A vast kingdom

Chapter 1: trust and faith

My father had called me into his office. He usually never does unless I am being punished. Of course, there is
never a reasonable reason, just boiling anger inside him which he needs to let out. In other words, you could say
I was his human punchbag. I begin to walk dreadfully down the spiralled stairs.

I walked in his office noticing his desk was messy with papers everywhere. It was dimly lit. He took a painfully
deep breath and turned his chair around to face me. "You called upon me, father?" I question.
"A guard just informed me you went out of the castle without permission." his rough voice says. "You are not
supposed to do that." I had gone outside on my father's orders, but I knew better that to tell him that. So, I stayed
silent. He began walking towards me. He grabbed my throat and pinned me against the wall.

"Help!" I shouted. He was suffocating me. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. I was kicking everywhere. I found
a sharp pencil on her father's desk and gashed the pencil into my father's throat. Crimson blood was now oozing
out of his throat and without hesitating I ran as fast as I could. The last words my father said were, "You cannot
run, Adria, my men will find you. No matter where you are you will not be safe." Those words kept repeating in
my head over and over again. "You will not be safe." Of course, there was no safe place in the Emerald Isle as
my father had all the authority and control over it. After running for a long time, I found an alleyway and dozed
off. The alleyway had buildings raised, and ghost lights would dance there from time to time. It had an awful
smell of stale cigarettes, rotting trash, gasoline, and vomit. There were bugs and spiders crawling on the walls
beside me. 

I dreamed of my mother again. Her long locks of auburn hair, her sapphire blue eyes, and her fierce looks and
personality all of which she had passed down to me. My mother was the one who taught me how to aim with a
bow and arrow. It had become a part of my everyday life ever since she died when I was 13. Although, they
never found my mother's body. It was said her one of Angria's men, Ben, was suspect of the death of my
mother. Ben had been sentenced to death not long after my mother died. 

A beaming light woke me up. The sun was rising, and the smell of the alleyway had progressively worsened. I
needed to have a plan of how I was going to survive without food and being seen. I had thought of crossing the
Avalon River to go to Angria, Caloras, or Ecrington. When I remembered that Emerald Isle and Angria were
rival countries. And Caloras and Ecrington was unknown to me. I didn't know of the laws or living style of
Caloras and Ecrington, although I had a vague idea of Angria since my father always talked about conquering it
even though they were at peace. Finally, I had decided that I was going to use the little of money I had found in
my shirt pocket to buy enough food that would last, until I crossed the river to Angria. I knew it was dangerous
but what choice did I have.
After three long and dismal days I reached the Avalon River. I just had to walk down a hill and get onto the
small boat. As I was going down the hill, I heard gunshots. Boom. Boom. Boom. My father had found me. I
thought at a rapid speed, took out my bow and arrow and shot my father's men dead. I stood there stunned and in
shock. I had never killed anybody, I always thought I was safe with my father but now i realised what a cruel
world it was. I got into the boat and started rowing.

After weeks of rowing, I finally reached Angria famished and tired. I found a cave near a beautiful valley. I
quickly realized this was the capital of Angria, Tethoris. Tethoris was known for its beautiful landmarks and
especially the gold mines. I thought of breaking into a mine to get gold and start a new life. Also, I thought of
changing my name. I had to leave all my past behind. I eventually decided on inheriting her mother's name like
her hair, eye colour, and bravery. Luna. Luna was her name. To me it meant everything. I still wasn't ready to
leave my mother. Even after 3 years.

This was the beginning of the new journey to the mines. I began preparing and stealing, something I never
dreamt to do but was now forced to. I had to survive. I stole food, stole a map leading to the mines and the one
of the mines. Before I got far, I was spotted by Angria's men. I tried to use my bow and arrow, but i was
outnumbered. I got caught. Captured.

"What's your name, girl and where do you come from?" asked a rough voice. I didn't respond. Whack. The stick
beat my back. I tried to be brave. I tried to withhold the information. I tried to be fierce like my mother, brave.
But soon it was too much for me to handle.

"Luna, my name is Luna. I am from here. I am from Angria." I uttered rapidly and in pain.

"Lies" I now saw who the rough voice belonged to. It was a large man who was beating me with the
stick. Whack. I tried to stick to the lies, but soon it was too much for me to handle. I told them everything.
However, the information was not enough for them. They wanted to know what my father was planning against
them, his next move, and the information I didn't have. I knew I was going to die here. 

At night, a boy came. I heard one of Angria's men call him Eris. He had dark black hair, sharp jawline, and
hazel eyes. I also noticed how he couldn't straighten his left arm properly. He had been beaten the same way I
had. He came to give me food. Eris tried to feed me as my hands were tied but I spat on him. I was enraged. Eris
stayed calm and proceeded to clean the blood on my hand which was caused by the tight ropes in her wrists. I
had tried to break free. He then lifted her shirt to clean my stomach where one of Angria's men had cut me. Eris
first slid his hands across the scar. I breathed heavily, it stinged. Eris then cleaned the wound with a cloth. When
he was done, he looks up at me, our eyes met. "You're welcome, Luna." He whispered. And left me alone in the
dark.
That night I was restless. My throat was parched, from all the crying. I was beginning to regret not drinking the
water the boy had offered. The next day the same thing repeated. Angria's men coming for information. Me
telling them I don't know anything and pleading them to let me go. The men continuously beating me with tears
streaming down my cheeks. Eris coming at night with food and water and cleaning me up from all the days
beating.

"Maybe she doesn't know anything." The boy, Eris, bellowed on the third night. He had enough.

"We still can't let her go young man, she might be a threat, she might be a spy. There might be more of her kind
around Tethoris." said one of Angria's men angrily.

That night Eris came again. He gave me water, and I drank it all in one gulp.
"Let me go, please." I cried. This was the first time I had spoken to him.
He looked up and said, "I'm afraid I can't do that."

"Please. I know you don't like it here. If you want, we could run together." I said sincerely.
He thought for a while but finally agreed.
"Okay." he said.
"We will plan how tomorrow, Eris" I said with a light smile.
"How- how do you know my name?" he asked me, confusingly. 
I smile and look in his hazel eyes.

The next night Eris told me his plan. He had brought a cutter for the ropes which I was handcuffed by. Eris and I
exchanged ideas until we reached a consensus. We jumped out the window, crawled around the building,
changed clothes as a disguise, and started our long journey to the Caloras and the Angrian border.

One morning, we heard men shouting. Soldiers. They weren't Angria's men. It was the men from Emerald Isle
looking for me. My father had broken the peace treaty. I soon saw Angria's men marching to attack the Emerald
Isle's soldiers. I got lucky.

"Quick run!" I shouted to Eris as the chaos started. We ran as far as we could until I was panting and out of
breath. I looked at the map and realized Caloras was just a mile away.

"We should go to Emerald Isle." I said.

"What?!" bellowed Eris. "Why?"
"If they saw us then they would know we are heading to Caloras, and Ecrington is too far away. Right now, both
of our lives are in danger we can't take that risk."
"No." said Eris simply.
I looked at him in confusion. Eris was reluctant but finally told me why he agreed to come along.

"I had been taken from my mother at a young age by Angrian men. They needed soldiers and servants in their
army. My mother had pleaded with them to let me go, to let me live my life, to take her instead. But they
wouldn't listen. I came with you to see my mother again. If she remembered me." Eris said.
I felt betrayed and hurt. Although I understood the 'why’, I wasn't able to control my emotions. I started to
scream at him.

We finally agreed that we were going to part. Eris was going to Caloras, while I was going to Emerald Isle. It
wasn't easy, trouble-free or peaceful. We had become quite close during the very long journey of almost 2 and a
half weeks. But this decision had to be made.

During the journey together, I had told Eris about my father and my real name and life back at Emerald Isle.
"My father was a very pompous person who made me doubt myself. You're so fat and illiterate. He used to say.
You can't read and you're not the right heiress for the kingdom. He always overlooked my strongholds, the
things I was good at. One day, he got very sick, and his pills drove him crazy and he – he..." My voice was now
very croaked. "He tried to kill me. And tried every day after that and each day it got worse. Sometimes a knife,
sometimes trying to burn me." Tears were now streaming down my cheeks. Eris looked at me in sympathy and
put an arm around my shoulder. I rest my head on his chest.

I was now in Emerald Isle. I was hiding in an abandoned building. I made that my home or tried too at least. I
missed Eris terribly. I thought about how he was going to reunite with his mother. He was going to be happy
and lead a normal life. One night, I decided to take a risk of going out to get more food as I was at a shortage. I
got food and stashed it with my other things. As i turned around, I saw men, my father's men. I started running
again but couldn't reach far. Captured, again.
I was brought to my father's castle, tied to a chair at the hands and feet. Then he appeared. My breathing
hardened and my heart racing. I noticed the knife in his left hand. He sharpened it. Slowly, he approached me
and said, "Look at this we finally found the useless little cockroach." he smiled psychotically. I gulped. He put
the knife to my throat and going deeper every minute. He didn't do it quickly. He wanted to torture me.

I'm not ready to die especially not like this.

My throat started burning. I started screaming.

Someone else came in the room but I couldn't see who. Probably one of my father's men. Boom. A gunshot to
my father's head. It was Eris. I looked at him in shock. He searched the room for a cloth to cover the deep
wound on my throat. He couldn't find any, so he took off his shirt, folded it, and placed it on my neck and joked,
"We have to stop meeting like this." I looked at him and simply smiled. I was grateful.
"Your – mother?" I spoke at last.
"Dead." he replied. "- and you shouldn't talk." he replied pointing to my neck.

Eris was now a few inches away from my face. I could hear him breathing. He untied me from the chair. I felt
dizzy and fell into his arms.
"I'm sorry about your mother." I mumbled pressing his shirt to my neck, "and thank you."
Eris looked at me. His black hair untidy and his eyes more hazel than ever. He slid his hand onto my cheek and
slowly brushed his lips onto mine. "Oh." I whispered as we pulled away. And Eris just smiled.

Chapter 2: ruling emerald isle.

Adria's POV:

With my father dead, the kingdom went into an uprise. I was the chosen heiress by most of the people.
However, some people who were still on my father's side tried to take the throne. I conferred with Eris to find a
solution. Finally, we reached the decision that we were going to kill all of my father's friends and side working
comrades.

It was a brutal decision, but it had to be made. Around this time there was a lot of chaos in the kingdom of
Emerald Isle as my father had just restarted a war with Angria. In addition to that, Emerald Isle didn't have
proper men to fight in battle.

I settled on the consensus to let any men and women between the ages of 18 to 60 to prepare for battle with the
little of the army we had. Women were used to heal wounded men or take care of the sick, but the ones who
were willing to participate in the war could. Many people thought that it was not a good rule, but both men and
women need to be treated as equals. Eris and I also began training alongside them. I practiced with my precious
bow and arrow which my mom had gifted me, while Eris took on sword fighting. We still hadn't talked about
the other night and, honestly, I was dreading the conversation.

At practice, Eris wore a black bulletproof vest with brown pants underneath. Unfortunately, I had to practice
with a dress, although I didn't like it. The dress contained of many layers including paniers, petticoats, silk
taffeta, and finally a jacket.

I thought as I was the queen now, I could wear whatever I pleased, but my advisor, Leo Frost said, "The
Emerald Isle people wouldn't accept it. More people will turn against you. The kingdom is going to collide, your
highness." Nobody had ever told me what a burden it would be ruling the kingdom. I often went to Eris to seek
for advice, but he was as unsure as I was.
While training alongside the many men and women, I began making new acquaintances at practice. I
approached a girl who had long sleek black hair and dark brown eyes. I admired the way she fought with men
twice her size. Her moves were unpredictable, she fought in a belligerent way.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Vega Seflon." she replied swinging her sword and knocking down the man she was training with.
"Where did you learn to fight?" I interrogated further.
"My mom." she quietly replied with her face contorting.
"Why isn't she here? Your fighting skills are breath-taking. We need more people who fight like you."
"She passed. 6 months ago." Vega responded, her eyes facing down.
"I'm sorry." I said genuinely. "I want you to be my personal fighting coach Vega. I want to learn your secrets of
fighting."
"Of course, your highness." Vega replied and then bowed.
"Don't call me 'your highness' treat me as your friend or closest confidante." I said kindly.
"Of course."

Eris' POV:

I have been stuck here for a week.

I always have a guard or guards behind me. I don't have my privacy and it drives me crazy. I slowly started to
learn how to ignore the guards, but it was a very difficult task. It also seems Adria is distancing herself from me.
Was it because I killed her father and put this responsibility on her? Or was it because I kissed her?

I don't even know her. We don't know each other. I don't belong here. A few moments later, she came barging in
my room with a fearful look on her face.
"They are here. They are attacking."
"Who? What?" I asked with clear confusion on my face.
"The Angrian men. They started destroying buildings in the far East of Emerald Isle." She said hastily and in a
panic.
"Send the trained army. At least enough to drive them back." I responded. "I will go to the general and tell him
to give the army orders." she said and went running out of my room and past the guards.

Leo Frost, her advisor, told both Adria and I not to fight in this battle as we were too important to lose. I knew
she was important, but me. Really? I didn't even know why I was here. Maybe because I had nowhere else to go.

We stayed back hearing the news of the army. Although, by now we had far more important things to focus on.
For instance, if Emerald Isle was still trading with Caloras and importing food from Ecrington. While exporting
corn and vegetables and getting rid of Adria's father's things from the castle. Adria and I talked about nothing
but the country. I tried to talk about other things, but it seemed that she was always changing the subject.

The castles walls were bricked and had torches hung from the wall. It also had long stairways which leaded to
the basement in case an earthquake or natural disaster occurred. That was only the West side of the castle. In the
East side, prisoners were held, and it was where the slaves, servants, and horses stayed. Behind the castle there
was a beautiful garden where I would come to think. It had tulips, roses, chrysanthemums, and lavender. It also
had long green grass where butterflies would fly around. There were a variety of butterflies blue, orange, and
white.

Training took place in the left side of the castle with almost 500,000 men and women, the doctors were stationed
inside the east wing if the castle, and the guards were divided into ranks. The ones responsible for prison had red
stripes in their uniform, the ones guarding Adria and I had orange stripes, and the rest were also divided in the
same manner.

The army had returned after a week. They had won the battle which had taken place at Tonito, a small-town east
in the country of Emerald Isle. They had lost 1000 men while Angria lost 5000 men. Angria thought they would
be weak as the king (Adria's father) had passed.

One morning, while I was in the garden looking at the roses and thinking how my life changed so quickly, a boy
around with long blond hair, brown eyes, and scars across his face walked in. He walked confidently while
swinging his sword and began to speak. His voice was deep and hoarse, "Hello, I'm Damen. Leo sent me, said
you needed to practice sword with somebody."

"Oh, hello Damen." I replied taking my bronze sword out of the scabbard on my back. I practiced with a lot of
men. Most of them went easy on me thinking if they hurt me, they would get a fine or go to prison. However,
Damen was different. As soon, as he got into the fighting ground, he put the sword in front of my throat then let
go.

"Let's go again." I said panting not giving up. He beat me. "Again." I whispered catching my breath when Adria
walked in the fighting ring.

"Hi." waved Damen. "Your button's opened, princess." Adria looked down at her chest and closed it. Damen
had called her 'princess.'
"Are you busy, Eris?" she questioned.
"No, just finished now. Is everything alright?" I answered eyeing at Damen. He was up to something. I couldn't
tell what.
"Meet me in the grand hall in five minutes." she responded glancing at Damen and walked away.

I went to my room, got out of the sweaty shirt and met Adria at the grand hall. "I have been thinking about what
happened last lately." she started.

"The war? Me too."

We started walking around the room.

"No." she whispered. "What you did after you killed my father. I'm not ready. I'm not ready for us..." she paused
and looked at me. Her sapphire blue eyes were locked into mine. But that night I felt something. I thought she
felt it too.

"That's why you've been avoiding me" I grunted not knowing what to say. I felt my heart ache but decided to
ignore it. She had been the first person who accepted me just the way I was. Or so I thought. Ever since I had
been taken away from my mother in Caloras, she was the first person who helped me. I had been away from my
mother for more than ten years. I had been forced to work for Angria as a slave.

"It's okay I... I understand. You have all this burden and responsibility of your people on you now. Help your
people." I disclosed, hurt. I started walking away from the grand hall.
Adria ran up to me and said, "Stay, help me rule my people."
"Of course." I smiled.

We began walking out of the great hall.

"Who was the person you were training with earlier? He was good." she questioned.
"Damen. Leo sent him."
"You can tell Damen to take one of the empty rooms near ours. I told my friend Vega to take one and the other
is still empty."
"Okay." I replied wanting this day to end.

Adria started to tell me about how she was in her father's office and found many locked doors and shelves. "I
tried asking the guards, but they didn't know. We should investigate together and maybe take our new friends
with us too." she said.

"I think right now we should go to sleep." I yawned.

"Goodnight." she smiled.

Adria's POV:
I couldn't sleep. I tossed and turned on the silk bedsheets. I wanted to open all the locked shelves and doors. I
thought of all the possible combinations my father could have used. Suddenly, I heard screams. Screams of pain
and agony. I got up to see where they were coming from. It was Damen’s room. I walked into his room; the
screams ongoing. "What's wrong?" I worried.
"I can't do this this anymore!" he cried.
"Do what?" I ask, bewildered. Damen was now staring at me, his brown eyes wide.
"Never mind, go back to sleep." he said. He was drenching in sweat, and I had noticed all the scars on his face. I
turned to face the door and walked out.

Chapter 3: locks and secrets

The next morning Vega, Damen, Adria, and Eris met in the father's office. It was a dark rectangular room. It
seemed as if no one had come to clean this room as there were things everywhere. On the bookshelf, floor, and
desk. Adria showed them all the locked doors and shelves. "I know how to open the lock on the desk." said
Damen looking exhausted. He walked towards it and picked the lock. The shelf opened. "How did you learn to
pick locks like that?" asked Adria but Damen ignored her. Adria opened the shelf and found a key, compass, and
a letter addressed to someone. She then proceeded to open the letter cautiously and realized it was written in
Iocan, the language of the people in Ecrington. "It's written in Iocan." sighed Adria. "I know how to read it. My
mother's side of the family is from Ecrington." Vega said taking the letter from Adria. Vega now began
translating.

Bring her to me tomorrow, Ryker and you will get your reward. If you don't my men will hunt you down and
kill you and everyone you love.

Everyone was looking at Adria now. "Yes, this is who my father was." She thought.

"Who's Ryker?"  blurted Eris finally.

"Maybe someone in Ecrington. That's probably why your father used Iocan." said Vega.

"We will figure this out later, let's go eat lunch, then train." uttered Damen.

They all started walking out except Adria. "Go ahead, I'll join you." Damen, Eris, and Vega began talking about
the techniques of sword fighting. Adria went to all the guards one by one to ask them if they knew anyone
named Ryker. She was desperate for answers at this point, and soon she finally got one. A guard with blue
stripes, which meant he was responsible for the security of the gate said, "Around 3 to 4 years ago I heard his
name, he was a criminal. A really good one too. Everyone wanted to hire him for jobs which seemed impossible.
That's all I know, your highness."
"Thank you." nodded Adria.

She took her bow and arrow from her room and started going to the training area. Vega was already there
waiting for her. "Where were you? You missed lunch." Said Vega.

"Talking to the guards to see if they knew anything about Ryker. Let's talk about it later with the boys."

"We are men not boys." Joked Eris. "What did you find out?"

"He was a criminal, people wanted to hire him to do dirty work." responded Adria shooting her arrow to the
target.

"A criminal?!" cried Damen.

"Yes, do you know anything about him?" Adria said walking to retrieve her arrow from the target.

"Err...no." Damen said pulling his long blond hair back. Vega taught Adria how to aim properly, and her
teaching really helped Adria. She had gotten extremely good at it. "I want to learn how to fight with a sword
now, Vega."

"Okay."

She gave her tips on how to fight properly with a sword. "Rule number one, never have your fingers stuck out,
they are most likely to break. Number two, hold your sword comfortably and be confident when you are
fighting. Number three never tell your partner your next move or give them a hint about what you're going to do
next. And finally, always try to find their next move or their weak spot, everyone has them." Disclosed Vega.

It was night-time now, everyone was asleep, but Adria was famished. She went to the kitchen to get some food
to eat. "Midnight craving?" asked a deep voice. Adria flinched and turned to see who it was.

"Damen aren't you supposed to be asleep?" questioned Adria.

"Can't." replied Damen grinning at her reaching for the glass of water behind her.

"Stop that." Adria said.

"What." Damen responded.

"The weird thing you do with your mouth." Adria said biting into her sandwich. Damen was raising his brows
and smirking, while drinking his water in one gulp.

"Stop it." Adria repeated again.

"Okay princess, goodnight." Damen said bowing his way out of the kitchen.

Adria rolled her eyes and stopped herself from smiling and went to bed. That night she had a dream, a nightmare
about her father.

In her dream she spotted her father using a key to open a door. He proceeded to walk in the door, Adria
followed. There were dead bodies floating in water. Adria gagged. Her father stepped on the bodies to reach a
vault. Adria couldn't step on the bodies, she wouldn't. She saw her father from afar. He filled in a combination
of numbers, at least six digits. He pulled something out from the shelf, then Adria heard screams from the next
room. She recognized these screams, it was her mother, Luna.

"Wake up, sleepyhead." Vega shouted opening the curtains to let some light in. Adria groaned. "You have a
speech to do today, remember?" Vega continued. Adria had forgotten about it. She had to give her people a
speech about the current conditions of the war and sticking together, also about how she sent a peace treaty to be
signed by Thelonious, the Angrian king. Angria accepted the peace treaty. However, another problem arose, the
population of Emerald Isle increased day by day.

Adria had become free at sunset. It had been a long and tiring day. She watched the sunset leaving trails of
vibrant colours. She wanted to talk to Vega about her dream, but she seemed busy with Eris. Vega and Eris were
beginning to spend a lot of time together. The last choice was Damen (she hated that choice), but he was
nowhere to be found. When the sun completely set, she turned to go inside the castle when she bumped into
Damen. "Have you seen Eris or Vega?" questioned Damen. "I've been looking for them everywhere."

"Last I saw them together." said Adria gloomily. "I need to talk to you about the locked doors and shelves." 
blurted Adria, instantly regretting it.

"Erm...why- okay sure." Damen said pulling his blond hair back away from his eyes. "Let's talk about it in your
father's office." When they reached the office, Adria told him about her dream thoroughly. She was almost in
tears towards the end. Damen didn't know what to say.

"Maybe we should check the graves?" Damen said.

"Why did I even bother to tell you." she said storming out.
"Wait!" Damen yelled. "We could try the key in all the locks." Reluctantly, Adria turned back. Damen tried the
key in all the doors until one opened. It was pitch black.

"I think we should come back tomorrow with torches." said Damen. "And maybe...just maybe, we should be
careful of the dead bodies." added Damen slowly. Adria looked at him, sighed and walked out of the room
leaving Damen alone. "Damen had been joking a lot today, like Eris." Thought Adria. He was usually sterner
and angrier and a little bit flirtatious. Today he had joked about things he shouldn't have been. Something had
changed.

At dawn, Adria went to Vega's room to wake her up. She had told her what happened with Damen and what
they discovered, and she was quite sure Damen already told Eris. The four friends were to meet at the office.
Vega and Adria crept quietly past the guards and into the office. Damen and Eris were waiting for them.

"Good morning." Eris said with a smile to both the girls.

"Morning." replied Vega and Adria nodded at him with a smile.

"What's the plan, princess?" asked Damen.

"Erm... we just walk in and hope we come out alive." chuckled Adria.

"Do we have the torches and everything we found in the shelf?" asked Eris.

"Yes, and I packed water." replied Adria then continued to ask, "Do you have the key Damen?"

Damen nodded, walked towards the door, and opened it.

"Who's going in first?" Damen said looking around. Everyone was looking at each other. Finally, Eris said, "I'll
go." He took a step then another and another. "All clear." he yelled. Vega followed then Adria and lastly
Damen. They all began walking in a straight path and soon the office disappeared out of sight.

"This looks like a cave." Damen said pointing his flashlight around. "I think it is a cave." he continued.

The cave was very deep and long but followed only one straight path. Suddenly, they heard a
sound. Bang. Everyone jumped and Vega screamed clutching onto Eris.
"Someone closed the door of the office." whispered Adria. "Do you still have the key Damen?"

"Yes, who would be foolish enough to leave it behind?" Damen said sarcastically.

"This tunnel is starting to creep me. It's really long and filled with cobwebs." Vega mentioned.

"Wait, look." Eris said pointing to a huge vault.

The vault was rusty and covered with dirt and cobwebs. Plants and insects completely covered it leaving only a
small part to be visible. Damen stepped towards it and brushed all the cobwebs and plants aside with his bare
hands. "It has a combination of six digits." responded Damen. Adria stepped beside him and started trying
random combinations. "It's not going to work." Damen told her. Adria still kept trying. Damen went and sat on a
nearby rock watching her. Vega and Eris were conferring together. Vega finally said, "Maybe there is a clue in
the things we found in the shelf? We used the letter and key. Where's the compass?" she asked. Damen handed
it to her. "How is a compass going to help?" questioned Adria.

Vega tried to find a clue on it, but she couldn't, so she passed it around. They were all desperate for answers.
Adria was so upset that she threw the compass on the rocky ground. "Calm down, princess." Damen said. She
sighed and walked towards the compass to retrieve it. "It opened. It has numbers on it." Adria said with
excitement. Everyone gathered around the vault while Adria tried the combination. It didn't work. "Maybe try it
backwards." Vega said. Adria did and the vault opened. Slowly she took everything out. There was an old and
dusty box. Adria opened it. There was a gun, a watch, a tiara, and a bracelet, and a small, folded paper. Now,
Adria had tears streaming down her cheeks. "What's wrong?" asked Eris kneeling beside her. "These are my
mom's things." she croaked. "Except the gun." Damen looked at her. When she looked up at him, he turned to
avoid looking at her. "What is in the paper?" asked Vega. It was an old paper with ink writing on it. "It has a
name and... and an address in my father's handwriting." answered Adria and continued, "the address is in
Tonito." She gave the paper to Vega, and she passed it around.

They four friends started walking back to the office. As they reached halfway of the cave, it started shaking. The
rocks were moving, they were closing. Each step we took the rocks behind closed. They couldn't go back.
"Damen!" yelled Adria holding out her hands. The rocks were crushing him. "Don't move Eris. Every step you
take it gets tighter." said Adria pulling Damen and trying not to move her footing. After a while, she finally
pulled him out covered in blood and deep wounds. Damen fell into her arms. "Can you walk?" worried Adria.
He groaned placing his hand on his chest. "Yes." He sighed. They started running quickly, back the way they
came from. As they reached the door Adria screamed, "Quick the key, Damen. The rocks are just behind us!"
Damen handed her the key, and she pushed the door and opened it, when they all were in the office, she closed
the door behind her. They were all breathing rapidly. After a while, they all walked to their rooms when Adria
called,
"Damen, come to my room." He followed. "Let's get you cleaned up." Adria said looking into his eyes and then
walked to get her first aid kit. "I can do it myself." he said annoyed. Adria ignored this comment and ordered
"Sit on the bed and take of your shirt." Damen never had anyone take care of him. “I can do it myself, princess.”

“Take off the damn shirt, Damen…and that’s an order from your queen.” Adria blurted out in one breath. She
now walked to him. He was muscular and had scars all over his body and was covered with blood and bruises.
She sat on the floor taking out a needle and thread. She cleaned all the dried blood around it and said, "This is
going to hurt." Damen just looked at her. "You may want to bite down on something." She continued. "I'm not
that weak." he growled. Adria slowly pierced the needle through his skin. Sharp pain shot through him, he
breathed heavily. Adria paused and looked at him, then continued. When she finished, she asked, "How did you
acquire all these other scars?"

"I worked with my father; his work was difficult." he said looking down at the floor.

"Like in the mines?" she interrogated further.

"I don't want to talk about it." he said. Adria apologized and he whispered, "Thank you," and walked out of the
room.

Chapter 4: the journey

A few days later, Adria made plans with Damen, Vega, and Eris to go to the address in Tonito. She told Leo
Frost to take over the kingdom for a while. The journey was really long. Adria was excited to get out of the
castle after a long time, Damen had mixed feelings, Vega thought it would be an easy and relaxing trip, and Eris
was a little bit over excited. They set out on a spring day, at before sunrise. They took a black horse-pulled
carriage and drove off. They had packed tents, food, water, map, compass, and all the other necessary things
each one thought they needed.

After two to three hours, they abruptly came to a halt. They had reached a dense forest full of mosses. The
carriage couldn't go through. They broke the carriage off the two black horses and rode on them. Damen and
Adria shared one, while Vega and Eris took the other. The forest was wet from the late spring rainfall and the
ground was dark and damp. The trees were standing tall while rays of mellow sunlight filtered through the
verdurous canopy, penetrating through the leaves, and casting a gold luminescence over the ground. It had a
raw, earthly scent of flowers with a sound of chattering squirrels, birds singing, and the breeze lightly blowing
in the trees and their faces. 

In the evening, they decided to make camp in the forest. Damen went to gather woods, Adria went to pick edible
mushrooms, Vega and Eris stayed to build the camp and lay the sleeping bags. Damen returned with wood after
a while but there was no sign of Adria. "I'll go look for her." said Damen shaking his head. Adria was busy
talking to a girl she met.

"Who are you?" asked the girl.

"I'm Adria. You?" Adria questioned.

"Alyona" she responded.

Alyona continued to tell her how she came to hike in the forest with her friends and got lost. Adria told her she
could stay with them, and they could part at Tonito. Alyona agreed. When they were going back, they bumped
into Damen.

"Where were you? And who is that?" asked Damen slapping bugs off him.

"Alyona, nice to meet you." Alyona responded holding out her hand. Damen ignored it and turned to walk back
to camp. "I gathered the mushrooms." Adria said in the silence. "And wasted time." continued Damen looking at
Alyona. When they reached camp, Adria introduced Alyona to Eris and Vega. They liked the idea of her staying
with them. While they all were inside Damen was out in front of the fire cooking the mushrooms. After a while,
Adria went and sat on a rock beside him. "Is it cooked?" she asked.

"Almost." he replied and continued, "How are you so sure you will find something at the address?"

"I'm not, but I think it is worth trying." Adria replied looking at him. "How is your chest?" she asked.

"Healed." He said taking out the mushrooms. "Don't burn yourself." smiled Adria walking towards the tent to
call the others.

After a long day, they got out of the forest and into the small bustling town of Tonito. Tonito had shops that
were stuffed, and street vendors made the street extremely narrow forcing people to walk in a straight file like
soldiers going to battle.

Shops of all different spices stood on either side of the street obediently. None of them had doors for the
shopkeepers knew very well that the doors would not last long against the might, impatience, and violence of
the customers. Herds of people climbed on top of each other at the counter of each shop yelling wildly like
mindless monkeys brawling for a banana. Large, tattered wagons decorated with a collage of vegetable were
parked beside the street and their owners stood beside them screaming prices like auctioneers, but instead of a
hammer, they had a carrot which they would use to wade of the flies pointlessly dancing around the vegetables.

Sweaty buyers skilfully wove their way by locating minute gaps between people and squeezing through.
Pickpockets felt like rabbits in a carrot field, and munched purses out of many pockets of innocent buyers too
busy bargaining. Experienced visitors wore tight pants for the same reason. The sun warmed up the stuffy,
stinking air which smelled of sweat and rotting fish. No air freshener could have defeated this sour, rancid stink
which ruled over the cramped air here.

The afternoon flamed the market an exhaustion and breathlessness silently approached the first-time visitors, but
the everyday buyers proudly held on against the torture of the market and kept shopping. The deafening chaos in
the market made ears split as if you were standing under a giant speaker. Vendors yelled prices and frustrated
housewives angrily argued with the annoyed shopkeepers. It seemed as if all the sounds in the world had come
to a reunion.

Adria, Vega, and Eris shook hands with Alyona as they parted. "This is going to be harder than I expected." Eris
said, "this town is a madhouse. How can we possibly find the address? There is barely any place for us to walk."

They walked around the town and asked people where the address was. "You take a left, then go straight until
you see an abandoned house, then take a right." An old man said with a grating voice. Four of them followed the
old man's directions and reached a shadowy, treacherous building. Damen reached for the door and opened it as
he thought no one could possibly live in this old building. It opened with a loud creak. The house had no
electricity, so they took out their torches and walked in. "Are you sure about this?" questioned Vega.
"Remember what happened last time." she said with a shudder.

"This time we know we should be careful." Replied Adria. The house was filled with dust and cobwebs. There
were dirty sheets on furniture, broken tables, chairs, windows, lamps, ripped curtains, and peeling wallpaper.
There were spiders and cockroaches on the walls. The gaps in the floorboards made a stridulous sound at each
step. It was night-time so they could hear the owls hooting outside. Adria was breathing heavily. Suddenly, she
felt something on her foot. She screamed and jumped onto Damen. "It's just a raccoon." laughed Eris. She
slowly and awkwardly pulled away from Damen. They searched the whole house and found nothing. "There's
still a basement." Damen pointed.

"Uhm...do we have to check that?" Vega asked. Adria was already walking down the stairs and the rest
followed.

There were barrels of oils everywhere. "Why would someone keep oil here?"  Adria thought. She needed more
answers and a small voice at the back of her head was telling her that maybe these could be clues if her mother
was still alive. She had tried to ignore it multiple times, but it kept coming back. She knew it was impossible but
at the same time, they had never found her mother's body. "She should have returned now that father was dead." 
she thought. She shook her head and was now refocused on the basement. It was as eerie as the rest of the
house. Out of frustration she kicked a barrel of oil. She quickly realized what she had done. Any speck of flame
could cause the whole house to burn when something else caught her attention. Guns and knives. "There are
guns and weapons in the oil barrels." she whispered. No one seemed to have heard her, so she repeated it loudly.
Again, the question 'why' appeared in her head. Everyone gathered to see what Adria had discovered. Damen
reached into another oil barrel and took out a beautiful jewelled and blue-gold dagger. He handed it to Adria.
"We cannot bring this back to the castle." said Eris. Vega nodded and said, "we have to hide them somewhere
else."

"I think it is an amazing hiding place." shrugged Eris. Adria was next to a barrel clutching onto the dagger
Damen had given her. "This is a dead end." She thought. She wasn't ready to be done. She wanted to see her
mother again desperately. Her dreams about her had stopped. Vega and Eris were arguing about the weapons
and Damen was staring intently at Adria when all of a sudden, they heard noises from upstairs. Something or
someone was moving the furniture and it seemed like the footsteps were getting closer to the basement. "Take
some weapons." whispered Adria looking up. She took a bow and arrow and tucked the dagger in a strap on her
thigh.

They all were walking upstairs, and Damen slowly peered outside the door of the basement. There was nothing.
They all started heading for the main door they came in from when a huge wolf lunged onto Adria. Her bow and
arrow flew across the room. Damen, Vega, and Eris started shooting the wolf. Adria felt the claws of the wolf
ripping deeper into her skin. She thought quickly. The dagger, she remembered. She pulled it out of her thigh
and plunged it into the wolf's eye then proceeding to take it out and stabbing the wolf on its back. She pushed
the wolf off her clutching onto her stomach. Bright red blood was now bleeding through her shirt. Damen went
to take the first aid kit from his bag and handed it to Adria.

"I cannot do it myself." she breathed. "It hurts too much."

"I'll do it, I will stitch you up." said Vega taking out a needle and thread. Eris was in shock and staring at the
lifeless wolf.

"You may want to bite down onto something, princess." said Damen. Vega pierced the needle through her skin,
she screamed.

"Damen hold her down." shouted Vega. Damen walked toward her and grabbed her down by the shoulders.
After a long, endless pain Vega was finally finished.
"Where are the horses?" croaked Adria.

"Near the forest." Eris answered.

Adria got up to retrieve her dagger, it hurt everywhere. She slowly bent down and pulled it out of the wolf and
cleaned the blood on her shirt as it was already dirty.

"Here." said Eris handing a jacket to her. She wore it and the four of them started to walk to the horses. "I think
we should stay in a hotel for the night. It is too late to head back." Eris continued.

The nearest hotel had two rooms and two beds only. Vega decided that Eris and she would take one room and
suggested Damen and Adria take the other. Eris agreed but Damen and Adria started protesting. The hotel was
cheap, shabby, and dirty. The beds were lumpy and broken. There was dust everywhere as no one had come to
clean the rooms. Adria and Damen were still protesting about sharing the bed. "I'll take the floor." Said Damen
finally.

"It is filled with dust and there are probably bugs, but sure." She said tucking herself in the bed. Damen tried to
sleep on the hard, dusty floor but soon gave up. He got in bed with Adria when she was asleep.

The next morning, Adria woke up to Damen's arm around her. She smiled and turned to face him. He woke up
at her movement and quickly got out of bed. His shirt was unbuttoned when Adria whispered in her morning
voice, "Guess the floor was dusty." Damen looked at her annoyed and walked out of the hotel to get fresh air.

Chapter 5: the secrets unfolded.

The next few weeks were a bumpy ride for Adria. She wanted answers, she wanted dreams about her mother
screaming in agony to stop, she wanted things she could not have. Vega and Eris had tried everything to bring
their old friend back, but nothing they had tried worked. Damen didn't know what to do and thought it would be
awkward for him to talk to Adria.

The population of Emerald Isle had grown enormously. Adria thought of conquering more land but that would
simply start a new war. In addition, she constantly was thinking about the journey to Tonito. "Maybe we missed
a clue." she thought. She was not ready to accept the dead end. Every day, Adria had begun to grow even more
restless. She tried to focus but it was impossible. She once again told Leo Frost to take over. Leo was unhappy
about it but accepted as he had no other choice. Adria took every item they had found and put it together. She
would stare at them, hoping it would from an image, an answer. But as days went by, the same blank pieces
remained.
For days, it would be hard for Adria to get out of bed or even get into bed. Every time she closed her eyes, her
mother would appear in front of her screaming for help and Adria would stand there unable to move, helpless.
At times, she would sigh and collapse on the couch. There would be a twinging sadness here and there, or a
serene calm while tears ran down her cheeks. She would often feel irritable and lashing out. She would say
things she didn't mean but couldn't take back. Also, she would stare at herself in the mirror wanting to see the
spark in her eyes that she used to take for granted, although now it was long gone. She would feel like an empty
shell of a person; not whole. She would be going through the motions and disconnected from reality. When it
got worse than ever, she would go to the bathroom to sob, but would turn on the fan so no one could hear her.
She would feel helpless, worthless. It was a cold numbness or a raging fire of guilt, isolation, and anger. She
needed help but thought she didn't deserve it, so she pushed everyone and everything away. Her kingdom was
on the verge of collapsing. She was on the verge of collapsing!

Leo made some changes to the kingdom while Adria was gone. Of course, they weren't put to practice until
Adria agreed. (She agreed without listening to them. She was too exhausted.) Leo had formed an army with
450,000 men and 600 doctors and engineers. The general then divided the army to 15,000-foot soldiers, cavalry,
and horse archers, respectively. If there happened to be a war some of the army would stay to protect the
kingdom while some went to war. To be specific, 7,500-foot soldiers, 8,000 cavalrymen, and 7,500 horse
archers would go to war while the rest stayed. In addition to the army, Leo also banned slavery (you could have
servants). He also made people share houses as the population increased. The rich didn't like the idea. If there
was a small family with a big house, a few of the homeless would live in them. Furthermore, a family couldn't
have more than 2 children, or the child(ren) would be executed. This slowed the growing population, but it
wouldn't last forever so Leo had studied the neighbouring countries to see which would be easier to conquer.
The growing population also had an effect on the food income, they all had to eat less, and the poor would
starve. And finally, if anyone went against the queen they would be held to be judged in court and executed or
held prison.

At lunch Vega, Eris, and Damen were sitting together talking about Adria. "I've been concerned about Adria."
started Vega. "She has been acting unusually different ever since we returned from Tonito. She said it was
because of her mother, which of course is coherent and comprehensible, but I don't know how to help. I
proposed a few things to lift up her mood like sword fighting and maybe cleaning up her room. She didn't listen.
She is in a vulnerable situation." Vega said and proceeded to look at Damen and continued, "I told Damen to
talk to her but of course he refused. I don't know how far we can push her." she disclosed.

"Yes, I agree." Said Eris. "She has fallen of the edge. I would dive down after her but what good would that do
to anyone as we have no way to come back up." Damen rolled his eyes and sighed but Eris continued, "I have a
strong feeling she isn't telling the actual reason of how she is feeling to anyone. It may be because if her mother,
but it is much more than that." Eris paused and looked around. "I miss the old Adria. Her laughs and stern faces
when she was ordering us to do something. I'd always joke about that in front of her." croaked Eris.

"She is going to be fine." Damen said standing up but a voice in his head said, "I should talk to her about what I
know. The truth about Ryker. And what I intercepted from the notes." Another voice said, "but she would stop
talking to me." "

“But she would be herself." He mumbled to himself.

Damen had enough of Adria's behaviour and went to talk to her. "Do you see what happening to your people."
he bellowed barging into her room.

"Oh, so now you're talking to me. Listen, if Vega and Eris put you up to this it is okay to leave. I'll tell them you
talked to me." Adria groaned. Damen looked at her, wondering when she had become this person.

"Why are you obsessed with this?" he asked as he sat down next to her.

"I need to know who Ryker is." She replied.

"Why?"

"He killed my mother. Or maybe tried to on my father's orders."

"How can you be so sure?"

"In the note it says, 'bring her to me' and in the old box there were my mother's things."

"Shouldn't you be asking why your father wanted to kill her?"

"My father was a lunatic; he didn't need a reason and I will not give up until I find Ryker." Said Adria angrily.

"Ryker is dead." Damen whispered.

"You know him?" Adria asked, shocked. Damen paused and looked at her wondering if she was ready to hear
what he had to say next.
"He was my father." He paused and his voice broke. "He... he said that he was doing a job and would
occasionally bring me. He never specified what his job was, and I was foolish enough not to ask. All these scars
on me were from the training he gave me about fighting. I'm sorry... I'm sorry for everything Adria. I'm sorry for
myself. I never wanted this to happen." Damen said sympathetically.

Adria looked at him in shock and started to scream, "YOU KNEW ALL ALONG AND YET YOU DID NOT
TELL ME. You are a murderer, just like your father. You killed my mother and now I'm going to kill you.
Damen, you took my life away from me."  cried Adria.

"Your father did!" screamed Damen standing up.

Adria took out a dagger and tried to stab him in his arm. "You do not want to do this," he whispered,
"Remember I had training." said Damen holding Adria's wrist. He slowly reached for the dagger and took it
from her. Adria was bawling tears now and was shouting horrendous things at Damen. Damen stood and looked
at her. Adria then stepped forward and started punching him, he pulled her closer and said in a hoarse voice,
"You do not want to do this." Adria was so close to his face. She leaned closer and put her arms around him and
place her head on his chest while tears were streaming down her cheeks. She wasn't sure why. She just needed
the memories of her mother to stop.

Chapter 6: the war

It was a stormy and bitterly cold winter day. Anyone who walked outside would have to trudge through the half
feet of thick snow. Although, there was a pleasant smell of pines filling the air. A lot of changes took place the
last couple of months. Vega had just begun to lead her very own program about the techniques of sword
fighting. Many people had joined this organization hoping to learn from Vega. Damen had moved out of the
castle to help his aunt in a village called Nemron. She was in a poorly state and had no one to help her. Eris had
started redecorating his room and failed miserably. He told the servants to redecorate it for him while he took
Damen's room. Finally, Adria had been planning to train the army further and conquer Ecrington.

The country of Emerald Isle was surrounded on two sides by land and two side by water. Caloras in the north
side, Ecrington on the west, and Angria at east but there is a continuous ridge of mountains and the Avalon
River. Finally, in the south there is a sea called Dunbron Sea. Dunbron has very harsh winds and high waves all
year round. Caloras had no civilization, the streets are dark and filthy, and there were thieves and pickpockets all
around the country. Angria had a stronger army, and always was a rival to Emerald Isle because of Adria's
father, so conquering it would be a huge mistake.

Ecrington was known for its fertile land and its agriculture. It was a democratic land. The president was called
Roama Lanon who was 42 years of age. The general leading the army was named Calvin Colt. The president
said he was a stern and responsible leader. People, on the other hand, despised him because of his harsh way of
treating his soldiers. Ecrington became an independent land around 100 years ago. Before that, it was a part of
Angria. Also, there was a famous farm in Ecrington. It had tall grass, fresh air, and trees surrounding it. Inside
you could find all kinds of farm animals grazing on the bright shade of green grass including, horses, goats,
cows, and many others. The crops (wheat, barley, seasonal berries, bananas) grew on a flat, fertile soil. The land
was vast, sumptuous, and all in all it was just splendid. The edges of the farm had fences around it.

In the midst of winter, the army started their march towards Ecrington. Adria, Vega, and Eris had called Damen
to accompany them in the war. The army first stopped in a vast and empty meadow. It was chilly and the fire
would die out because of the harsh winds. The soldiers were forced to lay really close to each other to stay
warm. Most of the horses had frozen to death and the soldiers had severe ailments. At night, you could hear the
winds blowing and wolves howling outside. However, as they got closer to the border of Ecrington it got
slightly warmer. Adria still had dreams about her mother. Although now she believed that her mother was dead.

The first battle took place on a bright morning in a field in Ecrington. Adria and the general had devised a plan
on how to fight and win the battle. Half of the army (who used swords and bows and arrows) would start
fighting and towards the middle the rest of the army (who used guns) would encircle them. This way they would
kill more soldiers of Ecrington. Their plan almost worked. Emerald Isle had succeeded in killing most of the
soldiers and driving them to surrender. However, Emerald Isle had run low on gunpowder and Ecrington had
captured some of Emerald Isle men which included Damen.

"No! Damen!" shouted Adria running towards a carriage where he was put. Someone else was running beside
her towards the carriage where the Emerald Isle people had been captured. The carriage was a pitch-black
colour, large and pulled by a brown horse. Adria stopped chasing the carriage as it was too fast and was now
panting. An Ecrington soldier was walking towards her and the boy beside her to capture them. Adria was
unsure of what to do because soldiers were surrounding her. When they were capturing the boy, he said in
Iocan, "I am from Ecrington. Adria had learnt a bit of Iocan from Vega so when the guards came to her, she said
the same thing as the boy. After she got rid of the soldiers. She was thinking about Damen. She had to save him.
But how?

Ecrington people had no knowledge of Emerald Isle, so Adria was safe. No one knew she was the queen. The
boy was walking away. He looked like he had a plan to save whoever got captured. This was Adria's best chance
to save Damen. Adria ran up to him and said, "Hi my name is Adria, and I can help you, but I need your help
too."

"I don't need your help." he spat in an Iocan accent.

"Do you know where the carriage is going?" she asked.

"No."

"I do. But I don't know how to speak Iocan and the routes around here, so I am going to need your help."

"Where is it going?"

"If I tell you then you don't need my help. Guess you will have to follow me." smiled Adria.

"I will go get my friends." continued Adria.

"No. You are alone." said the boy.

"Why?"

"They will take up space and I don't trust them."

Adria reluctantly agreed and left a note for Eris and Vega to find. After leaving the note she returned to the
place where the boy and her were to meet. She carried her bag with all the necessary things she needed on her
journey: a torch, tent, few maps, her precious notebook, a reusable bottle of water, a little bit of food, and the list
goes on.

"How can I trust you?" she asked while walking beside the boy.

"You don't really have a choice and besides we both want the same thing – to save our people." he said annoyed.

"What's your name?"

"Sephtis."

"Who is the person to you who got captured?"

"My sister."

"Do you have a plan?"

"Enough questions." He sighed.

Sephtis resembled Damen in many ways. The eye shape and colour, skin tone, and his posture. Although, he had
black hair instead of blond. Sephtis and Adria were walking through the deep snow when Adria said, "Ugh, can
we stop. We have been walking for ages."

Sephtis turned and snapped, "It has only been five minutes."

"No, it hasn't, and there is a cave there." Adria said pointing.

Sephtis shook his head and took a deep breath. "Fine."

They stayed in the cave for the night. While walking Adria had fell in the snow so she was really wet. She took
off her wet clothes behind a rock and wrapped a blanket of wolf skin she had found around her.

"Put your clothes back on." hissed Sephtis. 

"I am not going to freeze to death." she chattered.

"Here." Sephtis said throwing her a pair of extra pants and a jacket. "This is like taking care of a kid." he
mumbled.

She wore what he gave her and sat near the fire. "Are you from Ecrington?"

"Yes and no more questions." he said.

"Why? Do you have something to hide?" Adria questioned with a sly smirk.

"That's a question." he responded. Adria had noticed how he pressed on his s's. Like a snake's hiss.

Sephtis got up and walked out with his bronze sword.

"Where are you going?" she asked. Sephtis ignored her and walked out. Adria decided not to follow as Sephtis
wouldn't leave her behind. Adria was sitting in front of the fire wrapped in a blanket thinking about Damen.
How he would be brutally tortured. He was brave, he would survive or so Adria hoped.

After a while Sephtis walked in with an unpleasant smell while dragging in a dead wolf. "What is that?!" gaged
Adria.
"A wolf. We can't go hungry. Also, the skin could make an excellent coat." Adria looked at the wolf and him in
disgust and said, "I am not going to eat that thing and you stink."

"Your loss." he shrugged, ignoring the last comment. Sephtis was cooking the wolf in the fire while Adria went
to lay on a bed. It wasn't really a bed it was logs stacked on each other with a blanket laid on top. She was
famished but couldn't bear to eat the wolf. She searches her bag to see if she had anything else to eat. She found
some biscuits and ate them.

The temperature had dropped rapidly during the night. They had to burn out the fire otherwise the smoke would
lead them to getting caught. That night she had a dream about Damen. He was wearing white clothes and had
cuts all over him. His eyes were swollen, his hands bruised and yet Damen was standing up strongly. Next to
him was a girl also wearing all white and her face looked familiar to Adria. The girl was also beaten but slightly
less than Damen. They both had their hands tied behind a pole. In front of both of them was an Ecrington
soldier. Damen started talking to the soldier angrily saying, "You cannot keep us in this wretched shed
anymore."

"Oh, I'm not, you’re moving from here tomorrow. To a place worse than here." The soldier said in Adria's
father's voice. Adria got scared and woke up. Sephtis was sleeping soundly on the bed beside her. She got up put
a blanket over her and walked out of the cave. The sun's bright light shined upon her face. She held her hand in
front of her eyes. She then continued to brush snow off a rock and sat on it. She was thinking about her dream
and how she had to hurry and reach the presidential palace's shed before they were moved. With that thought
Adria rushed in the cave and woke Sephtis up.

"It's late, we have to hurry."

Chapter 7: plan in action

The morning was exceptionally warm compared to the rest of the days. Sephtis and Adria were hiking up a hill
to reach the palace on the other side. The squirrels scattered away as they walk towards them, and scurr atop
trees. The birds silence their chirping simultaneously. There is nature present everywhere and a calm flow of
streams. They start climbing the bits of rocks. Once they reach the top of the hill the view is spectacular. The
eye could see for miles and miles. To Adria it feels like she is everywhere at once. She could see tall buildings,
farms, and the palace. She wants to stay on top of the hill forever, but she knows she must continue down to the
base before nightfall.

After long and exhausting hours, when the moon was shining bright and the breeze was starting to blow, Adria
caught sight of the palace. It was just a few miles ahead of her. She turned around to look at Sephtis who was
just as worn out as her. The palace walls are the strongest things for miles around, yet when Adria looked
carefully, she noticed the stones of varying sizes and shapes, each one unique. From a distance it is uniformly
grey, from up close it is a mosaic of humble rocks coloured black, grey, blue, and red.

"The shed is there. They are going to transport them now." said Sephtis, pointing.

Adria turned to see the shed and replied, "Yes we have to catch up without being seen." As soon as those words
left the tip of her tongue a guard started to approach them.

"We cannot get caught." Adria whispered to herself from behind a bush. She pulled Sephtis by the wrist and
started running. Sephtis was confused at first but soon realized what was happening. They were going to get
caught. After running for a while, they realized they were encircled by guards.

Sephtis whispered, "Let me do the talking." Adria nodded. Adria was starting to remember the past. How she
was running, how she got caught, how she was tortured. Adria breathed heavily and returned back to reality. She
wouldn't let her thoughts get the better of her.

As the guards approached Sephtis said in Iocan, "We have something valuable for the president."

Adria translated to herself and thought, "We aren't supposed to go in. It will make it harder to come out." She
shook the bad thoughts out and followed after Sephtis and the guard.

As they were walking over the drawbridge it made a creak and groan; Adria thought it would soon be replaced,
for in an attack it would not hold well. The moat was frozen, and some unfortunate servant will have to go break
the glistening, slippery ice. But even the ice couldn't hide the foul-smelling cesspool. Adria and Sephtis
followed the guard walking towards the hall. Entering the hall Adria looked up at the great, high ceiling,
wondering how they ever built anything so grand. She then saw a maid hurrying down a narrow, cold, draughty
hall that which she supposed would lead to the kitchen. She was then led up the stairs to the tower passing many
rooms. Adria saw the lady's room and it was beautiful. Its walls were covered with tapestries. Her room even
had a fireplace in it. She gazes up into the fireplace at the dark smoke curling up like the curls that surround
angel's heads. After a few lefts and rights down the hallways, the guard came to a stop.

Adria was now standing in front of a grand door. The guard knocks on it and the supposedly president Roama
Lanon walks out and questions, "What." In Iocan.  The guard repeats what Sephtis told him. Adria looked at
Sephtis worried. He notices her face, when Roama starts to speak again, "What valuable thing?" Sephtis turns
around and mutters something to himself. Adria is now watching him confusingly. He reaches in his bag and
takes out a snake. Adria watches him in shock. The snake is blue in colour. Sephtis speaks in Iocan and says,
"This is a blue viper. It is extremely rare. I heard that you needed this snake for your son's medicine." Adria had
heard of the blue viper. It cures a disease of the lungs. She still cannot comprehend how Sephtis managed to get
the snake. Roama calls his servant and tells him to take it to the laboratory to make its medicine. Roama then
tells the guards to let Sephtis and Adria go. The guard has a sceptical look on his face but agrees, nonetheless.  

Once they are out of the castle the carriage transporting the prisoners is nowhere to be seen. "We need a faster
transport." Adria says running. "The shed is that way." points Sephtis.

"And what do you expect to find in the shed?"

"A clue maybe."

"Waste of time, when we have this." Adria says and takes a horse out of its stable. Sephtis climbs the horse and
smiles.

"They are bringing them to the greta." Adria said remembering her dream. Greta was an Iocan name for 'hell
house.'

"How do you know?" questioned Sephtis.

"That is probably the first question you asked." chuckled Adria and continued, "I had a dream about it."

"And I am supposed to trust your dream."

"I do and we don't have any other lead. Also, if we reach there after the prisoners are inside..." she paused. "It
will be difficult to get in. The security is strong."

Sephtis was wondering how she knew so much about Ecrington and her dream. "What else did you see in the
dream?" Sephtis asked.

"Nothing else of importance."

"Not many people have dreams which tell them about future decisions. If you do have those dreams you may
have superpowers." Sephtis said. Adria laughed and said, "Superpowers? You're joking." Sephtis' face was
stern, it didn't look like he was joking.

"Do you often have dreams like this?" Adria interrogated further.

"Only when I want to."

"So, you have superpowers." snickered Adria not believing him.

"Yes."

"What kind?" she asked playing along with his joke.

"I can summon snakes. They follow whatever I ask them -"

"Show me." Adria cut in.

"- only when I need them the most."

"If you want to lie, at least learn how to do it better."

Upon the horses, through winter petal-freckled fields, they were carried through pasture erosion and icy waters
to the greta. Adria was listening to the steady hooves, the gentle tail swishing and snorting of the air. 

The walls closed in. Damen could not escape the endless, darkened wait for Adria. He hoped she would come to
save him. Damen sat in the corner of the chilled room. He could see the sharp corners at the edge of the room.
The dull paint on each of the four walls carried memories where psychotic men who were drawing closer and
closer to their death had been scratching at the walls. Looking up from the corner of the cell, lights flickered as
many moths as possible fluttered around it.

Damen would shiver in the eerie darkness of his cell knowing that if Adria didn't reach on time or come at all,
this place would torture him to the point of an excruciating death. If she didn't arrive on time, his death would be
in the near future. Every hour of everyday, on perfect timing, prison guards would come and torture him. Every
twelve hours of everyday the bell would ring, driving Damen closer to madness. Every twelve hours of
everyday, Damen would notice how the red specks of blood on his cold stone floor would increase.

Sephtis and Adria reached the greta quite early, but not early enough to help Damen and Sephtis' sister escape
before they were put in the greta. However, the problem was getting in. It had been two days, Sephtis and Adria
discussed the many ways to break into the hell house, but each one seemed to have a flaw. They wanted to get in
and out quietly as possible.
"Maybe go in as guards?" asked Sephtis.

"How?" responded Adria.

"Leave that up to me."

"Even if we go in as guards, and that is a big 'if' we don't know their routines. I've heard the bell ring multiple
times, but I still cannot figure out what it means."

Adria had noticed how he squinted when he was thinking. He looked up at Adria and said, "I figured it out, wait
here."

"Don't do anything too stupid." she called back. Sephtis walked to the entrance of the greta and was talking to
the guards. He came back with the guards following behind him.

"Go in the abandoned gym." ordered Sephtis to Adria and the guards. When they got in, he tied both of the
guards to a chair. Adria wondered how he took their swords away, or even how he got them to follow him.

"What now?" Adria asked. He took the sword and beheaded one of the guards. Adria screamed and looked at
Sephtis in shock. He just killed an innocent man. "Now," he said facing the other guard, "you are going to tell us
what happens inside that prison, and I might let you go out of here alive." The guard looked at him and said in a
deep voice, "No."

"Then you'll rot here just like your friend."

"Sephtis...what are you -" Adria started.

"Not now." Adria kept quiet and continued to watch him. "Why does the bell ring?" he questioned raising his
voice. The guard kept quiet. Sephtis reached for the sword again and cut him deep across the shoulder.

"Tell me or the next one might go through your heart." Sephtis spat. The guard was still quiet. Sephtis, however,
continued to threaten and torture until he told him everything.

"The bell rings every twelve hours." The fat, grubby guard began. "The prison guards go in each cell to torture
them." Adria winced when he said this. The guard continued by telling him when the other prison guards
switched shifts. When Sephtis was satisfied with the given information he killed him.

"Why did you do that?!" Adria bellowed.

"He would have gone back and told someone what happened and then the news would get everywhere. All the
focus would be on us. It wouldn't be convenient." he said calmy.

"You murdered him. How can you be okay with that?"

"Do you want to save your friend or not." Sephtis retorted.

"Yes." she replied.

"You know this had to be done."

Chapter 8: betrayal

They go in the greta as guards. The prison is nothing like Adria imagined. The walls cannot hold a prayer, nor a
spirit. Adria suddenly feels weak she falls to the ground, Sephtis looks at her and mumbles, "Wake up." He
sighs and kneels down beside her. Adria had been fainting a lot recently.

Adria can now see Damen in front of her. He's shivering and mumbling hopeful words to himself. "I call to the
universe, I promise all the good things I will do when I am released, and at first it appears that nothing happens.
Yet when she does, it'll be some random occurrence of happenstance, something I could never predict. So,
though this wait is tough and I long for the sunshine and the grass, the passing is a little easier for knowing that
Adria will come save me." Adria realized he never spoke like this. It was either a prayer or this horrendous place
had messed with his mind. Adria looks around for clues of his whereabouts. She notices the paint on the wall is
red.

"Wake up." Sephtis hisses again. Adria breathed, got up quickly still feeling a tad bit dizzy and mumbled,
"Follow me." she was running through small gaps in between the cells. "Slow down, we don't want anyone
seeing us." Sephtis called from behind. He quickly pulled her in a tiny room and was towering above her. He
motioned his hands to his lips beckoning to be quiet. Sephtis didn't like tight spaces and the last time he was in
one didn't hold a pleasant memory. Adria noticed his green eyes, his rosy, pink cheeks, and his pale skin.  She
also noticed how Sephtis' breathing increased. She put a hand on his arm. He flinched.

Once the guard passed the room Sephtis and Adria came out. After walking through multiple cells with red paint
Adria spotted Damen in the corner of a chilled room.  He looked worn out, tired, but hopeful.

"Damen." Adria cried. Damen looked up at her and smiled. Tears were streaming down his cheeks. He was
bruised all over. His white shirt was mostly stained in red blood. She handed Damen a metal to pick the prison's
locks as she couldn't do it herself. Adria turned to look at Sephtis who was trying to unlock the cell beside her.
She walked up beside him and whispered, "Alyona." Sephtis paused and looked at her, "You know each other?"
"We crossed paths once." Adria replied, shocked how she never asked Sephtis who his sister actually was.
Although, he never answered most of the questions she had asked.

"Your Highness." She bowed even when behind the bars.

"You're the queen?" Sephtis questioned confused. Adria started to speak when Damen opened his cell door and
walked out. Adria ran to him and embraced him. "I am sorry it took long, Damen." She said with her head in his
chest. Damen didn't respond, he just smiled. Sephtis also succeeded in getting Alyona out. She didn't look
pleased to find her brother.

"Let's get out of here." Damen said. His voice sounded different. It sounded tired and hurt. He was always stern
but now it seemed that there was a void in him, an empty space. Adria had noticed this and only blamed herself.
She knew if she had hurried this wouldn't have happened. Alyona and Sephtis were having an indistinct
conversation behind her.

As they were walking towards the door, a guard spotted them. "Run!" shouted Sephtis. They headed for the
gates but all of them were locked. Eris and Vega appeared from behind a rusty cell and started using their
swords. Vega handed Adria and Alyona bows and arrows.

"I thought I told you not to bring your friends." Sephtis said angrily.

"Now is not the time Sephtis and besides, they followed me." Adria took the sword in the guard's uniform and
passed it to Damen. She used the bow and arrow. It was like a battle on the battlefield. There were swords
swinging everywhere, bows flying, prisoners screaming, bells ringing and chaos everywhere.

Adria looked around to see Sephtis. He was surrounded by snakes. The snakes were bowing down to him. They
were worshipping him. How was that possible? The snakes started attacking the guards, but they were not near
to enough. Adria noticed her bows depleting quickly. They had to find another way out. Adria closed her eyes
and felt heat. Her mind was boiling, and she was screaming. She felt the touch of Damen and opened her eyes,
there was a speck of fire, and it grew every second.

“Run.” she whispered.

It was six against hundreds. They stood no chance of survival. Adria pointed the sword to a guard and as soon as
it came in contact with his body, the guard fell to the ground. Adria snatched the keys from a fallen guard and
opened the nearest exit.

Once they got out, they didn't stop running until they were far away from the greta.
When they finally came to a halt Adria spoke, "Is everyone okay?" Everyone was breathless but they nodded. It
was Sephtis who spoke next, "Adria you have to come with me."

"Why?"

"She is not going anywhere with you." Damen said struggling to stand up as pain shot through his chest.
"Careful, Damen. Why?" Adria questioned again. Sephtis gave her an annoyed look and said, "I want you to
join my group. We call ourselves the Roaring Demons." Adria scoffed but Sephtis continued, "We keep special
people like you."

Adria raised her eyebrows and sarcastically said, "I have a kingdom to rule, sorry. And talking about that how
did the battle go, Vega?"

"They conquered enough land and now are heading back to Emerald Isle. This land which we are now standing
on belongs to Emerald Isle. People are looking for you, but Eris and I spread a rumour that you were on a
mission with Damen. They believed it." Vega responded. "But you need to return back."

"She won't go back." Sephtis said.

"Since when do you speak for me?" Adria shot back.

"In case you have forgotten, I saved this fools life." Sephtis said, giving a disgusted look to Damen.

"You didn't do this for him, you did it for your sister." Adria said standing up. Adria was right but Sephtis
needed her. For bigger things. Better things.

Sephtis grabbed Damen and threatened Adria, "If you don't come with me, he dies."

"Let him go!" Roared Adria. A knife was on Damen's throat. Adria knew Sephtis was capable of killing him.

"Sephtis..." Alyona whispered from across. Sephtis dropped Damen who fell to the ground with a small cut on
his throat and ran to Alyona. "I feel dizzy." Alyona whispered.

"Alyona needs your help." Sephtis said to Adria. "Help her please."

"I will patch her up." Vega responded as Adria was eyeing Sephtis with a murderous look. Vega walked up to
her and started patching her up. Adria followed behind.
"She lost a lot of blood." Adria said.

"Yeah." Responded Vega.

"Lay down." Vega said to Alyona. "Pull your shirt up." A huge cut was on her stomach. She cleaned the blood
on it and started stitching. When Adria noticed that it was infected. Whatever the prison guards used must have
been poisoned. "It is poisoned." Adria said aloud. "What?!" Sephtis bellowed standing up. "I don't know what
type of poison it is or if there is an antidote for it." she continued. Alyona groaned and whispered,
"Brother...don't pretend you ever cared for me, but if I don't make it..." she paused and took a deep breath, "kill
him."

"You are going to make it." Adria insisted. "It is a slow working poison. We have about three hours to get the
antidote." Sephtis looked at Adria and asked, "What kind of antidote?"

"I-I don't know."

"Well, that doesn't help." He gritted through his teeth angrily. She pulled him out of the tent and said, "We have
three hours Sephtis, we cannot argue about this." Sephtis looked at her in disgust. "I will go alone to the greta to
find it." Sephtis said. 

"No. I am coming with you." she retorted. "Even though you tried to kill Damen." Sephtis raised his brows and
said, "You knew I wouldn't kill him."

Did I? “Do I really know anything about you because you killed those guards and didn't feel anything. But don't
think even for a second that I'm doing this for you, Alyona is my friend. Get your things ready and meet back
here in five minutes." Sephtis was walking towards the tent when Adria warned, "Don't make a big deal out of it
in front of Alyona. She doesn't need to worry."

Adria went back into the tent and told Vega, Eris, and Damen the plan.

"You cannot go." protested Eris.

"Yes, its dangerous Adria." Agreed Damen.

"Your people need you back at Emerald Isle." Continued Vega.

"I have thought about that, I want you and Eris to rule there until I return. It won't take long." Adria said.
"Are you insane?" Damen said, disbelievingly.

"You can go with them if you want." Adria responded.

"And leave you alone here?"

"I can take care of myself, Damen. You worry too much."

"I am coming with you." he said.

"No way."

"Either that or we all go back to Emerald Isle." Damen said.

"Fine." Adria agreed reluctantly. "Eris and Vega stay until I return. Take care of Alyona."

"Wait. I want to talk to you before you leave." Vega piped up. "Alone." Eris and Damen walked out of the tent
when suddenly Vega said, "Eris and I are together now. On the journey to the greta we became quite close."

Adria smiled and said, "That's great. You two are really cute together." she continued to tell her about their
journey together and how Eris is caring and kind.

She met Sephtis near Alyona's tent and they started to head for the greta. "It will take about one hour. So, we
will have to find the antidote in an hour and head back." Adria planned.

"It's impossible. We can't go in. The security would probably be heavy since we broke out." Damen protested.

"Unless we find a carriage or a horse. They're really scarce in winter but the rich folks might have them. Then
we will have time to plan the break in. Time to watch their movements." Sephtis said.

Adria and Damen agreed.

After running through many roads and paths, Sephtis, Adria, and Damen reached Aylesbury. Aylesbury was
situated near the mills. Sephtis noticed that the stables indeed had horses.
"That black one looks quite healthy." Sephtis said. "I think we should take that one."

"You mean steal it." corrected Damen.

"Borrow." replied Sephtis.

Sephtis then faced Adria and told her to distract the owners by pretending to sell something. Damen you make
sure nothing goes down.

Everything went according to plan. Adria managed to distract the owners, Sephtis got the horse and carriage,
while Damen just witnessed it.

When they got in the carriage Adria said to Damen, "You should clean your wounds."

"Yeah." he responded. They didn't get time to do it in the campsite.

"What happened in the greta?" she asked. Damen looked into her blue eyes and started to speak but the words
wouldn't form. He looked back down and said, "It was – I don't want to talk about it."

She began cleaning his wounds with vinegar. As it came in contact with his skin, a burning sensation filled him
up. He held her hand to stop her from continuing. She paused and whispered, "I have to do this."

"Yeah. Right. Sorry." he responded.  Adria sighed while putting a bandage on it.

"Alright lovebirds that's enough." Sephtis affronted. 

"We- we aren't..." Damen said then paused knowing that if he continued Sephtis would make fun of them. Or
him.

They reached to the greta in an hour. "Two more hours to go." Adria said. They formulated a plan and went
inside. Damen was right the security was heavy, but they got the antidote, nonetheless.

Thirty minutes to get back.

"Impossible." Damen whispered.

"Ye of little faith." Sephtis called to him but didn't believe they would get back in time.
They sat in the carriage and headed back to the campsite.

5 minutes left.

"Alyona." whispers Sephtis sitting beside his sister. She groans. Sephtis reaches for the vile with the antidote
and places is in her lips. "Swallow it, Alyona. Come on." The atmosphere is tense. Everyone is looking at
Alyona. Adria feels her heart beating inside her chest. She cannot bear to see Alyona die. Adria walks up to the
bed and takes the vile from Sephtis and tips it into her mouth. She then gets up noticing how the liquid in the
vile changed colour. It turned into a dark grey crystally form.

While Adria was busy noticing the vile Sephtis shouts, "She is hyperventilating!" Adria looks up knowing that
she did this to Alyona and that Alyona cannot be saved. The crystals were poisonous. How did this happen?

Vega rushed to Alyona pushed her on the side to help her breathing steady. After what seemed like forever
Alyona's breathing slowed and Alyona whispered, "I... forgive you...brother," until there was none at all. Vega
placed her ear on her chest for any sign of heartbeat or breathing. She looked at Sephtis and muttered, "Sorry."

    Sephtis looked at his sister's lifeless body in shock. He felt as though time was slowing around him. His
breathing hastened and his heart was thumping in his chest. He felt like it was trying to escape. Alyona left him
the same way everyone in his life did and Adria killed her.

"I should have done something to prevent it." a voice in his head said. Even though he knew nothing could be
done. Sephtis watched as his sister's face drained out of colour. Tears were starting to form but he wouldn't let
them fall. Alyona had forgiven him. After everything she had forgiven him. Sephtis knew he didn't deserve it.
He was a monster. And what he was about to do next would unleash his worst parts. 

At first Sephtis was in shock and denial. He numbed his feelings. He then went through pain and guilt. Then
anger and bargaining.

He had protected his sister from everything, but he couldn't save her from this. Even though most of the time
Alyona didn't see it. Sephtis loved her. Every time Sephtis closed his eyes he saw her face, her smile.

Chapter 9: unexpected

"YOU KILLED HER!" bellowed Sephtis facing Adria.

"I- I don't know what happened." Adria said remorsefully. Adria looked at Sephtis and walked up to him. "I'm
sorry." she whispered as she grabbed his hand. Sephtis jerked his hand and walked out. His emotions were
bubbling inside him. It was all so sudden and confusing. Sephtis wanted his sister back. She was the last of his
family.

It was after sunset when Vega approached Sephtis and asked him where to bury her. But Sephtis couldn't think,
Sephtis didn't care anymore. "Anywhere." He grunted. "It won't bring her back."

"She wouldn't have wanted this for you." Vega responded.

"Not much she can do now." Sephtis shrugged.

On the other hand, Adria was beating herself up for killing Alyona. "You didn't do it." Damen said, sitting
beside her.

"It- it just changed to this." She beckoned to the vile. "I don't know how or why." She said between sobs.

"We will figure that out later. Rest for now." Adria nodded and placed her head on his shoulders.

The next morning, Vega, Eris, Damen, Adria, and Sephtis sat around the fire planning on what to do next.

"Adria you're still coming with me." Sephtis said. It had been the first time he spoke since yesterday.

"I can't." Adria replied. Damen wanted to speak up to him again, but he remembered how that went last time.
"Why do you want her to go with you?" Eris questioned. "Are you afraid you're going to miss her." He added on
sarcastically. Sephtis got up in rage but before he could do anything, Adria agreed. Vega looked at her in shock
and exclaimed, "What?!"

"He's going to hurt you, and I know he's capable of doing so." Adria retorted. “Even I- I might hurt you just
like-” Sephtis' face remains stern showing no emotion but inside he felt like he was dying. 

"You, Eris, and Damen can go back and rule in place of me. I trust you to do that." All three exchanged glances
at each other but didn't say a word. "The people won't believe I gave my place to you so I will compose a letter
stating that and proof that I have actually written it." Damen didn't believe that she was being serious. He
thought this was an improv in front of Sephtis. Once he found out she wasn't joking he stood up and exclaimed,
"No way! You can't go with him. He will probably lead you to a trap, keep you as a prisoner, or anything worse.
I cannot believe you are agreeing to this. Do you realize how many things could go wrong? Do you even trust
him?" he paused for a short breath, but Adria knew he wasn't done.
"You know the consequences." Sephtis replied moodily.

"And what makes you believe that we won't fight back?" Damen said angrily.

Sephtis grabbed him by the collar and punched him. He then pushed him until he lay flat on the ground,
groaning in pain. Damen got up and punched Sephtis. Adria and Vega were begging the boys to stop but to no
one's surprise Eris was enjoying it.

Damen grabbed a sword which was nearby him while Sephtis did the same. This had turned into a sword fight.

"Whoever loses decides what happens to Adria." Sephtis said confidently, placing his bets. Damen nodded. He
had enough experience with his father. "I am not an item which you can place bets on." roared Adria. But she
went ignored. They were going to kill each other. Someone had to stop them.

Sephtis pushed Damen to the ground and plunged his sword aiming for the chest. Fortunately, Damen rolled
over and got up. Both of them were bleeding from their noses and mouths. Damen aimed the sword for his face
and managed to cut him slightly on the cheek. "Stop it." Adria shouted. But nothing happened. Sephtis was
knocked to the ground and Damen raised his sword to drive it through his chest. Sephtis called upon the snakes
which wrapped themselves around Damen's legs and battered him to the ground. Damen felt his back ache. He
couldn't move. "Stop it!" Adria cried again. "I'll come with you just don't kill him."

"No..." groaned Damen from across. Adria had tears streaming down her cheeks, Eris now looked worried.
Vega had seen worse than this but wanted them to stop. She had seen her mother kill and torture people. And
she was to follow in her footsteps.

"Great. We agreed to something." Sephtis said wiping blood off his face while the snakes dug in the dirt and
disappeared into the ground. Adria ran to Damen and tended to him.

"I'll go with you. I cannot let you go alone." Damen whispered in agony. "Convince Sephtis to agree to these
terms."

Adria nodded and once she was done patching Damen, she went to Sephtis. Adria was in fury but knew better
than to show it to Sephtis. "Damen is going to come with me." Adria started.

"No." replied Sephtis.

"Otherwise, I won't go and this time you'll have to fight me not my friends." Adria spats angrily. Sephtis looked
up at her. If he didn't agree, then it would be harder for him to reach his goal. He stood up and walked towards
her. "Fine." He sighed walking out. "Pack your things. Tell that fool too."

"Don't you dare say anything about him." She shouted before realizing the mistake. Sephtis raised his brows and
whispered in her ear, "Don't raise your voice at me. Don't make me angry." He was blackmailing her now. Adria
looked in his eyes, vehemently. Sephtis had control over her now. He had found her weakness.

After Vega, Eris, Adria, and Damen said their goodbyes Sephtis led them to the Roaring Demons. As soon as
Sephtis entered the territory men and women bowed down to him. Adria couldn't believe what she was seeing.
Damen's expression was as shocked as Adria's.

They came to a halt near an old building. It was clean but old. "He stays here." Sephtis began. "Jupus! Show
him to the spare room."

"I thought we were staying together." Adria finally spoke.

"Well, you're not." Sephtis smiled.

Jupus' dark hair were dancing like trees in the wind. He wore a white shirt, a brown overcoat, and khaki pants.
His eyes squinted when he saw Damen whose blond hair were also flying. Damen turned and nodded at Adria.
He then disappeared with Jupus inside the building.

"You're going to stay with me." Sephtis said. "I'm going to teach you how to control your powers."

"I don't have powers and I can't believe you're still going on about that." Adria protested.

"How do you explain the death of my sister." His voice croaked as the words left the tip of his tongue.

"The poison." Adria replied. "We were late, or the poison worked faster than I thought."

"She was getting better until you touched the vile." Adria knew that something happened once she touched the
vile. But she was sure it had nothing to do with superpowers.

"Look around you." Sephtis continued. Adria hadn't noticed her surroundings as she was too busy thinking
about Damen. Adria noticed people producing fire in their hands, carrying cars like the weight is nothing, and
crows were worshipping a girl. Adria couldn't believe what she was seeing. Sephtis noticed the clear confusion
on her face and said, "Powers are real only if you believe." Adria was too shocked to speak. This had to be a
dream.

Sephtis walked inside a mansion. His mansion. They walk through a heavily wooded path leading to the large
gate. All around them lie the most beautiful trees and plants you have ever seen. It is peaceful but you can hear
the sounds of crows cawing, creatures frolicking in the underbrush, and people going on with their day-to-day
tasks. As they continue to walk along the path the patterns on the gate start to appear. They approach the stairs
surrounded by four columns leading to the most elegant doors Adria had ever seen. They are made of mahogany
and have a stained-glass window in the centre. The handles and the frame are made of brass. As Adria continue
around the house, she comes across three windows overlooking the entrance to the house. There are black
shutters on each window. As the porch continues to the southside of the mansion she is now looking over the
beautiful garden. A huge eight-foot picture is facing Adria. As she looks down and observes the garden, she
catches sight of the ballroom. The house's walls are made of stucco, and it has an old fashion shingles that are a
clay colour.

The ballroom caught Adria's breath. She had never been in a space that made her feel so small–or so plain.
Crystal chandeliers spiralled down from the arching sky-blue ceiling, illuminating the glimmering golden walls
and a floor so polished it looked like an iced-over lake.

"Do you ever have balls here?" she asked Sephtis.

"Of course, it's a ballroom." Sephtis grunted. Adria felt sorry for him only because of the fact that he lost is
sister. Adria knew how it felt and wondered if Sephtis felt the pain she did. She wanted to sit beside him and
talk to him. About everything. She hadn't had a proper conversation with anyone because of everything going
around. But she knew Sephtis would give vague answers.

Making up her mind she asked Sephtis, "Were you close with Alyona?" Sephtis looked at her and said, "Your
room is here." Adria sighed heavily. "I was for a while at least." he responded. Adria turned to face him and
continued, "Do you want to talk about it?" She didn't know why she felt pity for him. He had tried to kill
Damen. He had captured Adria. Maybe it was because she took his sister's life.

"No." he replied and walked away.

"Don't bottled up your feelings. Talk to someone your close with if not me." Adria said as she walked in her new
room. She didn't know if Sephtis heard her as he was walking away.

*
Adria had learnt a lot about the Roaring Demons. Sephtis had said that they all have superpowers, and they use
it for punishing bad people. "But doesn't punishing people make you a bad person. A good person would
forgive, not go after revenge. A good person would accept it and forgive the other." Adria thought. Adria still
hadn't figured out why Sephtis had brought her to the mansion.

Also, Sephtis helped her practice summoning her powers, but she couldn't. It wasn't real. Adria and Sephtis got
into many arguments ever since she arrived. Every time Adria had told him it wasn't real, he would punish her
by giving her extra practice time, locking her in her room. Adria thought he wasn't being as harsh as he could've
been. At last, she followed Sephtis' instructions and never talked back to him.

It was a pain for Adria not to see Damen. Sephtis had told her that he was being taken care of, but she didn't
believe a single word that came out of his mouth.

Sephtis held her captive for days. One day, she decides to poison him. It was a big leap, a huge decision. She
had enough of Sephtis manipulating her to believing she had superpowers. He had asked Adria to kill the
Angrian king with him. He didn't give her a reason, just an order.

The Angrian king killed Adria's mother, but Adria was not the person to get revenge.

Adria walked down the spiralled stairs to the kitchen and put the poison in his drink. Her hands were sweating
as she was nervous. But she had done it. The voices in her brain were getting louder telling her that Sephtis
would find out.

They were sitting at dinner, both at each end of the long table. Adria hoped he didn't notice her nervousness.
Sephtis was discussing the details and plan about killing the Angrian king and how she had to practice
controlling her powers. She did not have superpowers. Adria hadn't said a word throughout the dinner.

"Sit here." Sephtis speaks with his voice rough beckoning to a chair next to him. Adria starts to think that he
found out. Nonetheless, she gets up and walks to the seat beside Sephtis.

"Drink this." Sephtis says, his voice stern. He points to the poisoned drink. Adria grabs it and chucks it down
having no other choice. She feels the drink burning her throat. A fiery sensation. After she is done, she looks at
Sephtis. "Of course, he found out." she thought. Sephtis studies her carefully and after a while he speaks.
"Antidotes in the kitchen." he winks with a sly smile. Adria looked at him in disbelief and ran to the kitchen in
her long blue dress.
With the blue dress flowing behind her she clutches the bottle in her hand and puts it on her lips. She could feel
her heartbeat rising and thumping loudly in her chest. She swallows the whole bottle before she notices Sephtis
leaning on the doorframe. The bottle was changing colour, just as it did when she tipped the vile in Alyona's
mouth.

Adria is looking at it carefully and Sephtis observes her from afar. "What's wrong?" he questions, although he
has figured it out.

"It's- its changing colour."

"Focus on it. Make it change its form."  Sephtis instructs.

"It's burning." Adria whispers. After a while, the bottle turns into fire. There was fire in Adria's hand. But she
doesn't feel the fire. She looks towards Sephtis and points it towards him. A fireball shoots out, but he dodges.

"Careful there." He shouts. But Adria doesn't hear. Her mind is blurry, weak, confused. She feels dizzy, she can
hear her heart, her eyes feel heavy, and her legs brittle. She wants to make it stop but doesn't know how. She
tries to speak but no sound leaves her tongue. No words are formed. Adria's nose starts to bleed. Sephtis is
saying words to her in a distance, but she hears whispers.

Adria falls to the ground. The fire in her hand dies leaving a red mark. Blood is still pouring out of her nose.
Sephtis runs towards her and puts his hand around her arm. He calls for the paramedics. Once they come, they
take her to the hospital wing which is as grand as anything else in the mansion.

Adria sees Damen standing in front of her. Jupus comes from behind. "How is Adria?" Damen asks.

"Sephtis told me that you will be able to see her tomorrow." Jupus replies with a smile. "Did you grow bored of
this place already?" Jupus continues to question with a smile. "Well, I am bored of almost everything." Damen
grins widely.

"Almost?"

"I don't think I will ever get bored of looking at your face." Damen studies Jupus' face and continues, "Your
dark hair always messily made, your brown eyes which twinkle when your happy, your sharp jawline..." Damen
pauses and brushes his hands against his jawline. "Your mischievous smirk when you successfully sneak me
some extra food, your soft skin." The last words turn into a whisper.
Adria jerked up as pain shot through her arm. Sephtis was above her watching her every move carefully. Adria
remembered what had happened, vaguely. She slowly pulled her hand up to her face, it was bandaged. Sephtis
was still watching her. "I want to see Damen." She whispered. Sephtis nodded and went out of the room. 

Damen walked in surprised to see Adria on the hospital bed. "What happened?" he questioned. "Hello to you
too." She replied. Damen sat on the chair which Sephtis had been sitting on. Adria told him what had happened
from the point where she decided to poison Sephtis to her hand burning. She really could not believe this was
happening. She also mentioned the fact that she had to kill the Angrian king.

"Are you going to?" he questioned.

"Do I have a choice?"

Chapter 10: new

Sephtis had been teaching Adria how to control her powers. Adria felt tired, weak, and her appetite grew. She
would stay in her room and come out only when she needed to.

"Powers have to originate from an object whether a living thing or an object." Sephtis started and was standing
beside Adria saying, "You have to feel what you want to do. Feel that you are trying to change the ball to
something."

"I can't." replied Adria tired as she didn't sleep well last night. She had been dreaming more evocatively than
ever. Her mother would be screaming in the background while her father trying to kill Adria.

"Try harder." Sephtis shouted.

"I do not have powers!" Adria yelled back having enough. She had been bottling up her feelings as she had no
one to talked to. So, she lashed out. She was not his puppet. She was a human, she had feelings.

"Oh, yeah because that fireball appeared out of nowhere." Sephtis retorted.

"It was just a coincidence because this place is weird." Adria shot back. Sephtis pinned her against the wall and
yelled at her trying to trigger her powers. "Get off me." she shouted as she pushed Sephtis away. The ball turned
into fire and shot out of her hands into Sephtis' shoulders. He fell to the ground groaning in pain. The fire was
still in Adria's hand, and she was trying to blow it out. Her mind became fuzzy all over again.

Damen was walking beside Jupus when he noticed her. Adria was shaking her hand desperately. Jupus ran to
Sephtis while Damen went to Adria. "Boss, are you okay?" Jupus questioned looking at Sephtis laying on the
muddy ground. "I'm fine." He grunted and stood up. Huge blisters were on his shoulder, and he felt burning
pain, but he didn't want help.

Adria felt weak and about to faint again when Sephtis called to her, and once he did the fire died out. Damen
was staring at Adria his eyes wide. "What did you do to her?" Damen questioned Sephtis boiling with rage. "I
showed her who she really is." Sephtis replied.

"You...you turned her into this?"

"No, I showed her who she really is." Sephtis repeated again. "Jupus take him back to his room please."

"No, I need to talk to her." Damen said, shrugging Jupus' hand off.

"She is in no state to talk." Sephtis replied, his anger rising.

"Because of what you did to her!" Damen yelled. Sephtis was going to punch Damen across the face when
Adria fell to the ground. Sephtis called the paramedics for Adria again and walked back to his mansion.

Sephtis was looking at his large blisters in the mirror, shirtless. It had been worth it as Adria could now summon
her power.

Adria approached from behind and looked at him. "Did I do that to you?" she questioned stepping forward.

"You're supposed to be resting." Sephtis replied turning around.

"I'm fine." Adria said. They were now inches away from each other. She reached for his shoulders and brushed
her hand through the red skin. Sephtis didn't think of the pain anymore, just the feeling of Adria's soft touch.

"You should visit the hospital wing." Adria said looking in his green eyes. She noticed how they were a bit
snake-like. Sephtis' rosy lips formulated into a thin smile. "I've been through worse than this." He spoke. Adria
smiled and replied, "It may heal faster."

"Fine. I'll go because you said so." Sephtis sarcastically replied. Adria wanted to brush into his lips, but she
didn't trust herself to do that yet. She memorized the distinct features on his face like his thick eyebrows, his ear
piercings, and the scar across his eye. She had memorized his muscular body, his neckline, and his eyes.
Had she become too obsessed?

While Sephtis was gone to the hospital wing, Adria went up to her room. She tried to recall what had happened
earlier. She now knew that her powers were indeed real and that Sephtis wanted to use her for it. Although, a
voice in her head was speaking loud to her saying that she wanted revenge, that she wanted to kill the Angrian
king for what he did to her. But she wasn't the one to chase after revenge. Was she?  

Her mind replayed how the ball had turned to fire over and over again. But it didn't make sense, nothing made
sense. Adria sighed heavily and reached for the book beside her when she heard a knock.

It was past midnight. "Come in." Adria said. To Adria's surprise Sephtis was at the door and he walked towards
her and sat next to Adria awkwardly. "Everything okay?" Adria questioned.

"I wanted to talk to you about the plan to kill the king."

"Before we go there, why do you want to kill the king?" Adria questioned and instantly regretting it. She was
not to ask Sephtis questions. She had to obey his orders.

Adria thought he would tell her not to ask questions, but Sephtis began, "During the war I had been to Emerald
Isle to retrieve my sister back to the mansion. She was stubborn and didn't want to return. Alyona had said that
she made new friends whom she wanted to say goodbye to. I wouldn't let her. It was too dangerous, but...but she
didn't see it. She believed I was merely wanting her not to have friends and make new acquaintances. It was
true, I didn't like her choice of friends, but I am not cruel." He looked at Adria in pain.

"My best friend also came along to Emerald Isle risking his life for me and Alyona. His name was Dante."
Sephtis paused and smiled. "He had brown eyes and walked in a slouched manner." Sephtis was squinting his
eyes trying to remember how his best friend looked like. It had been a long time and his memory was hazy.
"When he was happy his smile would spread across his whole face. And his smile would be so contagious. He
would turn any bad day to a good one. When I was arguing with Alyona the Angrian men spotted us, and we got
captured. We were taken to the Angrian castle where I watched Dante's head being cut off. His blood gushing
everywhere. He had tears in his eyes. He didn't deserve to die. He was a good person." Sephtis' memories came
flooding back as if this happened yesterday.

"Alyona and I managed to escape but we had to fend for ourselves, start new lives. We did unimaginable things
to survive. And that was our goal, to survive." Sephtis broke off. Adria looked at him in shock and realized that
the world was filled with cruel people. That no one was filled with pure good. And once the dark parts were
triggered, there was no going back. She believed that is what happened to Sephtis. The world had taken what he
loved over and over from him, he forgot how to find the light. The bright side.
The world had also taken loved ones from Adria. Maybe the only solution was not to love. Because once you
don't love, nothing can hurt you. You just have to let go.

They had felt too much, and it was sure that they would end up feeling nothing.

Damen had told me earlier to accept who I was and do the right thing. So that's what I did, I accepted the villain
that formed in me and decided to kill the Angrian king.

"I'll do it. I'll help you kill the king." Adria began breaking the long silence which followed. She couldn't believe
what she was saying but by now she was thirsty for revenge.

"Alyona wanted me to. She said to make his death painful. My sister and I had seen the ugly parts of the world
at an incredibly young age and thinking back we never had a chance to be kids. We never got to play in the mud,
have fresh meals waiting for us, clean water." Adria reached for his hand and intertwined her fingers. Sephtis
pulled away. They were now staring at each other intently. “Sorry” she whispered. Sephtis closed his eyes for a
moment and tried reaching for her hands.

"We are going to start travelling tomorrow. Practice summoning your powers." Sephtis said, clearing his throat.
Adria nodded feeling the intense heat that had settled in the room.

"I believe I didn't have a chance to be a kid too. Even with all the meals. I have an entire kingdom to rule at the
age of sixteen. Honestly, I'm exhausted. I know I shouldn't leave the kingdom in someone else's hands, but I
can't do it anymore." Adria sighed and placed her head on his shoulders, instantly regretting it as she realised
Sephtis was not moving away.

"I understand." Sephtis replied. "I have a hunch that something else is in your mind." Sephtis continued.

Adria started to speak barely forming a whisper and said, "I hate the fact that I can't hate you. Despite
everything you've done."

"Well, I am not an easy person to hate." Sephtis replied sarcastically with a wide grin spreading across his face.

The sky looked like a black canvas with million droplets of white paint. Damen and Jupus were sitting
underneath them. Jupus began, "Boss said that your friend is travelling with him tomorrow."

"I heard." Damen replied moodily. He still couldn't believe Adria trusted Sephtis.
They were laying on the roof side by side. Damen turned to face Jupus only to realize he was already facing
him.

"Do you come here often?" Damen asked but it almost sounded like a whisper.

"Not really. I've always been busy." Jupus replied. "Look that's the north star." he said pointing upwards.

"Where?" Damen asked. Jupus reached for his hand and pulled it up to show him. Damen felt his stomach do a
backflip.

"I see it." Damen smiled and shifted his gaze back to Jupus who was already looking at him. He stared in his
eyes intently. Jupus leaned in and brushed his hand through Damen’s cheeks and pulled him close.

If love was real, it is what Damen felt in that moment. If love were a texture, it would be as smooth as his skin.
If love were a colour, it would be as brown as his eyes. If love were a smell, it would be as sweet as his cologne.
If love were a place, it would be this rooftop. And if love were a taste, it would be of his lips.

Chapter 11: Regret

The next morning as the dew was just beginning to set in, Adria noticed the mansion had a new eeriness to it.
That by the night Sephtis had become a completely different person. She headed for the ground where she
practiced summoning her powers, shocked to see that Sephtis wasn’t there. Despite that she closed her eyes and
focused on the memories, fire appeared in her right arm and then the left. She aimed towards the desired target
and shot it, pleased to see that she hit bullseye. Her mind was filled with thoughts of last night and the touch of
Sephtis was embedded in her mind. It was as if he let his mask fall off for the night and he was almost…human.
She shook her head and focused on practicing further when she spotted Jupus and Damen hand in hand.

“Hello there, stranger.” She called to Damen.

“Hi princess.” Damen replied. “I heard we’re going on a little adventure or well…murder spree.” He realised
that the worlds odds had pushed him to be just like his father, working for incompetent, vengeful men.

“Right.” It had completely slipped her mind that they were to head for Angria today as her mind was stuck on
other parts of the night. “I’ll go pack. See you guys in a few minutes. Oh, and by the way I love the new look of
you two together.” she winked at Damen and walked away, picking up her dress from the muddy floor.

As she went in the room she sighed. Occasionally she’d miss Eris and Vega and her advisor Leo frost who’d
still write her letters. Legally, she had passed the crown to her friends and there was no going back on that. She
hoped that her friends were happy. Even Damen felt oceans away although he was right here, with her. It
seemed that in the short span of a few months Jupus had uncovered parts of him that were still unknown to
Adria and maybe she’d never get the chance to be close to him again. Once Adria’s luggage was packed, she
went down and looked at the ballroom. It was her favourite place to think. Sephtis never had balls here and quite
the contrary, Adria was fond of balls. She never used to get the chance to dance as her father wouldn’t let her.
Someone cleared their throat behind her snapping Adria out of her thought. She quickly turned around to meet
Sephtis’ green snake like eyes.

“The ship is ready. Take your things and head there. I believe Damen and Jupus are already waiting.” Sephtis
said with a straight face.

Adria annoyed went to her room, looked around and hoped for the best. She left a letter there, hidden in the
shelf compartment in case things went downhill. She breathed heavily and went down the large, spiralled stairs
to the dock where a large white ship was staring at her.

“A bit faster princess, we’ve been waiting for 15 minutes.” Damen said helping Adria with her luggage.

“Stop being dramatic, I didn’t take that long.” She smiled.

She eyed Sephtis bossing his crew around and putting everything in place. “Jupus take these barrels and secure
them.” He commanded. “Yes boss.”

“Its captain now.” Sephtis replied. Jupus nodded while Adria rolled her eyes.

“How are you feeling?” Damen asked.

“I don’t know, I’m about to go kill the king of Angria who killed my mother. I’m feeling great!” Adria said
sarcastically and in one breath. Damen held her hand as support and said, “It’ll be okay.” The ship started
moving. “I feel like I’m going to throw up.” She turned around and let out a retched sound and puked shutting
her eyes tightly. When she opened it, she stared at brown polished shoes which were now covered in her vomit.
She slowly looked up and met with Sephtis’ eyes, flushed with embarrassment. Sephtis without saying another
word walked away. He had ordered Jupus to take Adria to her room and give her a new set of clothes. Jupus set
out a dress, but Adria objected saying she wanted a shirt and pants. “Of course.” Jupus replied. She wore the
new set of clothes provided, although they were quite big. She was not complaining. She had heard from Damen
that it would take 2 weeks to reach Angria.

*
A thunderstorm hit one night, and Adria couldn’t sleep. She headed to the bow of the ship and looked around,
imagining what it’s like under water. She heard shuffling of feet and turned to see Sephtis through the haze of
the rain. She only now realised that her white shirt was drenched and transparent. Without a second thought she
turned back around and faced the water tightly holding the pole in front. Sephtis, unsure, walked a few steps and
stood beside her, also soaked in rainwater.

“Its late, you should be asleep.” He spoke.

“So now you care for my well-being” Adria replied annoyed. “You do realise you took everything from me.
You took my whole life away, all for some stupid plan that isn’t even guaranteed to work.”

Sephtis sighed, “You agreed to this.”

“Like I had a choice. Remember how you threatened to kill my friends or are we just going to forget that too.”

“I helped you. I helped you find your true self and here you are being ungrateful.” Sephtis said in a loud voice.

“I never wanted your help!” Adria bellowed. “I was well off way before I met you.” she spat. A deep wound had
now cut Sephtis, but he was not one to show.

“You would have died if you hadn’t met me. Your friends would have died because you can’t fend for yourself
nor others. You were practically useless. I gave you a purpose.” The words stinged Adria reminding her of
memories of her father.

Adria looked deep into Sephtis’ green eyes and without realising she reached for her dagger. She definitely did
not like being disrespected and after her father she had learnt to take authority, power, and control. She took the
dagger and stabbed it into his arm. Sephtis grunted closing his eyes. A snake was making its was up to Adria’s
throat and started choking her. Without a second thought, she sliced it and it dropped to the floor, now dead.
“You’re the one who’s useless. Thinking you could save everyone? You let your sister die.” Adria shouted on
top of the rain.

“And you think you are so perfect. You killed her Adria and if you went back to rule your kingdom you
would’ve poisoned it too. Because everything you touch dies.” Sephtis said.

“I’ll make sure to touch you then.” Adria said dropping her dagger, giving up. She left Sephtis alone atop the
ship and headed back to her compartment. What had gotten into her? She was boiling with anger and hatred but
not at him, at herself. What Sephtis had said was true. She really was a murderer and incompetent just like her
father had said. Maybe that’s why she was left alone in this world with no one to hold. Not her friends. Not her
mother. They all left her one by one. Even Damen who she had thought cared but was never found when she
needed him. It felt as though her heart was shattering just as glass does when smashed against the ground. That
night she dreamt of her mother. Again. Her long locks of auburn hair and sapphire blue eyes all which she had
passed down to her daughter, but her mother was brave and fierce. None of the qualities found in Adria.

Chapter 12:

Adria fell into her bed without changing her soaked clothes, she was too tired. She had slept for almost the
whole day and only woke up to the large bell ringing on the ship. A faint announcement was heard on Sephtis’
luxurious ship. Still drowsy from her sleep Adria couldn’t make out the words. We’ve had an unexpected detour
and are now meeting an old friend. A ball will be held, and our friends from Caloras are invited. Adria had
finally risen out of her bed and as she walked out banners, flags and decorations were seen. Jupus was on a
ladder hanging one of the banners, his shirt pulled. Damen, right below him, was holding the ladder steady.

“Evening princess.” Damen smiled.

“Evening.” Adria replied. “what’s this?” she continued beckoning towards Damen’s hand.
“Sephtis handed it out to everyone. Didn’t you receive one?”
“No.” she replied, slightly hurt as she remembered the quarrel, she had with Sephtis. Damen handed the
envelope to her switching his focus to Jupus who was asking for another banner.
The envelope was made of expensive leather. Adria opened it and took out a beautiful card which read, You are
cordially invited to the masquerade ball. With the time and place.
Her hopes of attending the ball had shattered and it seemed as though her presence wasn’t needed. She
remembered sitting by the sidelines during her father’s reign. Of course, she was not capable to attend a ball.
Adria rushed to her cabin as she felt her eyes filling up with tears. The past few days Adria felt miserable as
problems have been surrounding her although much to her surprise, she found a black leather box with a white
ribbon resting on her freshly made bed. A card accompanied this gift, it read, “wear this to the ball -S.” Adria
grinned before catching herself and remembering the events which took place the previous night. Yet she opened
the box and found an exquisite lilac dress laid in front of her. It was cut from the shoulder, exposing the arms
with a low decolletage, and a slit legged skirt below. There was also a beautiful necklace with matching pair of
earrings. And a butterfly mask. There was no way Sephtis had done this for Adria.