The White Darkness

By Helbaworshipper

Lotis Theives Arc: A Sister's Reflection

Mayura used to wake up every morning to pick the freshest of flowers so she would smell the most unique. In particular, if she used roses, she'd make it into a fancy temporary hair bow so when she walked she could leave a petal trail. So was the child desiring to stand out and thank the world in some way with her discoveries. So now that she was learning much of the world wasn't exactly as she had been brought to know, it was strange.

For all she had done, why hadn't Alice hated her? A part of her wondered why it as their father who had died and not her. Was there a target even in mind? She calmed her mind again the best she could and reformed the circle Mei Lin had taught her. It was a way to figure out where and what needed to be fixed. Her hands slowly lifted up and she summoned the Lotis around her.

This must be what Mei Lin meant by it being confusing. Where she stood was not a particular place, but a set of places. From what she could tell, it was a set of land masses with a building in each one. Not all of them stood out, but there was certainly something odd about them. Some were quite broken, which was what Mei Lin had told her were the broken and in need of fixing. Taking a deep breath, she moved through the calming greenery towards the most broken of the buildings. It was in shambles and nothing was growing there anymore.

"Your first time on the battlefield?" A man with a vacant gaze asked. Her first battle was when she was young, but not quite a teenager. Nothing particularly life threatening, but it was still a lot for a young girl. "Or did you come to be the angel of Lotis?"

"How dare you speak to her highness that way!" A soldier keeping her safe spoke, glaring at the man. "She will one day be even higher than you!"

"Well, she's doing well enough to have you defend her." The man seemed calm. "Just saying she's not looking so good." She watched him pull up a bottle of water. "Did your soldiers tell you about keeping your water close at night?"

"No," she spoke, sitting slowly down on a cloth the soldier put down.

"You know, the first time I realized an insider could poison my water, I almost died." He chuckled a little as turned to look towards her. She could see his scars from battle. His other arm was currently useless. "Took three of the lotis healers to get me out of danger. I got a full on scream session for an hour from my superior that day. To this day, I never let the water out of my sight."

She realized for a moment she was in the middle of the broken building. Kneeling down, she picked up what looked to be a decorative piece of jewelry. It was a blue and green flower with currently crushed, barely hanging on gems. It was familiar to her. This was Alice's! She remembered it was when-

"It's cute, seeing you try so hard." A voice she certainly recognized. Her body didn't move or look towards it.

"Is it cute or are you just having fun with me, Eric?" She spoke, holding the item in her hands slowly. "Certainly you have other things to do than bother me."

"Certainly, but unlike you… I finish my business." He remained in place as she got up from her spot. "Do you know that King Seno was planning on leaving you the throne if you didn't marry out?" She nodded once. "Then do you know what he had been planning for Alice to do?"

"Of course not," She answered, putting her faith in what she could. The item in her hand felt warm.

"You should ask then. It was a shame he couldn't tell you how much he wanted you to be the star of the show." His voice and gaze were almost a caricature of what she had done. "Oh, and before you ask, it was my choice to kill off your shame of a Lotis Tutor."

"Are you only here to make fun of me?" She asked, preparing her mind to cast a barrier.

"If that were it, I wouldn't be so annoyed." He moved forward and despite her barrier cast, grasped the hand not currently holding the item. "Give it back since you stole it."

"Give back what?" She asked, confused. Eric smiled more comfortably and let go of her hand.

"I wonder, what could you have stolen?" After a moment, he was gone. It was as if he were trying to demand something of her.

She felt herself back in the tent, the item in her hands. What could she have stolen from Alice? Why was Eric so insistent that Alice was being treated worse by everyone? She shook her head for a moment and looked again at the probably simple hair piece. It wasn't one she had seen on Alice often, but she remembered that people made fun of her for it. Why had Alice not chosen to get more items? Had she already been keeping the merchants away? Slowly she got up from the circle and sat down where her tea was quite cold. For a moment she was about to drink… then the veteran's words…

"To this day, I never let the water out of my sight."

She knew the moment she was called to the leader's tent they were going to ask questions about how much Maram was covering Seno Castle. What she didn't expect was to see her mother sitting in an already not quite good state. She closed her eyes for a moment and moved forward to look at the situation. She took a seat slowly next to her mother and placed a reassuring hand.

"We had some concerns about the nobles in Seno Kingdom." Chris began talking as he motioned for Billy, who was part of the group earlier, to serve tea. "The queen informs me that the nobles basically tried to keep Alice away from you no matter what."

"I can see they wouldn't want me to be near a weak person. Still, why would they do that?"

"It's your father's will that Alice did not marry outside of the kingdom." Her mother's voice was calm, but almost cold. "He told me that if you were to leave the kingdom, he couldn't stand to have any other person take over."

"That doesn't make any sense in regards to your treatment of Alice." Chris' voice returned. "And the fact two arranged fiances were involved."

"Isn't that so the Weilhausen Kingdom didn't entirely abandon us?" Mayura asked softly, a raised brow. "He was pretty upset that the I managed what I did back then."

"Even if that were the case," Billy was sitting at the table now. "That doesn't explain why Alice was kept from being even remotely able to do certain activities." He motioned lightly to the mirror she wore. "He let you do the test, but not Alice. Not even as a test of her power."

"He said it was to keep her safe."

"Queen Seno, I highly doubt that." Chris again as she took a sip of tea. "If she took it, we now have proof it would have simply proved her reincarnated status as Darva and Lotsuan. In fact, that would have caused a power imbalance and someone was behind it other than your husband." He brought out what looked to be a list of all the Seno Noble families. A few were circled in red ink. "Those nobles are gone now, but they were all part of Darva's army."

"Does that mean it was Darva's fault that-"

"Afraid that would be far too easy." Mayura spoke, looking at the names slowly. "While I was getting a lot of attention, Alice was mostly being treated like a burden by the servants. I thought it was normal for awhile..."

"That's probably more of an influence overall." Chris answered, pointing to one of the names. "If anything, one of these families knew Eric in some fashion and were making sure that your father was unaware of the situation."

"Then how can we be sure of why this happened?" Her mother was strained again.

"We need to examine everything around Alice, especially what she cared about." A cup of tea was sipped again. "However, we need to know from the perspective Alice has, which… will take someone even closer in regards to her heart."

"Do you mean Kyo?" Mayura asked softly.

"That or perhaps someone even closer than Kyo." Chris motioned lightly towards a not red name. It was one of the countess maids. She mostly ignored Alice's servants. Perhaps that would explain what Mayura had stolen?

She found herself looking at the item in her hand again. She could have sworn Alice had worn this item. Yet… a part of her knew Alice had not chosen something like this even when she was a small child. Slowly, she went back into the circle, finding herself on the center of the many land masses. She looked towards the one that was most unfamiliar to her. It was in particular very old architecture.

Slowly, she began walking towards it as the item in her hand began to glow. She couldn't quite tell as the area made her feel less like she could remember why she was here with each step. It wasn't even Maram at this point as she felt her Lotis robes forming around her body. They flowed as she found that she was somehow in the past. Yet, the figure in front of her was so familiar. She started to think to say something as the green eyes looked her over.

"Guardian, why are you late?" Ah, yes, this was… She blinked, confused when she was trapped into place. "And why are there two of you?"

"It's nothing, Master Lotsuan." A figure in a mask was beside the woman. The area turned into what seemed to be a throne room. Slowly she noted that the Lotis circle inside it was keeping her in place. "It seems she finally knows."

"Knows what?" The figure spoke, looking down at her. Slowly, Alice descended the stairs and stopped in front of the circle. "She came here without warning."

"Do you know who she is, master?"

"She is the one who desired to take something precious." Alice's voice was almost unemotional as she looked at the woman. "Kneel," Mayura's body knelt without hesitation. How did she know this stance. "Guardian, explain how you lost something so important."

"Perhaps it is because she was linked somehow." The person in the mask commented, now next to her sister.

"Perhaps so," The crimson dress Alice wore was different than the usual Mayura saw her wear. She felt a hand lift her had up slowly. "Tell me, what was Alice to you?"

"My sister that I-" Mayura's mind felt pain, as if trying to recall where something went wrong. "That I-"

"It seems that her maram has been stunted. This place is hard on her."

"Then simply remove it a bit." Somehow Mayura's mind felt a bit less pain. Her gaze on the woman softened a bit.

"My sister that I love. I don't know why I… I..." Her mind understood now. It flooded with when she had seen that ornament. The things she had wanted to say and do but the realities of her life had taken first priority. She felt tears leave her eyes as she saw the woman's eyes soften slightly.

"I see," she felt the arms of her sister around her. It was warmer than she thought. "Do you understand what you have taken now?" Mayura nodded, allowing herself to stand up again. "Do you intend to give it back?" She nodded again. "Guardian, treat my sister gently."

"Of course, Master Lotsuan." The figure in the mask approached and put his hand on the mirror. So overcome by shock from seeing Alice somehow appearing like how she was before, she didn't even take into account the power leaving her. Her eyes closed slowly as the mirror, the one she had earned through all her effort… shattered.