Delythena's POV
I quickly rushed out of the room, my heart pounding in my chest. The thought of Tia being harmed by Lady Feyaline sent a rush of adrenaline through me.
I ran down the hallway, ignoring the startled looks of the palace staff as I passed. I couldn't let this happen. Not to Tia. She was always kind and loyal to me, and I wouldn't stand by and let her be treated like this.
When I reached the courtyard, I saw Lady Feyaline standing near a pillar, surrounded by a few palace guards. Tia was kneeling on the ground, her head bowed low, looking scared but composed. She was holding my clothes, the ones I had asked her to fetch, and they seemed torn and tattered.
I felt a surge of fury in my chest as I rushed towards her, my heart pounding. "What have you done to her?" I asked her angrily.
Lady Feyaline turned to face me, her lips curling into a smug smile. "She was disobedient" she said coldly. "And I had to teach her a lesson." Her voice was dripping with malice as she glanced down at Tia, who remained on her knees, too frightened to speak.
I clenched my fists, trying to control the rage boiling inside me. "You have no right to treat anyone like this!" I shouted, my voice shaking with fury. The guards around her stiffened, but Feyaline only laughed.
"You're in no position to give orders, Delythena" she sneered. "You're just a guest in my palace." She waved a hand dismissively at Tia. "If you want her to be spared, I suggest you remember your place."
My palace my ass!
I could feel my breath quicken with anger, but I forced myself to stay calm. I couldn't let her see how much she was affecting me. I took a step forward, glaring at her. "If you harm her again, I swear I'll make sure you regret it." I said each word slowly, my gaze unwavering.
Feyaline's smile faltered for just a moment, but she quickly regained her composure. "You're brave, Delythena, but don't mistake your courage for power."
I didn't answer her. Instead, I knelt beside Tia, gently lifting her head. "Are you alright?" I whispered softly to her. Tia looked up at me, her eyes filled with fear but also gratitude. She nodded slightly, too afraid to speak.
As I helped Tia to her feet, Lady Feyaline's voice rang out again, this time with a sharp, venomous edge. "You think you can protect her? You're nothing but a fragile little girl playing dress-up in my palace." She stepped closer, her gaze piercing. "You're lucky I haven't had you thrown out already, but mark my words, Delythena, your time here is limited.
I was really getting annoyed with this woman. "First of all, this is not your palace because you're just a guest here, second, you have no position to act like a queen, and third, how dare you try to rule a palace that doesn't belong to you?" I said angrily, causing her expression to darken.
"You have more nerve than I thought, you're really making me angry," she said, and suddenly summoned a huge water vortex. I was shocked when it started to suck in the people nearby, and they began screaming.
Feyaline smirked. "Look what you've done. You're the reason they're getting caught up in this" she said.
I squeezed my eyes shut in frustration, my patience completely gone. "Water spirit, I command you to stop," I said, and the vortex vanished instantly, causing her eyes to widen in shock.
Feyaline stood frozen in disbelief as the whirlwind of water that she had summoned disappeared in an instant. The palace guards and servants who had been caught in it were now scrambling, trying to regain their composure. I felt a surge of relief, but also an overwhelming sense of determination.
"You think you can control everything, Feyaline?" I said, my voice firm. "This is not your kingdom, and you are not above anyone here, especially me."
Her eyes narrowed, clearly enraged by my command over the water. "What? How did you do that?" she asked in shock. "And you think that was impressive? You haven't seen anything yet" she hissed.
"Don't try to use the water anymore because it will never listen to you" I said.
She raised an eyebrow. "Don't make me laugh, Delythena, because water is my power" she replied.
I rolled my eyes in frustration. "Okay, you say so" I said, too tired to argue anymore.
I glanced at Tia.
"Let's go" I said, about to leave when I felt Feyaline was about to attack with water.
"Throw her to the fountain" I commanded the water spirit. And just like that, Feyaline was thrown into the fountain, soaking wet.
"Delythena!" she shouted, but I ignored her and went inside.
As I walked inside, I could still hear her angry shouts echoing from the courtyard. But I didn't care. Feyaline's arrogance and spiteful attitude were too much for me to tolerate.
Tia quickly followed me inside, her worried expression still visible.
"Lady, are you alright?" she asked, concern in her voice.
"I'm fine" I replied, though I could still feel the anger bubbling inside me. "But I can't stand her. She needs to learn her place."
Tia nodded in agreement. "Lady Feyaline has always been difficult, but what you did... that was amazing."
I shook my head, not interested in the praise. "I didn't do it for her. I did it because she was asking for trouble. If she keeps pushing me, things will only get worse for her."
Tia didn't say anything more, but I could tell she understood. We both knew that this was far from over.
The tension in the palace seemed to rise even higher after what happened with Feyaline. I stayed in my room for the rest of the day, not wanting to be near anyone or deal with the mess she had caused. My thoughts kept swirling around her words and her actions how she thought she could control everything just because she was the so-called "future wife" of Zadkiel.
Tia had brought me something to eat, but even then, my appetite was nowhere to be found. I wasn't hungry; I was too frustrated. I needed to clear my mind.
After a while, I stood up and walked toward the balcony. The cool night air hit me, and I took a deep breath, trying to calm my thoughts. The moonlight bathed the palace grounds, making everything feel surreal, almost peaceful. But I knew it wouldn't last.
The door to my room creaked open behind me, and I turned to find Tia standing there. She hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"Lady delythena, are you sure you're alright? You haven't spoken much since earlier."
I sighed. "I'm fine, Tia. Just... trying to figure things out."
As the night grew quieter, I couldn't help but wonder what the future would hold. I wasn't afraid, but I was determined to make sure I held my ground. No one would take what was mine.
The next day, Zadkiel and the Duke had just returned.
"What happened to you?" The Duke asked his daughter, Feyaline. I raised an eyebrow when I saw that her arms and head were wrapped in bandages.
"We had a disagreement, Delythena and I. It seems like she doesn't like me." My eyebrows shot up even further at what she said.
Zadkiel glanced in my direction. I walked up to them.
"What happened?" Zadkiel asked.
"Zad, don't get mad at Delythena. I understand her. I'm just sad that she doesn't like me, and now she's treating me this way when she could've just told me directly. I just wanted to make peace with her" Feyaline said with a pitiful tone. In my head, I was cursing her for the drama she was creating.
Oh, I see. So, you're playing the sympathy card now
"Supreme Ruler, I cannot allow my daughter to be treated like this" Feyaline's father, the Duke, said, clearly angry.
"Ah." Feyaline was still whining in pain.
Wow, best actress material right there?
"It seems your daughter just got thrown around" I said with an uninterested tone.
"What?!" The Duke's anger was evident in his voice.
"We'll talk later" Zadkiel said, but I just gave him an uninterested look.
I glanced at Feyaline, who seemed to be really trying to play the sympathy card, the crazy woman.
I should have just finished her off earlier.
Zadkiel called off the conversation, probably sensing the tension rising between me and the Duke. I didn't miss the way Feyaline clutched her arm dramatically, like she was in unbearable pain though we both knew she was faking most of it.
"Let's go, Father" she said in a small voice, pretending to be weak as she leaned on him. The Duke glared at me before walking away with her.
"Drama queen" I muttered again.
Zadkiel turned to me after they left. "Can we talk?"
I crossed my arms. "About what? The fact that your 'guest' tried to kill one of the maids? Or that she attacked me first?"
He sighed. "I just want to understand what really happened."
"I threw her" I said casually, expecting him to be shocked or at least a little angry but he didn't even seem fazed.
"I thought you were the one who got hurt" he said, clearly more concerned about how I was than about what happened to Feyaline.
"I'm fine" I replied, crossing my arms. "She was the one who started it."
Zadkiel sighed quietly, then looked away for a second before turning back to me. "You don't have to explain yourself. I trust you."
That surprised me a little—but I didn't let it show. "Good. Because I'm not sorry."
He almost smiled. "Didn't expect you to be."
"She deserved worse, honestly" I muttered under my breath, just loud enough for him to hear.
Zadkiel chuckled softly. "You're not even trying to hide it."
"I don't see the point" I said, shrugging. "I'm not here to play pretend."
There was a flicker of amusement in his eyes. "Remind me never to get on your bad side."
"Too late" I teased, giving him a half-smirk.
He shook his head with a small laugh, but I could tell he wasn't really mad. If anything, he looked... relieved.
"By the way, I missed you" he suddenly said, which caught me off guard.
"Too bad, I didn't miss you" I replied.
He looked at me and smiled a little, like he was already used to my sarcasm.
"Ouch" he said, pretending to be hurt. "But it's okay, I'll get back at you."
"Good luck with that" I replied as I started to walk away. "I'm not that easy to talk to, especially when I'm in a bad mood."
"I know. But even if you're that blunt, I still enjoy talking to you."
I paused for a moment. Wow, the audacity but also, the guts.
"Alright, get some rest, it's already night" he said. I was caught off guard when he suddenly teleported next to me and kissed my cheek.
"Next time, it'll be on the lips when you accept my proposal" he said, and then he vanished, leaving me standing there in a daze.
I was still processing what had just happened when I felt a sudden chill in the air. I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. It was getting late, and I needed to rest, but his words kept echoing in my mind.
Zadkiel is really annoying lately, he always loves stealing kisses!
I really can't focus when he keeps bringing up his marriage proposal to me. I've been trying to distract myself, but no matter what, his proposal keeps running through my mind. Every time he mentions it, it feels like he's pushing me further into a corner.
The next day, I tried to go about my usual routine, but I couldn't shake off the feeling of tension hanging in the air. It was like every time I saw Zadkiel, his gaze was heavier, more intense, as if he was silently waiting for me to say something. But I wasn't ready to give him that satisfaction.
I left the palace for a while and went to town with Tia.
The fresh air and the lively streets were a much-needed break from the heavy atmosphere back at the palace. Tia looked relieved too, finally able to smile without worry. Even if just for a while, it felt nice to breathe freely again.
While Tia and I were walking around town, we passed by a flower shop that smelled strongly of lavender and jasmine. I stopped for a moment and looked at the flowers on display.
"Do you like those, Lady Delythena?" Tia asked.
I nodded slowly. "They're beautiful... it's like they give off this peaceful feeling, right?" I said while holding a stem of white tulip.
Tia smiled. "Yes, Lady. Sometimes, it's the simple things like this that lighten the heart."
"It's so much better here in town. No Feyaline hurting people" I said with a quiet sigh.
Tia chuckled softly beside me. "I'm happy that somehow, you found a little peace today, Lady Delythena"
I looked around the people busy shopping, children playing, and vendors cheerfully calling out their goods. I thought to myself... if only life could always be like this. So simple.
"You know, Tia... sometimes I just want to hide here. Just be normal. No magic, no drama... no Feyaline" I said with a smile forced, maybe, but sincere.
"If you want to stay here longer, I've got you" Tia joked.
I laughed. "Then we'll be the next ones Zadkiel comes looking for."
"Then we'll just hide somewhere farther" she said with a wink.
I smiled and took a deep breath. Even if just for a moment, everything felt lighter.
While we were strolling around, I saw two familiar figures. When I realized who they were, I turned to Tia.
"Tia, you go ahead," I said to her.
"Why, Lady delythena?" she asked.
"I just have something to take care of" I replied, and she didn't ask any more questions she simply nodded and went on her way.
I quietly approached the two. They were standing by the side of a shop, seemingly deep in conversation.
They're alive?
"Long time no see" I said, causing them both to turn around. They were both surprised to see me.
"Delythena?" they both exclaimed in shock.
"Azmier, Crisella" I muttered.
A few moments later, they grabbed me and teleported to a place by a river. They scanned the surroundings, as if observing their environment.
They both sighed and looked at me. I had a lot of questions swirling in my mind now.
"Glad to see you're still alive" Crisella said, raising an eyebrow.
"We've been looking for you for a long time" Azmier added.
I didn't answer right away. Instead, I scrutinized their bodies, looking at their hands to see if there were any green veins, but there were none. I also checked if this was some sort of illusion, but I didn't feel anything unusual.
"So, what happened?" I asked.
"Here's what happened" Azmier started. "When the enemies attacked the Frostbane Citadel, and we thought they were targeting Obsidian, Crisella and I took a different route on our way back. We had a feeling that it was some sort of illusion."
"And the others, like Shamera and the rest, ended up siding with the enemies. I had a bad feeling about them from the start" Crisella added with irritation.
"When we finally broke free from the illusion, we made our way to Frostbane. The entire place was destroyed, as if a storm or some disaster had passed through. And when we searched for you, you were already gone. We went to your mansion, but it was like it had vanished. We couldn't find any trace of you, Azmier explained.
"Wait, so you mean to say that you guys were trapped in some illusion? And the others... they were already with the enemies?" I asked, still trying to piece everything together.
Crisella nodded. "Exactly. We couldn't trust anyone at that point. After the illusion broke, we searched for you, but it was like you vanished off the face of the earth. We had no idea where you went or what happened."
I felt a lump in my throat as I remembered everything the chaos, the betrayal, and the confusion. "I didn't know what to believe either. I woke up in a completely different place, with no memory of how I got there. It felt like everything was turned upside down."
Azmier stepped closer, his expression serious. "We've been looking for you ever since. We've got a lot of catching up to do, but first, we need to figure out what really happened. There's something bigger going on, and I think you're tied to it."
I sighed, the weight of everything pressing on me. "I'm starting to think the same thing. It's like we're all just pawns in someone's game."
Crisella's eyes hardened. "Well, we're not going to let them win. We'll stick together and find out the truth, no matter what."
"By the way, when we arrived at Frostbane, we found something." Azmier said, taking a green bird feather from his pocket.
"We don't know why a bird feather was there, but I suspect it's from one of the enemy's allies" said Crisella.
I carefully examined the feather, and a part of my mind recognized it, as if I had seen it before, but I couldn't remember when or where.
I stared at the green feather in Azmier's hand, my mind racing. It was indeed familiar, but the memory of where I had seen it eluded me. It felt like a piece of the puzzle I had been trying to solve, but the pieces just wouldn't fit together.
"Do you think this could be a clue?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
Azmier nodded. "It's definitely unusual. We've never seen anything like it in Frostbane, and the fact that it showed up there... it has to mean something."
Crisella crossed her arms, looking thoughtful. "Could be one of their spies or something. But what if it's linked to something bigger, something we don't fully understand yet?"
I glanced back at the feather, my mind spinning. "I don't know. But it feels like... like I've been close to this before. I just can't remember."
Azmier looked at me with concern. "Maybe your memory will come back, or maybe this is part of the bigger picture. But we need to figure out who or what is behind this. This feather is too important to ignore."
I nodded, though I wasn't entirely sure if I was ready to dive deeper into this mystery. But one thing was clear: the situation was much bigger than I had realized, and it wasn't going to let up anytime soon.
Even though Zadkiel had already explained how I ended up waking in his palace, a part of me still could not remember. It was as if something from that night of disaster had slipped away from my mind, a piece of the truth I could not grasp.
But that feather felt strangely familiar. I knew I had seen it before, yet I could not recall when or where. Something was wrong with me. I was forgetting things too easily, as if every crucial piece of information I came across was being stolen from me—controlled somehow, deliberately erased from my memory.
Or was I simply hallucinating all of it?
I didn't go back to the palace right away because they brought me to a place that looked like a basement something not easily found here in the Obsidian Citadel.
"What are we doing here?" I couldn't help but ask.
"Stop asking questions and just follow us" Crisella said irritably.
Ugh, this girl is always so grumpy!
When we arrived in the basement, I was shocked to see numerous cloaks, the very same ones worn by our enemies.
"Why are these here?" I asked in bewilderment.
"Crisella and I have been trying to investigate what's been happening lately" Azmier explained. "So, we've been hiding in this basement because, after what happened to the Frostbane, we no longer know who we can trust. And what you're seeing right now are the cloaks worn by our enemies."
We examined the cloaks, hoping to find some way to track them. "Maybe we can trace where they came from" Crisella added, crossing her arms as she stared directly at the cloaks hanging in place.
"So, what's the result?" I asked.
"We found something strange" Azmier replied. "And we also discovered this after the disaster."
He reached for a small box, opened it, and revealed what was inside. I gasped in surprise when I saw it—it was the very book I had been searching for.
"That's my book. I've been looking for it" I said.
Azmier handed it to me, and I took it from him.
"The strange part" Crisella suddenly said, "is that after examining these cloaks, we found a familiar kind of energy."
I turned to look at her. "What do you mean?" I asked.
"The energy we found is from someone who has been with us for a long time" she explained. "It's not an ordinary energy, because they have the ability to change it."
Her words stirred my curiosity, making me wonder who this person truly was.
"What do you think? Are there many of them?" I asked.
"We're not entirely sure" Azmier replied, "because this energy can multiply itself."
"In short, its ability is illusion" Crisella interjected.
"So, we were right all along, our enemy really is an illusionist" I said, and they both nodded in agreement.
"Which makes them very hard to defeat or even find, because we don't know if what we've found is real or just an illusion" Azmier said, and I nodded.
"We'd better find a solution before we're completely swallowed by the illusion" I said, and they nodded.