Kryva blinked, the sun once again, waking her from her peaceful sleep.
She brushed her fingers against her right eye, attempting to move the object that was obscuring her vision. She frowned when she found she wasn't able to move whatever was covering her eye.
"Oh. That's right." She whispered to herself as she fidgeted with the white cloth wrapped around her head.
She vaguely remembered the events of the previous day. Houvdon had did a surprise visit, ditching school when he had to uphold his reputation just to tell her about how to know they were being chosen.
She frowned as she traced the edge of the cloth that covered her right eye.
She glanced at the scrolls still hastily rolled up on her desk. She remembered reading them and practicing her magic right before Houvdon had arrived.
She clenched her fist, half of her vision blocked due to the fabric she didn't wish to take off of her face. It was the robe of the Archelio heir, of course she wanted to keep a piece of clothing that originally belonged to the rather handsome male.
Even if it was literally a piece of clothing.
She sighed placing her face within the palms of her hands. What was happening to her? To fantasize and think of such a guy in a time like now was something she couldn't do. She had to focus on getting stronger, just like how the Prince of Etherstorm had advised her to do.
Now that it was absolutely certain she was journeying to the very edges of Phantasma, she had to get stronger. She didn't know the power of anyone outside of her manor, let alone outside of the Delusional Territory.
A knock resonated throughout the room as she heard her brother's voice through the doors. "Kryva? Are you awake?"
She glanced at the partially opened curtains, the sun peeking through the gaps of the curtain.
"Yeah. I'm awake."
Almost instantly, Kirva opened the door, his eyes full of worry. "I should've came earlier. The servants will be cleaning your room and we need to put back the scrolls into the library before they see."
He didn't even look at her on the bed, rushing to the scrolls, wrapping the twine around the parchment to secure it closed.
"Kirva, stop panicking. I'll carry a couple with you so that you don't have to hide them in a ridiculous way." She held back a giggle as she imagined Kirva pretending to be pregnant just so he can walk past with the handful of scrolls without seeming suspicious.
Just a little bit challenged in the head.
"Oh thank the Greater Ones." He let out a breathe. "Here ta...ke...these...?"
His voice trailed off as he looked at her single red eye, confusion and worry seeping into his eyes, removing the former panic.
She gave him a strained smile.
"Kryva? What happened to your eye?" He completely forgot about the scrolls in his hand and reached out hesitantly.
"Nothing." She gently batted his outstretched hand away. "Don't worry about it. Prince Archelio already helped me with it."
"Did he...?"
She waved her hand. "No, stop overthinking. He would never harm me like that. His reputation would be soured if he ever laid a hand on me."
In fact, she remembered yesterday that she was the one who laid a hand on him first. During the short time they spent together, Houvdon had never laid a single finger on her until she began to suffer pain from the selection system the Greater Beings had chosen.
"Oh..." Kirva was frozen in place, not knowing how to act upon this new revelation.
"Don't worry. After we return the scrolls, I'll explain the situation to both you and Mother." Kryva reassured her brother, patting the back of his hand. She reached out with her palm open. "Now which scrolls did you want me to take?"
-----
Lady Pellemeur and Kirva sat across from Kryva, their mother's eye filled with concern as she took in her daughter's appearance.
However, she had relented from questioning her, waiting for her daughter to speak before she did knowing she did not know everything yet.
She felt nervous. Although she was the Princess of Achen, she had never officially gave out any important messages, even to her family. She wasn't included in any political talks.
The only mention of her in any meeting was simply to verify her existence to the other nobles, but never revealing her appearance.
Such was why there was so much surprise over her arriving at the banquet almost a month ago. She was only a rumor, and many had not expected the whispers of a daughter of the Pellemeur family to actually exist.
She had never even seen a passing of important message between two important nobles. She had spent most of her time practicing her family's magic, while learning the ethnic codes and traditions of Phantasma's system.
"Lady Pellemeur, Lord Pellemeur-"
At the speaking of their titles, their concern and laxness dissipated, and instead of her mother and brother, what sat across from her were the two heads of the house of Pellemeur, the Noble family in control of the fire territory of Achen.
"-I have received a message from Houvdon Archelio, future head of the Archelio and future ruler of the mythic territory of Etherstorm. We have confirmed the way the Supreme Oracle and the Greater Beings are selecting their champions for the quest."
She sighed and picked at the edge of the table, both her mother and brother's gaze still locked onto her. She reached upwards and touched the cloth that wrapped around her head and covered her right eye.
Understanding seeped into both of their eyes as she began to explain. "This cloth around my eye is to hide the fact that the blessings of the Greater Beings has manifested within me. I have been selected for this mission. One knows they have been selected when their right eye becomes consumed with pain and transforms into a eye of purple."
"Your...right eye is purple?" Her mother asked shakily. Her eyes were wide with shock and horror, the understanding fading from her eyes. "The blessing of the Greater Beings?"
She felt something cold run down her spine. Something...was not right.
Was this the feeling Houvdon had those weeks ago when the Supreme Oracle had been delayed by hours? The gut feeling that something wasn't quite how it was supposed to be.
Something was wrong with the way her mother had asked the question. She couldn't explain but something deep within both of her mother's questions lurked something she couldn't quite place a feeling on.
"Lady Pellemeur?" The facade of Lord Pellemeur was still up as Kirva questioned his own mother's well-being. "Is everything alright?"
"Y-Yes." Her voice was shaky, and her face had paled. "Please continue Princess."
Kryva frowned, but continued at her mother's wishes. The cold feeling in the pit of her stomach did not fade, but only intensified as she continued.
"So far, only two people that we know have been selected. There can be many more. There could be just us two. We don't know when or why we are their chosen. We only know that we are, and we know the task we must complete."
She closed her eyes and let out a sigh. "That is all I have. That is the main message of Houvdon Archelio that he relayed to me. He was only able to tell me that much before I began to be consumed by the pain."
As she slumped into her chair, all strength that had been in her faded.
It was hard to be the Princess of Achen even to only two people. Doubt rose in her mind about her capability.
If she couldn't even relay a simple message to two nobles, how can she relay whole speeches to her own people as Lady Pellemeur?
Kirva was the one to speak only moments after she covered her face with her hands.
"Houvdon Archelio...is he the other person that was selected?"
She shook her head. She removed her hands and looked into her brother's red eyes with her own single eye. "No. Prince Archelio's friend was selected fifteen days ago. I was chosen yesterday."
"...Did he show anything else? Do you remember anything else? Do you know if he is in any way, related to the Greater Beings?"
Both Lady Pellemeur and Kryva widened their eyes as Kirva's sudden accusation at Houvdon.
"What?!" Kryva's jaw dropped, while her mother was speechless and in shock much like when Kryva told her side. "Why would you accuse Houvdon-"
He held his hand up, his red eyes hardened. "Houvdon Archelio is a mage like none of us had ever seen. At the age of seventeen, he is being considered to be placed on the Council of Nobles. If he really does become apart of it, he will be the youngest ever in all of recorded Phantasma history by over thirty years!"
He waved his hand, almost as if motioning for her to look around. Kryva didn't, keeping her gaze on her brother. "Think about it. Think of his strength when he is simply a year older than you. He is certainly suspicious, especially when he comes from the mythic territory of Etherstorm. He seems to know too much of the selection process compared to any other person that was at the banquet."
"He knows as much as I do! Everything I told you is exactly what had happened to me. Everything he said was correct, I personally felt it myself only minutes after he had told me."
"Do you know if he is any way related to the Greater Beings?"
Once again, Kirva asked such an outlandish question Kryva was tempted to call him mad.
But...now that she thought of it, Kirva's reasoning made sense. What he just explained made perfect sense she couldn't dispute it.
"He hates the Sun. He constantly gives it glares of hatred and tells me he does it often because that is the only way he can curse it."
The sound of a chair being pulled back caused the siblings to look at their mother, who had somehow gotten even more pale. "E-excuse me. I must go."
Lady Pellemeur hurried out of the room, and the brother and sister glanced at each other in confusion over their mother's actions.
Kirva turned back to Kryva, continuing his questioning even after their mother had gone. "He hates the Sun? Did he give any reasoning?"
She shook her head. "No. I never asked him for his distaste of it. I don't know if he has been like this forever, or it was only recently. Remember, this is only the second time I have been with him for even a small part of my day, Lord Pellemeur. Do not question me any more on topics I clearly do not have the answer to."
His red eyes remained narrowed at her, before glancing back at the door where their mother had left.
"We will continue this discussion when you have met with Prince Archelio again."
He stood, and without another word to her, left the room after their mother.
Kryva let out a sigh. She rubbed her temple with her hand, and thought of the last dozen minutes.
Kirva had acted completely different from the caring brother she had. Lord Pellemeur truly was Lord Pellemeur who only sought the truth and best for his people, rather than Kirva Pellemeur, the caring and supportive yet annoying brother.
She wished she wouldn't to act the way Kirva acted to her when she became Lady Pellemeur.
She stood, her chair scrapping back and exited the room, heading to her family's library.
-----
𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝕰𝖓𝖉