Zephora was walking down the hallway when she crossed paths with Duke Vane.
"His Lordship has received your report," he said with a smug tone. "Your task has changed. From now on, you are to observe and report any changes in Cecilia Labelle and you'll report directly to me."
"What? Was that part of His Lordship's orders?" Zephora raised an eyebrow.
"Yes," he replied smoothly. "His Lordship need not concern himself with the likes of a low-ranking demon." Duke Vane leaned in, his voice a cold whisper. "Lowborn scum should know their place. Trying to claw your way up, look where it got you."
With a sneer, he walked away.
Zephora clenched her fists but said nothing.
Prince Caleb entered his father's study and found the Empress sorting through documents.
"You're finally here," she said without looking up. "I've dealt with the most urgent matters during your absence, but there's still much to do."
"Why are there knights and soldiers stationed outside the capital? Are we under attack?" Caleb asked, concerned.
"The Dostani Kingdom has begun its assault on our borders. The troops will be dispatched to assist your grandfather."
"So suddenly?!"
"It's not sudden. Tensions have long been simmering. And now that the Emperor is dead, they've seized the opportunity."
"Then I must go and aid grandfather," Caleb said, turning to leave.
"Stop," the Empress commanded sharply. "And what of Lady Cecilia? Will you leave her here, alone, when she's lost her memories? This is when she needs you most. You are also needed here. I will handle the matters of war and your father's death."
Caleb hesitated, biting back the urge to argue.
"…Alright," he finally said, and walked out.
At the Lyceum, the Headmaster put down the newspaper on her desk.
"Any word from Duke Kouzlo?" she asked her usher.
The usher shook her head.
"Hmph. I knew he was ambitious, but to completely ignore me? Perhaps he's forgotten who keeps his precious duchy safe."
She stood, adjusting her robe and the veil on her face in the mirror before turning toward the door.
"What about your lessons with the princess?" the usher asked in a panic, trailing behind her as the Headmaster walked out.
"Just activate the crystal with your mana to begin the test," the Headmaster replied flatly.
"What if she fails?"
"Then she's not as promising as I hoped."
With a swift motion, the Headmaster drew a glowing sigil on the ground with her wand. She stepped into the circle, pressed her palm to it, and vanished in a flash of light.
In the Kouzlo estate, Duke Kouzlo sat at his desk, staring at two letters on his table, one in a blue envelope from the Queen of Dostani, the other in red from the Empress of Vestur.
"Hmm... which to choose?" he muttered. "If I side with Dostani and Vestur wins, the Empress will have my head. But if I side with Vestur and they lose, the Headmaster will have my head instead."
He turned to his eldest son, Nicholas.
"What do you think?"
"No matter which side you choose, you're dead," Nicholas said, sipping his tea. "It's better we wait and see which side is winning then that's when we choose."
Duke Kouzlo grinned. "As expected of my heir."
Suddenly, the door burst open. Both men stood, startled.
"H-Headmaster?" the Duke stammered, hurriedly tucking both letters into his drawer.
"I was wondering why no news was reaching me. Turns out someone has been intercepting the news," the Headmaster said as she stepped forward, each footfall like thunder.
The Duke and Nicholas exchanged a nervous glance.
"We only wanted to avoid stirring tension at the Lyceum," Nicholas said quickly. "After all, students come from both-"
"Silence!" the Headmaster snapped. Nicholas instantly fell quiet.
"I'm sure you remember the pact," she said, stepping close to the Duke. "In exchange for Kouzlo's independence and protection from the forest's monsters, the head of the duchy is to obey the Headmaster of the Lyceum without question."
"I know you favor Dostani," the Duke said carefully. "But this is war. If you're wrong, Kouzlo will be the next to fall. Not even you can take on an entire empire alone."
"And if you do nothing, Kouzlo will fall anyway," she said, voice low. "The true enemy only wants chaos. Whether you side with Vestur or Dostani, the duchy will be next."
"What do you mean?" the Duke demanded, but she was already walking away.
"Prepare your army," the Headmaster said over her shoulder. "We march to Dostani."
The door closed behind her with a soft thud.
Nicholas let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
"I hate it when she visits. I'm not sure I even want to become the next duke," Nicholas muttered, loosening his collar in frustration. "Do I really have to follow her every word if I take over?"
Duke Kouzlo clenched his jaw. How long must we remain slaves to that woman, bound by a pact made centuries ago?
"It's time we break free from her clutches," he said aloud, locking eyes with his son. "Find out if she has any secrets or any weaknesses we can exploit. But do it discreetly."
Nicholas nodded.
Back at the Arcane Lyceum, Princess Elery was rummaging through her wardrobe when a book tumbled out. She picked it up, recognizing it as one of the books Lucian had given her. At the time, she'd been too preoccupied with the shard to pay attention. She turned it over and saw the name "Agatha" etched at the bottom. Curious, she opened it. The pages were blank.
Frowning, she flipped through the entire book, still nothing. She then searched for the other one and found it tucked away behind her clothes. The name "Nysarra" was etched on its cover.
Where have I heard that name before? she wondered.
Suddenly, flashes of her dreams came rushing back. She opened the book hastily but like the first, its pages were blank.
A soft knock interrupted her thoughts. She opened the door to find Rue, wearing a hood that shadowed his face.
"Ready?" he asked.
Elery nodded. "Let's go."
The two slipped out of the Lyceum, taking advantage of the only day students were allowed outside. They made their way through a narrow alley and entered a discreet tavern. On the second floor, Elery knocked on a wooden door in a specific rhythm. It opened slightly.
"It's me," Elery said.
The door creaked open.
"Greetings, Your Highness," said Lunara, eyeing Rue warily.
"He'll be joining us from now on," Elery assured.
Rue lowered his hood. "It's good to see you again."
"My lord," Lunara said with a respectful bow.
They gathered around a worn table. Lunara unfurled two maps and laid them out.
"I haven't found much on the shards yet," she admitted. "But I did discover something about the Arcane Lyceum."
She tapped the older of the two maps.
"It's been difficult to find anything about the Lyceum's origins. Most books and documents were burned before the empire was established. But this map," she gestured to the left one, "was preserved by a family of cartographers who once served the first emperor."
"But the Arcane Lyceum was only established 300 years ago," Elery leaned in.
"I did not find anything noteworthy about the Lyceum. However, there seems to be an interest on the land where it was built,"
Lunara pinpointed the location of the Arcane Lyceum on the two maps.
She gestured to the map on the right. "This is the current map of the entire continent."
Then she motioned to the map on the left. "And this is the oldest map I could find, created during the founding of the Vestur Empire. This was once a restricted zone," her finger pointed at the locaton of the Lyceum in the old map. "The first emperor prohibited anyone from settling here. He was obsessed with this land."
"If I remember right," Rue added, "that area used to be barren. Constant disasters hit the region during the first emperor's reign. The most devastating was the earthquake that split the earth and created the Kouzlo ravine."
"Yes, and the center of the quake was..." Lunara tapped the map again.
"...the Arcane Lyceum," all three of them said in unison.
Elery examined the old map. "There was a hill there? But all that's there now is a lake."
"My guess is the hill collapsed during the earthquake and years of heavy rain," Lunara explained.
"But why would the first emperor protect this land so fiercely?" Rue asked.
Lunara shrugged. "No one knows. But records say he made his heirs swear an oath, if they failed to protect that land, they must abdicate. Then, during the reign of the 12th emperor, the land was granted to the first head of Kouzlo as a reward for helping win the throne. That's when things began to change. It was on the reign of the 21st emperor that Kouzlo duchy wanted to be independent but the the emperor rejected the idea."
"That's when the Headmaster appeared," Elery said.
"Yes. According to local stories, she offered to protect Kouzlo in exchange for land to build the Lyceum. Only two major incidents have occurred at the Lyceum since then, one involving Princess Liora, and the other... this." Lunara unrolled some fragile newspapers.
"Someone infiltrated the Lyceum and wounded the Headmaster," Elery whispered.
Elery's eyes widened.
"She's lived for over 300 years, filled with immense mana. For someone to injure her that badly…"
"They must be as powerful," Rue murmured, eyes scanning the page. "Or stronger."
"But what could they be after in the Lyceum?" Elery wondered aloud, voice low.
"I'm sorry, Your Highness." Lunara bowed her head. "This is all I could uncover."
"You've been more than helpful, Lunara. We wouldn't have discovered any of this without you," Elery said with a gentle smile, hoping to lift her spirits. "I'd also like you to assist the Marquess with something."
Rue pulled a folded paper from his pocket and laid it on the table.
"My father gave this to me," he said. "As you know... I can't move freely, so I'd like to ask for your help."
Lunara picked up the paper and read the brief message. "Find Tessia?"
"I don't know who or what this is, or why my father asked me to search for it," Rue admitted. "But I believe it might lead to something important."
Lunara nodded and tucked the paper into her pocket. "Alright. I'll see what I can find."
As they prepared to leave, Lunara hesitated, glancing at Elery.
"Your Highness... may I ask something?"
"What is it?"
"Are we... not going back to the kingdom? I heard things aren't going well."
Elery's expression shifted to concern. "Has Her Majesty's illness gotten worse?"
Lunara blinked in confusion. "No, Your Highness. It's about the war with the Empire."
"War?!" Elery gasped. She turned to Rue in disbelief. "Did you know about this?"
Rue shook his head, equally stunned. "No. I can't believe Her Imperial Majesty would declare war and even if she did, my brother would never approve."
Elery's face hardened. "It seems he did. Otherwise, it wouldn't be happening," Elery said, turning back to Lunara. "How long has this been going on?"
"For a month now," Lunara replied. "I heard Sir Aurex is doing his best to hold the front lines, but he can't defend every border. Some lands near the borders have already been lost."
"We have to go back," Elery muttered under her breath.
Rue stepped in front of her, gently gripping her shoulders. "What about the curse? You said that was the reason you came here."
"What use is lifting a curse if my kingdom falls?" she said firmly, pulling away and hurrying off to find Sir Lucian.
"Mira!" Sir Conrad dropped to one knee and embraced his sister as she ran to him.
"See? I told you she's fine. You worry too much," Lord Edric said, approaching from behind.
A young lady followed after Mira, and when Conrad saw her, he quickly stood and bowed.
"I can't express how much my gratitude to you for taking in my sister, my lady," Sir Conrad said.
"Please, don't mention it, Sir Conrad. Mira has been wonderful company," the lady replied, her cheeks tinged pink.
Edric gave his sister a knowing look and a teasing grin. She glared back at him.
Then Edric noticed the sudden influx of soldiers in the manor.
"What's with all the soldiers?"
"The Headmaster came by two days ago. I think she asked father to support the Dostani Kingdom in their war against the Empire," his sister explained.
"A war?!" Edric and Conrad exclaimed in unison.
"That spells trouble," Edric muttered. "It's the empire we're talking about. What was father thinking?"
"I thought the same. But both father and Nicholas agreed to it. And the Headmaster is joining them. That gives me some peace of mind."
Edric's expression darkened. "Does the princess know about this?" he thought.
Without another word, he turned and bolted toward the Lyceum.
"Wait! Where are you going?!" Sir Conrad shouted as Lord Edric ran away.
Edric searched frantically the Lyceum but Elery was nowhere to be found. He rushed to the last place he hadn't checked, her dormitory.
He knocked, but there was no response.
"I'm coming in," he said and opened the door.
Inside, he found Elery hastily packing her belongings.
"Where are you going?"
"My kingdom needs me. I have to return," she replied without looking up.
"You can't just suddenly leave. Have you told the Headmaster?" Edric said.
"I'll inform her once I arrive in Dostani."
"No, Elery, listen." He stepped forward and held her hand, stopping her. "The Headmaster is going to help Dostani. Our troops are already on the move. But if you try to go now, alone, you'll have to cross enemy territory. What if you get captured? Or killed? That will only worry your mother. The Queen mutst've known this was going to happen that's why she sent Sir Lucian here to protect you."
Tears welled in Elery's eyes.
Seeing her break, Edric gently pulled her into a hug.
"Everything's going to be okay," he whispered. "The Headmaster is the strongest mage on the continent. Have faith in her."
Moved by his words, Elery hugged him back, finding comfort in his arms.
At the hallway outside, Rue arrived just in time to see them through the half-open door.
He paused when he saw them, Elery in Edric's arms.
For a moment, he stood frozen in place.
Then, without a word, he turned away and left.