"So the one who killed Prince of Kamaj.. was you?", Sil asked shocked.
"I.. No matter how much I argue, It will be the same, Yes. I did.", Eleni said and bent her head down, waiting for someone to be disgusted or maybe even scold her.
She felt a pat on her back. A warm hand holding her shoulders, supporting her. She looked up, All of them had tears in their eyes. Kyle was the one patting her. He said.
"I am sorry you had to experience that. I know it isn't easy to kill someone. It is okay."
"You are not scared of me?", Eleni looked and tears fell out of her crystal blue eyes, The purple flame appeared as a young boy and hugged Eleni as she cried. He just stared angrily Kyle and continued consoling his master, Eleni.
"Amaranth, hide.", Eleni said.
The purple flame, Amaranth, who was a young boy of the same age as Eleni, his eyes golden and his hair black with streaks of purple. He had a loose shirt which was slightly dirty and wore shorts. He had slight fangs.
He nodded on Eleni's command, clicked his tongue at Kyle and went away.
"Tegan, planned out everything perfectly. The plan was simple, I had to poison the glass of Wane. That's it. The blame would fall on Prince Kael, the one who made the tea. At first it didn't make sense to me, Why would a prince make tea for another?
Apparently it was a tradition, in the South. The royals when making friends serve freshly made tea by their own hands.
He targeted the day he would be busy in offering sermons. There were two months left till the day of poisoning. He had taught me everything regarding Prince Wane's and Kael's schedule, their servant's name and family background. Their bodyguards, military background and everything.
That's how I know the battalions under Prince Kael. Whenever I would resist, He would put me inside a magic circle and torture me. He would encage Amaranth and pour holy water onto him. Amaranth would scream at me for help.
Though I hated him for killing my grandma, He was the reason I could survive for as long as I did in the streets. I would agree to Tegan and he would stop the torture or 'lessons' as he would say. He would keep me away from my friends, Away from everything. I was only given a single slice of bread and some milk which was sour. I had a constant fever but I had no pain.
Amaranth would be the one suffering. His flames would change the colors from purple to black to red when in pain. I soon learnt to live with him. He can't speak. But he could understand me. He became the only one I could rely on during that time.
When the day came, Tegan took me through a portal, and we reached the capital of Lozano, Arvendon. It was quite busy as the delegates of Kamaj had come along with the Prince Wane. They had come to form a new treaty. The treaty would make the Princes playmates and would allow access to some new trade routes and reduce some taxes.
The Temple was against this treaty as it would give more power to the south than the Temple itself. The war had barely any damage in the South and on top of that they had more resources than Temple. The rumors about them being more powerful than the Temple made Tegan furious. The King of Kamaj wasn't a religious person and was against the Temple openly.
The rumors that the people of Kamaj would take on a new religion and abandon the Goddess made him come to a decision to teach them a lesson.
The city was too crowded to see the procession of the Prince and the aide. I still remember how happy he was. He had donned traditional robes and had a pet eagle perched on a wooden stand behind him. Tegan had then taken me to the Palace. I don't remember how he took me in, he had placed a blindfold and let me through a series of steps and we finally reached the garden.
There were many maids running about and doing their work. I was called to do the work too. I turned and saw that Tegan had disappeared. I was called as Amara. I saw my reflection on the glass and I looked different. I was still as young as I was but I had dark brown hair, with green eyes and freckles. I went and followed the maid to the meeting room. The elder maid had given me the work of taking the water to Prince Kael.
I was thinking I could perhaps warn Kael, to be wary and protect Prince Wane somehow. Tegan's voice ringed through my head. He asked me to go towards the left to the Prince's room. For a second I thought he heard my thoughts. But Amaranth gave me affirmation that he didn't and that Tegan was just using a spell to communicate.
I opened the door and saw the young prince of Lozano, the third child of The King, Prince Kaelius Lozano, known to people as Prince Kael. He looked handsome for a seven year old. He had been in a night suit. He had sleepy eyes and his hair was ruffled. He had pitch black hair and red eyes as a rabbit.
He yawned a bit and looked at me.
"Are you new here?", He asked.
"Yes, Sire. ", I said, just as how Tegan taught me to.
"You have a weird scent around you... You aren't from around here I guess?", He said and I just stared at him... He got down from his bed and came towards me.
The door opened and the maid and a few servants came running in.
"Amara, did you give his highness the water yet?", She screamed.
"I.. Yes.", I said putting it on the table and offering it to Kael,
"You highness, we need to get you ready, Your brother's are all dressed and the guests have almost come to the Palace.", She said.
"Yaawnn~ Alright.", Kael said talking cute.
"Meredith, Gina come help Sir change.", She said and the maids came to help. I was asked to wait outside. The Prince ordered me to be the one holding the towel while he bathed.
I was led to a lavish bathroom with a huge tub in the middle, It was filled with hot water and had the scent of mint. After he had done getting ready. I had accompanied him along with the other maids to the Garden where they would have the tea. A table nicely laid out.
It had all the materials for making of the tea perfectly arranged and in order. The cups were tested for poison and imperfections. The ingredients were closely monitored by the servants.
Poisoning seemed out of the question, I couldn't even get near to the table.
Tegan spoke in my head and asked me to wait for a distraction to pour the poison in a cup, marked as a K. In just an hour, the distraction came, A wild horse escaped from the stables and was making its way to the Garden.
The servants were a bit in disarray and I got my chance. I laced only the rim of the cup with the poison. As I was going away, Tegan spoke again and asked me to poison the other cup too. I was scared. I couldn't say no due to the oath and did so. I went away immediately. Amaranth guaranteed that no one had seen me. Amaranth possessed some kind of magic I couldn't figure out.
I was trying to go away when I saw both the princes in a room playing, laughing. I looked at Prince Kael and realized I have to warn them. I couldn't exactly run to him and tell my crime. When Prince Kael was called aside for a setting of his tie, I helped and wrote poison on his neck went away.
I had hoped he would rescue them. But sadly only he was safe. The Prince of Kamaj, took in the poison before he could help and passed out.
Because the prince had acted strangely about Prince Wane drinking, the blame went on him. I was immediately blindfolded and taken to Tegan. He had been so proud of my work. He had realized I had warned the Prince but he kept on seeing for the result. He was happy that the Temple was in no way affiliated to this. There wasn't any clue left and all circumstantial evidence pointed to Kael being the culprit.
He smiled as I cried due to my actions. He showed me how the Queen Of Kamaj cried holding her son's body. He laughed and laughed like a madman. I had a high fever that night, Amaranth was caged separately away from me, and I was tired. He tried to come and save me. But the bars holding him were too strong and imbued with spells.
Tegan wanted Amaranth. But Amaranth couldn't survive apart from me that long. Amaranth lives in my shadow. Tegan wanted Amaranth to be his weapon. I don't even remember how many days we had been like that. Amaranth had collapsed. It had been a month since the incident. I had bad dreams about Prince Kamaj since then.
Later at night, when Tegan was busy. Father Derek appeared and Released me. He freed Amaranth too. He took me to his home, gave me a new dress, which was loose and bigger than me. It was his daughter's. He gave me a map and asked me to go to Fiera and claim my right to succeed my Mother's Land. He had asked my help in stopping the war.
I hung out with him for a day and then came, the assassins. They had first killed Father Derek and chased after me. I hid from them by using the Temple's cloak. I was safe. I took refuge near another orphanage. But I didn't know it was a part of the temple.
Tegan had asked everyone to be on lookout for me, and the orphanage officials had already informed Tegan of my arrival in the orphanage. In half a day, the new batch of assassins came. It was you and your group... ", Eleni said.