The Princess & The Twilight Blade

Lydia

As Audrey and I stepped through the threshold of the room, the pounding that filled my ears suddenly disappeared as my eyes landed on the two figures inside. One with slightly long blonde hair stood up slowly from behind his desk, and his blue eyes met my gaze and widened in disbelief.

The other figure, a man with short black hair and green eyes, leaned casually on the front of the desk, his muscular arms folded as he smiled. As I struggled to find something to say, I saw Leah and Lucia, who held Koyuki, move quietly to the side as the door closed behind them. Audrey was just as silent beside me, and the room was charged with a tense air as we all waited for… Something.

After what felt like an hour, the black-haired man unfolded his arms and raised a hand in a short wave.

"Hey."

The silence only continued as my brain processed my brother's words.

"Hey…?" I mimicked, confused, but that soon gave way to a familiar emotion as he nodded and grinned as if he had just pulled off a prank. "Don't 'Hey' me, you musclebrain!" The fear I had felt earlier evaporated as I practically shouted and pointed accusingly at Abel.

"Wow, it's like you never left!" He laughed out, only to be smacked across the back of his head by Luke. This shattered the atmosphere, and I heard my attendants snicker quietly.

"That's about how I thought this would go," Leah mumbled.

"He really can't take anything seriously…" Lucia muttered, her face flushed in embarrassment for some reason.

I even felt Audrey shake with amusement through our joined hands, and I glared at Abel, who was rubbing at the point of impact on the back of his head.

"What? Did I say something wrong?" He asked, playing innocent.

"You haven't seen us in three years, and that's how you react?!" I replied with exasperation, doing my best to channel my mother's icy aura without the magic.

"And? I knew you'd come back." Abel defended. "It's not like you were dead." That made me pause, because I had been under the impression that's what most people believed.

"We could've been!" I said, even though we were standing here right now. Why am I arguing with him?!

"Nah." My brother waved his hand dismissively, his gaze calm and reeking of trust and confidence. "Audrey left to save you, so I knew the two of you'd be fine."

I just gaped at him, stuttering for a response when Luke finally stepped in between us. He shot Abel a look as well, then turned to face me. I saw the moisture in his eyes as he stepped closer. His hands landed on my shoulders for a moment, then gently touched my cheeks as I focused on him instead of the infuriating one.

"It really is you… I'm so glad you're alive," he said, smiling. Now that I was seeing him up close, I noticed how tired he looked with dark circles beneath his eyes. At this, I fought back my own tears and smiled at him as I leaned into his touch.

"Yes, and I'm so glad you are alright as well, brother," I said softly. Before I even finished, he had pulled me into a tight hug. One arm around my back, the other cradling my head. I had to close my eyes as relief flooded me, because even after all this time, my brother's embrace still made me feel safe. I heard footsteps, and opened my eyes as Abel moved closer as well, and I couldn't help but stick my tongue out at him despite the situation.

"See? This is the proper reaction." I teased.

"What a child." Abel scoffed, but Luke and I both adjusted to let him into the hug. A second later, he whispered against my hair. "Thank you so much for coming back to us."

"Thank you… for waiting." I returned, then the three of us fell silent, just holding on to one another. Warmth and longing warred within me as I basked in the familiar embrace, but knowing a piece would always be missing. After a quiet minute, I felt Luke's arm move off me, and I almost begged for us to stay like this a bit longer, until I heard him speak.

"You too, Audrey." I blinked in surprise, then turned my head to look at my girlfriend. She had just been watching us with a warm look and tears in her eyes at the reunion. At my brother's beckoning, Audrey took a half-step forward before hesitating, then, to my surprise… shook her head.

"I… Shouldn't." It wasn't just me who looked at her with concern.

"Why not?" Luke asked, worried. "You are part of our family, and you saved Lydia."

"But I didn't save Auntie or Uncle—" Suddenly, her words stopped as she stumbled forward, and we caught her in our group hug. The two hands responsible belonged to my attendants as they smiled at my girlfriend, who looked back in shock.

"We told you not to worry about that. It was, and never will be, your fault, Audrey." Lucia chided.

"You aren't even an adult yet. Don't try to carry everything alone, my lady." Leah added.

"B-But—" Audrey started, and I hushed her with a finger.

"We'll talk about everything in a moment," Luke said, holding onto her tightly from opposite me. "For now, let us enjoy the moment our little sisters returned to us." Audrey fell silent after that and returned the embrace while trembling slightly.

When the hug finally ended, we separated a bit reluctantly, then took seats around the table in the room. Audrey and I sat, hands intertwined, across from our brothers, who still stared at us as if we'd disappear any moment.

"You two haven't changed a bit." Luke began, leaning forward. "Please tell me everything." I turned and raised a brow at Leah, who nodded curtly.

"I thought it'd be better for you to discuss it in person." She explained. I hummed in understanding, then turned to face my siblings again. They both listened with rapt attention as Audrey and I slowly told the story from the beginning. At the end, they both just leaned back, disbelief written on their faces.

"So that's what happened…" Luke murmured. "And Lydia's a divine guardian as well? That's…"

"Expected." Abel cut in with a smirk, and I huffed with exasperation.

"Am I the only one who didn't think that?" I asked aloud, and I narrowed my eyes when everyone but Audrey affirmed it. My girlfriend's eyes did shift suspiciously, though. After a few more minutes of bickering, and everything felt normal, Audrey cleared her throat and spoke up.

"I need to tell you three something." She said, her expression full of sadness as she looked at my brothers, then at me, squeezing my hand gently. Once she had all of our attention, she continued. "Auntie wanted me to tell you that being your mother was her greatest achievement in life, and that she is incredibly proud of all of you. She said Uncle felt the same way."

Again, tears burned in my eyes. The message was short and sweet… And so very like our mother. Looking over the table, I saw Luke and Abel had complicated expressions, but both held back tears nonetheless.

"Thank you for holding onto her final words for us, Audrey," Luke said, wiping at his eyes a little. "That must've been hard on you as well." My girlfriend nodded slightly, biting her bottom lip. Of course, Audrey had mentioned Mother's final words to me early on, but I had decided to wait until all of us could hear them together. I'm glad we're all here now.

After that, the four of us just talked and enjoyed being together again. Luke and Abel told us everything about the resistance from the beginning, and how they've gathered enough power to span the continent secretly. As it turned out, conquering the land, only to have no interest in governing, has left the emperor with quite a few enemies. Leah had also mentioned that the movement has been reoccupying deserted towns and villages as a cover. Overall, I found the whole thing quite impressive, but unsurprising from my brothers.

"And there's been no news from Yamada?" I asked, and Luke shook his head.

"None. They held to their word. The isolation policy has made it nearly impossible to contact them or land on their shores, even for practiced smugglers."

"I don't even want to ask how you know that." I scoffed, then paused. "But there has to be some way in and out." My brother quirked a brow at me, and I explained. "There was a Hydro-panda at the magic beast auction. So there must be someone capable of sneaking past the Yamadian navy."

"Is that so?" He looked over at Lucia and Leah, the former shifting awkwardly while the latter just met his gaze with a professional smile. "That seems like something to report, no?"

"We were busy, Your Highness," Leah said, maintaining her composure even while Lucia elbowed her in the side. Luke only rolled his eyes in response.

"At least I know my sister is always your priority." He muttered, then refocused on the topic. "If that's the case, we'll have the ethereals look into it. Beating back the empire would be easier with their support… even if I'm loath to put my trust in them again." He gritted his teeth, and I frowned as I remembered their betrayal. Then an idea came to mind.

"Send us," I said, then spoke over his immediate objection. "Think about it, Brother. Audrey and I have connections to one of their current princesses. Outside of that, we're both divine guardians. If we're to convince them, we need to play our strongest hand." I smiled to myself as I thought about it. "Plus, I'm not afraid to put on the pressure, especially after what happened."

"Lydia… your face is scary," Audrey said, and I felt her shudder slightly through our hands. I quickly composed myself and loosened my expression. Luke and I stared at each other until Abel broke the stand-off.

"Sounds good to me," he said.

"Abel!" Luke shouted angrily, but Abel just held up his hand to stop him.

"I know you resolved to keep the girls out of harm's way this time, but do you genuinely believe you can by keeping them here? Audrey's a good girl and may listen… But you know Lydia won't stand by." He said, and I glared at him for making me out to be some delinquent princess.

"The first step is acceptance, Dia." Azure giggled in my head, and I glared at her next.

"Even so—!" Luke started, but was cut off again.

"Luke," Abel said, his face turning stony. "The safest place for them may well be Yamada. Even if they fail to enlist the country's aid, it gives them a place to return to should the worst happen." This made Luke fall into a thoughtful silence, but now it was Audrey and me who objected.

"You're naive to think I'd just leave you to fight alone," I said harshly. "Even if we failed, we would still return to help."

"We wouldn't just leave the rest of you!" Audrey said in agreement.

Our brothers just looked at us and sighed.

"We already lost you once. I refuse to go through that again. I can fight my best knowing the two of you are safe elsewhere." Luke said calmly.

"And you think we want to?!" I replied, anger seeping into my tone. "We didn't know if you were alive either! Yet you're asking us to sit by while you fight a hopeless war?"

"My priority will always be your safety, Lydia," Luke said curtly. "Even if that means trampling on your feelings, I will do so to keep you safe."

"You're being overprotective!" I stood and slammed my hands on the coffee table between us.

The peaceful air in the room was charged with hostility as we argued.

"Maybe so, but with Mother and Father gone, it's my responsibility to take care of you." He said, and he looked at every person in the room one by one. "That goes for everyone in this room."

I bit back my retort and slowly sat back down, doing my best to calm my thoughts and heart before replying. "Let me make myself clear, Brother," I said icily. "I love and respect you more than most people, but you are not my guardian. Audrey and I will go to Yamada, and regardless of the outcome, we will return and fight by your side."

"I will not—" He began, but I cut him off.

"I understand your feelings, but I'm not negotiating, I'm telling." I asserted, glancing at Audrey to make sure she agreed. "You need our strength, and even if we lose… we will do so together. As a family."

Luke just stared at me before rubbing at his tired face. "Why must you take after Mother so much?" I heard him mumble before meeting my gaze again. "I'll apologize for the way I voiced them, but my feelings will not change."

"That's fine, Brother." I smiled as sweetly as I could manage. "As you said, you trampled on our feelings. Turnabout's only fair play."

That made him chuckle weakly. "I suppose so."

***

Audrey

The atmosphere had gotten a bit tense, but it was returning to normal after Lydia and Luke finished talking. What really broke the air was Lydia turning to Abel and saying.

"I have words for you, too, Abel. I don't appreciate you seducing my attendant in my absence." This made the prince choke on the tea he was sipping, and he coughed violently before sputtering out a response.

"Seduce?!" Wow, I don't think I've ever seen him so flustered… They are perfect for each other.

"You heard me." My girlfriend continued, crossing her legs and staring him down. "Lucia is my knight, yet you tried to steal her." Before either Abel or Lucia could respond, I joined in with a smirk, shooting the knight a mischievous smile.

"You're mistaken, Lydia," I said casually, and she turned to look at me.

"How so, Audrey?"

"They were flirting long before we vanished. In fact, Lucia told me on the frontline—"

"Hey! You promised to keep that a secret!" My friend cried out from behind us, and I couldn't maintain the facade and broke out laughing. Lydia did better than I did and slowly turned an icy look to each of them.

"So you two were betraying me that long ago?"

"Of course not!" they both shouted, faces flushed red as my girlfriend continued to tease them mercilessly.

"What did I do to deserve this… Just tease him!" Lucia said, throwing Abel under the carriage. "He courted me officially first!"

"L-Luce?! How could you!" The prince looked shocked, his jaw hanging at the betrayal.

"Excuse me? Luce?" Lydia latched onto his slip immediately. As she laid into him, I only laughed harder, doubling over. Abel tried to backpeddle, but failed spectacularly. Even Luke had to cover his face to hide his amusement, and Leah's professionalism wavered.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

"I'm happy for you, my guardian," Aurora said lovingly as I wiped a tear from my eye.

"Thank you. I'm happy as well." I said, then trailed off. "But it's not perfect… Not yet."

"I know. You'll go see her soon, right?" My goddess asked, and I mentally nodded at her.

After a while of listening to the bickering, I finally stood up and released Lydia's hand. She looked up at me, her emerald eyes a little sad at the sudden lack of contact.

"I want to go see Sasha." I declared. This caused the room to fall silent for a moment before Luke addressed me.

"We won't stop you, it's just… We haven't had much contact with her. I'm not sure what she's doing." He stood up and moved to his desk, opening a drawer and retrieving a slip of paper. "This was the first and last thing we got from her, only recently," he held it out to me, and I carefully unfolded it.

Grand Duke Rose will be dead by year's end.

S.R

I gasped softly as I read it, my fingers creasing the edges as I shook with emotion.

"Is this really from my sister?" I asked quietly, and Luke nodded in response. "It doesn't sound like her at all…" I couldn't imagine my sweet Sasha writing such words, but the more I stared at it, the more I recognized her handwriting, even if it had changed a bit. The ink strokes looked stiff, but there were no blotches. A moment later, I set the paper on the desk.

"I'm going," I said, turning to leave the room right away.

"Wait, Audrey!" Lydia grabbed my hand, her eyes filled with worry. She didn't say anything as we stared at each other, but I could feel her emotions.

"I'll be alright. I'd like to go alone this time…" I said, then gave her a small smile. "I'll take you next time, I'm sure she'd be excited to see you again."

She hesitated, unsure whether it was the best decision, but eventually relented. "Alright, please be careful." I nodded, then disappeared into my shadow.

I shot through the purple void, only leaving for a moment outside of town to get my bearings before I moved southwest. The sky was dyed an orange hue, with purple already creeping in. It's several hours by carriage, so I should be able to get there within two.

I focused on nothing else, and the time passed quickly until I entered the shadows of the capital. I peeked from the shadows until I found myself at the entrance of the castle, then slowed to feel for my sister's presence. It took longer than I would've liked, but I eventually found her. I think that's her… her magic feels… heavy.

I ignored everything else, and when I arrived at her room, I took a moment to watch, making sure she was alone. Then, I appeared in the shadow of her bed, but just stood there awkwardly as the words caught in my throat. Beams of moonlight filtered through the window as I just… stared at my sister.

Sasha looked much older now, and she was hunched over a desk lit by a dim magic lamp. Her soft brown hair had darkened considerably and now hung to her lower back. I couldn't see her face as her hand moved jaggedly across a paper; the pen in her hand filled the air with scratching.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped forward until I was just out of her view, and my hand slowly raised to her shoulder. Before I made contact, however, her head suddenly turned toward me, and our eyes met for the first time in a long time.

I froze. My mouth flapped slowly, like a fish out of water. My sister's face had grown sharper, her eyes and chin now resembling the sharp features of her mother. Her light green eyes hadn't seemed to change much, save for the deep circles beneath them. Once I had passed the changes time had brought, my brow furrowed with concern. She looked exhausted, her skin pale and gaunt. Even as she looked at me, her hand continued to move against her desk.

"I'm seeing things again…" She muttered, then turned back to her work. I had no idea how to respond to that, so I just glanced over her shoulder at what she was doing. As I scanned the paper, most of it looked like political nonsense, but I did pick out a few lines. Is she studying imperial politics?

"Audrey…" Aurora urged me gently, and I shook the distracting thoughts from my head. Finally, I placed my hand on my sister's shoulder, and she froze immediately at the touch.

"Sasha," I called quietly. At my voice, she stood up so fast her chair clattered backwards to the ground. The motion shook my hand from her, and she heaved for breath over the desk, still not looking at me as she mumbled quietly to herself.

"Damn it… I need to sleep. But I need to finish this before morning…" My concern reached its limit, overcoming my nervousness. I recognized the signs of excessive overwork and abuse. This must've been how she felt all that time.

"Sasha. Look at me." I said, trying again, my hand finding hers and lifting it gently, guiding her gaze to mine once more. "It's me."

At this, she finally acknowledged me, but it was with a shake of her head. "Stop. You're not real. Stop talking to me…" She tried to pull away from me, but I didn't let her. "I won't be fooled by my own mind again."

My heart broke at the panic visible in her face, her eyes clouded with pure exhaustion and confusion. Still, I couldn't just do as she said.

"I won't. I'm real, Sasha. It's really your sister… I know I don't deserve your forgiveness for taking so long, but I'm here now." I said, tightening my grip around her hand and gently pulling her closer. My free hand landed softly on her cheek, and I circulated my stella until a dim white light shone against her skin. I pushed my holy magic into her, trying to alleviate her strained body and mind.

As my magic did its thing, I maintained eye contact, and her gaze began to uncloud. The circles beneath her eyes lightened a bit, and her hand covered mine against her face as I saw recognition bloom in her light-green eyes.

"Sister…?" She whispered.

"I'm here, Sasha," I replied.

"Truly?"

"Yes." Then, she collapsed into my arms, her body succumbing to much-needed rest.

I sighed quietly as I lifted her into a princess carry and took her to the bed. She had fallen asleep, and I lay her head onto the pillow, then brushed my fingers through her hair as I sat beside her. This wasn't at all how I thought our reunion would go, and my heart began to stir.

What has she been going through to end up in such a state? I already knew the answer, and I had to stifle the hot anger bubbling inside me.

"I shouldn't have taken so long… I should've come for her the second we left the pocket dimension." I said, cursing myself internally.

"You know that wasn't an option. Taking your time to learn about the current world was the best thing to do." I knew she was right, but I just couldn't accept it. Not while looking at my precious sister, who has been suffering through so much without me.

"I just…" I said, then hesitated. "How many times will I fail as her older sister? How many times have I already? I saw it in her eyes right before she collapsed… A glimmer of hope. How much can I let her down before that turns into something else?"

Aurora didn't say anything for a minute as I stroked Sasha's hair, and before she could, a door on the other side of the room opened. My eyes snapped toward it, ready to vanish into the shadows, but I stopped myself when Anne entered. I only covered myself with shadows to blend into the bed frame a bit more, but it wouldn't hide me if she came closer.

The maid was in a nightgown, and her face filled with worry as her eyes found the overturned chair by the desk. She silently moved to pick it up, then looked toward the bed.

"My lady?" She whispered, stepping closer. I didn't move, and as Anne stepped through the moonbeams, her eyes widened as they locked onto me. Her mouth opened, and I sensed she was about to shout, so I swiftly covered her mouth with shadows, careful not to hurt her.

"It's alright, Anne. It's just me." I said, smiling at her. The panic in her brown eyes gave way to surprise for a moment, then she calmed down and nodded. I released the shadows muffling her, and she moved closer, standing in front of me as I turned my gaze back to the sleeping Sasha.

"L-Lady Audrey… How are you here?" She asked quietly, careful not to disturb her charge.

"It's… A long story." I said with a wry smile. "I just got here. Can you tell me what's going on? Why does Sasha look so…" I trailed off and faced the maid.

"Grand Duke Rose has decided to marry my lady to the emperor." Her answer stunned me, then reignited the flames of anger I had been trying too hard to suppress, but she continued unaware. "There was a lot before that, as well. Her father has been putting an impossible amount of pressure on her since he took over." She looked at the peaceful expression on Sasha's face with a grateful smile. "This is the first time in months she's slept so restfully, thank you."

"Don't thank me. I've done nothing to warrant that." I said bitterly. Sensing my tone, Anne sat beside me and looked me in the eye.

"That isn't true. You're finally here… It doesn't matter how long it took. You came for her, right?" I could only nod at that, then bit my lip.

"She thought I was a hallucination," I said quietly.

"That… You've always been in her mind, even when she tried to forget."

"I don't deserve her, and she deserves better than me," I whispered as I caressed her cheek. She'd grown thinner than I remembered, but I had no idea if that was a result of her growing up or what she's been through. The fact that I didn't know only made me despise myself more. The anger also urged me to tear this castle apart until I found the man who claimed to be our father.

"I thought I'd come here and whisk her away… But she's in no condition to go anywhere right now." I said. "We only said a few words before she collapsed, though that was likely because of my magic." To be safe, I reapplied some holy magic to my sister when I noticed her face twist a bit in her sleep. Her body relaxed immediately, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Will you come back?" The maid asked, her hand also finding Sasha's head. Anne looked at Sasha the same way Leah looked at Lydia… Like a loving older sister. Have I ever given her anything? I thought back to our time at the academy. I had spent the majority of our time lying to her about my identity, and even after she knew the truth, we only had a few weeks before the war broke out. I compared myself to the two attendants, and I was overwhelmed with a sense of shame and inferiority.

Still, I nodded my head as tears filled my eyes. "I can't just leave her… I'll stay nearby until a better time to talk comes."

Anne nodded in understanding as I stood and wiped the tears from my eyes. As I vanished into the shadows, I gave the maid one last look.

"Thank you for taking care of her, Anne… For doing what I couldn't." And I was gone before I heard her response.

"Audrey, please don't be so hard on yourself," Aurora said once I was floating aimlessly in the space between shadows. I curled up on myself and stayed like that.

"I need to be. I missed so much time with her… Again. Anne is more her family than I am." I said miserably. I knew it was pathetic, but it was my honest feeling.

"The only person who can make that decision is Sasha. Don't assume her thoughts on the matter before having a clear conversation." Aurora chided, though she kept her voice gentle. "Still, it's alright to let the weakness in sometimes. It's the only way to overcome it.

We both fell silent after that, and I began to cry.

***

I had no idea if I actually slept or not, since it was my first time trying to do so inside the shadows. My body felt exhausted, but my mind was clear, so it was hard to tell, not to mention the lack of sense of time that pervaded the space between shadows.

Still, I awoke only a bit after Sasha did, and kept watch over her as Anne helped change her clothes and get her ready for the day. Aurora had asked Azzy to let Lydia know I wouldn't be returning yet, so there was no rush.

"Thank you for waking me up, Anne." I heard my sister say as her maid tied her hair up. "I feel like I had a good dream… maybe that's why I slept too heavily."

Anne paused before smiling. "It's my job, my lady. If anything, you being up before me as you have been lately makes my duties harder."

"Well, maybe I could try to sleep longer occasionally." The response made shock appear on the older girl's face. "Anne? Why so surprised?"

Anne composed herself, then put the finishing touches on Sasha's hair. "It's nothing, my lady, it's just been so long since you said something like that."

"I suppose it has… I just feel much better than I usually do today."

After that, I followed my sister through the day. Watching as she ate and took her lessons. Her tutors were excessively strict, and I had to stop the shadows from moving on their own every time they yelled at her. The stoic look that slowly overcame her features hurt my heart as she bore everything alone. She looks so used to this.

Luckily, she never ran into the Duke; otherwise, I may not have been able to hold back. What surprised me the most was the encounter with her mother. The duchess I remembered was cruel and cold, but the woman that I saw now barely reminded me of her.

"Sasha!" The Duchess had called out to her daughter as Sasha walked through the castle halls, having just escaped a particularly tough lesson. My sister faltered in her steps, then turned to face her mother with a look of reluctance she quickly masked.

"Mother." She replied with no emotion, and I saw the way Duchess Victoria pursed her lips before speaking again.

"Come have tea with me." It sounded like an order, but her voice trembled.

"My next lesson is—"

"I cancelled your next few lessons." The duchess cut in before Sasha could finish. "I wasn't able to cancel them all, but you're free for the next two hours."

My sister blinked, but showed no outward emotion. "Why?"

"Please, just spend some time with me." The older woman didn't answer the question and was practically begging, and I couldn't help but gape in shock. Is this really the same person who hurt me? Right now, she just looked like a desperate mother.

"Everyone has the capacity for change, " Aurora said. "It all depends on whether or not they are willing to." It was something I understood in theory, but seeing it like this filled me with conflict.

"..." Sasha just stood in silence for a moment, and an imperceptible sigh slipped through her lips. "Alright, mother." The duchess's eyes went wide with surprise, then shock, before landing on happiness.

"Thank you, Sasha. I have a pavilion set up in the garden." She extended her hand, as if asking my sister to take it, but then slowly withdrew it, her expression sobering a little as Sasha just stared at her. Victoria silently led Sasha through the castle halls until they emerged into a colorful garden. Bushes laden with flowers stretched in every direction, and trees and shrubs were cut into various shapes. Archways made of white wood stretched above the path until they arrived at a small building in the center of the garden.

Sasha sat across from her mother, allowing Anne to pull the seat out for her as her mother's attendant did the same. Then they sat, still not speaking, as some maids brought out plates of sweets and a tea set. It wasn't until Sasha finally poked at a cake with her fork that the Duchess finally spoke.

"How… Have you been doing?" She asked awkwardly. Sasha set her fork down and looked at her mother.

"I'm managing, I suppose." The curt reply discouraged the Duchess for only a moment.

"Can I… Help with anything?" This made Sasha's gaze harden.

"You saw my schedule when you cancelled my lessons today, right? Do you think you can help?" Her tone held no emotion except the slightest hint of sarcasm. "It's father's will after all." The pavilion fell into silence again as Sasha continued to pick at the food.

"Where's Leslie?" Sasha suddenly asked, eyeing the lady-in-waiting who stood behind the Duchess.

Victoria glanced over her shoulder, then smiled bitterly. "She was dismissed a few months after we arrived at the castle."

"Is that so?" The disinterest was plain in my sister's voice, but I sensed a bit of relief from the revelation. I wasn't sure how I felt about it myself. Leslie had been the primary perpetrator of my abuse back when I lived as a servant, along with the duchess herself. Yet, here was that same duchess claiming to have dismissed the maid.

"Yes." The duchess continued, pushing through the conversation. "I had a realization… Well, I had it before the war; it just took a long time to accept." The look on her face was full of self-loathing. "I know I haven't been a very good mother to you, Sasha—"

"Really? Sometimes I forget that's what you were supposed to be." Sasha suddenly cut in, but then caught herself. It was too late, however, because the Duchess's face twisted with grief, and tears filled her eyes. Still, she managed to calm herself down with a few deep breaths. "My apologies, Mother. I spoke out of turn."

"No… You didn't." The duchess took a shaky breath before continuing. "It took me being on the other end of power… To know what it felt like to be the helpless one, for me to truly understand the mistakes I've made. I let jealousy and hatred cloud my judgement for far too long, and while I know there are things I can never make up for, I want to start—No… I need to start somewhere." The speech felt sincere to me, and I could tell it got through to Sasha, whose face flashed with emotion.

"So you regret what you've done? Is that it, Mother?" She asked, the beginnings of anger cracking through her composure.

"That's exactly what I'm saying." The mother met her daughter's gaze unflichingly, despite the tears threatening to spill.

"I don't mean about me. I'm asking about Audrey." Sasha asked harshly. Hearing my name made me flinch, and my mind inadvertently wandered back to those terrible times. Could I forgive her? I had come to terms with what happened, with my anger toward those who hurt me… But that didn't mean I could forgive them.

The question made the Duchess hesitate, but she eventually nodded slowly, her gaze fixed on her lap, where her beautifully manicured hands were digging into her dress.

"I… hated Cecelia. While we were students, she always had your father's attention. I only realized later that something fundamental about their relationship changed at some point… and when they got married, I couldn't handle losing to a woman who didn't even want it. Even as Thomas and I carried out an affair, I wasn't satisfied. I was ecstatic when I heard of her passing, and even more so when your father brought us into the mansion." She looked disgusted with herself as she said it, biting her lip. "When I finally tasted his love and power, my arrogance grew out of control, and I took it out on an innocent child. I'm ashamed and disgusted by myself."

Sasha just sat, the anger on her face never receding as her mother spoke, but I didn't feel angry at it. In fact, I almost felt relieved. It was like some small part of me that still held onto the belief it had been my fault was finally letting go. Finally, Sasha took a deep breath, making an effort to restrain her emotions before speaking.

"I'm not sure what you want from me, Mother. I treasured Audrey… She was, and will always be, my sister. You hurt someone so precious to me without a second thought." My heart filled with elation, but also stung with guilt as Sasha spoke.

"I know, Sasha. I know." The Duchess said quietly. "I'll never be able to make up for that… For hurting both of you so much. But I still wish to be your mother. Even if it's in vain, I want to try."

Again, Sasha fell into thought, and so did I. She seemed genuine throughout the whole conversation, and I couldn't help but wonder what event had changed her so dramatically.

"I understand." I perked up at Sasha's words, and so did the Duchess, looking at her daughter with hope until she continued. "We can try again, but only after you apologize to Audrey with everything you have, face-to-face."

This finally sent the tears down Victoria's face as she sputtered. "B-But She's—"

Sasha only held up a hand and stood, delivering her final words as she left the pavilion. "Now you understand how I've felt all this time, right?" It was cruel, and probably even a bit selfish, but I couldn't fault my sister for it. I hesitated as the Duchess began to sob, but she had her attendants with her, so I followed Sasha through the shadows. The tea party had barely lasted thirty minutes, so Anne led my sister back to her bedroom, where she collapsed onto her bed.

I was still sorting out my own emotions after everything I'd heard, but I pushed it away for now, because it had made me feel better about finally speaking to Sasha. As Anne fluttered about the room, I tapped her leg with a small tendril of shadow, drawing her attention.

"My lady… Someone's here to see you, actually." She said this, causing Sasha to look up at her, a hint of annoyance visible on her face.

"What? Tell them I'm not available." I ignored this and rose from the shadows on the opposite side of the bed, out of her view as she faced Anne.

"I'm afraid she's already here, my lady., Anne said, gesturing toward me, causing my sister to whip around. She gasped, and her eyes went wide as she saw me for the second time, more cognizant this go around.

"S-Sister…?" She mumbled.

"I'm sorry for leaving for so long, Sasha," I said, but I could barely get the words out as she launched herself at me. Her arms wrapped around my torso, and her head nearly knocked the wind out of me as I stumbled backward, only just avoiding falling. She was much bigger than the last time we did this.

"It wasn't a dream…?" She asked, and I patted her head as I returned the embrace tightly.

"No. You were so exhausted, I ended up putting you to sleep." I explained, and she fell silent but still hugged me hard. After a few minutes of this, she finally let go, but backed away stiffly, as if remembering something.

"No." She said, and my breath caught as I saw the anger filling her eyes again. "I won't do this again. I won't waver."

"Sasha—" I began, reaching for her, but she slapped my hand away.

"How many times will you leave me before you're satisfied, sister?" She asked, and the words pierced my heart.

"N-No, I didn't mean—"

"I said no!" She suddenly shouted, backing away even further as moisture mixed with the heat in her gaze. Anne tried to catch her as she almost fell off the other side of the bed, but Sasha pushed her away as well. My sister saddled me with the look I'd been dreading this whole time, and spoke the words I most feared.

"Leave, sister. I do not want to see you."