Bonding Ties Between Reality and Non-reality
Chapter 18: Complications
This time, he smiled more confidently.
"Is Lady Sierra Hynas," he finished.
Mia's world shattered.
Time seemed to stop right then. Stand still.
Her mouth parted slightly, her eyes wider than usual. Her breathing came ragged.
She heard Jenna muttering something under her breath beside her, but it felt so far away, like a world lock, stock and barrel different from hers.
Nooo . . . it . . . it really is . . .
Prince Isaac was still smiling. He was only metres away from her, but his gaze was focused on somewhere else, to a certain person. His confidence and poise stunned her even more so.
The whole crowd was silent. Presumably, the crowd expected Isaac to announce a familiar name (perhaps even hers for all she knew) or even a famous lady noble; but not an unknown lady's name. How the crowd reacted was of no concern to her.
I failed . . . It nagged at her constantly until it seemed like a mantra.
Ever since she discovered her stepfamily's plot against the prince, she was determined to do something about it. She had eavesdropped cautiously (albeit narrowly missing detection a few times), travelled to Vale itself, spent her free time thinking hard on her methods and ways, and had done all she could to wreck the horrible plan. Sometimes she even dared to picture the string of events happening once she saved the prince. And only in her wildest fantasies had she ever dreamt of being together with the prince.
She had been so . . . so steadfast. She knew the weigh of responsibility it had on her, but she was willing to carry it. There were many obstacles, but Sister Jenna, Garet and her Djinn had created a pathway for her. They helped her, helped to make it all possible despite her unyielding circumstances. It was just up to her to break the story to the prince.
And now what?
Mercury, she had to be the worst person on this earth.
It was all her fault to begin with. Why, oh WHY, did she have to be such a busybody and keep the whole thing a secret in the first place? All her earlier thoughts haunted her time and again.
Mia . . . She could hear Fizz echoing in the deep recesses of her mind.
She heard someone clapping. Then it followed slowly into a thunderous applause. She finally snapped out of her reverie, but could not bring herself to clap as well. So did Jenna.
Her eyes slowly travelled from the smiling prince to his parents. She noted briefly that they were rather surprised with his decision as well. Did they expect him to choose her? She wanted to laugh. She was hardly fit for him, given what she did to him. Or more accurately, what she did not do for him.
She wanted to cry.
Nevertheless, after exchanging glances with the Queen, King Kyle spoke genially, "And our Prince has spoken! May we invite Lady Sierra Hynas to come forward?" There was another round of applause.
"Mars . . ." Jenna muttered louder.
Mia suddenly whipped around. Her moment of paralysis was over. Now panic overwhelmed her. "Sister Jenna . . . what—what do we do now? I—I'm so sorry . . ." she choked out.
To her dismay, her young godmother's face was not much of a comfort either. Her mouth was set into a grim line, her eyes vexed. "I . . . Mars, I don't know either . . . unless we somehow—but he's made his choice . . ."
"No . . . but can't we do . . ."
Be steady, Mia! He chose her, but that doesn't mean he'll actually marry her and stuff, Spritz's high-pitched voice tried to soothe her, but it was in vain.
True. You have to keep your cool, Serac added. It isn't the end yet, Mia . . . we still have time.
She wanted to collapse, but Serac's words stopped her. Did they still have time . . .? Think, Mia, think! Think calmly!
Yes, we do! He chose her, but I'm sure we can do something to stop him or make him change his mind! Don't give up, Mia! Fizz cheered.
Their encouragement gave her the tiniest glimmer of hope. That infinitesimal sign was what she was desperate for.
She steeled herself. Now was the real crucial part, not the time to breakdown and just go with the flow.
She had to do something!
----o----
"What?!" Ivan exclaimed.
"Lady Sierra what?" Sheba asked, almost not believing her own ears. "Who on Jupiter is that?"
"The red-haired lady we find suspicious," Master Hama answered. "Hmm, so it is her . . . I thought it would be Lady Lushielle, no?" said she thoughtfully. She looked at Felix and noticed his somewhat troubled expression as well.
Ivan was frowning. "Of course! I thought it was obvious that His Highness was smitten with Lady Lushielle. And now . . . how exactly did she manage to sway him?"
"Shh, I can't hear His Majesty's words clearly," Sheba intervened. "Oh, His Majesty is inviting her to come up!"
As the four of them watched keenly from the castle's balcony overlooking the whole ballroom, the crowd stepped aside, making way as a red-haired lady gracefully proceeded to the stage. The crowd was silent save for low whispers. Evidently no one had expected an unknown name to be announced as the Prince Isaac's bride.
"It isn't . . . very good, right? She seems to be a rather dark character, as far as we judge . . ." Sheba asked falteringly.
"She may not necessarily be a bad person just because we suspect that she is an Adept though," said Ivan. "Let's not be too prejudiced without concrete proof first."
Master Hama slowly nodded her head. "True, but still . . ."
"Still . . .?" Felix immediately pounced on her hesitation.
"I don't quite know, either," Master Hama said ruefully. "I just hope that His Highness is fully aware of what he is doing now."
"I wonder what Lady Lushielle will think? We still haven't seen her," Sheba mused.
Ivan grinned suddenly. "If she's seriously determined to have His Highness, she'll probably show up soon, don't you think?"
----o----
"Oh? Now who's that, I wonder?" Picard wondered. "Lady Sierra Hynas . . . I can't say I've heard that particular name before . . ."
His brother, Alex, was just as mystified. "Me too. Considering the reaction of the others here, I see they feel the same as we do. With the exception of the women, though," he added with a chuckle. "They'll hate this Lady Hynas now, I bet."
"It's a bit surprising that it isn't this Lady Lushielle whom he invited over to the royal family's table for dinner, isn't it? I thought it was well-circulated news that they got on well together."
Little did Alex know that they were actually talking about Mia! "That's true . . . I guess we were all expecting that. Poor Lady Lushielle . . . surely she would have gotten her hopes sailing up high ever since His Highness brought her for dinner together. Now it must be a huge disappointment for her."
Piers chuckled. "This Lady Hynas must be a great force of character. His Highness does not choose lightly, and I'm sure we all have great faith in him."
"She must be really remarkable to have swept our prince away," Alex agreed. "After all—"
He stopped suddenly as his eyes were transfixed on the red-haired lady stepping up to the stage with a smile. The change in his expression was so drastic that it made Picard uneasy.
"What's wrong, Alex?"
Alex could not believe his eyes. "It's her! She's . . . Lady Hynas?"
"What on Mercury are you mumbling about?" Picard asked, a note of irritation in his voice.
"Why did His Highness choose her? I can't believe it! She really must have poisoned his mind! Mercury, this is disaster!"
Picard suddenly grabbed Alex by the shoulders firmly. "Alex, stop baffling me and start from the beginning. Did you just say 'poison'? What's wrong with this Lady Hynas anyway?"
"Plenty of wrong," Alex replied grimly. "I'll explain later, brother. Now . . . if anything happens . . ." Picard was just as bamboozled as ever.
Mia was right . . . I've a feeling things are going to turn black . . .
----o----
Prince Isaac felt good.
Seeing Lady Sierra Hynas stepping up the stage towards him, he felt even better. Wait, something was nagging at him in his mind. But he ignored it.
He extended his hand to her with a handsome smile. She graciously placed hers in his, smiling back. Smiling triumphantly, he noted briefly. He could not help thinking that she looked striking, indeed. Like . . . like a peacock. Proud and beautiful. That thought came unconsciously to him.
Suddenly, an involuntary cry startled them both.
"No!"
Both of them turned towards the voice. Everyone did.
He saw her.
An aqua-haired lady, in her early twenties, dressed most exquisitely. She was undeniably beautiful. Yet, it was not her figure, not her dress even, which struck him most and caught his eyes spellbound to her for some intangible reason.
Her eyes. Deep, sapphire eyes. Eyes that drew him in, even with the distance between them. He felt like he could delve into that void behind those eyes for an eternity and never emerge again.
Confused feelings brew up in him. He felt like his inner mind was combating with something. Something that tried to block away those eyes. Why . . .?
He lurched a step back, suddenly feeling nauseous.
"Your Highness?" he heard Lady Sierra Hynas's voice calling out to him.
Prince Isaac forced himself to look at the aqua-haired young woman. "Who . . . who are you . . .?" he asked faintly, his voice thick. He felt pain.
But even when he asked that question, he already knew the answer. Only one person would cry out like she did. She had to be the Lady Lushielle everyone seemed to know about. The one he asked over for dinner with his family. Yes, that had to be it. That would explain the pain he was experiencing now, too. It always came when he tried to remember her. She was like an ethereal being, oft denoted but never seen. But now that the real 'personage' was right in front of him to see, the pain seemed to double.
"I . . ." Lady Lushielle said softly. The whole ballroom was so quiet he could hear her. She looked deeply upset. She had plenty of reason to be, since he, Prince Isaac, had forgotten about her. Practically left her in the ditch and forgot about her the next day, his mother would say. The only difference was that it was between a lapse of a few hours.
He saw Lady Jenna placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. He was sorry too. He tried vainly again to remember all he could about her. His head throbbed hard. He gritted his teeth. No way could he let anyone, lest his parents, know. He debated on the appropriate words to say to her.
Fortunately, his father came to the rescue of the current situation. "Lady Lushielle . . . I am sorry, but this is my son's decision." Did he just detect a genuine hint of regret?
All of a sudden, Lady Lushielle found her own voice to speak. "No! It's not what you think! I'm not like that . . ." she trailed off.
Even with his pain, he afforded a tiny, bemused smile. No matter what she said, everyone would think that. That she was being a spoilsport, and basically, selfish and childish. He noticed that everyone was waiting for her to explain herself. There was a certain tension in the atmosphere. He stole a glance at Lady Hynas. She was scowling.
His smile was wiped away instantly the moment another jolt of pain pierced through his head. He gritted his teeth harder. Luckily no one seemed to be observing him for the moment. No, everyone was focusing his or her eyes on Lady Lushielle.
Those eyes . . . those mesmerising eyes . . . of course, he saw them during the ball tonight, but where . . . where else had he seen them before . . .?
Lady Lushielle seemed to be blurting out something. He did not pay attention. The pain was growing stronger and stronger by the second. He did not care. He was going to find the underlying cause of things for once and find out why exactly she triggered such a great upheaval in him. Even if the pain killed him, he would do it until he remembered.
Remembered where he had seen those eyes elsewhere prior to the ball. Or at least remember bits and pieces of the time they spent together before he invited her over for dinner. Yes, that was more important. It felt like he had distanced himself away from his surroundings. He was participating in an inner battle only he knew, searching for the light that would dawn on him when the whole mess cleared up.
Venus, what is happening to me?
He heard Lady Lushielle speaking some more, words from Lady Hynas, his parents speaking in low tones to each other, and the crowd whispering among themselves. All the voices seemed to mix in one whole mass of jumbled voices, making his head spin in wide circles. He caught the words 'search', 'poison' and a few odd phrases which left no imprint on his mind.
His head was reeling. He did not think he could last any longer. His head must be splitting apart. It was unbearable, excruciating pain. It seemed to tear his whole memory apart, forcing him to discourage all thoughts of her. The more he willed himself to remember, the greater the pain became. It was like ramming his head against the strongest brick wall. He was ramming his head to remember all he could about Lady Lushielle, but the harder he rammed into the wall, his head was only further bruised.
But no! He wasn't going to let it get the better of him anymore. He, Prince Isaac, was master of himself!
The pain reached its peak. He could not keep it anymore. He let out a cry.
Those who heard it looked at him.
His eyes suddenly caught Lady Lushielle looking at him. She had a desperate expression etched on her lovely face. He saw her vivid blue eyes watering.
It all came then.
In Vale . . . rescuing a hooded figure, with eyes just like them . . . smiling at him sadly . . . a tear running down her cheek . . . the whole memory rushed through his mind like a hurricane.
"I am nothing to them but a servant paid for."
He heard his own voice. "Please don't cry . . ."
"Now please forget everything that I have said . . ."
The pain unexpectedly disappeared just as his earlier memories of the night returned as well. His eyes widened as the times they spent together came back in a flash. Everything.
"I'm not too sure whether I can explain, but . . . let's just say I feel that I have . . . an attachment to you, my lady."
He clearly remembered the tinge of red on her fair cheeks now. Especially when they had danced later and he had compared her to not unlike a fair maiden. That was a slip of the tongue, but he really meant it.
"Well, you could always take it back anytime . . ."
He remembered himself grinning like an idiot when she finally called him by name. She was hesitant at first, but it made no difference all the same.
" . . . I-saac."
The overpowering impact of it all made him lose his balance. He staggered forward and fell.
Cries arose.
He heard his parents rush to him at once. So did others.
Lady Hynas stood rooted to the spot. Her scowl went deeper. Then he couldn't see her anymore. She was hidden by others who had rushed over to him.
He felt tired. Very tired . . .
He let his eyelids fall. The last thing he saw was a pair of aqua eyes . . .
Venus, oblivion was bliss.
----o----
Mia felt like she was on the wrong track entirely the moment she cried out 'in protest'. She could already predict her own cheeks turning an embarrassed pink the second she was aware of everyone's eyes on her.
She saw the prince lifting his eyes to her finally. She stared right into his eyes, feeling defiant yet desperate at one fell swoop. She could not help perceiving his azure eyes wavering as if he was troubled. Her thoughts were confirmed when he moved a step back uncertainly.
'Lady Sierra Hynas' rushed over to him. Big fat liar, she thought. Prince Isaac steadied his gaze at her albeit somewhat hazily.
"Who . . . who are you . . .?"
Who was she? Mercury, he really had forgotten her! He was totally in Karst's spell then, she thought grimly. Who was she, really . . .? Mia Lushiris pretending to be a nonexistent Sarah Lushielle? Or just a Somebody trying to save his back, but failed?
"I . . ." She could hardly get her words out. She felt so cold. The whole ballroom felt cold, too. Both atmosphere and the people in it.
"Lady Lushielle . . . I am sorry, but this is my son's decision," King Kyle said politely, expecting her to understand. How would he ever expect her to understand? It was he who did not understand!
"No! It's not what you think! I'm not like that . . ." she found herself speaking impulsively. She felt as though everyone in the room was looking down at her, whispering about her, giving her unpleasant stares. It felt horrible. The only thing that consoled her was Sister Jenna's hand on her shoulder. Even then, that was all Sister Jenna could do. She could only support her, back her up.
But not voice what she, Mia, had to say and wanted to say. That, she realised, she had to do herself.
The truth has to come out.
She kept it a secret once, but no more. It was a severe mistake, and she knew better than to commit it again.
"His Highness was poisoned!" It all came out in an uncontrolled rush. She bit her lip. She had probably just expressed herself in the most inappropriate and distasteful way possible.
There was a deadlier silence. Everybody was dumbfounded. Possibly they did not comprehend her, or simply just had no idea how to respond to such far-fetched proclamations. In fact, she was surprised that no one laughed. Doubtless it was impolite to do so. But she knew without saying that no one believed her, except for her friends who knew. Mercury, she doubted if the prince himself believed her.
But she did not care anymore. Now or never. She stole a glance at him. He did not seem to be listening, oddly enough. Her gaze transferred to Karst. She was scowling at her.
It somehow gave Mia satisfaction.
Finally someone dared to speak. "Lady Lushielle—" Queen Dora stepped forward, her gentle voice tinged with mild reproach.
"No, please listen to me! I'm telling the truth!" she said with urgency in her voice. I'm not going to back off now. I want to do something right for once! "I'm not saying it out of spite or anything! This woman—" she pointed a slender forefinger to Lady Hynas—"she poisoned him! She administered some kind of drug to him that controls his mind the way she wants it to!"
The room was still silent. The tension in the atmosphere was even greater, she felt. It was akin to a very taut, stiff string ready to break at any point. And anything that she said could be the trigger.
"It's not true!" Lady Hynas objected most vehemently. "She's lying! Your Majesties, I implore that such outrageous accusations be silenced at once!"
This time, King Kyle's voice was harder, more firm. "Lady Lushielle, I would like to advise you that such accusations will not be taken lightly. Please reconsider the logical side of matters." It had a subtle hint to back off. Mia caught it perfectly.
Considered from the logical side of things, she knew that she would be going too far. But it was they who did not know what lay behind the logical side of matters.
"I believe her."
Sister Jenna's voice cut through the air without warning, loud and resolute. It startled everyone, including her.
She turned back to face her. "Sister Jenna . . ."
"Me too."
Somewhere, far off, Mia heard Alex's voice ringing clear. She felt intensely grateful.
"And me too."
Whipping around once more to face the King and Queen with more confidence now than she ever had before, she knew that they were both astounded when even Garet vouched for her seemingly bizarre accusations as well. Her heart lifted. Would they now believe her? Surely, they would not take her accusation lightly after Garet's positive support!
"Garet . . ." said Queen Dora, "but don't you realise it is really quite . . . fantastic?"
"It's fantastic, but unfortunately very true," said he grimly. "I'm not out of my mind either. What she says is true. She—" he pointed to Lady Hynas as well, "is a fake! Don't be taken in by her, Isaac!"
Mia looked again at the prince. He seemed even more spaced out than ever, as if he was too preoccupied with his own problems to pay attention to the outside world. His eyes looked distracted.
"It's not true!" Karst denied, her face sullen. "Please do not be misled by such impossible, melodramatic accusations, Your Majesties. After all, that girl has no proof for her lame accusations!"
King Kyle was frowning. "That's true. If there is no proof, then we cannot entertain such accusations. Undoubtedly, it is unfair for Lady Hynas. Unless you have proof to show that Lady Hynas has really committed such grave atrocities, Lady Lushielle?" he looked at her directly, almost challenging her.
She knew she was turning him on. So was she towards everyone else in this room. Her mind was in whirl. Her only support was Alex, Garet and Sister Jenna. Otherwise, she was alone in trying to prove herself right when things looked so black against her.
Proof? What proof did she have? Her stepfamily was as cunning as a pack of foxes. There was almost no way they would make a careless mistake and leave it for her to discover with relish. That would be too good an opportunity.
"I . . ." she said softly. She hung her head down.
"Uncle—Your Majesty, please believe us! If you don't believe her, surely you believe me!" Garet cried. "Every bit of what she says is true! This Lady Hynas and her family have been targeting the throne through Isaac. They concocted some kind of poison so that they can control his mind according to their wishes. And I say all that without any screws loose!"
She heard the desperation in Garet's voice. He was nowhere near her, but she could picture his face. Of course, Prince Isaac mattered a lot to him . . . he would do anything to protect him. He was protecting Isaac's best interests as his godfather and as a close friend.
Think, think, think! What evidence might there be against Karst . . . come on, Mia! I need to do this!
She felt Sister Jenna tapping her shoulder. "Is there anything that they might have left behind, Mia?" she whispered.
She felt herself wallowing in despair. She allowed herself to shake her head dismally. "What are we going to do . . .? If I can't show anything definite everything will go wrong . . ." Leaving aside her reputation, Prince Isaac would be wrapped around Karst's thumb if she did not do something drastic to make his parents believe her, and then the fat would be in the fire!
Mia, what about the vial?! She heard Serac suddenly exclaimed excitedly in her mind.
She frowned. Vial? You mean the vial that contained the poison?
All this while the room was hushed up. Now King Kyle's hard voice penetrated the silence. "Well . . . if you have no proof to back up your implausible accusations, Lady Lushielle, then let us settle our small . . . er, private issues and let matters be as it is. I am sure you agree?"
"No! Please, wait!" she implored him. "You must believe me! I'm only saying the truth! You don't understand!" She had to buy time.
Go on, Serac. Hurry! What about the vial?
Well, according to your cousin, it was Karst who administered the poison, right? Therefore, she should have the empty vial with her now!
Mercury, Serac's right, Mia! Fizz chipped in. As long as the vial is still with her, we can prove ourselves right!
"Well, what is it that we don't understand?" Queen Dora asked, her voice a trifled impatient. The crowd muttered agreeing phrases. They were restless.
The brainwave stirred her up properly. She realised that her Djinn could be right. Mercury grant her that Karst and the rest overlooked that aspect! "Please, I . . . have a request to make," said she, her voice shaky. She continued before anyone could say anything, "Just one request. This will show whether I have proof of my 'accusations' or not!"
King Kyle sighed. For a moment, Mia fully realised how badly she was wrecking the night. Everyone's toleration for her behaviour was probably reaching the limit, she thought. She cast her reflection aside. That did not matter where Prince Isaac's life was the bet.
"Well, what is it?" he queried finally.
She chose her words carefully before speaking. "I ask that K—Lady Hynas be searched, Your Majesty," said she hesitatingly. "I say that she poisoned His Highness. Therefore, the—the vial that contained the poison should be still within her possession."
"Nonsense!" Karst objected before the king could say anything. "Your accusations are so wildly improbable, yet you demand that I be searched! Preposterous! I beg to differ, Your Majesties!"
Nevertheless, Mia's sharp eyes caught the barest sign of a twitch in her normal, confident composure. It was all she needed to go on. She took the chance to push further. Enough with niceties!
"Well, if you proclaim innocence so fervently, then you should have no fears of being searched, right? Then your innocence in this matter will be cleared once and for all, and I will be merely spurting out nonsensical things!"
"Yeah, that's true," Garet added. "Let us have that favour granted at least, Your Majesties!"
King Kyle sighed. It definitely was NOT the night he thought and planned to be. All this was wearing him down. He had a sinking hunch that the darker side of things were just getting worse. "Dear, what do you think?" he asked Queen Dora.
Back down, Jenna whispered to Mia, "Are you sure this will work?"
She shook her head. "But it's either that or nothing else. She could have thrown the vial away, or given it to someone else for all I know. But that's all I rely on now . . ." Her gaze lifted up to Karst who was still scowling, but otherwise still acting the perfect innocent.
"Well . . ." Queen Dora began, "to make things fair and square, I think we should do as Lady Lushielle suggests. As she said, there's no harm to assure everyone else of your innocence, and this will straighten things out. I'm sure you agree, Lady Hynas?" said she, offering a sweet smile.
Karst fidgeted a little. "But Your Majesty . . . I really do think that it is an unnecessary inconvenience. Why should we entertain such ridiculous demands? By consenting to her, we might be playing right up to what she wants. Who knows what she might be scheming up her sleeve?"
"Hear, hear," Mia countered with a small smirk, "I wouldn't have expected to hear that from the schemer herself. Your Majesties, doesn't it show that she is unwilling to be searched and therefore shows signs of guilt? She is afraid that we will find the vial still in her possession! Please consider my words, Your Majesties!"
The crowd was getting noisier now. They argued among themselves as to who was right and who was wrong. Some was even beginning to side with Lady Lushielle. Most of them just wanted the whole thing to end peacefully without any further conflicts. The tension was building up so greatly it felt as though it would burst Mia's ears.
King Kyle lifted a hand. The crowd fell silent slowly. Mia's heart was pounding as she waited for his words of decision with bated breath. A million questions raced through her head in that one instant. Did they believe her now? Would her request be granted? What would the prince say in this matter?
Suddenly, she heard a cry. She jumped.
Everyone stared at Prince Isaac. His eyes met hers again. It was a mere second, but it felt more like an eternity. This time, she saw a great depth of understanding in his azure eyes. It seemed to hold a cluster of mixed emotions, but she thought she found relief in it too.
He fell forward.
She stifled her own cry. His parents swiftly went over to him without a second thought. So did others (friends of his, Mia presumed). The rest of the crowd was gaping at the fallen prince. Then mumbled voices rose up. Everyone started asking what happened. The noise got louder and louder. It only made Mia queasier than ever.
"Sister Jenna, what's happening to him?" she asked helplessly, turning back.
"I've no idea . . . why did he suddenly fall ill? Mars, everything is turning upside-down . . . " said she, pressing a hand to her forehead.
And it's all because of me, Mia thought darkly. If only I just did everything differently . . .
However, the moment she lifted her eyes back to the stage again, her heart leapt again. This time it was not due to surprise, but alarm. Fear.
Karst was gone!
"Hey!" she exclaimed. She caught people's attention. "Where did she go?"
Slowly, everyone in the room, including the King and Queen, heard her. They echoed her question, many frowning. Some were already worried and wishing they were well back home, cosy and comfortable. Suddenly, Jenna gave a shout.
"Over there!" she cried, pointing a finger towards a very familiar red-haired lady, running towards one of the side doors in the corner of the ballroom unnoticed previously. "She's running away! Catch her, somebody!"
Perhaps the act of Karst attempting to escape surreptitiously finally proved her guilt, for King Kyle promptly roared, "Guards, stop her!"
Now that she was sighted, Lady Hynas pushed those who tried to stop her aside blindly to make way for her own escape as she rushed to the exit. Innocents fell down and hurt themselves. Others nearby felt frightened. It was only more so increased when they saw a few Proxians rushing to Karst's aid as she struggled with the castle guards that appeared at the king's orders. Screams and shouts arose. The people were turning wild out of fear and anxiety.
Jenna rushed to the scene where Karst was thrashing about with the guards. She stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes riveted to the air. To her intense astonishment, she saw a small, spherical-like fireball aimed for an unfortunate guard. Nonetheless, it was more than sufficient to injure him. She was too late to do anything. It struck him right at the face and blew him a few feet away from Karst. She gasped. So did everyone else.
"Go!" she heard a man's voice ordering Karst to flee. Another fireball, bigger this time, hit two other guards restraining Karst. Those who saw it screamed. Goosebumps crawled all over their backs. They were all rendered speechless. It was a display of fire no one had seen before. The fire seemed to be alive!
Jenna tilted her head high and looked towards the source of the fireball. From far off, she saw a well-dressed Proxian with pale hair. Two other females were with him. She instinctively knew they were part of the stepfamily. She clenched her teeth in anger. Using Psynergy to hurt non-Adepts was a cruel deed!
"Stop!" she heard Garet shouting. "You'll hurt the innocents!"
His words roused her. She impatiently wriggled her way to the exact spot. Nevertheless, only the three castle guards were left sprawled on the floor when she got there, unconscious and badly injured. Karst's accomplices had vanished altogether as well.
"Call the paramedics!" she shouted. She took one look at their charred faces and felt sorry for them. Their wounds would heal, but scars would mark their faces.
She suddenly felt Mia at her side. "Oh Mercury, what have they done . . .?" she wailed. "Will they be okay?"
"Hopefully," she replied grimly. "The Psynergy used should have been minimal."
"What's going on?" King Kyle demanded from the stage. "Everyone, please calm down!" The Queen was gently holding her unconscious son close to her, her expression of deep worry. Her lips were pursed up as her eyes took hold of everything that happened. She visibly saw the whole room in chaos.
Jenna found Garet standing next to her too. "Mars, damn it! They escaped! I'm going after them!"
"Garet, don't! They're Adepts, and they'll outnumber you!"
He turned to her with a determined look. "Stay with Mia and look after Isaac, okay?" He took off after them without another word, leaving the two of them bowled over.
"Sister Jenna, Garet won't be safe!" said Mia, worried.
Jenna nodded in frustration. "He's always like that . . ." She looked around and was fazed by what she saw. It was like being in a jungle. Everything was haphazard. The people were like wild animals. Their usual calm and placid faces seemed twisted beyond recognition. They were afraid. There was no order anywhere. Even the King and Queen were distressed themselves.
No one knew what to do.
At that precise moment, the first strike of midnight rang.
It startled everyone. The slow rhythm of the majestic grandfather clock somehow quietened them. Yet, as if there were not enough surprises, another came.
Mia gasped when she saw tiny spots of light suddenly forming in the middle of thin air. Those fluorescent spots gathered around her, seemingly circling around her. She looked at them blankly with bewilderment. Those nearby her who saw it stared at her strangely, and several of them even backed away gingerly. The night was so full of shock, surprises and chaos that nothing seemed real anymore.
The second stroke of midnight told her what was happening. Realisation dawned upon her.
"Sister Jenna, it's midnight! Didn't you tell me the clothes will disappear at midnight?" she asked in alarm. "Will it leave me . . .?"
Jenna muttered an oath. "Mars, I forgot! I've no idea what will actually happen other than the clothes will only last until midnight. But I don't know the details . . ." she trailed off. Suddenly she had a brainwave. "Okay listen, Mia. Go through this door and keep going until you see a building separate from the castle. That's the servant quarters. I want you to get into one of their everyday clothes. There should be one or two spare dresses. Then just wait for me to come back. I'll only be gone for a while."
Mia pulled at her sleeve. "Where are you going?" she asked, her eyes wide.
"I'm going after Garet," she said grimly. "There's no way he can win if they all go against him. Stay here!" Giving her an encouraging pat, she smiled fleetingly before leaving as fast as she could in her encumbering dress.
Mia stared at her disappearing back a moment of two. She shook her head, cast aside any thoughts and hastily took off as well, ignoring people's stares at her and the tiny spots that encircled her.
----o----
"Whew, that was close," Karst panted.
"Close? It was a piece of cake," Saturos replied, chuckling. "I hardly used my Psynergy to secure our escape."
"Maybe it was not so wise to show our Psynergy though . . . not everyone knows of it," said Menardi thoughtfully.
"Nonsense," her mother cut in. "Who cares whether the whole world knows about it or not, my daughter? It was the best and safest way for us to escape. Even if the prince did not so conveniently faint, I would have asked Saturos to cause a distraction in order for Karst to escape unobserved. I would have done it myself, if not for the fact that I am no Adept."
"And I would take much pleasure in doing it," said Saturos, chuckling.
Karst laughed softly. "Anyway, let's quickly get out of here. I'm sick of being here."
Merlina, Menardi, Karst and Saturos were almost out of the vicinity of the castle grounds when Saturos stopped in his tracks. He signalled the other three women to stop as well.
"What's wrong?" Merlina asked with a frown, impatient to flee.
He put a finger on his lips. "Someone is following us," he whispered. True enough, they heard heavy footsteps following their trail. He quickly decided.
"Aunt Merlina, Karst, go! Go to the inn, pack our belongings then teleport back to Prox. Menardi and I will join you soon."
Briefly nodding their heads, they ran towards somewhere safe where Karst could cast Teleport unnoticed. At the same time, Saturos pulled Menardi to hide behind a clump of tall, dark trees lined up and hidden by the moonlight. They crouched low, notwithstanding rather uncomfortably for Menardi. She gathered and held the tresses of her dress close.
"Shh," Saturos whispered. "Here he comes!"
They kept as silent as they could, not moving an inch. The sky was dark except for a tiny glimmer from Luna, and their surroundings were still.
Presently, Garet appeared. He looked around valiantly, his breathing ragged from a long run.
"Garet, wait!"
Startled, he found Jenna running after him. He knitted his brow once she was beside him, panting away.
"Jenna, what are you doing here? I told you to stay with Mia!" he reproached her. "And running like that in that dress . . . what were you thinking?"
She turned to him with a glare. "Well, I've the common sense to realise that one isn't a match for four, and I'm human enough not to leave you go off by yourself and be found dead later! So much for the thought," she puffed huffily.
Garet sighed and managed a sheepish grin. "Sorry . . . but I couldn't let them go just like that after causing such a big ruckus. But I lost sight of them somehow . . . they seem to have disappeared." He balled his fist tightly.
"Either they're fast runners, or . . . maybe they're hiding around here somewhere," said she, looking around alertly.
Suddenly, both of them saw four shadowy figures darting out from a batch of trees far off.
"There!" Garet exclaimed. Not letting go of the chance, both of them ran off in hot pursuit immediately. Determined expressions outlined their faces.
The moment they were truly out of sight, two figures leisurely emerged from the clump of trees. Saturos had a wicked smile on his face.
"I wonder where my illusions will lead them to. Somewhere very, very far off, no doubt."
Menardi's smile matched his as she dusted off her dress carefully. "That was a clever touch, creating illusions to throw them off our track. It's better to let them think we're still in Vale when we will already be in Prox."
"True," he agreed readily. "It is certainly useful to master the art of illusions."
She laughed. "Well, let's not stay here any longer. Karst and Mother must be in the inn now. Let's go ourselves."
Walking to an open space in the castle grounds, Saturos was about to cast Teleport when Menardi suddenly clutched his hand. He was about to raise an eyebrow at her when she pointed to a building not too far off. Opening the door was a familiar figure . . .
They looked at each other. Slowly, both of them smiled wickedly.
"Shall we?"
"Yes, let's."
Author's Note: This chapter's title Complications is the best title to classify the WHOLE story, not just this chapter. XD But anyway, actually I was planning to end the whole night in this chapter, but it ended up TOO long for comfort, so the rest goes into Chapter 19. Update should be much sooner since I've practically written the first half already, haha.
So we've reached the climax of the story! I hope it was satisfying and not a let down for readers, since I've really tried my best to make it good enough for a climax. Things look pretty black now, but stay tuned until the end of the story to see how it goes! The next chapter will clear up the night and end the climax (but probably a few mini climaxes to come in the future chapters too, haha).
Last but not least, thank you for reading! The story's nearing 20 chapters, and I appreciate all those who've kept up so far! As usual, constructive criticism, advice and comments are greatly appreciated!