While it seemed like Aefia was recovering over the time, that can't be the same for her mental illnesses. It took time. A very long time, and in that amount of time, it can either go good, or worse.
But still, it wasn't like she didn't try.
Slowly enough—through rest and being with other people—she started to feel better and better. Taking small walks, staying out of work for a while, and conversing about things she felt was not fit for certain reasons. And expressing her opinions more often.
Then one day, she met Erebus again. It was only a short time, and he seemed rather angry at something. She didn't mean to ask him anything, but when she did, he answered that Victoria was unbearable. After that, she returned to her castle and dived back into her work.
It was a leisurely afternoon when she was sitting by the fountain on her castle gardens. She wore a collared white and pastel yellow flock with trousers and ankle boots, along with simple accessories like studs and a silver locket.
Boringly, she was swinging let legs back and forth while she heard the rustle of grass underneath her shoes. It was a bright spring afternoon, and the flowers on the grass were in full bloom. It was a very nice time to come out and breath. A moment to recollect the peace of mind you couldn't get when you are working.
Thinking of which, she was actually so engrossed into it that she forget time past by so fast. It was almost the end of the month when she needed back to Nikoan to inspect her territory. However, before she did that, she wanted to finish whatever fued she had with Victoria.
Cause that woman was never leaving her alone.
The last time, she broke a water vase at Aefia's feet and cried that Aefia was abusing her. But also... To think she was targeting a person who was half her age. Did she not have the brain or was she just born this way?
"Oh wait... She was once a servant." That was what she told Victoria that day when this went as a simple 'mistake' by the second Aethalgard. They were actually alone around that time.
After that, she made it a mission to bring Aefia's reputation to rock bottom however possible. But what she didn't calculate, was that Aefia too was about to drag her down with her.
So that was all these days. And today, was extremely quiet somehow.
Helio wasn't here today, so it meant it was going to be a very boring and stressful day. Regardless, at least Matthew had somehow reduced that amount of work she got intially. And that raccoon...
Rustle.
A little furry animal came to sit at her boots and rubbed its face against the leather. You could say, these are actually magic beasts that you can tame who can later save you. They have different powers and skills that depends on which animal they are. For this creature, its a skill called 'smokescreen'.
You know how on Earth they are stinky? Using the same logic... These raccoons use a visual and sound altering magic that works as a distraction within seconds and they are almost always effective.
It almost worked as a pokémon. But, they don't live inside literal balls. They stay in cozy pillows sat at one corner of the office their owners stay in. Acting as a small bodyguard who can immediately sense something is wrong and conjure it before it escalates.
Maybe a very useful thing against Victoria at all cases.
Aefia offered the pet a smile, bending down to pet it. It was alright of course, cleaned and combed, and definetly not stubborn. One of the most calmest pets she ever had. It was almost like a cat.
"Cindy... Don't you want to play?" She asked while lookitm over at her shoulder where a very nervous, tiny, Chimera Dragon was vibrating with its teeth clenched. It immediately hugged her neck in response.
"Alright. I get it." She laughed while lifting her finger to pet its head as it immediately settled in.
"Hah! What a scary-cat!" Puppet scoffed from above Aefia's head. It folded its arms and flew down to her right hand to have a proper conversation with Cindy.
"Oh my god..." Aefia used her free hand to pinch the bridge of her nose. "Not another round."
"Grrr!" Cindy groaned back in response as she immediately hoped down and looked Pupput up and down, then flapped her wings aggresively. She spoke in Morse code. Since she didn't have a vocal cord. And she was telling the tiny wolf about how irritating it was.
But truly, Puppet was patient whenever it came to Cindy or any other pets. It may get really annoyed at some times, but that tiredness was almost never there.
When those two were fighting, the Phoenix and the raccoon were sleeping side by side. By the looks of it, those two were close friends who were inseperable.
Then, a pair of footsteps echoed into the field that silenced everyone. Aefia turned her head to look at who it was.
Erebus looked down at the animals at her feet and the ones at her hands. Then let out a laugh while nearing the fountain.
"Do they always fight?" He asked while picking up the sleeping raccoon and placing it on his lap to stroke it. "Cause everytime I come around, I just see them arguing." He pointed his eyes towards Cindy and Puppet.
Aefia let out a sigh while placing them onto the concrete in the gap between them. Then stretched her hands over her head. "Well, try mostly like to sleep. When they are awake, yes. And sometimes it gets into a fist-fight and then magic fight. If you ever saw it during those times, you would feel like you just saw a hurricane."
"But they seem too innocent for that." He answered back while raising an eyebrow in question.
"I thought that at first too." She answered back while letting out a deep breath. Finally, she looked at the angle of the shadow and stood up.
"Erebus." She asked while looking down at him.
"Hm?" The kid looked up at her garnet eyes.
"What if I told you I have a plan to remove Victoria off my back? But that may leave your reputation a bit low." She asked with a soft tone or voice in case he misunderstood. "It is just that, I have gathered evidence that she had been behind all those times that the Guardians went missing but not dead."
"She is behind it?"
"Specifically, she had brought the first Aethalgard along with her to my castle not so long ago and also distributed a Guardian to search for evidences that would push me to the brink of suspicion. I am just trying to keep my records clean the way it is. By now, you must know what she is planning on doing." She explained with one breathe.
"She is trying to get the Eclipse division wiped out."
"Right. So that means that I will die and so will the Guardian of Destruction. And maybe you too. But what do you truly care for? The Guardian Realm or Nikoan?"
"Well, Nikoan wasn't corrupted until the Guardian Realm was. So there is no saying what to save first. But if this Realm gets wiped out, then Nikoan will too. So the Guardian Realm."
"Exactly. But Victoria doesn't care about that. She wants power and dominance so that everyone will see through the history books, that she is the 'Great Mother' who brought the world alive from the brink of death—"
"But how do you know all that?" Erebus interrupted. His face contorted into a look of disbelief. "You don't even talk to her well enough."
Aefia smiled back at him. Her hands clasped behind her. "I simply read what felt like her true impression of herself in the fourty-two journals that she wrote herself and claimed it was Seraphina's. I know her name from there as well. And you can see how she decided to go down to hell and disrespect herself to make me seem guilty. Now... What is your verdict?"
"..."
He stared at her face, completley baffled. He was stunned by the audacity of someone who claimed to be the second Aethalgard and the mother of the Rise division. That is why no wonder her supporters always survive whatever conflict they cause.
And looking at the person who was a newly crowned third Aethalgard, it could be easily said... That when Erebus was going to be asked to take someone's side, it would be more like gambling.
Because this is a game of brains.
It isn't about luck, which depends on what cards someone got or how they won. This was more like what card you chose and how you are going to use it if you both know what your cards are. You know they know what move you are about to make and you know what move they make. The possibilities of a draw was actually stronger than the possibility of lose.
The two players here were like this.
One was a long-running Guardian who fooled the entire court. The other was a Guardian who achieved it within one-and-a-half year of coming to this world. There was no saying who would fool who in this situation.
Both were manipulators who could force a dice to roll a six without even touching it.
However, if he was asked to choose someone... That would be—
"I am not against you. But I promise to help you by being my mother's side." He answered while looking up at her with fierce eyes. "That way, I can fool Victoria into thinking I just act nice to you on the outside but I truly hate you. While also, I can back you up at the final round of the game you are about to step-in and play."
He waited for a while to see if she was going to be upset or just angered. But instead, she smirked at him with her eyes glowing like actual gemstones.
"Sure. I don't think what you chose was a wrong decision. If you stay true to your words... Then I suppose we will meet again in the final round." She spoke while patting his head. Slowly, she bent down to near his ears. "Although... Try it surprise me... I want to put up a good show for the entire Realm to watch." Aefia whispered.
Just in time, the sound of the bell announced four o'clock and it meant it was time for everyone to head back in and settle any work that is left and finish it up before submitting it at five.
She took three steps back and held out her hand for him. "Then that is settled. I hope we keep our end of the deal as it is." Aefia added before turning around to head back inside. Puppet, Cindy, the Phoenix and the raccoon followed behind her. As she dissappeared behind a wall, Erebus stood standing at the fountain for a short while.
"That repetition in sentence must be hinting something." He spoke to himself before shoving his hands inside his pocket and walked back to the head-quaters. It was a very long, yet short walk. He took a portal to shorten the lenght of the journey.
He met his mother at the gate of her fully-white and feathery castle.
"Erebus? Where are you coming from looking so disolent?" She asked while climbing down the stairs.
"Nothing mother... I was just walking around the backyard of the Death castle." He answered while looking up at her.
"I told you not to—"
"Can I stay in your place for the night?" He suddenly asked. Staring at her face with a solemn, yet sad face.
"Why?"
"I hate the new Guardian of Death. And her place is closer to the head-quaters." He answered.
This lit up a smile on her face that made her signal her servants to prepare him a room. "So well. I shall accept your request." Victoria answered while ruffling his hair. "I will be back by four thirty after the meeting ends."
"Sure. I wish you luck, my Sovereign." He announced before climbing up the same steps his mother had gotten down from.
On the otherside of the map, Aefia was starring at the distant white castle with her eyes completely calm and settled.
"Puppet. Do you think he understood that?" She asked, stopping mid-step up the grand stairs as if consumed in thoughts. The distance between Aefia's place and Victoria's place was about a mountain away. She was surrounded by trees that towered up to reach the third storey.
"I don't know how true mindset. So I can't determine it. However, if he does betray you, you know better than to stay silent about it." It answered back while flying up the remaining steps.
Aefia let out a deep breath. Her right leg was on the next step, but she didn't move. She wanted to stay there for a little while longer to see the view. The breeze blew against her face, making the scenery a splendid view.
Hesitantly, she continued her climb and walked up. The fact was, there was no safety railing on either sides of the stairwell since it was wide across. If in case she brought Felix along with her for a visit, she would have to make sure he wasn't anywhere near the dangerous places...
Thinking of which...
"My Sovereign?" Matthew asked while descending the stairs to reach where she was. "Is there a matter?"
Immediately, she lifted her head to look at him, then turned her head towards the either sides of the stairs.
"You are getting back to attend your shift, right?" She asked finally.
"Yes."
"Can you remind me tomorrow that I need to renovate this castle?"
"Renovate?" Matthew furrowed his brows. "We don't have any engineers here."
"You don't. But I do." She answered back. "Just remind me. Can you do that?"
"Sure. If that is what my Sovereign asked." He bowed his head before going down the remaining of the stairs.
Aefia looked up at the entire castle and let out a deep sigh. Then walked back inside—to a place which was now her permanent address—only to continue burying herself in stacks of papers before heading back out to attend a seperate meeting where she would meet the first Aethalgard and Victoria once again... Alone.