Varay Aurae POV
The quiet of the drawing room was a rare mercy.
Muted light from a crystal chandelier bathed the space in soft hues, the walls lined with winter tapestries and fresh orchids placed with such care that I had wondered if Princess Kathyln had done it herself.
A fire crackled in the hearth, warding off the chill of the season with a low constant warmth, the sounds of the flickering flames and snapping of wood echoing in the silence.
Across from me, perched primly on a velvet-cushioned chaise, sat the girl I had sworn to protect.
She was still as stone, back straight, hands folded neatly in her lap, staring into the flames with a look I could not quite read. Regal in every sense of the word, silver silk wrapping her slender form, dark obsidian gemstones set into her bodice like frozen tears. Her hair had been arranged into a braided crown, streaks like the night sky catching the firelight.
"You'll do well tonight," I said, arms folded behind me, my posture at ease despite the formality of the moment.
"I always do," she replied softly.
A faint smile tugged at my lips. "Oh, where's this confidence coming from, princess?" I questioned with genuine curiosity.
"It is my Birthday, Varay," she murmured softly.
"I know", I deadpan, crossing the room slowly, letting my boots thud softly against the polished floor. "It's just one night, Kathyln. Nothing more, no need to worry."
Her black eyes flicked toward mine. "That's not true. Every noble family here is watching. Every marriageable heir. Every foreign dignitary. One misstep-"
"You don't misstep often," I cut in. "And they'll forget tonight as soon as someone makes a more interesting scandal. Just breathe and enjoy yourself."
A silence lingered between us, deeper than before. Kathyln's gaze drifted back to the fire.
"...Thank you," she said finally. "For staying."
"Where else would I be?" I asked, then inclined my head. "But, I should take my place. You'll be called soon.
She nodded once. "I'll be fine."
I lingered for a moment longer, then turned and left, the soft click of the door behind me sealing her away.
The sounds of laughter, music, and clinking glasses swelled as I descended into the main hall. The ballroom was already thrumming with the pulse of wealth and power.
Nobles spinning across the marble in a blur of silk and satin, servants darting like shadows with trays of glittering drinks, and conversations that hovered just above a whisper.
My eyes scanned the room.
The Prince stood near the far side of the dance floor, surrounded by a veritable wall of noble daughters, His smile tight, his hand gestures were animated, likely retelling some overblown hunting tale for the seventh time tonight.
Watching over him, leaning slightly against a marble column and sipping from a tall crystal glass, was the unmistakable figure of Bairon Wykes, my fellow Lance, and the picture-perfect image of detached nobility.
"Enjoying yourself?" I inquired as I approached, my voice just loud enough for him to hear over the orchestra.
Bairon's lips twitched upward. "Immensely. I've learned more about embroidery and bird migration in the past ten minutes than I have in all my years as a Lance."
My gaze drifted toward the prince again. "Looks like he's holding up."
"For now," Bairon added, swirling his drink. "Though I may have to intervene if Lady Norwyn starts discussing her cats again."
A snort escaped me. "Not a fate I would wish on even you."
He raised an eyebrow. "How generous."
I let the humour fade, watching Curtis twirl a girl in lavender who looked on the verge of fainting.
"What of the Princess' guest?" I asked, unable to see the boy I spoke with all of those months ago.
"What of him?" my blonde companion replied, crossing his arms.
"I was just curious, Bairon", I said sternly, letting out a heavy exhale.
We stood there in silence for a few more moments, until the sound of a glass being rung could be heard.
With that, all eyes were drawn towards the head butler as he spoke up, "Now Presenting, her Grace, Princess Kathyln of House Glayder." He swung an arm back in a dramatic bow, as a set of double doors opened behind him.
My ward began her descent down the stairs hand in hand with her father. Her gown was a soft silver-blue, like starlight on snow, with delicate frost-like embroidery that shimmered when the light touched it. The fabric clung to her upper form before flaring gently at the hips, flowing down in gauzy layers that whispered against each other with every step.
"She's going to look exactly like her mother when she's older, isn't she?" my colleague stated, almost as if he's thinking aloud.
"Is that such a bad thing?" I shot back at the blonde.
"Touche", he said softly.
Her father let go of her hand and whispered something in her ear before they went their separate ways. His majesty returned to his wife's side, and the princess crossed the floor towards a group gathered on the west side of the hall.
She continued her advance until she stood only a few feet ahead of a brown-haired boy.
"Is that him?" questioned Batırın.
"Yes, it is," I replied.
"He doesn't look like much."
"They're Five Bairon," I sighed at the blonde's absent-mindedness
She raised a hand to the boy, which he swiftly accepted as she guided him to the centre of the hall.
The orchestra shifted its tempo the moment they stepped into the circle of open floor, the subtle swell of strings and wind instruments wrapping around the two like mist on water.
I watched them closely.
Kathyln moved like winter incarnate, with a composed grace well beyond her years. She led without seeming to, her every motion calculated, elegant. And the boy, Elias, he followed with the same quiet determination.
"He's not the worst dancer," Bairon mused beside me, swirling his drink again.
"He's terrified," I replied.
"Still upright. That counts for something." He sniffed. "I would've bet he'd faint before they finished the first spin."
I snorted softly but didn't look away. "Don't be cruel."
He didn't reply, but I could feel his gaze still tracking them across the floor, curious despite himself.
They turned again, bodies dipping and swaying in time with the music.
"Something's-" I began, as the sound of the ceiling cracking filled the room.
I turned just in time to see Elias's body pivot between Kathyln and the crowd, arm outstretched, a blast of wind erupting from his palm.
Kathyln flew back.
Bairon reacted instantly beside me, his drink clattering to the marble as he raised a hand, but we were both too slow.
The blast meant for the Princess hit Elias before he could recover.
It tore through his left side like a lance of fire, his body twisting mid-air as flesh and bone gave way to molten force. The boy was flung backwards like a puppet with its strings cut, vanishing in a blur of red and silver.
Screams erupted.
The music died mid-note.
Crystal shattered above. The chandelier nearest the centre groaned on its chain, singed black on one side, its gems dripping sparks.
Chaos surged, a tide of nobles shoving and stumbling away from the epicentre.
"Curtis!" I heard Bairon bark as he blurred forward through the crowd.
I didn't hesitate. My feet pounded across the marble as I pushed against the panicked tide. "Kathyln!"
She was still down, half-curled on the floor, her hair dishevelled, one shoulder of her gown torn from the impact. A stunned nobleman hovered over her, shielding her awkwardly.
I reached her just as she pushed herself up.
"Are you hurt?" I demanded, falling to a knee beside her.
Her eyes were wide and unblinking, locked onto the smouldering trail left in the wake of the explosion.
"Elias," she whispered.
A second flare of mana surged across the room, this one faster, more focused.
I spun just in time to see a crimson flame arc toward the cratered wall where the boy had fallen.
A golden lance of light split the air.
"RHONGO...MYNIAD"
The blast screamed down from Elias's position, tearing through the oncoming spell with a divine, piercing shriek.
It collided mid-air. The resulting shockwave knocked several nobles clean off their feet. Decorative columns cracked. Drapes ignited. The force of it flung what remained of Elias's body further into the stone wall behind him.
"Kathyln, move," I barked, hauling her to her feet. Her composure was already returning, jaw clenched tight, hands steady.
"I need to get to him," she said, trying to push past me.
"You need to stay alive," I snapped. "Let us handle this."
"Varay-" she tried to argue through an exhale, tears clinging to her eyes.
"Please," I said, softer now. "You'll only slow me down."
She gave me a resigned nod as I stood back up and made my way towards the boy.
I looked to my companion, who finished looking over his student, and he gave me a nod as he jumped through the hole that was now in the royal ballroom's roof.
I continue towards the mix of smoke and dust that now exists in the corner of the room.
I held my hand before me as I sprayed a stream of mist over the area, towards the maimed boy at its heart.
As I drew near, a blinding golden glow illuminated the left side of his torso.
What the hell is that...
An appendage of golden light slowly grew from his neck as it took the form of the left side of his chest, shoulder and arm.
I took a hesitant step towards him, then another, and another until I stood over him.
He breathed sharp, involuntary inhales as strands of bone and flesh filled the gold.
I dropped to my knees before him as I held his small body up.
How is he...
"Elias?" a voice to my right called out as the stunned prince watched over his friend as his body reformed itself.
He took slow, methodical steps as he knelt down next to me, as flesh continued to wrap around bone.
Cynthia Goodsky POV
"...This was an assassination attempt!" King Blaine's voice echoed out through the high council chamber, the wrath behind each word reverberating off polished stone walls. "And it happened under my own roof! In the heart of Etistin! During my daughter's own birthday celebration!"
The long table before him shuddered as he slammed his fist down, crystal goblets rattling with the impact. No one dared respond at first. Even the towering flame sconces along the chamber walls seemed to flicker uncertainly, as if shrinking from his fury.
"We had Lances, Generals, and mages present. And still, still, a spellcaster got close enough to harm Kathyln and nearly obliterated a child in front of the courts?" His glare swept across the table. "What explanations do you have for me? Which of you allowed this to happen? Which one of you sent him?!"
Queen Merial Eralith kept her hands folded in her lap, but her expression was tight. King Alduin sat beside her, jaw set in grim silence. Across the table, King Dawsid of Darv muttered something under his breath, earning a cautionary glance from his wife, Queen Glaundera.
The only one who looked unmoved by Blaine's fury was Virion, standing with his arms loosely folded behind his back, as though waiting for the storm to pass.
Blaine's eyes narrowed. "None of you can tell me how the attacker bypassed every magical ward, every watchful eye. Or how a child, a commoner, countered a high-tier spellcaster with a spell we have no record of! So, I ask again, what in the hell is going on?"
'Well, that commoner is my student, Blaine.'
I exhaled slowly through my nose. "Your Majesty," I spoke firmly, stepping forward. "We may need to broaden the scope of our assumptions. What if the assassin didn't originate from within the continent at all?"
That drew looks from all eyes present.
Dawsid scoffed openly. "What nonsense is this now, Goodsky? You think an assassin sailed in from some far-off isle, slipped into a royal celebration unnoticed, and nearly killed a princess?"
"Well, someone did", I stated firmly, "Unless one of you wants to claim responsibility for an invisible killer with foreign mana and knowledge of royal routines."
"Watch your tone, Goodsky," Glaundera said coolly. "Accusations do not help your case."
"I am not accusing anyone," I replied, levelling my gaze across the table. "But the spell work was not elven. It wasn't dwarven. And it certainly wasn't human. That leaves only one conclusion."
Alduin leaned forward. "You believe this assassin came from beyond Dicathen."
"Yes," I affirmed. "And you all should as well."
'Come on, I'm literally spoon-feeding this to you guys...'
A tense stillness fell over the chamber.
"You mean to say there are civilisations out there that we've somehow never encountered?" Dawsid growled. "Magic systems we've never seen? Entire cultures hidden from sight?"
"Is that really so hard to believe?" I countered. "The Beast Glades alone remain mostly unexplored. And no one has crossed the western seas in centuries. We assume we've mapped the world, but we've only mapped what we've survived."
Virion finally spoke. "She's right."
All heads turned towards him.
"The corpse was examined by both elven and human mages under neutral supervision. There were markings etched into the man's back and limbs, like tattoos, but infused with mana. None of our scholars could identify the glyphs, or rather, runes," he informed, stroking his goatee.
King Blaine's fury had not dimmed, but now it simmered beneath the surface. "So you believe we are under threat from an outside force? One we've never seen or heard of before?" he asked, confusion mixing into his shout.
"It is too soon to say for certain," Virion said. "But the evidence suggests this was no rogue mage or internal conspiracy. This was an orchestrated attack to turn us against one another."
"Your Majesties, might I be dismissed?" I requested, drawing attention momentarily away from the earlier attack. "I would like to check on my student"
Before any of the monarchs could have a chance to speak up, my oldest friend did. "Of course, Cynthia. I hope he's recovering well. Please tell us when he wakes up." He said with a smile.
I give him a slight nod as I leave the chamber.
~~~
I closed the door behind me with deliberate care, shutting out the distant noise of the Castle's halls. The blinds followed, drawn tight until not a sliver of moonlight peeked through. My hands moved on instinct as I dug through my bag, retrieving the small glass sphere.
Setting it on my desk, I channelled a thin stream of mana into its core. A faint hum filled the room, light swelling within the sphere until it dissolved into a shimmering projection of a woman on the other side of the connection.
After a few moments, it began to glow, and as the light faded, the outline of a horned woman sitting on a sofa was all that remained.
She glanced toward me, eyes half-lidded and still soft with sleep. "Cynthia," she greeted, a small yawn escaping her lips. "I'm not opposed to unscheduled calls, but you know it's far too early for this."
I bowed my head slightly, though my voice carried an edge of urgency. "Apologies for disturbing you, Lady Seris, but what I have to tell you is... concerning."
Her left brow arched ever so slightly. "Concerning enough to drag me from bed at this hour?" she asked, though there was no true irritation in her tone, just mild curiosity.
I nodded once. "There was an assassination attempt last night. At the Glayder royal ball. My pupil was caught in the attack, he barely survived." My fists clenched at my sides as the memory flashed again.
Scythe Seris sat up a little straighter, interest sharpening in her gaze. "An assassin? You believe this is Alacryan work?"
"We don't just believe it," I said, pulling a folded scrap of parchment from my desk and holding it into the sphere's light. Etched onto its surface are jagged, foreign symbols, runic marks burned into the flesh of the corpse we recovered. "These were carved into the body of the attacker."
The Scythe's expression hardened, though confusion lingered in her eyes. "No such order has passed through my ears, Cynthia. I would know if an agent was sent to Dicathen. Someone is either working far outside sanctioned channels... or this is a ploy meant to sow distrust."
I inhaled slowly, trying to keep the emotion from my voice. "Elias, my student, pushed the princess out of the way and took the brunt of the attack. The entire left side of his torso was obliterated before... something healed him." My throat tightened. "If not for that miracle, I'd be reporting his death to his family right now."
Scythe Seris' composure cracked for the first time, surprise flashing across her usually unshakable features. "Healed?" she started, leaning closer to the projection. "Cynthia, what exactly happened to this boy-"
A firm knock at my door interrupted her question, the sound jolting through my tense frame like a blade striking stone. My gaze flicked sharply toward it, heart kicking up a beat. I glanced back at Scythe Seris, holding a finger up to my lips before slowly rising from my chair.
"Director Goodsky?" the voice asked hesitantly from behind the closed door.
"Yes, what is it?" I questioned, almost holding my breath.
"Your student seems to be waking up."
I let out a heavy exhale, relief washing over me.
"Cynthia, we can talk more at a later date, go check on your protege", the white-haired Vitra said, giving me a tired smile.
'Thank you, ' I mouthed to my superior as I cut the connection.
I returned the orb to my bag and made my way to the door, where I followed the young brown-haired butler to the castle's infirmary.
WC- 3044
Thanks for reading this chapter. Hope you all enjoyed it. 😊
All Criticism and feedback are welcome. Any suggestions for the story or plot are also more than welcome.
Guys oneself might've found himself addicted to Umamusume so if I miss an upload you guys know why.
Onigiri Cap my Beloved.
Special thanks to LancelotDragonroad for editing this chapter.
If we're all still alive, the next chapter will be released at 12 likes or on Sunday.
Rius out.