Chapter Text
Callisto watched the carriage until it disappeared from his sight before he went inside his palace. Porter was waiting for him with the reports from the trial and all the accusations. He glanced at it briefly, going through the names and all that things they’ve said to perjure themselves in court.
“Have the properties been confiscated and the extended families placed under house arrest?” He asked.
“Yes, Your Highness.” Porter said immediately. “I had them all placed on watch the moment the trial ended, the arrests didn’t happen until the closing ceremony, but we did take possession of everything they owned while the hunt was on going.”
“Good.”
He walked down to the dungeons where the guards stood at attention, ignoring the terrified pleas of the woman inside. Owing to Marquis Ellen’s relationship to the current Empress, he was given special accommodations, but these lowly minions of his… well… they had no such benefits.
He interrogated them one by one using all his tactics learned from a near decade of war. His white gloves unstained. He saved Gloria Kellen for last. This one… this one he’d take great pleasure in destroying, even without having to lay a single finger on her.
“Please, your highness, I’m innocent. Please, have mercy on me!” She begged.
“Innocent?” Callisto asked, feigning interest.
“Yes, yes, please I’m innocent.”
“As innocent as you were in the last hunt when you bribed the guards, taunted Penelope, and then put sewage water and bugs inside that cup?” He asked coldly. “Innocent when you bullied her all those times! Innocent when you didn’t just conspire with the disgraced filth Varden Maynard to ruin all those women, to ruin Penelope!”
“I…I…” she stumbled around for words.
“If I didn’t get to you, did you think that you’d be able to escape the Duke’s clutches? Now that he knows what you’ve done to his daughter, now that he knows that Maynard didn’t act alone… what do you think he’d do?” He asked. He stared at her from where he sat, the chair was brought in for his comfort while she was chained to the wall, unable to sit or lie down, just standing. The fatigue was there.
And then he continued on. “You tried to frame my princess of attacking me, tried to get her executed. You tried to destroy my mercy, for that is what she is, Penelope Eckhart is all that is good in me, she is my mercy and my peace and were she to simply ask it, I’d set you free now.”
He could see her tremble, some small part wondering if hope was possible, but he chose to extinguish it.
“But that’s not going to happen. I’m not going to put my princess through having to relieve all those traumatic moments that you’ve instigated in order to see if she would at least find it in herself to forgive you.” He gave her that sharp and cruel grin that had once frightened Penelope but now frustrated her. “I’m certain even the Duke would show mercy should his daughter but ask.”
“Your father has already been enslaved for his part in the whole fiasco, the rest, including Baron Tullite, have been executed.” He stared her down again. “As for you, by virtue of being an accessory to an assassination plot, as well as perjury against the Princess of Eckhart, and bearing in mind all the harm that you’ve done, not just to my lover, but to all those other innocent women, you are therefore stripped of your title as a noble. You’ll be brought to a village of my choice where you’re to stay until death, whenever that may find you, after all, the Duke and all those grieving families may have something to say about that. You’ll be sent there, as you are, with nothing but the clothes on your back and no money. From this moment forth, the house of Kellen has been stricken from the noble’s register and all their properties now belong to the Imperial throne.”
He stood up and walked away.
Penelope falls ill not too long after her return to the Duchy, sending everyone into a spiralling panic. The questions of ‘was this the beginning of her terminal illness?’ And ‘was Penelope going to die?’ were all going around people's minds. Thankfully, the Doctor had refuted each and every one of them.
“The lady has a weak constitution owing to, as I’ve said, malnutrition. Even if you’ve taken care to undo the damage, her body has yet to truly catch up to it. And following all the excitement from the hunting festival, had compounded to greatly stress her mentally, physically, and emotionally, leading to her falling ill.” The Doctor explained. “She’ll be better with some rest and gentle care.”
Penelope’s fever raged on for days, and she was in and out of consciousness. When she woke up on the last day, Callisto was by her side. “Your highness?” She called out.
“Princess!” He said as he looked up from his work. He immediately placed it on her bedside table. “You’re finally awake.”
“What… what are you doing here?”
“My lover is ill, of course I’d be here. And think of it as my way of repaying you for the days you sat at my bedside tending to me.”
Callisto’s hand went to her cheek, and she turned into it, shifting her body. “That’s nice.” She said as she let him help her up, giving her some water and settling her back down when she’d had her fill.
“Do you want some soup?” He asked as he gestured to the bowl beside him.
“No thank you.”
Callisto raised her hand next, and she happily let him guide it so that he was nuzzling her palm. “You have no idea how I felt when I’d heard you’d gotten sick. I wanted to rush over immediately, and I came over every day, waiting for you to wake up. This last week had been awful. What’s the use in saving you if you’re just going to get sick?” He asked.
“I’m sorry.” She said apologetic.
“Don’t apologize.”
She yawned. “I’m sorry, can I sleep now? I’m so tired. It’ll only be for a bit.”
“Of course.”
The next day, Callisto was by her bedside again. She felt much better.
“Can we go outside?” She asked.
“Only if the Doctor says it’s okay.” Callisto said firmly.
She pouted but waited until the Doctor arrived and gave confirmation that her fever had broken and that she could go outside but warned her not to overdo it.
Callisto stayed outside while Emily helped her dress. She was given a light dress, but a shawl was placed over her shoulders just in case. Her legs were a bit unsteady, and she leaned on Callisto as they walked, her body tired.
“I wanted to give you some news regarding the investigation.” He said.
“Oh?” She asked, not really bothered by it.
“The perpetrators were executed.” He informed her. “Count Kellen was stripped of his title and sold into slavery, his property was confiscated, and the house removed from the noble registry. Gloria Kellen is now a commoner in the most remote and desolate village in the Empire. She was sent there with nothing but the clothes on her back.”
Penelope nodded. “Well, if she’s sensible enough and enterprising enough, she could work as a clerk or as a coin counter.”
“Since when was she sensible?”
“True.”
He led her to one of the benches in the garden, shaded by the large tree. “Unfortunately, Marquis Ellen was a slippery eel and managed to escape.”
“You mean a tiny butterfly who escaped the net.”
He laughed. “You’re not upset?”
Penelope shook her head, she’d expected it. “I’m not surprised. Everything was circumstantial, he was very thorough about it.”
He gave her a kiss that had her feeling flustered. Their foreheads touching as she closed her eyes. “You shouldn’t kiss a sick person.” She told him quietly.
“Why? Are you afraid I’d get sick?”
“Yes.”
He lifted her chin and gave her another kiss. “That’s alright with me. But also, I’m not one to get sick easily.”
Penelope wrapped her arms around him. “I know that, but the worry doesn’t stop.”
“Well, you know how I feel.” He said, reminding her again that he’d spent the last week or so by her bedside just as she’d done for him. His hand went to her face, thumb stroking her lips and kissed her for the third time. “Take care of yourself so that I won’t worry, and I’ll do my best to avoid getting hurt.”
“Deal.” She said as she buried her face in his chest. Her stomach growled, reminding her that she’d not had anything but soup and water for the last few days.
Emily piped up from where she was at. “My lady, if you’re hungry, we’ve had a table set up for you and his highness to eat not too far from here.”
“That would be lovely.”
Callisto watched his princess eat with gusto, her small pink lips moist from the bit of juice dripping from where she’d bitten into the tomato, her tongue immediately peaked out to lick it up. His eyes lingered on her lips for a little bit more, remembered the feeling of it pressed to his, remembered the way she’d kissed him in the cave, her body leaned against his as she moved her hips just so, seeking their own pleasures.
“Your highness?” She called out, confused and he smiled at her.
He reached into his pocket. “I have some presents for you.”
“Presents?” She asked curious and expectant.
“First is this.” He gave her the deed to the diamond mine he’d confiscated from the Kellen family, the mine that was used as bribe money. “It’s the diamond mine that your father used as hush money to the Kellens last year.”
Her face twisted into one of upset. “I don’t want it.”
“But it’s a gift, and I insist you take it. You were the real victim in it. This rightfully should have gone to you.”
“But…”
“Take it, Princess. Don’t force me into making it an imperial order.”
She took it and bowed her head. “Thank you, your highness.” She said primly.
He could understand it, the memories that returned, the torment she must’ve felt was probably returning to her, but… he couldn’t do anything about the past, not about what she’d suffered through, but he could do something about the present and the future. But first, she needed to take the first steps to leaving that past behind. He’d be there, of course he would be, but he wanted her to flourish, to feel that she was also in control of her own finances, that she’d be able to take care of herself if the worst should happen; not that he intended to let her struggle, ever.
“And last is this.” He took out the original scroll she’d unearthed.
She took it with wide eyes. “Are you sure I can keep it? Wouldn’t it be better if your mages study it?”
“I already had it duplicated. The other map is perfectly fine, in fact, it has a safety feature… well… both of them do.”
“Oh?”
He smiled and didn’t even hesitate to tell her. “I made sure the map would only answer to you, and that you’d be the only one to use the teleport function. But it seemed both maps actually recognized you as the owner.”
“Then what about you?”
“It’s useful for its purposes since it tells me where you are.”
She stared at him blankly.
“Like… you know… a stalker?” She asked hesitantly.
“Well… it’s purely for your safety of course…” He tried to reason. “With the Laila actively hunting for you, I don’t want you to get hurt, or for me not to be able to get to you.”
She bit her lip… “Like a gps…” She whispered to his confusion. “But… but you promise you’ll only use it on me when I’m in trouble, right?”
“Yes, Princess.”
“Okay.”
They ate on, talking about mundane things, a pleasant atmosphere settling on them.
After lunch, they returned to the bench, just basking in one another’s presence, Callisto saw her smile when a bunny hopped across the grass.
“Reynold asked me what I wanted from his catch, and I said I wanted to see bunnies hopping around.”
He thought about that, smiling at the picture of Penelope with the bunnies, and perhaps with Judith and Roxanne. He’d have to tell Porter to make sure there were lots of bunnies around. Penelope fell asleep while she leaned on Callisto, and he smiled. He shifted them until he was able to get up and carry her to her room.
She stirred a little.
“I’ll have to go for now. I’ll see you tomorrow, Princess.”
“I’ll see you soon, your highness.” She mumbled.
He gave her a kiss on the forehead. “Rest well and get better.”
Father came to see her that night. His smile was gentle.
“Are you feeling better?”
“Much better, father.” She said, reassuring him. Penelope woke up from the afternoon nap feeling energized.
“That’s good. You had us all worried.”
“So, I’ve been told.”
Father looked at her, eyes warm. “There was something I wanted to give you.”
Another present? Was she missing something?
“It’s… it’s not enough to make up for what you’ve suffered through, it never will be but…” He gave her a small envelope that reminded her of the one Callisto had given her earlier. She opened it tentatively and saw that it was a mine, an emerald mine.
“Father… I don’t need this.”
He wouldn’t take it back. Just like Callisto, he refused to even think of taking it from her hands. “It’s yours Penelope.”
She didn’t know what to feel. From Callisto, it felt, it just felt like a gift. From the Duke… it felt like appeasement. Not a bribe but as though he were trying to make up for everything with this mine.
“Shall I arrange for our mages to prepare them?”
“No.” Penelope thought it through, a business plan forming in her mind. “Put the contract up for auction, I want them to bid for it, collect the offers and I’ll select the best one.”
“That’s… that’s genius.” Pennel said in awe.
She raised a brow. “I was the daughter of one of the wealthiest men in the world in my last life. I was taught how to run a cutthroat and successful business from a young age, even against my wishes. It was part of my education, and my father’s office was right under my room. I heard all about his business dealings from there.” She shrugged.
(She wasn’t even surprised that Winter won the contract.)
Once Penelope had recovered fully, she began to attend Callisto’s events. The Eckhart family attending with her and people took it to mean that they were leaving their neutrality. They were right. The fact that the Empress and second prince were greedy enough to ally with he Laila willingly meant that they weren’t to be trusted. Especially since the Laila killed Ivonne and stole her body. There was a reason why only the lowest and… scummiest nobles sided with the Second Prince while the others went with either neutrality or Callisto.
They grudgingly gave Callisto their support. They stood back and watched as Penelope walked about on his arm, socialized with the others, and verbally acknowledging the fact that they’ve accepted the inevitable union between the two. Penelope on her part, played her role quite well.
Away from the viperous women within the other faction, she was thrust into a more… intellectual and mature crowd. These women, from what she remembered, had never once taken part in Penelope’s bullying.
“I remember when we were in that stage of the relationship. Every day seemed like an adventure.” Lord Walcroft said from his position beside his wife, their hair greying.
“Are you saying it isn’t anymore?” His wife asked with a stern glare.
“I said no such thing. It’s an adventure just trying to get around your fiery temper.” He said with a laugh, teasing her. He gave her a kiss on the hand.
“Nice turn around, old man.” Lord Moore said cheerfully as he toasted to him.
His wife rolled her eyes fondly. “Really, you’ll scare them away from marriage at this rate.”
“On the contrary,” Callisto said, the grin on his face genuine. “I think it makes me more excited for the future, seeing all of you with such happy marriages.”
Penelope looked at him with sharp eyes, studying him, and yes, he was completely sincere. She gave him a warm smile.
“Look at them, they look more than half in love already.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen our Warrior Prince ever look so soft.” Lord Mills said, one of the commanders of the army, he’d known Callisto from his childhood, teaching him to use swords and had followed him to battle. “To you, Princess Penelope. And the many wonderful miracles your mere existence brings to the Prince’s life.”
She blushed as the others began to toast to her, spreading through the halls. These were all families who had sent men to the front, committing to a war that lasted nearly a decade. One of the men stepped forward tentatively. It was Lord Cicero was a member of the old families, followers of the old goddess Althea, the goddess of Penelope’s people to whom they owed their mighty magic.
“Have you… have you contacted the Lykaios family?” Lord Cicero asked.
A hush fell across the group. He looked at Callisto’s face which had been closed off. It took her awhile to place the name. Callisto’s mother had hailed from that family, hadn’t she?
“No.” His voice was cold.
“Please, if you need help with the Laila, especially after the festival… please contact them.” Lord Cicero said, almost pleading.
Callisto merely gave a small nod.
Penelope decided to change the topic as she spotted Marianne and Therese walking towards her. She motioned for them to hurry. And soon, they’d drawn them into philosophical debates.
“You’ve got a smart one.” Lord Fabius said, his voice drowned out with the chatter. They formed two circles, she and Callisto were back-to-back, one hand still holding on to the other.
“Oh, you have no idea.” Callisto said, voice proud as they spoke about her ‘exemplary’ scores from the entrance exams.
Father had let Penelope stay in the palace for the night since she would be staying with Callisto until the end of the celebrations, and he knew she’d be too tired for the ride back to the Duchy. Father had bid her farewell with a kiss to the forehead before they departed.
Emily was waiting for her in the room Callisto had given her.
“It’s the Crown Princess’ room.” Emily revealed. “His highness had it prepared when the two of you first became lovers. It’s connected through the bathrooms.”
She blushed at that thought as she imagined Callisto sneaking into her room that night. And lo and behold, it actually happened. As she lay on the bed, ready to drift off, there was the sound of soft steps and a knock on her bathroom’s door.
“Are you asleep, Princess?” Callisto’s voice called out.
“Not yet.” She said with a yawn. “Come in.”
He entered immediately, walking towards the bed. “You’re not yet asleep but you’re close. You should have just sent me away.”
“Why?” She shifted a bit. “Aren’t you going to join me?”
She couldn’t see much but his handsome face through the moon’s low light.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
She refused to listen and pulled him down, she knew that he could refuse it, his sheer bulk and strength could stop her from even moving him an inch, but he gave no resistance. Though his balance was off a bit, and he fell over her, he was essentially pinning her down. Except his face landed in between her breasts.
They lay there frozen for a moment or two before he sprung up, ears red and he tried to get off the bed but she held him back. He refused to look at her.
“Your highness… if I asked you to stop… would you?”
“Of course!” He said immediately.
“Even if you told me you wouldn’t be able to hold back?”
Callisto was quiet for a moment. “Yes, I’d still stop.”
“Am I asking you to stop or go away?”
“No.” His voice trembled.
“So why are you trying to leave?” She asked. “We’re in a bed. I ate well, Emily bathed me, I’m not stressed or in danger of an assassin here. In fact, I feel pampered and well cared for.”
“…” Callisto was silent for a moment. “Princess…” His voice had a soft plea to it.
“Tell me now if you don’t want it, Your Highness.” She said as she pulled him down. “It goes both ways, if you want me to stop, I’ll stop.”
She pulled him into a deep kiss when he said nothing. When they paused for breath… well, when she needed to breathe, she managed to calm her heart a bit. “Consent can be withdrawn at any time, your highness. But so long as the two of us are willing, there’s no problem.”
He shifted back until he was on top of her, one arm braced him up so that his weight wasn’t fully on her, the other tangled with her hand briefly. Unlike the first night, the night in the cave, they were able to keep it moderately chaste. Or well… to put it into the terms of modern dating, she believed it could be considered second base?
Later, she lay in his arms. “Stay with me.” She said.
“Alright, just until you fall asleep.”
“No, stay with me through the night.”
“As you wish, Princess.”
She smiled, turning to him, face buried in his chest, partially bare from the unbuttoned sleep shirt, her proud handiwork. She remembered the thrilling knowledge that she’d be the only woman allowed to revel in it, to touch those glorious abs.
“Why do I feel like you’re thinking something dirty?”
“Maybe because I am.” She confessed. “Only good things about you, though.”
“Well, at least it’s only about me.” He said sarcastically. His fingers continued playing with her hair. It was soothing and put her to sleep within moments.
Callisto woke up in a different room, a weight on his chest, and something tickling his nose. It was still early morning. He opened his eyes groggily and found a sea of magenta spread across the pillows, a tangled mass of curls that also lay across his chest and face. He could feel Penelope’s soft breaths, warm little puffs that blew on his side. She hugged him tightly, leg thrown over his, arms wrapped around him. The warmth from the places where she was pressed up against him was comforting. It had easily been the best sleep he’d had in years, maybe ever.
He smiled as he brushed her hair gently away from her face, she groaned a bit, and he froze but she soon settled back into her sleep. A look of contentment on her face. He watched her face shift with her dreams, the adorable scrunching of her face, drawing those magenta brows together before she settled back down. He watched as the sun rose through the room; her body gradually being illuminated by the sun’s light.
And yet, she slept on.
Callisto stayed there for hours as she slept late into the morning. He would usually be up and about by now, busy with training or work, or anything to pass the time, unused to having any spare time, often felt ill at ease as though he were still in the battlefield, waiting as he sat in the eye of the storm before another fight would break out.
But today, he felt no such thing. He felt at peace, the silence in her room, the soft and steady beat of her heart, her warmth, the scent of her that drifted over, the stillness in the room. It was as though time was frozen and the world outside of the bed was nothing but an illusion made as a backdrop for them, for her glorious radiance.
Eventually, Penelope began to awaken. Her finger twitched, her head shook slowly, and she let out a small whimper, her hand raised to block out the light. He wondered if he should coax her into awareness but decided against it, she’d gone to bed so late.
Eventually, those eyes fluttered open and she stared dazedly at everything before a smile broke out on her face. She shifted up and pressed a kiss to his lips. “Good morning, your highness.”
“Good morning, Princess.”
“Thank you for staying with me.”
“Of course, I promised you I would.”
Penelope looked at Callisto curiously as he continued to smile at her fondly, his gaze heavy but not in the way it was last night when he looked like he wanted to devour her whole. No, this was an expectant type of heavy. “What’s got you smiling so widely?” She asked as she sipped her tea.
“You.” He said bluntly. “Our future. The idea that this will be my life, falling asleep with you in my arms, waking up to you curled up around me, having breakfast together… just… just us together for the rest of our lives.”
She blushed. “That’s a nice thought.” She agreed.
“What are you doing today?”
“I’ll escort you home and then I’ll have a meeting with your father over the trip to Soleil.”
She took another bite of the sausage. She thought back to the words from last night. “What about asking the Lykaios family?”
His face immediately closed up. “Like they’ll respond. They were never there.”
“I know… but… if this is about the Laila, maybe they’ll reply.”
He looked unconvinced. “Do what you want, but don’t hold your hopes up.”
Dear Lady Lykaios,
Please forgive the utter impertinence of this letter and of writing to you without having once even been introduced to one another, however, I wished so dearly to introduce myself. My name is Penelope Eckhart and I’ve written to you because your name came up last night. Lord Cicero mentioned that you may have some knowledge that would be helpful against the Crown Prince’s fight against the Laila.
I know it may seem presumptuous; however, I can assure you, his Highness has given me leave to write as I will it. I would never go behind his back on such a matter as this. Please believe me when I say that I only wish to help him in whatever limited capacity I can.
You may write to me if you wish to tell me that you would not wish further correspondence. No is also a complete answer and I’d take it. Or simply ignoring this letter would work as well. But if you’ve any pertinent information, please, I beg you to share it. I wish only to ease his Highness’ burden and to keep him safe.
Sincerely,
Penelope Eckhart
Penelope writes to the Lykaios family when she gets home. She receives a reply by the next day.
“We’ll be there by sundown.”
“Father, we’ll be having visitors for dinner tonight, or perhaps even to stay.” She tells him.
Father gives her a smile. “Of course, I’ll have Pennel prepare rooms for your friends.”
“Not necessarily my friends.” She said but he’s already farther away.
Callisto will be here for dinner, and she’s sent a messenger to pass a note to him telling him that his relatives would be here tonight. He’d already promised to be there, as did Winter.
Iris was surprised when she’d received a letter from the Eckhart duchy, much more so when the letter was from the adopted daughter. It was a large break of protocol and curtesy. She knew who Penelope Eckhart was, the girl who was in turns described as the greedy and up-jumped stupid and volatile beggar child who’d conned the Duke (which was stupid, Gilbert Eckhart was smarter than that), in others she was an unhinged girl whose only saving grace was her adoptive family and beautiful face and form, some more recent ones were the genius who’d broken records within the Academy entrance tests, even managing to unknowingly test out of the majority of classes in all the disciplines, and finally, (the most important one) she was Callisto’s lover. Her grandson’s lover.
She read on, taking note that her letter mentioned only Callisto, her wish to aid him. She read between the lines and smiled. Callisto had a good woman at his side.
“Who’s that from?” Nicholas asked.
She handed him the letter. “Penelope Eckhart.”
He read it and his eyes widened. “What are you thinking?”
“The fight against Laila is one of the few things that is above any imperial edict.” She reminded him. “Let’s go visit them and see where we can help.”
Callisto arrived in time for dinner, his feelings conflicted as he remembered that his maternal relations had never once shown up for him, and yet, they were coming to dinner immediately after Penelope had sent a letter.
She met him in the entrance, her smile sweet and her eyes showed that she could understand, just by looking at him, all the emotions swirling within him. He gave her forehead a kiss and tucked her hand around his arm, letting her lead him inside. Rather than leading him straight to the dining room or to the Duke’s office for some meeting, she stopped him in front of the parlour and nodded at her maid to watch the door. She pulled him inside and pressed him to the door before kissing him deeply.
He was momentarily stunned by her actions before he began reciprocating excitedly. When she finally pulled away from him. He leaned his forehead on hers.
“Hello.” She whispered.
“Hello.” He said it back, giving her nose a small kiss before sweeping her into his arms, and taking her to the sofa, he sat and pulled her into his lap. “What was the kiss for?”
She smiled at him. “I just wanted to get that out of the way before I ruined the mood further to make sure you were truly alright with seeing them.”
“I am. I’m a bit upset about their absence from my life, and suspicious but… the Laila is hunting you and if this’ll keep you safe, if it’ll be the ace up in your sleeve to keep you alive, the deviation that would stop some of the worst things that happened to you in that other time line… I’m willing to see them and work with them to keep you safe.” He told her, and he was serious about that. Penelope’s wellbeing and safety was his priority and his comfort or discomfort was meaningless in this. “You are the most important person in my life, the one thing I treasure the most.”
He didn’t know what he’d done to her in those other lives, but the guilt weighed heavily on his heart. The knowledge that he’d thrown away this life with her, thrown away and harmed, killed, this woman who had become his whole world for a demon made his skin crawl. Even if Ivonne Eckhart hadn’t been a demon… the things he’d learned about her hadn’t been good. Oh, if she were truly that sweet and innocent child then he had no doubt she would have grated on his nerves, constantly having to censor himself and treat her like glass.
No, Penelope understood and accepted these hard edges, and despite her initial (and justified) fear of him, she still spoke her mind. He knew that the Penelope before the loops would have understood as well. She had grown up travelling the continent, had seen the worst of humanity, and had even lived on the streets, she knew and understood the darkness in a person. She would have seen it in him and would have understood it, understood him. She would be like the Penelope of today, frowning at him for cursing, maybe chiding him a bit but not being completely scandalized or acting traumatized from hearing such vulgarity. She would have spoken up, not cried like the other ladies would, running away as though they’d been struck.
His Princess was his perfect match, his wife-to-be, his future, the mother of his children, his world. He gave her another quick kiss.
“I don’t want you to do anything that would cause you any discomfort.”
“There’s no discomfort here.” He said. “Not when it’ll be helpful to stop the Laila and protect you.”
There was a knock on the door, the maid calling for them because the carriage had arrived.
Iris had received the message from the single rider in the afternoon, had sent her message immediately and had her family pack their bags before they boarded their carriage to their home in the capital. The messenger they’d sent on had barely had time to warn the staff that took care of their mansion within the capital before they had arrived.
They had arrived in the early morning, eaten a quick and light meal, and then retired until the late afternoon. When she’d awoken, she’d spent the rest of the day restlessly pacing the length of the floor in her husband’s study.
“Do you think Callisto would be there?” She asked hurriedly, she hoped so. She wanted to see him up close rather than from the stolen glimpses she’d had whenever she came to the capital, watching as he went on patrols or stalked through the capital dressed as a commoner while out on a date with Lady Penelope. She remembered the first time she’d seen him again, it was when he’d returned home as a hero, they had stayed in the capital, even lining up on the streets just to see him as he passed by. He didn’t notice them, but she recognized him easily. Linus’ colouring, but that face that bore hints of her beloved little Daphne.
She hated Linus’ second wife, hated Lydia, and to an extent, resented her former son-in-law who let his wife just do as she pleased. She’d warned them though, made sure that they knew that she had a knife ready to cut them all down if Callisto died. Her men reached far and wide, had gathered knowledge and information on each and every member of the second prince’s faction. She had multiple copies of each, ready to be distributed, ready to destroy the very foundations of noble society if something happened to her grandson. Her husband had an army pressed to the neck of the Marquis of Ellen, even he knew that. But did he care? No.
She was never unaware of Callisto’s successes and trials. Her nephew Cedric had kept them abreast of developments that wouldn’t put his heirship in danger. Had let them know when Lydia had managed to screw them over and pilfered the military funds and supplies. In those moments, she would rant and rage, cursing the woman and her pettiness before she’d dispatch whatever supplies she’d hoarded for such occasions and sending it by way of mages contracted to them (sheltered by them).
The already considerable wealth of the Lykaios family grew as she sought to strengthen her family through monetary strength while spreading her net wide, and ensuring that all the popular support for Callisto would spread and continue. She painted him as the poor Crown Prince sacrificed as a child to the fields of war and had valiantly avenged the invasion of the petty kingdoms allied forces. The hero of stories that had rolled in the muds, earning the approval and brotherhood, the loyalty of the soldiers. The Prince who took care of the bodies of his soldiers, of the orphans and widows, and elderly relatives they’d left behind.
He was the prince who did what his glorious uncle had failed to do, he tore down the Holy Kingdom of Laila, the accursed demonic cultish kingdom. And greatly weakened them. It helped that Callisto was beloved to begin with. The commoners adored him and couldn’t even tolerate the arrogant and snobbish second prince, Empress, or the Marquis Ellen. Nor did they like anyone from the second prince’s faction, to be known as one was to be known as one of the ‘lesser’ nobles, those whose morality rendered them less than human in the eyes of the commoners (much as those nobles typically saw the commoners in the same light), while Callisto’s faction and those of the neutral faction were regarded in the highest light.
Gilbert coughed when he recognized the sigil on the carriage. “Penelope, didn’t you invite your friends?”
“No…” She said, trailing off. “I said we’d have guests over and then you walked away before I could tell you who they were.”
“Are you alright, Father?” Derrick asked, concern evident in his voice.
Everyone, even Winter was looking at him. But the carriage door opened and they stepped out.
“Lord Lykaios, Lady Lykaios, Lord George.” He greeted, voice tremulous.
“Lord Eckhart.” They greeted formally. But then George broke from his formal demeanour, his smile wide as he strode up and gave him a big bear hug that had him wincing.
“Look at you, old man!” He roared in laughter. “A family man!”
“In comparison to the perpetual bachelor? Who’s going to take an old bear like you?” He shot back.
“Bear? Bear?” He echoed back in outrage. “I’m a WOLF!”
Lady Lykaios coughed and he cringed, flinching immediately, so many memories of the Lykaios women flashing through his mind. But her attention wasn’t on them, it was on the Crown Prince. Her eyes shined with unshed tears.
“You’ve grown up so much, child.” She said, hand raising to touch his face but he stepped back. She froze before she straightened and her hand shot out and reached back for him, pulling him into the same bear hug her son had given him. She actually managed to lift the prince a few inches in the air as she hugged him tight, her small stature belying her monstrous strength.
The Crown Prince let out a startled yelp as he tried to get away but the old woman refused, she did let his feet touch the floor, but she kept him in her arms.
“Forgive that old granny of yours, your highness.” Lord Lykaios said. “But she’s only been able to see you from afar for years or to hear about your exploits second hand.”
“…” The Crown Prince was silent, face blank, as he stared at them emotionless. He knew that the Prince didn’t believe their words.
“Their telling the truth, Your Highness.” Another voice said and everyone turned around to see the Crown Prince’s aide, Cedric Porter standing there, looking nonchalant.
“I didn’t call you here, Porter.” The Crown Prince said.
“I know, and forgive the impertinence, but I was called here by someone else.” The aide turned to the woman and smiled as he approached. Lady Lykaios released her death grip around the Crown Prince but kept one of his hands in hers.
The aide bent down and placed a kiss on Iris Lykaios’ cheek. “Hello, Aunty.”
Silence.
Absolute silence at the proclamation.
“Porter.” The Crown Prince said, deathly quiet. “Explain.”
Gilbert shook himself from the stupor. “Perhaps its best if we do it inside, Your highness?” His eyes glanced at all the staff watching.
“Yes, very well.”
Callisto waited until the food was served before he stared at his aide who ate calmly.
“Our grandmothers are sisters.” He began. “When your mother fell ill, she knew that your father would need to find a new wife, and that you would need someone trustworthy to provide some support for the heir candidacy test. I was close enough in age while being older and a follower of the old faith, a member of the Collective, the old families who worshipped the goddess, Althea.”
“Heir candidacy test?” Callisto questioned.
There were shared looks among his maternal relations. “You’re called the dragon of the generation, but your father wasn’t. And neither has the second prince. Do you know why?”
“No.” It was a simple enough answer. He looked at them with narrowed eyes.
“Prince Alexander was the dragon of your father’s generation. It referred to the child of Imperial blood with the most dragon blood in them, proven through their merits and traits, their acts of valour. It’s family tradition that children in your family are sent off to battle at a young age to make a name for themselves. This needed to be done before their fourteenth birthday. Your father went, he had a moderately successful campaign which was nothing when compared to your uncle Alexander.” Lady Lykaios said.
Lord George spoke up next. “Your father never cared, he didn’t want the throne, he wished only to live a peaceful life and to spend his days reading books.”
“And getting your mother pregnant.” Lord Lykaios said under his breath but it could still be heard.
Callisto choked on his wine.
“Only time he really showed his dragon blood was when it came to your mother.” His biological grandfather said.
“Which one do you think did it?” Duke Eckhart asked. “Was it the stables? The closet? His office?”
Lord George wrinkled his nose. “I think it was in your guest room, during that birthday celebration you gave for your wife.”
“WHAT?” Duke Eckhart asked in surprise.
Callisto felt ill at the thought of his parents being intimate. “I thought that they were an arranged marriage? And that my mother had a part in my father becoming the Emperor?”
“…” The older members were speechless.
A dark look came on Lady Lykaios’ face. “What was your impression of your parents relationship?”
“Not much, father was cold and distant despite claiming to love her only to replace her with another woman, and mother worked herself to death trying to win his love…”
“You were very young when it all happened.” She said softly. She sighed. “Marquis Verdandi’s father, Duke Eckhart, Crown Prince Alexander, his younger brother Emperor Linus, my Georgie and Daphne, as well as Baron Harrison Stewart who served as your personal doctor… they all grew up together.”
She enumerated them all. The Duke and Lord George all nodded in assent to her words.
“There was some arrangement, that’s true. But only so far as the fact that your mother was to choose between the two princes. Her choice wouldn’t affect the candidacy test, that one was determined by your merits and confirmed by the semi sentient magic within the palace and couldn’t be influenced, it was impartial. She chose your father because they loved one another, deeply.”
“That they did.” Lord Lykaios said, dabbing his eye with a handkerchief. “And they had you. Your grandfather, the late Emperor Leander was so happy when he held you in his arms, and your uncle Alexander… he was in love. He told your father that he’d been replaced as his greatest treasure. Everything seemed so bright…”
“What happened?” The Princess asked, finally speaking up from beside him, she held his hand, squeezing it in reassurance, anchoring him to the here and now.
“He was killed by the Holy Kingdom. There was a spy of some sort. They knew his plans beforehand.” Lord George said, face dark. “It destroyed us all, your grandfather died from grief, and suddenly, the peaceful life that your parents enjoyed was shattered. In the mix of all the pain they felt, they were suddenly thrust onto the thrones and crowns neither of them wanted. It drove a wedge between your parents marriage but they were still very much in love, and your father had never once strayed during the marriage.”
“Then what about the second Empress?”
“Like Cedric said, your mother knew your father would need to marry again.” Lady Lykaios pointed out. “He couldn’t send his heir, his only child to battle without a spare. But you would need to go by the age of twelve, and the spare needed to be past three years of age before he could even send you out.”
“That’s a cruel test.” The Princess protested. She turned to him. “Your Highness… Judy and Roxy!” She said in distress.
“I’ll abolish it when I take the throne.” He assured her. There was no way he was going to let his girls, his little babies go through that.
There was a look of discomfort on the faces of the Eckhart as though it had also dawned on them, they seemed to not know about this tradition either.
“I take it, it isn’t known? And what of the second prince? Can my half brother even be considered a candidate for the throne when he’s never been to the battlefield?”
“No.” It was Porter who spoke up next. “It isn’t known outside of the Collective and the Imperial Family, your step mother should be aware of it, but her refusal to send her child to war means that the magic will fail him to recognize him.”
“When?” He asked.
“You arrived back at the end of February.” Lord George said. “Your birthday would be the first birthday you’d have after the six month mark, the magic should take that day.”
His mouth tasted like soot and ashes. Was that why the Laila specifically needed him? Why the demon went for him rather than his half brother?
“What about the votes for the heir?” Derrick Eckhart asked.
“It was never going to happen. The Emperor knows well enough what would happen if one unconfirmed by the magic took the throne.” Lady Lykaios said. “And it would be far too dangerous for that boy to do it. Not only has he failed to follow the test, he takes after his mother as well, rather than a dragon. And… they broke another one of the rules. His mother did everything for him. His mother won him his supporters. The test was about doing everything yourself. We couldn’t interfere in Callisto’s journey, and the Empress banned us from even seeing him.”
“But a request for aid against the Laila has always been above Imperial laws. It was engraved within the foundation agreements of the Empire.” Lord Lykaios stared at him apologetically. “We followed your career from a far, we sent aid in the form of men and supplies whenever Cedric sent word that the Empress had pilfered the funds or delayed the things. You might not believe it, but we were there for you as best as we could be.”
He turned to Cedric who nodded. The Princess gave him an understanding smile, he knew it meant she’d follow his lead and support his decisions no matter what.
“Very well, Grandmother, Grandfather, Uncle.” He said, trying to win them over some more. Their faces broke out into large smiles.
Once again, Winter was thrust into the middle of someone else’s family drama. He cursed his luck. This time it was the Crown Prince’s family. Was… was he just drawn to these things?
Though he did acknowledge that the magic aspect was interesting. “Can you tell me more about the magic within the palace?”
“I don’t know much about it, but I know that it was made by the ancient mages, and the Laila and it’s adherents of evil can’t enter unless invited to by a member of the imperial family.”
“The ancient mages?” That was interesting.
“Yes, and the members of the Collective all once held contact with the ancient mages until all communications eased nearly twenty years ago.”
Everyone turned to Lady Penelope, well, all those in the know. The Lykaios and Sir Porter turned to her in confusion.
“I’m the last of the ancient mages.” She confessed. “My grandfather, the one who you probably had contact with, died before I was born.”
“An ancient mage.” Lady Lykaios said in awe as she and her family stared at Lady Penelope, she squirmed uncomfortably, he watched as the Crown Prince pulled her in close to comfort her.
They were able to return back to the conversation at large. “Anyway, the magic within the Palace won’t break so long as none of them invite the Laila over.”
“Can you tell us more about the Laila?”
“I’m not sure how much you know, but… the Laila jumps from body to body, and unless it was one with a great compatibility, it’d discard the form within a year because the body would have been too degraded by that point. And because of the Laila’s proclivity for switching body, it’s reflection can’t be seen in the mirror.” Lady Lykaios explained.
“Where did the Laila come from anyway?”
“They were humans once. But they coveted magic, something the Goddess didn’t give them. So they turned to the dark arts, created rituals that were aberrations of nature and made demon deals to for power by sacrificing humans. Eventually though, they became the demons itself, and they began consuming it directly, losing their humanity and their human forms.” Her face was twisted in disgust.
“Do you have anything that can help fight against it?” The Crown Prince asked, his grip on his lover was tight yet not enough to bruise. They all knew what he was thinking. Lady Penelope’s predicament meant that she was in danger.
“Well, before today, I’d say no. It would be near impossible without an ancient mage to use the relics… but with Lady Penelope, there’s hope.” Lady Lykaios said. “I’ll bring the relics tomorrow morning.”
“Thank you.” The Crown Prince said, voice truly grateful as he placed a kiss on Lady Penelope’s forehead.
Today, Penelope was dressed sensibly. Her boots were the same kind as what she wore on the hunting festival, her dress was easy to move in, and short enough that there wasn’t a risk of anyone stepping on it, or for her to lift her skirts just to run. She sat waiting for Callisto and the rest of their party before making their way to Tratan.
Reynold sat beside her, his face was serious and he was dressed simply, with an inconspicuous shirt and dark pants, his sword strapped to his side. Winter walked in first, then the Lykaios family, the heir, Callisto’s uncle, Lord George was similarly dressed to Reynold because he was going with them.
Winter was dressed in his typical mages attire, Raon was going with them as well. Callisto entered last. His uniform the same as it always was, he wore his boots, and he had a sword strapped to his side, it was the first time she’d seen it since the hunting festival.
“I’ve brought the relics.” Lady Lykaios said. “Here.”
Penelope took the box she offered. Inside was a hair pin made of bronze, a pendant in the shape of a sword, and a… wristwatch. They immediately clung to her, melting and growing up her skin to reform in their spots. The pendant remade itself around the necklace that Callisto had given her to detect poisons and magic.
Callisto checked her immediately. “Are you alright?”
“Yes, it was really nothing.” She assured him. Her hand went out and tugged on the pin, it reformed into a bow in her hand. “Okay, that was amazing.” She said, when she pulled back the string, a light began to form in the shape of an arrow. She shifted and motioned for Derrick to move before she aimed it at the tree behind him. The window was open so she didn’t need to worry about the glass shattering.
When she let the string loose, it hit right in the centre of the tree, the arrow embedded deeply into the trunk. She nodded, pleased.
“It seems you truly are an ancient mage, and a powerful one at that.” Lord Nicholas Lykaios said in amazement. “We could only touch it but it would reject us, stop us from putting it on. Only an ancient mage could use those. We never even knew what the relics could do.”
“Well, now we know.” She said. She grabbed the pendant next and it turned into a bronze sword. A simple test of the blades had shown that Callisto and Winter were both nicked by it but the Eckharts and the Lykaios weren’t.
“Hmm, since my grandson is descended from a dragon, which was a non human and other worldly being, it’s quite possible that being of mixed blood meant that he was susceptible to the blade. And as for the Marquis, perhaps it was his magic.”
The wristwatch was the last, turning into a shield when she slammed her hand on it.
“I’ve never taught you to use a shield.” Callisto said with some rueful regret. “And I don’t think your teachers did either.”
“Uhh, I guess we’ll see if I have some intuitive feel for it?” She said, unsure.
“That thought, in no way, brings me comfort.” He said dryly.
They went in two groups of threes. Winter took Callisto and her while Raon was in charge of teleporting Reynold and Lord George.
Soon enough, they were on a beach just a little away from the village.
The two mages had bags of bread with them and the people began to leave their homes, bringing some life into the silent village. Penelope sprang into action, running around to help out where she could while the three men stood around, observing everything.
They were going to go at night but had wanted to scope everything out and inquire on whether or not anyone had gone missing recently. From the corner of her eye, she saw Callisto speaking with an old man, hardened and greatly age by the hardships he’d encountered in life. She took over for Raon, shooing him off to play with the children. As the sun went down, her eyes lost track of the children and panic set into her when the silence fell upon them.
“Raon!” She called out as she ran down to the beach.
She stopped when she saw the figures that had the children, they were unconscious in the grasp of those hooded figures. She called out a lightning spell and she managed to get a hold of Raon momentarily.
“Penelope!” She heard the distant yells of Reynold.
A fire ball came at her and she struck the watch, crouching down low and put the shield to the test as she let it protect them.
“Princess!” Callisto’s voice was distressed but she couldn’t shout back, she coughed from the smoke. When it all cleared, the children and their captors were gone.
Raon was in her arms but his grip was strong. “Big sis, they have my friends.” He whispered urgently.
“I know.” She replied. “We’ll get them back.”
Callisto got to her, his arms wrapping around her immediately. “It seems as though you get into trouble every time I take my eyes off of you.”
“Not all the time.”
“Still enough to think that I might need to put a spell on you that would alert me and take me to you every time you were in danger.”
“But you define danger to me as anytime I’m away from you.”
“Then I guess it means I’ll just have to attach myself to your side.”
After that, they argued over whether or not to send Raon back. It was a near thing but in the end, he insisted on going with them. “I can help get us all out if anything happens to Master.”
The trek into the cave was initially disastrous, they got separated into three groups. She and Callisto had managed to stay together because he’d insisted on holding her hand. From what she could understand, Reynold had ended up with Raon while Winter was with Callisto’s uncle. That meant one weapons expert and one mage in each group. That was a… fair division. She hesitated over the duo that was Reynold and Raon, her brother sometimes acted as though he were the same age as Raon.
Monsters came upon them. Penelope used both her magic and the sword to cut down some of them, Callisto cutting a stunning figure that she wished she had time to admire. He decimated them, until they were met with the largest and fiercest monster. It had taken both of them to kill it.
Reynold cursed loudly as he was separated from Penelope. The swarm of monsters hampered their progress. And he kept getting into childish verbal spats with the apprentice mage he’d ended up with.
“Are you sure you’re a knight?” The mageling asked.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’re very slow! Come on, keep up! I’m already at fourteen monsters killed.” The child said.
Winter methodically exterminated all the monsters on his side while Lord George sang a happy ditty about monster slaying. They were making good time and he found the man an excellent conversationalist. A good matchup because they were determined to find the other two pairs. Raon was under his protection while the Crown Prince was Lord George’s priority.
“I missed seeing Callisto so small, I remember when he was a wee babe. He was the most precious and adorable babe I’d ever seen.” The man said as he slaughtered a large monster. “Even cuter than Gilbert’s children. Those ones looked like shrieking eggs and potatoes.”
He wondered what the Lykaios family would think should Princess Judith make another time jump. It would be an amusing sight.
When they finally converged together, Penelope’s vision was lit up with arrows leading through a fork that split the cave into two. “It’s this way.” She said as she gestured for them to continue on.
They walked in silence, deeper and deeper, the sound of water dripping could be heard.
“I never thought there’d be a path this long or deep. We must be halfway to Arkina by now.” Callisto said, tense.
“Neither did I.” Winter admitted.
Penelope was focused on the glow. The arrows began to flash. “I think we’re coming up to it.” She said.
And there it was, they emerged into a cavern that was clearly an old temple. Vines snaked up the columns.
“How were they able to build such a thing so fast?” Callisto muttered.
“They didn’t.” She said. These were old, ancient, even. And she didn’t need her archaeological background to know that. But the feelings were there as well. The visions and whispers, chanting prayers to the goddess of her people. “This was built by my people. This was where the Goddess Althea raised your ancestor, Your Highness. They merely repurposed it. Defiling the sanctity.”
“Princess?” Callisto asked, turning to her with a frown. She blinked and she realized her body had tensed.
“No, but they’ve made one mistake though.”
“And that is?”
“They chose this place. It wouldn’t have been a mistake if I’d never come here but…”
“Yes?” Winter asked.
“I’m an ancient mage, inside the temple of my people, where the dormant magic still remains, stronger than anything the Laila could even produce. Sleeping and waiting for its people. What do you think would happen?”
Suddenly, their conversations were cut off when the white robed figure approached the struggling man, it leaned down and kissed the man, within moments, the man collapsed into ashes.
Reynold choked, the reminder that the thing was in Ivonne’s body set her ill at ease. She wondered what actually happened to Callisto after marrying ‘Ivonne’. Would he have even survived the first night? She banished those disgusting and disturbing thoughts. That wasn’t this life.
Winter cast an invisibility spell on them, warning them against drawing their swords and using magic. But he’d been the one to break that rule when he saw the children brought out, pieces of glowing glass… mirror shards, she realized, floated around them.
The other men followed along, assisting Winter in his rescue attempt.
“Raon, stick close to me.” She ordered.
They crept along until they were close enough that Raon felt confident enough to leave her side without consulting her first. He dashed out, summoning some wind that threw the cultists about. It shattered the spell on him.
She cursed, a part of her feeling terror now that she was alone.
“Penelope Eckhart! You can do this!” She heard Callisto call out, her head turned to him momentarily and she felt some courage begin to take root.
She cast some fire balls that disintegrated the monsters. “Raon! Get the children and leave!” She screamed.
“But…”
“Go!” She covered him. The white robed figure stared at her in shock. But she threw another spell that propelled her back, killing the other cultists as the destructive orbs ricocheted around the cavern. She managed to get her sword out, cutting through the monsters as though they were nothing but melted butter.
The mask shattered and Reynold sucked in a deep breath. Her eyes followed, and yes, that was Ivonne Eckhart’s face. The shards fell beside the Laila. Penelope used the water pouring in to hold all the shards, even as they were able to escape through the destroyed barrier, it was only them and none of the mirror shards went with them. She knelt down, willed the water to her as she gathered the mirror shards into her hand.
As she dropped the sword, it returned back into a pendant on her neck as she watched the shards float over her hand, rearranging themselves and slotting into place and forming a mirror in her hand.
“Princess! We need to get out of here!” Callisto said, wrenching her from her thoughts. She pocketed the mirror.
“Where’s Winter?” She asked as she scanned their surroundings. She felt oddly calm right now.
“He found some more captives and we had him take them away.” Callisto told her as he tried to usher her on, trying to hurry her forward.
She threw him a small smile. “Don’t worry.” She said. “We’ll be alright. Look.” She said as she pointed to the hole where the water had once been pouring in. “I can stem the flow until we’re out, so there’s no need to rush.”
She wandered around and felt up the altar, something in it reacted to her, or rather the relics and the altar’s top slid open. There were scrolls and other things in it, relics, and clothing. There were even fragments of an egg shell, pure, solid gold. There were some rubies dotting it. Her eyes turned to Callisto.
“I guess that’s where your ancestor came from.”
“Really, is now the right time?”
“Yes.”
Winter arrived back and froze. “I thought we’d be buried under water by now.”
“And yet you came back.” Reynold said.
“I had to.”
Lord George leaned forward eagerly. “This is a treasure trove.” He removed his cloak and began to gather the the relics under her careful eye, the majority went into the sacks that had once held the bread.
“This island is going to sink the moment we leave, we might as well take our time for now. I don’t know if it’ll survive in the ocean floor and I’m still not sure if I’ll be able to raise an entire island.” She told them before she walked around, carefully touching each of the columns and walls, even the floors, but nothing came from it. “Where did they sleep?” She muttered, but she knew she was losing time, she could feel her strength begin to wane.
“We’ve emptied it out.” Lord George called out.
“Good.” She said. “Because we need to leave soon, I won’t be able to keep this up.”
Winter took Reynold and Lord George while Callisto held on to her. She managed to utter the teleportation spell before her legs gave out but her fatigue left them short and they ended up deep in the water. Callisto kissed her, giving her some air as she felt him kick up.
They broke through the water and she gasped.
She could hear Reynold in the distance calling for them as Callisto swam them back to the shore.
When they got there, Callisto set her down carefully. “How do you feel?”
“Tired.” She admitted. “I want to sleep for a few days.”
He wrapped her in his cloak and let her lean on him. The people that they’d saved were gathered around them. She felt Callisto’s disapproval as she cast a spell to scan them all and she waved her hand and undid the tangled knot of dark magic trying to burrow it’s way into the minds of some of the children.
“Now, I can sleep. I’ve washed away the Laila’s influence on them.” She said. And then she burrowed further into the warmth and safety of her lover’s arms and fell asleep.
Penelope slept until the afternoon the next day. Her body felt well rested and her stomach growled so she rang the bell. Emily entered immediately.
“You’re awake!” She said happily as she brought some food for her. “The Crown Prince is downstairs with the Marquis and the Lykaios family. He’s ordered that you be allowed to rest.”
“I guess I’ll go see them after I eat.”
Pennel announced her in to the sitting room. Callisto stood up immediately, and motioned for her to sit beside him. “Did you have a good rest?”
“Yes, it was a good sleep and I don’t feel the fatigue from last night anymore.”
“That’s good to hear, I don’t want you to get sick again.”
There was a cough and Father gave a look of pained disapproval while Callisto’s family looked on fondly. In front of them, the relics from last night were spread out. Some of them, she noted, were untouched.
“Why haven’t the scrolls been opened yet?”
“Because we couldn’t open them. They repel our touch.” Winter answered helpfully.
Penelope frowned and wondered if it was because they weren’t ancient mages. One of them unfurled immediately upon coming into contact with her.
“That’s helpful.” Callisto’s grandmother said as she looked at the scroll.
Penelope leaned forward, her mind automatically translating the words. “It’s an accounting of… the citadel of the ancient mages.” She said. There were even detailed explanations and a map in some, but the millennia’s have changed the landscape so there’d still be some digging and guesswork that’d go into it if they wanted to find it.
Penelope pulled out the mirror and examined it late at night. It was small enough that it could fit into her pocket. She felt her hand tingle a little and felt slightly tired. There was a flash of pink and blue but it disappeared quickly. She frowned and held it up to the candle’s light, nothing. But then she let the moon reflect on it. And like a horror movie, a child appeared. It was Ivonne Eckhart.
She nearly screamed but she held it in.
“Hello.” She said to the girl who was so clearly upset.
“It’s the thief.” She said.
“Thief?” She asked.
“Yes, you stole my place.” There was some anger in her voice. “You made them forget about me.”
She approached the girl cautiously. “They didn’t forget you.” She said. “I spent the last few years being reminded constantly that I’m not you. Father still has men looking for you, he’s kept your room shut and prays for you every night.”
She listened on quietly so Penelope took that as a sign that she could continue.
“Derrick locks himself in his room whenever your birthday comes up or spends it going around the capital looking. Reynold always tells me that I’ll never compare to how sweet you are and then goes to sit by the new dawn roses.”
“Those are my favourites.” The child confessed.
“See, they didn’t forget you.”
“Can you take me to them?” She asked.
“Of course…” But she disappeared with the cover of the clouds, the moon’s light had gone and she felt her energy return to her. She looked and Ivonne was back in the mirror, she was hitting it with teary eyes.
“I’ll try to find a way to get you to manifest again.” She swore. The child nodded sadly before her image faded slowly within the mirror.
On the next day, Penelope was met with Callisto and… “What is all this?” She asked with a laugh. She had decided to keep Ivonne’s existence as a secret for now. She needed to be able to gather enough strength and to find a way to at least give them a way to talk for a while.
“Presents for my lover.” He declared proudly.
She stared at it all with a smile on her face. “I’d like for you to wear one to my birthday.” He said as he gestured to two dresses. Her eyes drifted between them and she made her decision. “I’ll wear the white one to your birthday, I think I’d like to keep the blue one for my coming of age.”
“Then I’ll match you in both.” He promised.
He presented her with jewelry and even a sapphire mine. “I’ll give you a gold mine and a ruby mine when we get married.”
“You’re truly spoiling me.” She said with a laugh.
“Maybe I’m trying to entice you into an early marriage.” He teased.
“How do I look?” She asked Emily and the other maids as she twirled around, she wore the white dress, there were splashes of red all around it, sewn around those red were glittering diamonds, even along the sweetheart neckline of the dress, diamonds lined it. Callisto had seen one of the sketches she’d made of a gown in the other world and had asked for it. That one had no patterns on it, it seemed he’d taken liberties with the design.
Dresses that left you completely bare, without sleeves or straps weren’t the norm here. The one she’d worn to the opening festivities of the hunting festival had caused some small commotion and muttering because it showed off both her shoulders and her arms. They wore some sort of coverings on their shoulders, at least. Or a capelet.
“You look beautiful, my lady.” They said, happily as they clipped on the ruby earrings and changed the setting for the necklace to a more formal one, this time ruby and diamonds lined it, the wrist watch had changed shapes, appearing more like a charm bracelet, she incorporated it with some strands of diamonds and rubies to help it blend in. She was thankful that the dress had pockets because she placed her gifts in it.
“Penelope…” She heard Reynold call.
“I’m coming!”
She was led into a waiting room when they arrived in the Palace. Callisto was waiting for her there so that they could enter together. “Happy Birthday, Your Highness.” She said as she greeted him.
He kissed her lightly, mindful of her makeup. “You look beautiful, Princess.” He said, voice strained.
She smiled happily. “Thank you.” Then she stepped away and spun slowly to let him see it in full. In truth though, as beautiful as the dress was, she felt as though the blue dress was just slightly prettier. And she knew that the coming of age ceremony was the most important day of a young person’s life, before marriage of course.
There were deep talks between the Emperor and the Lykaios family after the fight in Soleil and he lifted the Empress’ ban. It meant that they were in attendance tonight. The very night that the magic would take and Callisto could call the Palace’s magic to him to cement his place as the official heir to the throne.
He grasped her hand, escorting her to the hall once they were called for. He smiled happily at her before they were announced in. All the nobles were in attendance, even those from the second prince’s faction.
All eyes were on them and their matching clothing. Penelope kept her head up high throughout the walk. She wasn’t the old Penelope, the one who’d been bullied, she was the girl who’d survived her bullies as Siyeon, who’d stood on her own two feet. Penelope had faced things that these sheltered and pampered lords and ladies could never even begin to fathom. She wrapped that thought around her as she thought of her accomplishments with pride.
Eventually, Callisto led her to the middle of the hall and he motioned for the orchestra to begin. She could feel the hawkish eyes staring at her, hungrily waiting for her to mess up. But she didn’t. She knew Callisto, knew his every movement, had spent hours dancing with him throughout these months they’d been together. Their eyes met and they were lost. They didn’t stop, not through the changing of music, not even when others had begun to join them on the dance floor.
They stopped only when she grew tired and he led her to the balcony. Porter stood guard behind them. The curtains closed to give them some privacy.
Callisto gave her a glass of wine to sip on as she leaned over the railings. He wrapped his arms around her, leaning his head on her shoulder. “I guess I got carried away.” He said.
“So did I.” She said, waving off his words. “I enjoyed dancing with you.”
“I always enjoy it with you.” He agreed. “I don’t think I’d ever dance with anyone else.”
“Oh, not even Judy or Roxy?” She asked quietly. “Or your grandmother?”
“I’m not sure about Grandmother, but I’d definitely dance with the girls.” He whispered the last part.
She pulled back. “Do you want your gift now?”
“And here I thought you’d forgotten.” He said with a teasing smile. He held out expectantly.
She held out the box to him and he opened it eagerly. “It’s a pocket watch, kind of like the wrist watch that I have, except this one is also a stop watch which I guess makes it a chronograph, the top has a small compass, and a map reader at the back. You can also put miniatures in it.”
“Miniatures like yours?” He asked.
“I already have it in there.” She said. Watching as he flipped it open. There was a portrait of her in the white dress she’d worn when they posed to have their portrait taken.
“I’ll keep it with me always.” He said.
And then she gestured back to the box. “Try channeling your aura or mana to the pendant.”
She watched with a satisfied smile, now fully confirming that she wasn’t cheated in her purchase as it grew into a full length sword. “That’s a magic sword, undetectable by spells and forged by the dwarves that have now gone extinct.”
“Where did you even find this?”
“Funnily enough, it was just in a sword shop, I paid the owner an exorbitant price but I wanted you to always have a way to defend yourself if you lost your usual sword.”
“And the cuff links?”
“Magic conducts better in raw gems so the rubies aren’t refined. They’ll heal your wounds.” She told him. When he lifted them out of the box, she raised her hand to help him put it on only to be surprised when he stabbed one into his ear followed by the next.
“What? Your Highness?!?” She said in surprise.
“Where better to put it then somewhere I’d never lose your present, and where I’d be able to access the healing immediately.” He told her, a soft smile on his face. “See, it’s already working.”
He wiped the small droplets of blood that had initially escaped and true enough, the wounds had already healed.
He kissed her. “Thank you, they were very thoughtful gifts.”
She grabbed his coat and pulled him back into a deep kiss. When she was thoroughly satisfied with the kiss, she released him and let him hold her in an embrace. “We’ll need to go back soon.” She said, regretful and sad.
“But not yet.”
“Not yet.” She agreed.
Callisto pulled away from the hug, that soft smile still on his face but there was some nervousness. “Princess…” He said, hesitating.
“Hmm?”
“There’s something I wanted to ask you.”
She was still feeling those butterflies in her stomach, the weightless, buoyant feeling he always gave her as though she had no worries and it was only them. “What is it?”
“Will you marry me?”
“What?” She asked, suddenly pulled back down to earth. “Did I hear you right?”
“Will you marry me?” He asked again.
She looked him over, she’d already decided she wanted to spend her life with him but… were their feelings in sync now? Were their feelings equal in strength. “Your Highness… do you… do you love me?”
Callisto had expected that question to come up sometime soon, he should have realized she’d ask it when he proposed. He had an inkling as to what his other self had said when she’d asked him, an inkling that she’d asked him this same question at the same time, after he’d also asked her to marry him. And he could see the snafu his other self would have made. Because who proposes and tells another person that they don’t love them? Oh yes, him or rather his other self. That’s who.
“Yes, Princess. Of course.” He said sincerely. “I love you, Penelope Eckhart, and I can’t imagine spending my life without you, or with anybody else. So will you please, please, marry me?”
She was silent for a moment, as her hand raised and she turned to him, a smile on her face, wide and warm enough to replace the sun in his eyes.
When she heard his confession, his proposal… a bell chimed in her mind and the notification screen popped up. ‘Congratulations on achieving 100% and obtaining a love confession.’ It read. ‘Do you wish to exit the game?’There was a yes or no option down below.
Given her other self’s explanation of her state… Penelope knew that even if she’d chosen to go back, it wouldn’t work. An error system perhaps, pulling her back to the start. Or the world would freeze and she’d be returned to her body only to die from her illness or some other reason just for the system to drag her back here. And besides, she’d already decided on him, hadn’t she. She selected no before she smiled at Callisto.
“Yes, I’ll marry you.” She said and they kissed once more. She laughed and helped him wipe his lips. And she reapplied her lipstick. He brought out a small box, the rings were inside. The rings were golden, rubies and emeralds were twined together in it’s setting which was engraved in the shape of a golden dragon taking flight. He slipped hers on and she took the box to slip the other ring on his finger.
“We’ll have to stop the Laila now, I’d just been offered the choice to return for the first time and I’ve already rejected it.” She confessed. “So before I can start living my life, our life together, we need to stop the demon.”
“That I can do.” He said.
Eventually, Sir Porter knocked lightly on the door. “The Emperor has arrived.”
“What’s he doing here? He hasn’t come to anyone’s celebrations in years.” Callisto said in confusion.
“Since you went to war?”
“I… well… yes…” He said as though he had just thought of it.
“I think that you and your father are terrible in communicating. It seems he cares greatly about you.” She pointed out.
“I’ll think on it.”
Linus had gotten into a fight with his wife when he’d encountered her and the gutless child on his way to Callisto’s birthday.
“Where are you going?” Lydia asked.
“To the celebrations.” He said pointedly.
“You? To a celebration? You’ve not attended one birthday of our son’s and yet you’d attend your first born’s birthday.” She asked indignantly.
He turned his eyes to his second child, the feeling of disappointment he’d always felt as the child grew returned to him. The child was too much of the foppish butterfly’s and not enough of the dragon.
“Did you get my message?”
“The nonsense about naming him as your heir!” She said with disgust. “I thought we were to vote on it.”
“I never said there would be a vote. You all assumed. But never once had that happened in the history of the Imperial family.” He reminded her. “Instead, the merits of each heir candidate are weighed and judged by the Palace’s magic. What battles have they won, and on their own at that. Had you sent your son to the battlefield, he might have had a chance. But even now…” He lifted his hand and the golden ring shone, light danced around him but refused to come to the child in front of him. “He’s passed twelve now, the magic won’t take or recognize him. The magic will be Callisto’s by the night’s end.” He told them.
“Magic doesn’t work like that.”
“You understand nothing about the magic of the imperial palace or the dragon’s blood then.”
He walked away from the two, but not before giving Theodore a pat on his head. “I’ll make sure you’re cared for, child.” He assured his son. What fatherly affection he felt for his son showing through.
He sat at the throne, waiting until Callisto arrived with his lover. Penelope Eckhart, he’d only seen the girl from afar a handful of times, and from what his former mother-in-law had said, she was the last of the ancient mages, the last of the people that his ancestor had once sworn to care for and protect. It was perhaps fate that led them there. They needed to preserve the bloodline in order to protect the Empire’s future, otherwise, calamity would befall on them.
They entered and he immediately spotted the matching rings. So, a fiancée then. That was good. He could see that Gilbert had noticed it as well because he stared at the joined hands and the matching rings that he knew must not have been there before. But the man said nothing. Their eyes met and they nodded to one another from across the room. The friendship they’d once shared now strained through the losses that life had dealt them.
He stood up, ready to make his announcement. “Thank you all for coming to celebrate my first born son’s birthday.” He said as he gestured to Callisto. “Today marks an important day. The first birthday after he managed to pass the heir selection’s tradition. The day when the magic of the palace declares the next Emperor.”
There were whispers going on around. The sour faces of Theodore’s faction who had come to realize what it meant. “Raise your hand, Callisto.” He commanded.
His son raised one hand. And then he walked him through the ancient language. He could hear the gasps as a light engulfed them fully settling on Callisto. Behind him the impression of a large dragon appeared, translucent, it bowed to him. He bowed back. And that was that, the successor’s ring appeared on his hand, along with the heir’s crown on his head.
He stepped down from his throne. He could feel the magic slowly moving to Callisto’s control. “The Crown Prince, Callisto Regulus. May your future reign be ever prosperous and peaceful.” He called out.
“To the Crown Prince!” The people said, toasting loudly. Even if some had said it through gritted teeth.
Penelope danced with Callisto again. “Congratulations, Your Highness.” She said softly. She was happy. It seemed as though Callisto was getting everything he deserved now, everything he’d worked hard for.
“Why won’t you let me announce our engagement?” He asked quietly.
“Because I want this night to be about you.”
“Our engagement is about me.”
“But it’ll also be about me.” She pointed out. “No, I want you, and only you, to be the star of tonight’s festivities. Besides. You need to talk to Father about all of the details as well.”
He sighed. “Very well. I’ll bow to your judgement, my love.”
She grinned at his endearment. “Thank you, my darling.”