"𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘤𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘶𝘵-
𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘮𝘦?"
-----
The galloping of horses was loud in her ears.
How long had they been riding?
Was it really only a few hours?
It felt like longer with how they had never stopped. Not a single second did they stop their horses from moving at full speed.
Despite it being night, she was able to see him in front of her due to the shine of the moonlight as well as the short distance between them.
She didn't know if the scenery around them had changed at all even with the moonlight shining. They continued to move toward Reveria without a single pause. Surprisingly, the horses did not stop. They continued to sprint, although at a much slower speed than they used to be an hour ago.
She did not know how much longer they rode until Houvdon slowly came closer to her. She slowed as well, and eventually both of their horses stopped next to each other.
"Come, we have to feed them."
Houvdon seemed to know where exactly to head to. Kryva closely followed him, leading her horse gently with the reins as they trotted slowly.
Despite it being night, they had no trouble navigating through the sparse forest, even if the trees were far apart. They seemed to have no trouble avoiding any roots jutting from the ground.
After a short time, they arrived at a pond. Houvdon got off first, nudging his horse forward. He beckoned her to do the same.
Kryva slid off her horse, glad that she had heeded Houvdon's advice on wearing pants and a shirt-like attire instead of wearing one of her robes or dresses. Houvdon was the same, wearing dark pants and long-sleeved shirt, albeit he was covered in a rather large and loose cloak.
She turned and she blinked as she realized Houvdon had somehow already set up a small fire in the short amount of time she took to get off of her horse and push it towards the pond.
The fire crackled as Kryva sat near him, the fire warming her in the rather cold night.
She curled up into a small ball resting her chin on her knees as Houvdon poked the fire with a stick.
"How did you make a fire so quick?"
He gave a short shrug. He didn't answer her, remaining content with just gazing into the flame.
She frowned but decided to ask another question. "Candidacy, how did you reach it?"
The Princess felt his gaze on her. A few more moments of silence passed before he finally answered. "I gained their attention. I said it before haven't I? Ten years ago, I was offered a gift I couldn't refuse."
"What exactly is this 'gift?' Both you and Verilius call it differently. He called it a curse, did he not? Yet you continue to call it a gift, as if it were a blessing in your life."
She felt something cold radiate from him and she immediately knew she had said something wrong.
"It was a blessing." The way Houvdon said it made it seem like he was trying to convince himself. "I wouldn't be where I am today without it. I owe everything to it."
Kryva scooted a little closer. Houvdon practically glared at the fire, the look in his eyes making her shiver from the raw anger that resided in it. "Upon accepting it, I was immediately placed on the Candidate list because of my power. I wasn't made apart of the Council because of my lack of experience, but I have been a Candidate since I was eight years of age."
She didn't know what to do. He was a powerful mage, he should have a large influence as well as popularity due to his status. The books and novels she read all had a general agreement that the powerful male was usually surrounded by friends and women alike.
Yet, when she looked at the Prince of Etherstorm, why was it she only saw a lonely boy?
She felt as if she were missing something about him. If he was truly as powerful as his reputation stated, why did his eyes have such a cold and sad look? Surely he would have had the support of his classmates and friends.
She reached out hesitantly and gently rubbed his knuckles.
He looked at her slowly, almost as if he couldn't believe that she was touching him.
"Why are you so lonely?" The question slipped out before she can stop it, yet she couldn't help but be glad she had blurted it out.
Maybe she would finally get a glimpse into his hidden heart.
He continued to look into her eyes, looking for any kind of deception. When he saw none, he gave out a sigh. "People only want me for my power. They want me to teach them how to be as strong as I am. They don't care about me. They only care about what I hold."
He turned away from her, the atmosphere between them turning cold as Houvdon turned back into his usual cold personality.
But he did not move his hand away from hers.
She felt her cheeks grow warm as she placed her hand completely on his hand, her fingers wrapped around his index and middle finger. She traced circles around his knuckle in a way to comfort him.
Even if he attempted to hide himself away from the world, she can still see the person he tried to keep inside him.
He was just a boy, craving company despite all of apparent disinterest. She knew there was something stopping him from getting that company he so desperately desired.
"Kryva." He turned away from the fire and looked at her. The world around her seemed to still as Houvdon looked into her eyes, something lurking in the depths of his eyes.
She let out a soft gasp as she felt his hand shift. It rotated until his thumb was atop of her own finger. He gave her a small gentle smile as he caressed her thumb with his.
"Thank you. For listening to me."
She looked everywhere but at him, knowing that she would fail to keep her question and emotions in check if she looked at him.
She cursed her heart for skipping beats every time his thumb moved. He still hadn't moved his hand from hers, choosing to give her small affectionate actions that meant more than he realized to her.
Why was she starting to like someone she barely knew?
It didn't help that the smile he gave was the first genuine one he had shown to her, no matter how small or 𝘴𝘩𝘺 it seemed.
-----
Once again, they continued to ride without a pause. For how long, she didn't know.
All she knew was after a second long ride, Houvdon finally slowed in front of her, his horse trotting as it walked slowly forward.
He got off and Kryva followed his lead.
The sky was still dark, albeit the moon was much lower in the sky. Dawn will soon break, and they'll be able to ride into Reveria without disturbance.
Houvdon sighed as he left the horses, opting to go just inside the forest line. The trees were much more compact than their first resting spot, yet there was still enough space to make a fire without the risk of burning down the entire forest.
He gathered loose sticks and placed them together. He closed his eyes and muttered under his breath.
A fire blazed where he had touched.
Her eyes widened in shock. From what she knew, Houvdon had an unnaturally strong Light affinity, capable of shaping his element to his will. How can he wield Flame if he already wielded Light?
Was he a dual-wielder?
"No, I'm not a dual-wielder." She pressed her hand to her mouth when she realized she had asked her question out loud.
He turned away and muttered something else that she barely caught onto. "Far from it."
He shook his head to clear his thoughts. "It's a simple trick I learned. It's one of the few I can pass on. It's called 𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐧."
A flame ignited on the tip of his fingertip.
"What? How can you use elements not apart of your affinity?"
She felt the anger instantly flood out of Houvdon, his amber eyes narrowing. She took a step back in fear, but Houvdon recoiled as fast as his aura had come out. He shook his head again, and the immense aura around him that demanded for her to obey disappeared.
She never imagined such raw emotions to exist within Houvdon's heart.
"It's one of the few things that anyone can use." He pursed his lips, clearly uncomfortable with the idea of sharing anything more than he already had. "It's a fairly simple trick that is useless for you to learn since you already wield Flame."
When she finally had time to process it, she nearly collapsed. The pressure and authority in his magic practically made her kneel in submission. The terrifying thing was that it didn't take any time for it to emerge from his body. There was no warning, it was just there, almost as if his aura that surrounded him never disappeared, only becoming unveiled whenever his emotions would rise.
She was terrified of the thing that lay behind not only his cold exterior, but his lonely heart. To think there were three different aspects of Houvdon...such a peculiar existence.
Every part of him contradicted each other. Why would he be so cold if he was so lonely? Why would he hold such anger if he was so distant and uninterested from everything? Why would he force everything away from him with disinterest if he was so lonely?
Nothing matched with him. Nothing made sense.
He was just an unsolved puzzle.
𝘋𝘰 𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸?
Something emerged from her memories. Something she had overlooked when she was trying to analyze Houvdon's behavior. What had Verilius of the [DELUSIONAL] Knights meant?
Does Houvdon perhaps-
"Stop trying to figure me out." Houvdon sighed as he pressed his hand against his face. "Your curiosity along with your intelligence is something that you will have to keep in control."
He turned his head slightly so he can look at her with the corner of his eye. "There are some things you don't wish to know."
She froze upon his statement. He knew that she was trying to understand him. He stood from the rock he sat on and took a step closer to her. She didn't move, not even when he stood in front of her.
His eyes were narrowed, emptiness filling them to the brim.
Yet behind the emptiness, was the lurking longing.
"As you command, Your Highness."
She stepped away from him hesitantly, attempting to put as much distance as she could between the two in a single step.
She turned her back and gave a tired sigh. If he was her teacher, why would he keep even the smallest of things from her? It was as if he didn't want her to know him at all.
Her eyes widened in surprise as she felt his breath on her neck. She didn't even notice that he had gotten so close. She didn't even know it was possible to move that fast.
"Get some sleep, I'll wake you up when it's time to go."
She did not notice that Houvdon did not sleep.
-----
"So this is where the Council of Nobles meets?" She stared up at the stone steps leading to a temple, similar to the Temple of Delusion that she was due to head to in about a month's time."
"Come, we have no time to waste. The gates close in an hour, we need to finish the meeting and then head back out as quick as we can." He patted her shoulder as he walked past her. "Remember, Verilius only gave me one day to hand over Tempus Vernum Ruptor."
"What exactly is it?"
Houvdon's eyes hardened. "It's a Sacred Artifact. One of six."
Her eyes widened. She had never heard of there being multiple Sacred Artifacts, let alone six. She only knew of the Aurora Diemque, the one that she and any other member of their quest was tasked to find in about a month's time. "Wait, Houvdon, why didn't you hand it to him before he left if you have it?"
He only gave a tired sigh as he began to ascend the steps. Kryva found no choice but to follow him up.
They stopped behind a pair of double doors, his hand reaching out but hesitant. "Houvdon?"
"I don't have Tempus Vernum Ruptor. It hasn't appeared in front of me yet, but I know that I am to be its wielder. I just don't have it right now."
With those words he pushed open the doors and walked through into the darkness without any more hesitation. She followed him and instantly felt a sense of weightlessness, almost as if gravity on longer had an effect on her body.
It only lasted less than a split second. She blinked when she felt her body again, taking in her surroundings.
She sat beside Houvdon, who sat on her right.
Around the circular table were nine chairs, including hers and Houvdon's. Each and every one of the chairs were occupied.
She opened her mouth to speak, but she felt a hand being placed on her knee. She felt the coldness against her leg and knew who the hand belonged to.
"Thank you for coming Councilman and Veritas." Houvdon's voice vibrated in her ears, echoing as if the room was wider and more open than it was. "It is an urgent matter, that was why I had only given a few hours of warning."
"It is no matter, Candidate Archelio." One of the Councilman spoke, his face being blocked by a white mask, yet his voice was still projected without any disturbance. "Tell us, why have you called us here?"
"First, let me introduce you to someone I met. This is 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐮𝐫. She is currently only a Rank Two Mage, but I believe she has the potential to reach Rank Four."
𝘊𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦.
Houvdon announced her as a candidate? She thought she was only coming as his scribe. Why on earth would he call her Candidate if she was never bestowed the title officially? Judging by what Houvdon said about her magic, she wasn't even that impressive in terms of magic if she was only on Rank Two out of Four or more.
Come to think of it, what did Houvdon mean by Rank Two? She didn't know there were multiple levels to magic.
"I do not believe we gave you the authority to choose someone as a Candidate? What gave you the idea that you can crown someone Candidate without our authority?" Another member of the Council spoke, voicing her thoughts.
"Do you question me?" Houvdon's voice dropped a pitch. His eyes darkened as he glared back at the Councilman who had spoken up.
The nobles were quiet until the one wearing the white mask spoke again. "Now now, remember this. You are only a Candidate while we are the ones on the Council. We make the decisions."
The white mask tilted so it was as if the person behind the mask was staring at her, but it should've been impossible. The mask did not have a single eyelid, just like the helmets that the [DELUSIONAL] Knights had worn.
"Though, I do agree with his suggestion. Candidate Pellemeur shows promise despite her naivety and young age. Not only that, but to be recognized by our very own Candidate Archelio must mean she is indeed special and holds a bright future."
There was little to no muttering as if they had already discussed this matter before, and were now just making a show out of her becoming a Candidate by some bizarre chance.
"It's settled." The low muttering stopped as the one that was clearly in charge stood. "Kryva Pellemeur, Princess of Achen, I bestow the title of Candidate Pellemeur upon you. I hope you will soon become Councilman Pellemeur, and maybe even strive for the title of Veritas."
As simple as that, with just a few words, she was added onto the list of Candidacy, just like Houvdon. There was no grand flashing or powers, just a few words that sounded empty.
It was so plain, that she found it almost laughable. She didn't know why, but she expected there to be some kind of grand ceremony.
"Now, I believe you have multiple things to speak about? I don't find a recommendation for a new Candidate remotely close to how urgent you sounded in your message to us."
Houvdon nodded. "Yes. There is another matter."
He frowned as his mouth opened but no words came out. He retracted his hand from Kryva's knee as he tapped the table, debating on how he should talk about the matter.
A few moments of silence passed before he continued. "I would like to question as to why the [DELUSIONAL] Knights have decided to march towards Pellemeur manor in Achen. They asked for Tempus Vernum Ruptor, but I'm sure they knew that I don't have it."
"How troubling."
She didn't see which council member had spoken, but she knew it wasn't the Veritas nor the one with the white mask.
"I would like to request for them to stop the search for the Sacred Artifact. Call them off from attacking. I don't have it, I don't even know if its even in Delusional territory. Just because I am 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 I am, doesn't mean that I will instantly be granted access to such a powerful weapon."
Confusion built up inside of her again. Again and again, people kept mentioning on 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 Houvdon was. Houvdon clearly knew what they were talking about, yet still refused to elaborate.
What was it that they were hiding from her? What was it that was such a big secret that they couldn't speak bluntly?
"Why beat around the bush?" All heads turned to her as she felt a surge of confidence. Despite the confidence, she shivered as she felt the authority in their gazes as the most wise in the Delusional Lands. "What exactly is Houvdon that everyone keeps on mentioning? Verilius mentioned how he was the Retainer. But the Retainer to what exactly?"
A low chuckle sounded as a new noble spoke this time. "Candidate Pellemeur, do you really not understand? Or do you refuse to do so? I thought with your lineage, you would understand what our own Retainer has to deal with."
"Enough, Azrael." Houvdon stood, looking straight at the Councilman that had mocked her. He turned his head to look at Kryva. "You may have been granted that rank of Candidate, but you are not permitted to speak. I will explain it to you later."
She leaned back against her chair, huffing as she crossed her arms. Rage coursed through her veins as Houvdon avoided telling the truth again.
The Veritas stood, gesturing at Houvdon to sit down. The Prince of Etherstorm hesitated before doing so.
"Do not presume that we can stop the legion that was sent to retrieve the Sacred Artifact that you will hold in the future." He waved his hand, his sleeves flowing behind the motion of his arm. "If you wish to stop the Knights from doing so, it is best if you head back now. It will take long before you head back to the territory of Achen."
"But the matter of the Knights-"
"We cannot control it Archelio. You must do what you can to fight them off. We cannot stop them because they 𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯'𝘵 the [DELUSIONAL] Knights as you think they are. We have not sent any to Achen." He turned around, clearing signaling the meeting was over in the span of minutes. "I trust your judgement. After all, your future must happen."
The rest of the nobles stood and disappeared, following the lead of the Veritas.
"Thank you, Veritas Yhulifa."
He remained staring at the spot where the Veritas used to be.
She stood before he did and tugged his arm. "Come Houvdon. Let's go back. We may have not gotten the answers we wanted, but they did give us answers."
He remained rooted to his seat before nodding.
"Yeah...answers that lead to more questions." He scoffed as he pulled his arm away from her. "Who would've thought that they wouldn't help me?"
"Houvdon..." She trailed off, not knowing what to say.
"Let's go Kryva. We have to hurry back. What he said was right. It'll take long before we reach Achen again. Every minute matters."
-----
𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝕰𝖓𝖉