"Brother Zerath, what are you doing…?" Fenrik demanded urgently while sweating buckets and bones on the verge of snapping into half. "Do you really think kowtowing will help here?"
But to everyone's surprise, it did.
The sparks flying off his blade settled. The rumbling continued to grip the Sanctum within its clutches for a long stretch of time. The eerie silence that followed had every heart in the room pounding. Fenrik collapsed onto one knee, feeling as though his shoulder blades were absent. The mountainous weight lifted from his wrist, and the sword slipped from his hold. A metallic clunk rang out as it hit the floor.
Fenrik gasped, trying to catch his breath. "Finally…it indeed worked…"
His gaze lingered at the sword, complicated and unreadable.
The last tremors gradually died down as well, and everyone stepped out of their hiding place.
Zerath raised his head and gazed at his still blade. Stretching his arm, he reached out to the hilt and slid it towards him. A sudden cough escaped his throat.
"Zerath!" Deathly worried, Nefarion scrambled to his side. He held his shoulders, his gaze scanning him from head to toe.
"Brother Zerath, are you okay?" Fenrik asked, mirroring Nefarion's anxiety. His earlier brattiness was nowhere to be seen.
Zerath managed a strained smile. "I feel fine now."
Nefarion faced Izrus. "What just happened, Sire! Why'd the ritual try to hurt my son? It didn't happen with Slavien."
Izrus was at a loss too. "...Unfortunately, I don't quite understand it either, Your Majesty."
"Yes, it wasn't! Zerath has gone through this purification ritual before - when he was crowned Crown Prince. Nothing had happened then."
His mind churned with possibilities. "Indeed. Something similar had occurred last time when my lord accompanied Princess Clairette. This sword…"
Slavien's parents wheeled him forward as he said, "It's strange. What's even stranger is that Fenrik was able to slice through the threads with ease. That's supposed to be…impossible. Nothing can cut through the primordial forces."
Izrus's gaze moved between the blade and Zerath.
Nefarion whispered gratefully, "It's the sword of our esteemed Varkhail who fought to stop the war five centuries ago. With such a great act of heroism who was instrumental in achieving peace, this blade is more than special. It saved Zerath today…"
Veloria came forward and looked at Izrus with concern. "Sire, is Zerath truly cursed? Is that why the revered Sun and Moon's energies reacted so violently? I don't want any misfortune to befall Rudaheim."
She then threw Zerath a severe, accusatory gaze. "Why did you even enter that cursed cave, Zerath? I don't know what has clung onto you, but the revered obelisks have never done something like this before. You should've let Gressil handle it."
"I was leading the troop, Your Majesty. It's unbecoming to throw my knights into something unknown and unseen while I wait for them above ground unharmed."
"It's not unbecoming, it's a necessity! Do you even think about your own position? You're the Crown Prince. A realm, a nation could neither afford to lose its present nor its future King - Not when we've a hostile race just beyond the Realm of Harmony."
She gritted her teeth. "And what about the knights who accompanied you? If something evil has clung onto you, then has it latched onto Gressil and the knights as well? We cannot have them roaming in the palace with such uncertainty. It's…it's all because of that ice demon child. He has caused nothing but trouble. First the eternal winter, then the deadly ice tide and now his mother's investigation led to something like this."
"It's not his fault-"
Veloria cut through his explanation sharply.
"I know you're concerned about his mother, but we cannot let this investigation wreck havoc. One of our esteemed Orders, Malphas, is dead, and now something like this happens to the Crown Prince. This absolutely cannot continue."
Her sharp voice morphed into a final and cold verdict. "I hereby command you to halt this investigation with immediate effect."
—
Emberlain.
The young sister-in-training, Annie, gingerly stepped into Vivia's small study-come-office. Benjamin's sharp stare tracking her without missing a beat unnerved her.
"Be at ease, Annie," Vivia smiled. "I apologize for approaching you so suddenly. I didn't mean to scare you."
Her eyes widened. "The princess mustn't apologize. Please tell me how I can help you."
"I want to ask you about Martin Grisbane."
"Lady Claudia's cousin."
"Yes. My memories have been a little scattered ever since my return. But then Martin's disappearance occurred to me. Lady Claudia is stressed and so is his family."
She gave a slow nod. "Yes, it's very unfortunate."
"Lady Claudia mentioned he's a firm devotee and regularly visited the Covenant."
"Yes."
"Have you ever talked to him?"
"Not so often. Sir Martin was kind and polite. He used to bring snacks for me and the children who come here to study."
"I see. Around the time he disappeared, did he still used to visit the church as often as before?"
Annie gave it a thought. "I don't think so. I assumed his workload must've increased, so he didn't have the time. He came less and less. Lady Melissa was also quite disappointed."
"Lady Melissa?"
The same woman Audreya pretended to be, she coughed.
"Yes. Not as often as Sir Martin, but Lady Melissa used to come to pray as well. She and Sir Martin would usually have tea together - just as she'd have tea with my lady."
Vivia took a pause and forced her brain to churn. The memory of a certain woman donned with a black-veiled mask on her face grainily came to her.
"The last time you saw Sir Martin, did he look tense or stressed to you? Or perhaps afraid?"
"I…" she hesitated. "I'm not so certain, my lady."
"You look like you're holding something back," she squinted her eyes.
"N-No, my lady!"
"Then please speak up your mind. Is there something…you didn't tell the officials during their investigation?"
"I…"
"Speak!" Benjamin nudged her with an edge of sternness in his voice.
"Sir Martin was asking for my lady! T-That's the last thing he asked me - if I could somehow arrange for him to meet with you."
Vivia was confused. "But what was the issue with that?"
"...These are just rumors, but it's said that he perhaps held…feelings for my lady," She lowered her head at once as if even uttering that out loud would get her head cut off.
Benjamin frowned. "Everybody is aware of the social and noble hierarchy. A Count cannot set his sights upon the royal princess."
"I-Indeed…" she trembled under his pressure. "Yet, he was very insistent on meeting my lady. Sister Sherry became concerned when she found out. She requested me not to mention this to the officials. It would've put my lady in a difficult position, and Count Grisbane's family was already going through a tough time. She didn't wish to add their son's humiliation to this."
With nothing further to add, Annie was let go.
Benjamin asked, "Why is my lady investigating Sir Martin's disappearance?"
Hmm. At first I thought Martin's case felt similar to the demons' disappearances Zerath told me about. But is it really so?
None of the demons involved a noble, and they all had a common story of leaving from small towns and villages to bigger cities. But Martin isn't like that…
"My lady?" Benjamin spoke a little louder this time.
Her stupor broke and she looked up. "Yes?"
"Why is my lady looking into Sir Martin's case? The officials are handling it."
"I simply wanted to understand what was going on. Since Sir Martin visited the Covenant regularly, I thought it wouldn't hurt to ask Annie. That brings me to my next question. Can you arrange a meeting for me with Lady Melissa?"
"...Lady Melissa?"
"Why do you look so perplexed?"
Benjamin was, in turn, perplexed at her perplexity. "As my lady is aware, Lady Melissa and her family don't make many public appearances, nor private meetings. Because of their history."
He cleared his throat. "Since Lady Autumn had dared to run away, their family isn't considered in high regard. They still hold the status of the Great Three, but they're not treated on equal footing as Lady Judith's and Her Highness Lady Sierra's family. So…"
Vivia smiled. "How strange that we only learn all the wrong lessons from history. It doesn't matter to me what her status is. I'd still very much like to meet Lady Melissa. Please arrange it for me - by whatever means."