Woman'. Cameron looks back at me, when I gesture he should read again.
'The land is separated from the rest of the world, walls are built around it from at least fifteen meters high. The island is hidden behind a thick cloud of smoke'. He stops for a moment, turning the page when he lays them down. 'Who has written that book?' He asks confused.
'A man named Alastair Greengod. I have no clue who he his'. He sighs deep, leaning over the pages again when his eyes keeps moving, truly interested in what it has to say.
'The story goes that the two founders of Ethura and Syrilia, Aurelius and Isaiah, had a younger sister who had to choose between them. But she refused and got abandoned by both of the brothers. Living on the street like many others who hadn't a home anymore. No one helped them, so the younger sister, Anthea, found another sorceress and begged her to create a place for them to live. The sorceress listened to her but therefore Anthea had to give something in return. After thinking for a long time she gave the sorceress her most personal possession, her Royalty sword. Her two brothers had the other swords and once you would bring them together, you would become the most powerful person in the world'. Cameron looks to me, his gaze confused.
'She gave her one of the Royalty swords?' He asks doubtable.
'Yes, but she has been buried with it once she died. I saw that in a vision', I explain.
'What happened after that?'
'Her brothers abandoned her even more for giving her possession to the sorceress. They send soldiers to her castle to attack her which is why she got afraid and decided to curse Ivory in order for it to be hidden behind the smoke'. We both look at each other, questioning if this was something we should believe.
'Let me get this straight. The island is hidden and cursed and right now the Shadow Woman rules over it'. I nod at his statement and he stands up, holding his hands behind his neck.
'What does that have to do with your scream?' He asks confused.
'I think the Shadow Woman has to wake up Anthea again in order to get in possession of the sword. You only can wake a founder by collecting the deathly screams', I whisper.
'Doesn't she have to collect our Royalty Sword and Syrilia's also?'
'I am sure she is trying to find them', I answer. Cameron takes place on my bed, sighing deep after hearing all of this new information.
'Why did Valentina have these papers?' he asks when I sit down next to him.
'I don't believe she knew about them. Olivia found them when we were cleaning the room'.
'I'm sorry', Cameron whispers when taking my hands in his'. I look up at him, realising how lucky I am to still share my life with the person I loved the most. Jade and Olivia weren't able to do that anymore.
'I love you', I admit.
'I love you', he whispers before laying his hand on my cheek and kissing me gentle. For the first time in a week I could feel how it was to be alive again. This time he was saving me, although he probably hadn't even realised it.