The Princess & The Twilight Blade

Audrey

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

Sasha's words sent me reeling as I took a step back, my hands clutched at my chest. Emotions rampaged through me as I reached for something to say, but no words came as we stared at each other across the bed. The silence was oppressive until she repeated herself.

"Please leave, Sister." Hearing it again nearly had me running to the shadows as my sister did her best to glare at me. Yet, something was off. The way she had hugged me just moments before was still fresh in my mind, and even now, there was more than just anger in her gaze. Slowly, I took a deep breath to calm my heart and felt Aurora supporting my decision through our bond.

"I won't," I said.

"Excuse me?" Sasha looked taken aback by my staunch refusal, and I confidently moved around the bed, stepping closer.

"I won't leave you," I repeated. "Not again. Not ever again." I had previously wallowed in self-pity about my failings as her older sister, but it was time to change. It won't be easy, but I managed to become Aurora's divine guardian… Lydia's partner… Just like them, I will become someone Sasha can proudly call 'Sister'.

My little sister's expression flickered between nervousness and rage as she watched me round the bedframe. Anne made room for me and bowed politely, letting us have the room as she waited outside to ensure we weren't interrupted.

"Don't make me call for the guards." Sasha threatened, but her lips quivered. We were close now, close enough to reach out and touch, but I didn't as she backed herself against the stone wall. "I'm being serious, sister. I'll scream—"

"You're almost as tall as me now," I said, cutting through her objection. "Your hair is darker…Longer. You've always been confident, but you've become so strong and beautiful." She just stared at me for a minute before responding, her red lips curving into a thin smile.

"And you haven't changed at all. You're the same as the day you left," she said bitterly.

"There's an explanation for that. I won't make any excuses for leaving you behind, but I would like to tell you at least what happened, if you would listen." I said.

"No. I have no interest." She looked away from me, a finger twirling through a stray lock of her hair. "I'll give you one more opportunity to leave before I call for help."

"Go ahead," I said. "I'll fight every guard and knight in the castle… no, the whole city if it means you'll hear me out." My declaration made her meet my gaze again with wide eyes, and I searched her eyes for any hint of action. The tension grew between us until it finally snapped, and Sasha sighed heavily.

"You really haven't changed…" I couldn't tell if she was disappointed or not, so I decided to pretend I hadn't heard. She pushed past me and sat gingerly on the edge of the bed, and I followed suit, doing my best to keep a respectful distance between us. It had become clear to me that our earlier embrace only happened because I caught her by surprise. My little sister had built strong walls in the time I was away, and they now excluded even me. It's fine! I'll just regain her trust, little by little. However long it takes!

She waited patiently as I gathered my thoughts, her face a bit more relaxed than a moment ago, though she still looked a bit pensive. After a while, I began to relay the story from the moment I had left the frontlines to save Lydia. She didn't need to know every detail of what happened, but I only left out the more intimate moments between Lydia and me. Still, it was the third time I had to go through it, and this time without Lydia, so I did my best to remember everything.

"And we just arrived in Pernan yesterday, then I came straight here." I eventually finished. A glance over at my sister revealed nothing of her thoughts.

"I see." It was all she said, then pursed her lips in silence as she mulled it over. As I waited, I looked around at the furnishings in the room for the first time. Back when we'd been living at the mansion, her room had been a palette of colorful pastels, and the same went for her dorm at the academy. Yet, all I saw now was darkness from the curtains to the bed sheets.

After what felt like an eternity, my sister cleared her throat gently, pulling my attention away from the decorations. "I understand now, Sister. It sounds like you did the best you could." I only nodded a little in response. Unexpectedly, she placed her hand over mine and smiled at me. Her light-green eyes were brimming with tears as she continued. "And I'm so genuinely grateful you are alive. That we can still see each other."

"Then—" I began hopefully, but she silenced me with her free hand.

"But this doesn't change anything for me." I thought back to the letter Luke had shown me, and gritted my teeth.

"Why not?" I asked desperately. Sasha stood up suddenly and paced to the window, a flat expression replacing the smile I'd just seen.

"Do you really not get it, Sister?" She replied to my question with one of her own, and I hesitated before slowly shaking my head.

"I know I missed too much to claim I understand," I said, wringing my hands together as I looked at my lap. "Still… Even if it's selfish, I want you to be happy, Sasha, and I don't think this will do that…" She was silent for a long moment after my words trailed off.

"What do you think I'm planning?" I looked up at the sudden change of topic.

"You're planning to kill our father." Truthfully, it was all I knew. My sister finally turned to look at me with a steely gaze.

"That is part of it, yes." Her eyes flitted back to the window. "Over the last three years, I've read through the majority of House Rose's library… History books, family registers, and the like… but what really struck me were the personal journals."

"Journals…?"

"Yes. Every Duke Rose since the founding of the kingdom has kept a personal record of their time, including secrets they would never share otherwise. Things only the successors should see. That's how I know."

"Know what, Sasha? Please just tell me what you mean." I pleaded, struggling to keep up with the shifting conversation.

"That our blood is a curse." My body ran cold at her tone. It was as if she were casually stating a fact. "The wealth and power of our duchy were built from indoctrination and violence… Even father was a victim." Her gaze was steady as she spoke. "Father really did love your mother at one point in time… And that's also why he killed her."

"W-What…?" I felt the color drain from my face. "No… Mother was sick…"

Sasha shook her head sadly. "That was the official diagnosis, but the cause was trace amounts of poison laced into her tea for years. Only Father and the maid that he disposed of after the fact knew the truth."

My head fell into my hands as I absorbed the revelation. "B-But why would he do that if he loved her?" It didn't make sense to me… I couldn't fathom doing anything like that to Lydia… To anyone.

"Like I said, our blood is a curse. His love made him disobedient to the house, so our grandfather simply reminded him of his place until he broke… Just like father did to me." It was all so much to take in, and my head was spinning with too many thoughts.

Mother was poisoned? Did he hurt Sasha? Should I just kill him? What about Lydia? Would she forgive me if I took away her revenge?

"The crimes of our blood can't be erased, and I refuse to become like that man." Her chest moved rhythmically, her body showing no sign of hesitation. "I am not like you, Sister. So, I will bring an end to it all. House Rose ends with me." My sister looked so much older than she was at that moment, but I was still reeling, so all I could do was shake my head.

"Audrey, my guardian. Just breathe." Aurora's calming voice echoed around my mind, and I suddenly realized I hadn't been. She gently guided me through until there was fresh air once again, and it helped clear my head. What happened in the past doesn't matter right now…

"Sasha," I said, taking another deep breath. "If that is how you truly feel, that you must pay for our ancestors' crimes, then I am just as guilty. The blood you despise so much runs in me just the same as you."

"No, we're different." She gave me a pained smile. "You are strong… No matter what you went through, you held onto the light." Her arm raised as she turned toward the fading sunlight that washed over her through the window, her fingers closing around air as if trying to grasp the color itself. "And eventually… You became the light itself, chosen by divine power to give warmth to those around you, and receiving it in return." She paused, and a flicker of happiness appeared on her features before she suppressed it. Her palm pressed against the clear glass as she looked out over the castle. "But most importantly… You wanted to be saved."

My teeth ground together as I took in her words, but after a moment, I stood up and walked behind her, wrapping my arms around her shoulders and pulling her into a hug. I could hear the resolve in her voice, and I knew nothing I could say would change her mind right now.

"Fine," I said, and I saw a hint of emotion cross her face in the reflection. Slowly, I let her go and stepped away, and she turned to face me slightly. I did my best to ignore the pained look in her eyes and smiled at her. "I'll be back tomorrow." that made her freeze in place, and before she could say anything, I vanished into the shadows.

"I'll just need to make myself present in her life again. Sasha was once my light… It's time for me to do the same for her."

"I think that's a wise decision, my guardian." Aurora voiced her agreement, making me nod with determination. Once I was floating in the purple void, I mentally focused and felt Lydia's stella to the northeast… Right where she should be. Instead of moving toward her, I turned my attention to the rest of the castle. I have some time… let's do some investigation.

***

Lydia

After Audrey left, I sat back down with my brothers, just catching up on anything we hadn't covered yet. I teased Abel and Lucia a bit more to distract myself from worrying about Audrey and Sasha until the knight fled the room from embarrassment. After that, we retired for the night, as Azure had informed me that Audrey would be staying at the castle. That made me worry a bit, but my goddess assured me it wasn't because of anything bad.

The next morning, I had an enjoyable breakfast with my brothers and attendants, then I spent the day familiarizing myself with the underground complex and learning the logistics of the resistance. I had every intention of being involved, whether my brothers agreed or not. I soon found myself back in my brother's office, asking them all sorts of questions to understand where I could best help. They were reluctant, but eventually gave in. Shortly after I finished my interrogation, a knock came from the door, and Leah moved to see who it was. After a short exchange, she turned to face my siblings and me with an uncertain expression.

"It's Isaac Beldonna… He'd like to speak with my lady." I shared a glance with my brothers, then nodded. I stood and made to meet him as Leah opened the door and two figures entered. After meeting everyone again, I thought nothing would surprise me anymore, but seeing Isaac now made me catch my breath.

He looked nothing like the boy I remembered from the academy. His beautiful white hair had dulled and was messy and unkempt, matching the unfamiliar facial hair. His violet eyes were dark and slightly bloodshot, and his skin was pale. A bit of light returned to his gaze as his eyes landed on me, but then he fell to his knees like he was too exhausted to stand.

"It really is you… Lydia." He mumbled as he stared up at me. I was still recovering from my shock, but after he spoke, I moved to kneel beside him. "I didn't believe it when I first saw it… But it truly came to pass."

I had no idea what he was talking about, so I just laid my hands on his shoulder and activated my holy magic. Immediately, color returned to his skin, and his eyes unclouded. There was a beat of silence… Then his arms were around me.

"H-Huh?!" I squeaked out. Still, he held me for a few more seconds before letting go and sitting back with a sheepish smile.

"My apologies, I wasn't thinking. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"I wouldn't say that…" I mumbled, rubbing the back of my neck. While it was true he didn't make my heart flutter anymore, that didn't mean I hated him. He was still someone I considered a friend, even if our relationship had been tense the last few years. Though I wouldn't have allowed it any longer than that… Only Audrey gets free rein.

"I'm glad to know you've returned to us… And as a Divine Guardian at that." His eyes looked around the room, and he pursed his lips. "May I ask about Lady Rose?" My eyes narrowed at that, but I answered his question.

"Audrey left to go see her sister; she should be returning today."

"I see." I watched him for another moment.

"How did you know her name?"

"Excuse me?" Isaac's eyes widened at my blunt question.

"You called Audrey 'Lady Rose,' but her true identity was never revealed to the public. I'd understand if you called her by her first name, but you didn't." I said, eyeing him suspiciously. "Even after the war, my brothers said they kept quiet about it so the relation to Duke Rose wouldn't put off the resistance members." A glance back at my siblings proved me right, but there was something else in their expression. "Am I missing something?" I asked. Nobody said anything as my gaze flicked between Isaac and my brothers.

"I… suppose it's time to explain everything," Isaac said with a sigh.

"Are you certain?" Luke asked, folding his arms with a stern look. "You said they needed to know at the right time."

At that, Isaac just shrugged with exhaustion after Simon helped him to his feet. He was the other person who entered the room, but my old friend had captured my attention first. I quickly hugged my old attendant, and he greeted me curtly before stepping away from the conversation. He never changes… The tears I had shared with Leah would never happen with Simon, but I knew he was happy to see me as well, and that's all that mattered.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Once we all sat again, Isaac started with a bombshell. "My family has the power to see the future."

"That's blunt." Abel scoffed, and I gaped in shock. I was so used to Isaac beating around the bush and hiding behind formalities that his actual words took a minute to register.

"Excuse me? The future?" I repeated dumbly.

"That's correct." He affirmed. I looked at my brothers in turn, then had a sudden realization.

"Was I the only one who didn't know?" I asked. When they nodded, I bit my lip in frustration as I grappled with the implication. Memories flashed through my mind from the past. Times when Isaac had acted weird… Our breakup… Our fight at the tournament… Wait… I remembered the things he had said back then, that he was never the one I was meant for.

"You knew about Audrey, even back then?" I asked dangerously. He only nodded his head, looking down in shame. "So when you broke my heart and distanced yourself… it was because you knew." He nodded again, and the room started to heat up as anger filled my chest, and I faced the man I thought was my friend.

"Dia, please calm down." I heard Azure in my head, but I ignored her as emotion and power filled my body, my stella circulating on instinct, and a fog filled my mind.

"You knew… everything?" I whispered as white and gold flames burst from my skin, scorching the couch beneath me as I glared at Isaac's face. He met my wrath unflichingly, even as some flame jumped at him.

"Lydia, you need to stop—!" Luke began, jumping up from the opposite couch, but I kept my focus on the white haired man in front of me.

"Did you know they were going to die?" My question froze my brothers in place, but I saw my answer in Isaac's regretful eyes. "You—!" Without thinking, I lunged at him and grabbed him by the collar, then stood and lifted him into the air as I tightened my grip, my flames now exploding all over my body and from my eyes. "You knew my mother and father were going to die, and did nothing!" I screamed.

Objections came from all around me, but not even Leah's wind or Luke's ice magic could penetrate the golden flames swirling around the two of us as Isaac looked down at me, not even struggling against my grip.

"I-It wasn't the only possibility… I had hoped—" This made my eyes widen, then I pulled him closer to my face.

"Are you telling me… they didn't have to die?" I asked icily. This made him gulp as the close proximity burned his clothes even more. "There was a future where my parents lived… and you didn't say anything?"

"Lydia! Stop this right now!" Luke's commanding voice broke through the raging flames, and I snapped my head to him, narrowing my eyes. "I understand your feelings, but Beldonna's future sight is not perfect! He didn't know for certain!"

This made me pause and slowed the raging storm in my head. "What does that mean?"

Luke let out a relieved breath that I was actually listening and made a lowering gesture with his hands. "They only see glimpses of possibility; they don't predict every event that will happen… It becomes especially unreliable in relation to divinity."

As he explained, I slowly lowered Isaac to the ground, and when I finally let him go, he slumped back to the couch, wiping at his brow. When my flames calmed down, too, I was blasted with an icy mist that extinguished the rest and forced me onto the now blackened cushion as well.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" Luke shouted at me, slamming the table in between us with his hands. It was like a bucket of cold water had been dumped on me as I realized what I'd just done.

"I-I…" I stuttered and immediately turned to Isaac, who had multiple blackened holes in his clothes, and I could even see red marks on his exposed skin. "I'm so sorry!" I said, and rushed to heal him as tears began to run down my cheeks. "I didn't mean to—"

"It's alright, Lydia," Isaac said with a small smile. "I shouldn't have just dropped all that on you… not so soon after you lost them. I wasn't thinking." My tears didn't stop, but I heard my brothers gasp quietly as they remembered.

"It was all just so much… I got so angry…" I blubbered out as I began to cry full force. "I'm sorry for hurting you." His hand reached out toward me, but then hesitated and pulled back to his chest as he looked at me with pain.

"I deserved everything you said and then more… But we'll talk later," he stood up and patted my shoulder in a friendly gesture before turning to leave the room. I couldn't say anything as I watched him go between the cracks of my fingers as I held my face in my hands and sobbed. A moment later, my brothers were on either side of me, holding me between them in a hug as Luke stroked my hair.

"I'm sorry… It's only been two months for you. I shouldn't have yelled." He whispered, but I shook my head against his chest in denial. My own grief doesn't excuse my actions… I could've hurt anyone in that room—No, I did hurt someone. Unfortunately, my throat was too constricted to speak, so I just sat there for an unknown amount of time until I suddenly felt someone else's arms around me, and looked up to see a worried Audrey. I had been too caught up in my feelings to sense her returning, but seeing her sapphire eyes only made another wave of sobs escape me as I latched onto her.

"It's alright. I'm here." She said gently as her fingers ran through my hair more intimately than my brothers do. Her presence made me calm down soon after, and I eventually sat up, completely embarrassed and still a bit ashamed.

"I'm fine now," I said, taking a handkerchief from Leah, who looked just as worried as everyone else. "I'm sorry for losing control like that."

"So… Does someone want to explain why I came back to my girlfriend crying her heart out?" Audrey asked with a tilt of her head and a not-too-pleased look on her face. "Aurora said I needed to return all of a sudden."

"It's… Hard to explain." Luke said, rubbing at the back of his neck. "Since you're here now, let's have dinner first, then we'll try again." He looked at me, and I nodded in agreement. Audrey still looked confused, especially after I told her it was my fault and my brothers claimed it wasn't. Still, I kept my arm locked with hers as the four of us walked to one of the big cafeterias in the underground complex, and soon had plates of steaming food in front of us.

I leaned my head on Audrey's shoulder, even as we ate, and after the meal, we were once again in Luke's office. Isaac soon returned after being called, but this time sat in a chair at the head of the low table as he explained everything in detail from the beginning. It was pretty shocking to learn that he had first seen the future before we even entered the academy.

"My visions are unpredictable and random," he began. "I can usually see a few minutes at a time… but they don't always come to me in chronological order, and can take place in completely different paths of the future."

"I'm not sure I understand…" I said with a frown. "If that's the case, then how can you make use of any of it?"

"It's difficult, but not impossible." He admitted with a thin smile. "I can… sense, I suppose, when two visions are related." He reached for a pen and paper and began to draw an example on it. He drew a few lines, all originating from the same dot, then circled different spots on the branches. "For example, this was a vision I had where Lydia took a different route from the summer villa," he said, gesturing to a circle on the top line. My eyes widened, and I felt Audrey stiffen up a bit at that.

"If Lydia had gone a different way, she never would've found me…" She said quietly, and Isaac nodded.

"Exactly, though I didn't know the differences at the time. All I knew from a later vision I had…" He trailed off as he pointed to a different circle further down that line. "That in this vision, Lydia doesn't survive the assassination attempt," he then pointed to other lines with circles that represented visions. "However, I had three other visions on these other possible branches before I saw the second one for that branch." A chill ran down my spine as he confirmed I would've died that night if Audrey hadn't been there.

"That's terrifying…" Audrey murmurs as she stares at the paper with an uncomfortable look. This makes the white-haired man nod in agreement.

"On top of that… My power is the strongest in our family records. I have multiple visions a week. It's a lot of information to remember and sort through…" He said. "My family helped me a lot to keep track of everything, but since…" His face fell, and he trailed off. We all just sat in silence for a moment until he gathered himself and continued. "Anyway, the point is that I have no idea what happens in between the events I see, just that if a vision comes true, then I can guess which path we're on."

He met mine and Audrey's gazes with a sorrowful expression. "That's why nobody came to help Lydia with the assassin until Audrey could get to her… I saw that way, Audrey would grow as a divine guardian."

My jaw dropped at that. "Are you saying that you and my family let certain things happen as they did?"

"Only if the outcome resulted in nothing but positives. I refused to let anyone die if I could help it." He said.

"Like what?" I prodded. "What has happened until now that you foresaw?"

"The assassin, for one." He started, then counted off his fingers. "Letting you take Audrey in as a maid. She was made to attend the academy as a noble. Not antagonizing Duke Rose over his military policies—" that one made me scowl, because had my family stepped in much earlier with their own authority, we probably could've prevented a lot of tragedy. Or not… If things ended up this way, doesn't that mean this was the best outcome he saw?

Isaac continued for a bit longer before I stopped him. It was clear my parents had made a lot of decisions based on the Beldonna's advice, and I didn't want to hear any more.

"What did it mean when my brother said it's unreliable with divinity?" I cut in, changing the topic.

"Just that," he said. "Divine power exists above normal magic and interferes with my visions," he glanced at Audrey for a moment before looking at me again. "Especially as Audrey and the Emperor grew stronger… It became harder for me to distinguish events surrounding them."

"Is that why you didn't see the collapse of our kingdom?" I asked with a little more accusation than I meant, but he took it in stride.

"I believe so…" he said, rubbing his hands together and looking down. "It's easier to believe that than to believe that I just failed to protect everyone." I didn't have a response to that. He was already carrying a lot of guilt about what happened; there was no need for me to add to it.

With a sigh, I leaned back onto the couch, pulling Audrey with me so I could still use her shoulder. It's a lot to take in…

"I never wanted to hurt you, Lydia," Isaac said. "But through my visions…" I held my hand up, cutting him off.

"Please don't, Isaac," I said, knowing what he was about to say. "I don't want excuses… If you have something to say, then say it properly." We stared at each other until he stood and moved before me, and I sat up properly. He knelt in front of me, his gaze filled with so much warmth and sorrow that it nearly knocked the wind out of me.

"Lydia. My feelings for you have never changed. You were my best friend, and to this day… I love you." I glanced at Audrey to gauge her reaction, but she only sat quietly with a contemplative look on her face. Slowly, I looked back at Isaac… My first love.

"I'm sorry, I can no longer return your feelings," I said, feeling a little prick in my chest at having to hurt him… But hearing it from me is the only way for him to move forward. "Everything you've done has been for my sake, but I won't condone it. I'm grateful… But I never wanted you to sacrifice yourself so much." he bit his lip and nodded.

"I know."

At his numb response, I placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's time for you to move on… You no longer need to protect me alone. We can work together for the sake of our loved ones." At this, he nodded slowly… almost painfully as tears began to fall from his eyes.

"Thank you, Lydia…"

"That's my line…" I said, sniffling a bit as my own tears began to form. "Even if it wasn't forever… My first love will never be something to regret… And I'm glad it was you. Thank you for everything, Isaac."

Despite the tears, I could feel the weight of our past lifting, giving way to a new future for us. We'll never be the same as we once were… But I knew undoubtedly that one thing would never change. He'll always be someone I can rely on… and I hope he'll learn to depend on me, as an important friend.

As we both broke down crying, I sank to the floor in front of him, and we hugged for the final time as the people we once were. When I let him go, his face was damp and messy, but the smile on his lips shone so brightly.

It was late now, and I was drained after the emotional carriage ride of today, so after Isaac and I composed ourselves, I took Audrey by the hand and bid everyone goodnight. I need some Audrey time… She had been silent through most of the event, and now that I was calmed down, I was a little worried.

"Audrey?" I tentatively asked, and she made a startled noise as she looked at me.

"Yes?"

"What are you thinking so hard about?" I asked. "Are you worried about Isaac?"

"In what way?" Her head tilted in confusion, and a strand of red hair fell across her face.

"Because we used to have feelings for each other?" I said, blushing a bit as I thought of making Audrey jealous. That's good in its own way…

"Not at all." She denied without hesitation. "You love me the most, after all." Her confidence made my cheeks heat even further.

"W-Well… You are not wrong about that." I murmured. After a moment, I cleared my thoughts and refocused. "But if it's not that, then what?"

"I was just thinking… Isaac and I will be good friends. And also that I should thank him when I get the chance." I sputtered at that.

"What for?"

"For helping us find each other." She said thoughtfully, then frowned. "I'm not sure I could've done what he did… Letting you go to be happy with someone else… The thought alone makes my heart feel like bursting!" She said.

"Pfft! W-What are you talking about!" I said, giggling madly at her adorable display.

"Don't laugh! I'm being serious—!" I interrupted her by leaning over and pushing my lips to hers. Her eyes widened in surprise before they fell gently, and she kissed me in return for a moment. When I broke away, I grinned at her mischievously.

"Then I suppose it's a good thing we're quite literally meant for each other…"

"I agree." It was all she said before kissing me again.

***

It wasn't long before we were settling for bed, our bodies pressed together under the covers. It was then that I remembered something else.

"Hey, why do you think you and Isaac will be friends?" I asked curiously. Surprisingly, the thought of my ex and my girlfriend getting along didn't bother me that much, but I wanted to hear Audrey's thoughts.

"Oh, that?" She hummed, her arm wrapping around my torso and pulling me against her tightly. She nipped at my earlobe from behind as we both lay on our sides. "It's because we have the same taste in women…"

Our sleep was delayed by another hour after that.

***

Audrey

"Welcome back, Sasha!" I said excitedly as she entered her bedroom. I was lying on her bed, reading a book I had stolen from the castle's library while I waited for her. She didn't react much, but over the last week that I'd been seeing her, I could tell she was doing her best not to show her true feelings.

"I told you not to be here." She said as she and Anne moved into the closet. A few minutes later, they emerged, Sasha having been changed into a comfortable nightgown. My sister came over, making a point to go to the opposite side of the bed from me as she relaxed for the first time today, and an unconscious sigh escaped her as she lay down.

"Too bad. I'm here to spend time with my sister!" I said with a bright smile, rolling over to be beside her. She only glanced at me, her eyes veiled with distrust. Carefully, I adjusted both of us until her head was in my lap, and my hand was moving through her hair. "You had a rough day… Let me help you relax."

"Like this would… help in any… way…" She tried to say, but her eyes were already closing. It wasn't long before her breathing evened out, and she slept with a peaceful expression.

"She only does that with you," Anne said with a gentle look on her face as she adjusted the covers around us. I smiled at that and picked my book back up, my eyes finding the last line I'd read, even as my free hand continued its movement across Sasha's head.

"I had been nervous at first… But it's clear that she's just being stubborn." I said, glancing at my sister as she grumbled something and moved in her sleep. However, my observation made the maid frown slightly.

"I'm not sure that's all it is, Lady Audrey."

"What do you mean?" I asked, sensing the worry in her tone.

"I think she does truly believe herself to be cursed." She explained quietly. "It's true that having you helps suppress those feelings… But even the first time you… disappeared, she changed."

"That long ago?" I murmured.

"She's always taken everything upon herself," Anne said sadly. "It's like she truly believes her parents' wrongdoings are her own. If you ever leave again—"

"I won't," I said immediately. "I will fight until my fingers bleed from now on to be by her side."

Anne smiled at my tone and nodded. "I'm glad to hear it… Please keep coming to visit. No matter how displeased my lady may act, she always looks forward to it."

"Of course. I will save her."

Every day, I waited in her room after her lessons. Lydia had yet to come, but she was busy helping the resistance operations now, so she wasn't just sitting around while I was gone.

Once Sasha fell asleep, I would sneak around the castle and try to learn whatever I could about the empire and its current state of affairs. Unfortunately, I couldn't get too close to Grand Duke Rose. He brimmed with the emperor's power, and while it was unlikely he could sense me in the shadows… It wasn't out of the question. Lydia can sense me easily, after all.

"That's just because you two are so connected." Aurora teased lightly. "But it's a good decision to stay away from him for now… You're much stronger, but if something were to happen, you'd be alerting the entire empire to the resistance."

I shivered at the thought, then brushed it away. We needed a way to regain control of the kingdom before trying to enlist Yamada's aid… Otherwise, they'd never take us seriously. Even with Lydia's and my combined power, taking on the entire empire as it is now would be a death sentence. Sadly, I hadn't found anything of much use, but I still let Luke and Lydia know everything I could.

It wasn't until a few days later, while I did my usual rounds around the castle, that I heard something. While I couldn't get too close myself, I still kept the shadows open inside the primary office.

"The battleships are nearing completion." I heard the Duke's voice say. "We should be able to initiate the attack in a few weeks."

I couldn't hear the other side of the conversation, but it was clear that whoever he was talking to was of status. Battleships? Must be for an attack on Yamada… The Yamadian navy has single-handedly held the empire's conquest for three years now, but I didn't like the confidence dripping from the man's voice. They talked for a few more minutes, and my blood ran cold with the final words before the communication ended.

"Yamada will be yours by the end of the month, Your Imperial Majesty."

He's talking directly to the Emperor?! I needed to return to Parnen immediately and tell the others. If they successfully break the blockade… There would be no help for us.