The family was in total dismay. Lenya had retold what Kameo had told her, then the three of them agreed to hold an emergency meeting to discuss how to proceed forward from there.
Kameo couldn't stop trembling. She had lied to Lenya. She wanted to say that she didn't know why, but it was starting to dawn on her about her own motives. Everything came spiraling down to what Mystic had told her. How young heirs could leave the castle and travel across vast lands, explore lost ruins and go great distances to find the lost warriors.
Her plan was to get out of the castle, go on her own adventure. From her books, from all the stories she had seen and heard from other travelers, they always said the journey helped them grow but it fell apart before it even started.
Kameo decided she would go see Kalus. She needed to apologise. She needed things to be okay between them. The thought of Kalus being mad at her made her feel sick. It was similar to the feeling she had right before her class toured the Chamber of Living Portraits.
Even if she was angry, at least Kameo could try to make things right by Kalus. And make sure she was okay.
With the plan in mind, Kameo walked over to her door and reached for the handle.
Kalus sat quietly in the hut. Since waking up, she had remained inside with the Mystic as the two discussed many things regarding the future. The red-haired elf felt angry and hurt, exhausted and infuriated. Each emotion spiraling the other into motion.
Most of all, she was feeling sick. The memory of the woman who was supposed to be her mother attacking her, replayed in her mind over and over, despite her efforts to keep the memory at bay.
"As a precaution. Then we'll-"
A knock at the door made them pause.
Terr poked their head inside.
"Apologies, I wanted to make sure you were well and to inform you that the Council requires your presence." They said to Kalus, then Mystic, nodding their head respectively.
Mystic glanced at the wounded princess. No motion came from Kalus, yet the reptilian aide stood and exited the room. Terr stepped silently inside.
Kalus remained silent, not a word being said. Even as her tutor approached.
"Princess Kalus… " Terr shook their head, struggling to find words.
Kalus' face had very faint scars spreading out across her face, however three scars weren't as camouflaged. From her right eye, a line ran down her cheek, almost like a permanent tear had been carved into her very flesh. On the right side of her lips, a scar ran upwards, spreading into a fork that stopped beside her nose, while a third scar branched down from the centre of her hairline, going down the right side of her nose, stopping just before the other scar.
She was paler than usual. Her hair was down, being a scruffy mess, she was the polar opposite of the young lady they had seen only the other day. Yet her eyes were intense, near glowing. The pain radiated through the air, as piercing as the sharpest blade.
Despite the silence, the lack of sound was deafening.
"...I appreciate the concern Terr. I am well, you don't need to concern yourself with me." Kalus' voice quietly spoke as she didn't move from the spot on the floor that she sat. Her head remained motionless, despite the eye contact.
Terr's heart sank. This had gone too far.
"Please… let those who care for you help you. You are not alone Princess-"
"Kalus?"
Both their eyes darted to the door that opened quietly behind Terr. From their reaction, Kalus could tell that this wasn't planned. Seeing Kameo stand in the doorway, the way her eyes widened, the way the colour left her face, how she trembled. For a moment, her heart sank, for a moment, she wanted to tell Kameo that she was okay, to not worry about it, that it was all just unfortunate circumstances.
Yet… she couldn't bring herself to do so. Kameo had betrayed her and she was the one who paid the price for trying to help her, despite it all. She had nearly died. Kalus knew in her heart she had not hurt Kameo, yet she was villanised regardless.
The silence twisted the knife in Kameo's heart, but she swallowed and took a deep breath, taking another step into the hut.
"I'm sorr-"
"Don't you dare." The younger elf flinched, while Terr remained unmoving. Kalus frowned.
"You have no idea what I went through. I tried to help you, yet I nearly died for it. I'm so sick of my supposed family hurting me over and over again." Kalus shakily stood up, leaning against the wall until she was on her feet. The light showed her scars in more detail and Kameo's hands covered her mouth.
She felt so sick. She was torn apart. The image of her older sister, just a few days ago who gave her a gentle smile, was shattered. The intense glare, the uneasy breathing, Kalus was not well. She had nearly died…
…because of her stupid idea.
"No matter what you tell yourself or others, this cannot be fixed with an 'I'm sorry' like in those stories you read. This is the real world, where your actions and mine have consequences. Those consequences can and do cost lives Kameo." Kalus slammed her hand into the wall. She looked a lot like their mother when she was angry.
"What were you even thinking? Why were you in there in the first place?! WHY DID YOU STEAL IT?!" Without realising it, both of them were crying. Terr glanced between the two of them.
"Wouldn't it be best to wait until you were at full health before having this kind of discussion?" Terr asked, turning to Kalus, who remained unmoving as her piercing gaze remained on Kameo, who was squirming from guilt.
"My own flesh and blood tried to end my life. What makes you think I have the luxury of time on my side after all of this?" Terr's heart stopped. The kingdom still had no idea about what had actually happened. Terr had sprinted through the crowd to check on both princesses while dodging the crowd, but had seen Kameo cause a commotion while trying to evade the guards.
It was what they needed to make their way to the Mystic's hut, only to find the future heir fighting for life. Once the crowd had spread, they took the opportunity to make up the excuse that Mystic was needed, so they could talk to Kalus in private.
With Kameo here though… that complicated things.
..
"You cannot be serious!"
Theena's hands slammed on the table. The council had gathered in the dinning hall early, much earlier than she had expected. What's more, her own siblings had been talking to them without her, the Queen, present. Her fists clenched as the chieftain of the Forgotten Forest Glade, Aeronous Blade, sighed heavily.
"Your actions were dangerous and reckless, the future Queen was almost killed, from what sounds like a suspicious circumstance with princess Kameo."
"Kameo never laid a hand on her, how can you accuse her of that?!"
"Not her. You." Sorace corrected before the Frostmite leader leaned forward. "From the statements collected, you immediately entered the room and assumed Kalus had injured Kameo."
"That's because she did-"
"No she didn't. You would know this if you looked at Kameo's palm."
Theena's brows furrowed in confusion as she glanced between the two before looking at Yeros.
"What do they mean Yeros?"
Yeros sighed heavily.
"Kameo's palm was heavily scorched in the shape of the Element of … she tried to steal it." As Yeros spoke, Theena's eyes gradually widened. There was a moment of silence before Theena all but fell into her seat, her eyes blank.
No… no, there had to be some sort of mistake. Kameo had no reason to try such a thing.
"But...why would Kameo try to steal the Element of Power? What does she gain from it, when she never had any interest prior?" Lenya asked, confused as Theena was trying to wrap her head around the whole situation.
"Wasn't there an incident a few days ago in the Chamber of Living Portraits involving the young princess as well?" The Hexapod leader spoke, flipping through her notes, eyes skimming over the details. Oceana blinked, squinting at the notes while retrieving a pair of glasses from her bag. "Yes, here, where she cried in response to Kalus' presence?"
"I don't know what's going on, but up until now, the two of them have gotten along incredibly well. It's hard to picture the two suddenly turning on one another after years of peaceful co-existence. They're sisters, they love one another dearly. Something is clearly fishy about all of this-" Halis' eyes glanced over at the Hexapod as he paused. "Sorry."
Said Hexapod only rolled her eyes.
"Regardless, your actions were unfitting of a queen and could be seen as sabotage to further your own reign Theena. With Kalus' coronation only a day away, we must intervene before your actions-"
The door creaked opened.
"Forgive the interruption, I was notified that my presence was required-"
"Finally someone sane," Theena mumbled under her breath. "Yes, come on in."
The royal advisor entered the room, glancing at the council, the ancestors, then Theena. The air was heavy and tense. Lenya gave Theena a worried glance, Halis ran his hand through his hair in exhaustion, Theena looked… well, it was a sight she had not seen in some time.
"Mystic, could you tell them about the vision you warned me about?" Theena asked before the reptilian could take a seat. She merely nodded, making her way to her designated seat, yet addressing everyone during;
"A few days ago, I received a vision of the future. Our future. The Enchanted Kingdom was unlike the one we know today. It was in ruins, the plants had all died, the water polluted, the skies red with smoke." She seated herself to the left of Theena.
"The kingdom is on the path to destruction and chaos. If we do not change things, then the future of all residents of this land and others… it looks incredibly grim."
"Could you go into more detail? Something more specific that we can go on?" The Florian Chieftain asked, leaning forward. The florians were a tribe that prided themselves on being scientists, yet they always gave Mystic the benefit of the doubt in scenarios like these.
"The badlands had been torn apart, leaving great chasms that none could cross, isolating each tribe in their own regions. Should this come to pass, a lot of supply routes would be cut off."
"She's right, the warp gates to each region would no longer work. We would start running low on food, iron, timber and most of our vital supplies. Not to mention, we would not be able to send our supplies to anyone outside of the kingdom either." Lenya realised. She then frowned.
"Yet… how does this relate to Kalus' coronation?" She turned her head, now suspicious.
Mystic glanced at her hands, looking uneasy. "…I'm afraid this happens during Kalus' reign as Queen-"
"And you expect us all to believe that?" The Florian spoke up, looking unimpressed.
"Every time we have come for the annual heir's gauntlet, Kalus has passed with flying colours. Her dedication and care has always been fully known, to the kingdom and outside. What would cause such dedication to waver?" Sorace spoke up, leaning back while crossing his multiple arms.
"While Kameo is more popular, she does not have the skills or experience that her older sister does. Not to mention, you cannot live forever Theena, it is part of the pact that new heirs who have approval of the council take the throne on their eighteenth birthday. If Kalus was deemed unfit at a young age, that training would have passed onto Kameo long before now." Oceania added, folding her palms in front of her as she had a heavy look.
"Theena, unless you have solid evidence for this, your actions will be seen as a violation of the pact and your role will be forfeit. Do not let all of these years of preparation and peace go to waste at the last second. Kalus has the abilities, knowledge and experience to keep the kingdom shining." Aeronous added, frowning as Sorace nodded in agreement.
The current queen only frowned in response. This was not how this was supposed to go. Couldn't they see what was happening?
"To disregard Mystic's visions, is to disregard how often those very visions saved us all from disaster and destruction. Do you not remember when Mystic foresaw the fierce forest fire from the rebels that threatened to consume the Forgotten Forest Glade? Aeronous, the entire village would have been wiped out without her assistance. The kingdom aided you and your people when you needed it most." However, the Florian frowned.
"No one is saying we aren't thankful, but at the same time, we're talking about fifteen years of consistent training above all else being thrown away by someone who has dedicated their whole life to becoming Queen. You need to convince me before you have my vote on this. As you know, to change the heir needs all of the council's approval."
Halis turned, resting an arm on the table. "-which won't happen, because Kalus will become Queen. Her father and your husband, King Solon had nowhere near the level of training that Kalus has endured, so I am fully confident in her abilities. The discussion, however, is on what is happening to you, not Kalus. We haven't forgotten that you nearly killed your own daughter Theena. I'm surprised you don't seem bothered by it." He practically spat, eyes furious.
"Do you not hear yourself Halis? Me, kill my own daughter? What happened was an accident because I thought Kameo was in danger-"
"STOP IT THEENA, JUST STOP!" Halis stood up. "You've ALWAYS been harsh to Kalus, but this is just cruel! In what reality does using Rage Magic work as defensive magic?! Kameo and Kalus have fought, yes but they would NEVER hurt each other! Why would that suddenly change now? I'm starting to think you just don't want her to be Queen." He added. The room got cold, but immediately returned to normal as several charms on the walls glowed brightly, making Theena sit upright, eyes narrowing.
"You dare to try binding my magic?"
"That's what I should be asking of you Theena. Any hostile magic is a violation of the pact. I think we've seen enough here." The three nodded in agreement. "An appropriate punishment is immediate nullification of your role as queen. We will remain in the kingdom to assure Kalus' coronation proceeds as normal-"
Theena stormed out of the room, doors slamming loudly against the tile. Mystic watched silently, before rising from her seat.
"Just a moment Mystic, there's something I wanted to ask you, now that Theena is no longer in the room." Yeros spoke, making Mystic pause. She glanced briefly at the door, before turning to face the ancestor with a nod.
"Very well, though I do not wish to be far from princess Kalus for too long. I am still concerned about her well-being." He nodded.
"It won't take too long."
Mystic reluctantly sat down. She knew there would have been a disagreement but this spiraled horribly. Theena was coming apart at the seams, to the point where she was barely holding herself together and bringing up Solon certainly tugged the remaining thread free.
Theena had not prepared a counter argument, or anything to defend her case against the council. From what the old reptilian could tell, Theena did not even consider the amount of turmoil she had landed herself in. It was similar to when she pleaded her case fifteen years ago to retain her role as queen.
Back then, Theena had no idea what to do, as she was still learning how to become a leader and quite often stumbled from one disaster to another. She remembered when she had blown the kingdom's budget as she approved almost everything everyone asked for, without keeping count of costs, as she was overly eager to prove herself.
It was a horrendous mess to clean up. She remembered how Theena scrambled to present herself as something she wasn't.
Stable.
Although… this could still be favourable…
Mystic returned her attention to the present. She could feel each of their emotions were scattered. Fear, uncertainty, disgust, many different feelings from the incident lingered strongly like a persistent odour. Yet Yeros only radiated one emotion. One she had not seen is such a long time, it nearly made her nostalgic from the memory it brought.
"You have been quite close to Theena all these years, so we need to know where your priorities lie. You come from a long lineage of Mystics who have guided and assisted the Royal Family in the darkest of times, so, let me ask you this:" He looked her dead in the eye, his tone quiet but stern.
"Do you really see Kalus as being the cause of all of this madness and destruction?" Yeros questioned, watching her carefully.
Yeros was one to watch out for. Despite his age, his wit was still quite sharp. Sharper than most. He was able to notice things that most others weren't. The reptilian sighed, gathering her thoughts. Part of her hesitated.
"While most rulers have strong qualities, none of them have the dedication that Kalus has…" Mystic paused. She felt her voice falter. She needed to do this, but something…
She closed her eyes, glancing anxiously off to the side. Old memories from long ago came to mind. How poetic for them to resurface now of all times. Her silence had a different air to the council.
One of regret. They glanced at one another as Lenya looked at the royal advisor. She had never in her life seen the Mystic look so conflicted. It made her feel uneasy.
Mystic quickly collected herself.
"...understandably… this is a difficult topic. One that I do not take lightly. My vision shows what our future will be, should we continue on this path… but…" Mystic sighed, looking tired. "but that does not mean I am enthusiastic with it's implications." She sat slightly higher, her tail coiling around the leg of the chair. An old habit, just as Kalus wringing her hands, Kameo playing with her hair, or Theena biting her nails.
"The only way I see this coming to fruition is a result of the strained relationship between the current queen and the heir. It's no secret the two have been at odds, especially… after recent events."
Mystic was torn. She was torn between duty, tradition and something she wasn't aware of until now. Something she cursed herself for being so careless about. Something that could ruin everything.
"Is there anything else? I wish to check on princess Kalus." Everyone was silent, though their looks spoke volumes to one another. This was the most emotion the Mystic had shown, but it definitely held weight. Yeros glanced back at the council.
Aeronous, curled his foliage palms together, having taken down notes of the entire conversation. "We have much to discuss among ourselves, but I am in agreement. Kalus needs to be healthy for her coronation tomorrow." He looked over to Oceana, who had her tentacle over her head. She had always voiced her doubts about Theena, so she would definitely be in motion of Theena losing her role.
"I think that will be all. We'll announce our verdict once we've gone over everything once more in private." Sorace nodded his head to Yeros. "Unless there are further questions?"
"..." Halis was quiet, but his face was dark. He was angry. Yeros placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Adding more fuel will only make the fire worse, little brother. We need to keep calm and collected to fix this. Go check on Kameo, she would be quite upset over everything that's happened and it would do you good to clear your head."
Halis didn't speak, but he looked exhausted, slowly nodding before standing and walking out. Yeros glanced back at Lenya, but she shook her head. "I'm well Yeros, please don't worry. We need to get to the heart of all of this before tomorrow."
"That, we can all agree on." Yeros looked up to the Mystic but found that she was already gone. He sighed, glancing down at the seat she previously resided in. Outside of her role of royal advisor, there was so much mystery to her, it made it hard to determine if she was going to side with Theena or with Kalus. He pinched the bridge of his nose, resting his staff against the side of his chair.
The timing certainly did not help.
As the doors shut behind Halis, the meeting continued on as the exhausted general wondered through the halls, mirroring Yeros' earlier action of pinching his nose. An intense headache was making itself known as his stomach felt like it had fallen out of his body and was dragging three feet behind him, as though it was trying to drag him through the floor.
How did things turn out like this? One moment, everyone was excited and buzzing about the castle to prepare for Kalus' coronation, the next, they were considering Theena's fate after her murder attempt on her own child.
Regardless of what anyone said, regardless of what she said, rage magic knows the user's intent even if they themselves do not. Otherwise, the magic would not have affected Kalus. That training had been what had saved her from death.
So many scenarios ran through his mind if she had died. How the weight of the crown would have been forced onto Kameo and he knew from her training, from their sparring, that she was not suited to the role.
She was a young child who was able to indulge in many joys of any childhood with added perks of royalty, yet Kalus had never been exposed to such a thing, having a single goal in sight her whole life.
A pang shot through his heart at the thought. Kalus had missed out on so much and all of them had been okay with that. Had they used Kameo to fill that void? To not notice until now?
He shook his head, running a hand through his hair as he glanced at the door of his niece's bedroom.
The green oak was slightly ajar.
"Hey… kiddo?" He gently knocked and listened.
It was… quiet.
Too quiet.
He stepped inside, seeing the room was empty. Realising where she would have went, Halis spun and sprinted for the gardens.
..
"I… I never meant to hurt you, I didn't want this to happen!" Kameo cried, gripping her hair. "I just… I just wanted to-"
"Princess Kameo," She looked up, seeing Terr standing in front of her, hand resting on her shoulder. That sense of deja vu would not leave her be, but she had more pressing matters at the moment.
"Perhaps it's a good idea to wait until the coronation is finished before having this talk with her. Your sister has been through a lot and she needs to rest before her big day tomorrow." Terr whispered quietly, knowing fully well that Kalus could hear the two of them clear as day.
"Do whatever you want, but leave. I have nothing to say to you." Kalus' cold tone resonated through the hut, despite the soft tone. Her hair that was normally tied back in double buns was out, scruffy and wild. Her eyes were red and bloodshot from the tears and pain. She was at her limit. How badly she wanted to be left alone, yet even when wounded, the world still demanded unfair things from her.
Kameo however, stepped past Terr, holding her ground.
"No. I'm not leaving until I make this right." She said, determined. Kalus was silent.
" If you're not leaving, then I am." She pushed off the wall and shakily stepped forward, gaining her footing as she brushed past Kameo, leaving the hut. The younger sibling spun and followed, ignoring Terr's warnings.
"Kalus, please! Wait!" Kalus' wings spawned, causing her to flinch in pain, but she headed towards the furthest part of the gardens. Heading for a place that she had not been to in many years. She didn't even realise where she was going, all she knew was that she needed to be left alone. Kameo tried to keep up but still fell behind, despite her best effort, before her boot caught on a random root and pulled her out of the air, hitting the ground hard.
What had she done?
Her voice kept asking non-stop through her mind, out loud, it repeated over and over. Something precious she had, she had ruined for the most selfish reasons. She had wanted the opportunity to make things right, but when she was given it several times, she still did the selfish thing and she hated it. It made her so angry.
She slammed her hands into the ground, ignoring the flaring pain in her right palm. She hated feeling like this, she hated how everything was changing. She hated it. How much she despised it.
Why couldn't things be like they used to? Why was everyone fighting? Why couldn't Kalus just accept her apology?!
The swans in the pond that she normally chased suddenly became agitated and took flight, attacking each other, then swooping towards a pair of guards the spotted near the stairs.
Kameo was too angry to care, part of her didn't want to focus on them. Enough was going to pit. A splash made her look back at the distant pond, seeing a guard had been chased into the water and was struggling, waving their arms for help.
Then she remembered how heavy the soldier's armor was. She cast one final look back in Kalus' direction, before racing towards the pond. One of the cables used for raising decorations had been tied to the side of the staircase that lead to the throne room. It would raise several banners and decorations adorn with jewels, one of the few times the kingdom would go fully out, so the cable always had to be strong enough to support the weight.
Kameo stopped near the end, looking around for the other guard. Some cries and she saw him running towards the dungeons to escape the enraged swan. She quickly glanced down at the cable as the soldier went under the water once more.
She threw the cable into the water where she last saw him and waited, her heart pounding intensely. Her mouth felt dry when she didn't see movement. As she ran to jump in, someone suddenly grabbed her and threw her back.
It was Halis.
"Uncle Halis?"
"Stay out of the water!" He yelled before diving in. She rushed over, staring intently at the dark water, pulse in her throat as her eyes rapidly scanned the depths for movement. A cold sweat enveloped her and she was about to jump in when something caught her eye.
A large shadow that quickly broke the surface, before the heavy end of the cable went flying over the rail, the bridge and back into the water on the other side. Scrambling, Kameo secured the end as Halis climbed out with the soldier under his arm, unconscious. He struggled to throw the elf onto the bridge, even with Kameo grabbing the soldier's arm and struggling to drag him up.
Halis quickly pulled his helmet off and checked the young elf was breathing. Kameo went pale, seeing it was Trapes. Wasn't he still in training? Why was he here? She felt herself getting sick, the blood draining from her face.
Halis glanced up at his niece. "Kameo, what happened here?" She turned to point to the raging swan, but noticed the enraged creature was now paddling along the water's surface peacefully now that no one was in the water. She frowned, turning to say something before quickly ducking as its partner quickly returned to the same pond, swimming over and diving at the random swimming bugs within the water.
"I…. I don't know." Halis frowned, focusing on the unconscious elf. He wasn't breathing, so Halis started pushing on his chest while chanting something she couldn't understand under his breath.
"U-uncle Halis? Kalus is-" He paused, looking up at her. "G-gardens." He swore, returning to the spell he was chanting while continuing the chest compression on the young elf.
"We need to find-"
Trapes started coughing before Halis sat him up, patting his back as he coughed up a lot of water, an awful sound that made Kameo flinch. She glanced nervously at her classmate. She was glad he was alive, but what was he doing here?
"You have quite a story to tell lad, but not now. How're you feeling?" Halis asked, his voice loud but kind. It was enough to jostle Trapes and help him focus.
"S-sir? I'm okay-uh, um I'm ah- functional?" He was trying to think of the formal term but it kept slipping his mind as he was still extremely shaken. "I did not realise how bad out armor is for swimming."
"What're you doing here Trapes?" Kameo asked, though her tone unintentionally came off harsh. She was still worried about her sister.
"O-oh, well, new train-trainees-"
"New trainees for the royal guard join the main guard the night before coronation to practice routes, patrols and learn how to act in certain emergencies, should something happen. Though this was the last thing any of us expected." Halis filled in, seeing Trapes was struggling to talk.
"Y-yeah… those swans are usually so c-calm-uh, I mean, docile-" Trapes stumbled over his words. Halis frowned, looking at the swans.
"Those two?"
"Y-yes sir. M-my patrol officer can confirm this, he went off towards the dungeons." Halis sighed.
"Can you stand Trapes?" Trapes scurried to his feet, saluting Halis but still shaking a bit from the cold. Halis sighed, looking at the young elf. Barely older than Kameo, yet already in a suit of armor. Armor that had almost killed him and he wasn't even in battle.
"Trapes, I have some very important orders for you. Are you able to walk?" He nodded enthusiastically. Halis looked to Kameo briefly, before glancing back at Trapes.
"I originally came to talk to you Kameo, but Kalus cannot be out on her own right now. Where did you see her last?" Kameo flinched.
"I-I can show you-"
"No, you can tell me, then Trapes will escort you back to your room for the night. Everyone needs rest before tomorrow, so please kiddo, just follow Trapes and stay in your room, okay?" Halis was tired, but he understood Kameo's concern. He looked at the young elf.
"Once you do that, have the night off and get a nice warm meal from the kitchen. It's on me, so get whatever your heart desires kid, it's going to be one of those nights and you need to get your energy back." Trapes looked defeated but nodded his head.
"Yes sir. Princess?" He asked gently.
"...Kalus went into the old part of the Gardens. I don't know if she's still there or not."
She held her elbow, glancing off in the direction of said gardens. Halis nodded before the two headed off back for the castle.
As the two headed back, they walked in silence. Trapes desperately wanted to ask what was going on, what had happened to Kalus, what caused the screaming-so many questions, one after another but from the expression on the princess' face, he knew doing so would cause more pain.
He kept sneaking glances, not used to seeing Kameo so worried and… guilty? Why would she look guilty? Maybe she blames herself for not being able to stop whatever happened?
Still… he didn't want to make her more upset. He just had to make sure she got to her room okay and if she wanted to talk to him, she would. He told himself that to try and calm his nerves. He felt so embarrassed from the whole ordeal. He wanted to become a strong, reliable guard and yet… he was bested by a swan and some water.
His face flushed red at the thought. How was he supposed to protect the royal family if a common bird could stop him in one fell swoop? He scratched his head, looking awkwardly back at the princess.
Kameo was so uncertain of so much, she tried to tell Kalus how sorry she was, but that just resulted in her running away. Part of her just wanted her to punch her in the arm, have it over and done with. This? This hurt so much more. Her heart felt so heavy.
She glanced at the random portraits in the halls. The past heirs of the kingdom, all but her father's painting. Even her mother's likeness hung from one of the frames and soon Kalus would be part of that line.
She would be outside. She would be free. Kameo felt sick at the thought, that she would remain within these walls for the rest of her life. It didn't take long before she realised they had reached her room.
"I uh, princess?"
Kameo paused, turning to look at the aspiring knight.
"I-uh, I know that you have a lot on your mind b-but if you ever need someone to talk to, or to uh-um, t-take your mind off of things, I'm here and s-so are all of your friends. You're not alone in this." He said, awkwardly brushing some wet hair out of his face with an awkward attempt at a smile while still being very blue.
"..." Kameo frowned, looking at the ground. During this whole thing, she didn't even think of them once. Calmity was her closest friend but not once did she stop to think about asking her or anyone for help since everything fell apart.
"I…thank you Trapes. I… really appreciate it." She mumbled, her mind elsewhere as she walked into her room, leaving Trapes out in the hallway. Despite this, he still bowed his head and made his way to the kitchens, no longer trying to hide his shivering.
Inside, Kameo shut the door, turning before jumping when she saw her mother standing on the balcony, the moonlight giving her an eerie outline as the candle light gave an unsettling tone.
"M-mother?"
She turned to Kameo, her eyes bloodshot, similar to Kalus'. Kameo walked over.
"I-is everything…?" She couldn't finish, worried but Theena cleared her throat, stepping inside. She looked exhausted.
"I wish I could say it was, but unfortunately that's not the case. There is something very important I have to discuss with you in private." Kameo blinked awkwardly as Theena patted the bed. It was something she did anytime she had to have a serious talk with her. She didn't like how her stomach was twisting in knots.
Kameo walked over and sat, her heart pounding.
"Since yesterday, I have had to make a decision, for what's best for the kingdom and for the royal family." She noticed Kameo's hand, seeing the bandage. Her heart panged, but she inhaled deeply through her nose.
"Because of this, a lot of things have to change to keep everyone safe… do you understand?"
Kameo blinked, subconsciously holding her burnt palm.
"...is Kalus in trouble?" Theena's expression didn't change.
"I don't want to lie to you Kameo. She is in a lot of trouble, but there is something I need to ask you and I want you to be honest with me." Kameo's heart pounded fiercely against her chest, she was so certain her mother could hear it.
"O…okay?"
"Kameo, please tell me… what were you doing in my room?" Kameo's eyes widened in fear. Here, she had a final opportunity to make things right. She could clear Kalus' name and things would be okay.
".…I-"
Yet, her voice failed her. It failed her when she needed it the most. She was terrified of getting into trouble. Sudden images of her mother being furious towards her, as she was to Kalus, came to mind and she found herself frozen.
She…
"I… I'm sorry." Kameo sobbed, struggling to speak. She was physically trying to get her voicebox to utter the words, to say that it was her fault, that Kalus was trying to help her.
Kameo just ended up clenching her burnt hand, glancing sadly at it. What could she say? She was too terrified to tell her the truth, but she didn't want to lie either.
"I… I just… I just wanted to…." She looked at her mother again. This whole time, her expression never changed, but the bags under her eyes got darker. Kameo looked away.
"I thought I was helping… but I just, I just ended up hurting everyone I love. Kalus got really hurt because of me, because I thought, I thought that-" As Kameo spoke, her voice got higher the more stressed she got, her eyes watered until she was at the point of bawling. She hugged her knees to her chest, resting her face on top to hide in her hair as she fought so hard not to cry.
"Kameo, did you try to take the Element?" She gently asked, her voice warm and kind but Kameo felt sick. She only nodded. Theena's heart broke, eyebrows being the only thing that moved.
"I'm sorry." A tiny voice escaped from the elf, further breaking Theena's heart.
"What you told Lenya, was it true? About your dream?"
Kameo didn't move for a while. It felt like a while before,
"I'm sorry." came Kameo's reply. It was all she could say. She curled tighter into herself, trying to hide her tears.
Theena sighed, glancing over at the door. Her mind was made up. A decision had been made and she'd be damned if the council couldn't see the threat. Muttering a spell under her breathe, a soft glyph appeared over Kameo's bedroom door and the glass balcony door. She had to do what was best for the kingdom.
"Kameo?" She gently rested her hand on the young elf's shoulder, noticing the flinch.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for any of this to happen-"
"No," Kameo paused, looking up at her mother, tear-stained cheeks.
"N-no? Why? My sister n-nearly died because I did something stupid right before h-her coronation!"
"Kameo, your dream is important," Kameo looked briefly confused. "dreams about past kings and queens… they hold so much meaning. It's them reaching out to us from the… from elsewhere to help us in times of dire need." She took a deep breath, taking Kameo's burnt hand in her own.
"Your sister has worked hard, very, very hard… but.."
"But?"
"But… there are certain things that would happen with her as queen that will lead to the kingdom being destroyed. Through her actions, she will cause so much harm, not only to us, but to many, many generations down from now who will still be suffering." Kameo frowned. Kalus will destroy the kingdom? Kalus? How? Why?
"W-why would Kalus do that? S-she wants to protect us-"
"Do you know the Mystic?" Kameo nodded. She had become acquainted with her quite recently. She even worked with her to have a birthday present made ready for her before her birthday.
"Y-yeah, yes, I do…"
"Mystic is the royal advisor of our family, because she has an incredible gift that has always steered us away from danger and destruction. This gift is called 'The Sight'."
"The Sight?" Kameo thought back to the crystal eye Mystic had in place of where her original eye would have been. She wondered if it was just a style choice or not, but it sounded like it was so much more.
"Yes…this allows Mystic to see into events that are far, far in the future. It's how many disasters were avoided, for both the kingdom and the tribal villages across the land. Without her help, none of us would still be here." Kameo frowned, her hair standing on end.
"B-but Kalus would n-never hurt us-"
"She already has Kameo. She's already started causing harm, but there is still time to set things right before anymore damage is done." Kameo's eyes lit up, but as soon as they did, a sinking feeling sat in her stomach, yet she brushed it off. A way to fix things? She'd do it, whatever it was, anything to make things right. To make up for her cowardice, to make everyone happy like before.
"Really? This will save everyone and make things like they used to be?" Theena nodded.
"Everything will turn out how it was always meant to be. I only regret that I did not do this sooner, but I cannot do it alone Kameo. For this to work, I need your help. You're the only one who can do this." Kameo looked sadly at her knees.
"I already tried apologising to Kalus, but she doesn't want to talk to me, she barely looks at me. I'd be angry too if I was covered in scars and got hurt that bad." Theena's heart skipped a beat. Scars?
No, she had to focus.
"This involves a ritual, not an apology." Kameo flinched.
"Ritual? As in magic? But I-I can't use magic, we've tried and I'm not the magical type. Literally everyone is but me." She glanced at her hands. "If I did have any magic, I could do something to stop all of this."
"Kameo, do you remember when you were in the Chamber of Living Portraits?" Theena said, placing her hand on her daughter's shoulder.
"It's…" A memory flashed in her mind of Theena. She remembered it clear as day. "…a bit hazy, Mother."
"Kameo, you used magic there. You were able to cast magic from your hands." She went pale.
"I…blew up the room?" The queen nodded.
"Your powers manifesting now, your dream, everything that is happening, it's a sign that you are the one to stop this. You will break us from this path Kameo."
Kameo looked at her hands. She didn't even realise, it never crossed her mind that she had done that. Did she secretly have magic this whole time? Was her magic blowing things up?
It certainly explain why everything was blowing up in her face lately. She sourly thought to herself with a sad exhale.
"So… my magic… it will fix everything?" Theena nodded.
"Yes, but we're running out of time." She pulled something from a small red velvet bag.
.
.
It was the Element of Power.
.
Author's Note:
Things are starting to really go downhill.
.