When Mrs. Bishop returned to check on her condition, Mary wept, yet she refrained from accusing Jezibel, for she still harbored immense love for her family. The old woman gathered Mary into her warm embrace, while Jezibella's cold, sharp gaze lingered intently from outside the doorway.
"Hath thy suffering eased a little, hmm, Mary?"
"I can move my hands slightly now. Yet even so, I know not if this affliction shall truly leave me anytime soon."
"Hmm~" Mrs. Bishop offered a quiet sigh. "A physician shall come to examine thee this evening. For now, rest and regain thy strength. Knowest thou, there was a time I wished to advise thee to marry and bear a child early on. I have raised thee girls to this day, and I grow old now. When first we met thee, I even refused thy uncle's request to foster thee... Yet now, seeing how thou hast blossomed into adulthood, it truly warmeth my heart."
The old woman shared her innermost feelings with her adopted daughter, and Mary offered a gentle smile through her brimmed tears.
"Noble Mother.. I wish to hear the tale of that apple tree again, the story thou didst once tell me in my youth."
"Heh-heh! Thou ever remindest me of the days of old. Well now~ how ought I to begin...?"
Once upon a time, long long ago, two brothers traveled from the Far West, proclaiming that they were born of a brilliant crimson apple tree. One day, the two planted a miraculous apple seed behind the Golden City. Yet, when the tree bore fruit, three apples emerged, shimmering in colors unlike all the rest. Sensing great fortune, the brothers sold the three enchanted apples.
As they reached manhood, the brothers trained to become formidable warriors. The younger brother fell in love with the princess of the land, leaving the elder brother to walk his path alone. Yet a dark peril crept near when a band of brigands raided and stole the three magical apples, presenting them unto the warlord of the Cloud Citadel. These enchanted apples possessed immense power, enough to plunge the entire city into ruin. To make matters worse, the princess was captured and taken as the warlord's concubine.
How could the younger brother yield to such a fate? He charged through the legion of cloud beasts to face the warlord, yet was struck down in defeat, for he lacked divine power in the absence of his brother.
As for the elder brother, the moment he sensed the mortal danger befouling his kin, he embarked on a perilous quest alongside his companions to save his bloodline. He knew well that his strength alone could not withstand the warlord's overwhelming power. Seeing his elder brother on the verge of drawing his final breath, the younger brother made a tragic and absolute choice: he struck down his own brother alongside the warlord, shattering the dark power of the three apples. He proclaimed his victory over the Cloud Warlord and harnessed the remaining essence of the magical apples to restore the Golden Kingdom to its former glory.
When the war reached its end, the younger brother ascended the throne and ruled alongside his princess. Together, they returned peace unto the lives of the populace, from the dawn of his reign unto the twilight of his years.
"It is ever so enchanting, Grandmother... And is the legend of this tale truly based upon the apple tree behind our home?" Mary nodded gently after listening to the old woman's words.
"Indeed~ Right beneath that tree lies the royal tomb of Prince Fredoric, elder brother to King Christopher[1]—the final true monarch of Casletia. Yet, but one year after His Majesty ascended the throne, he vanished without a trace alongside Queen Myrtle. Thus, the people remember him far less than King Castol. His elder brother perished in the war, though another tale whispereth that he fled to live out his days with a forsaken noble. None can say for certain, and King Christopher never uttered his brother's name again... as if allowing the story to fade into mere legend. That is the origin of 'The Apple Brothers & the Golden Land.' In truth, the wretched state of Caslette today is much like an extended chapter of that tale's ending."
"What dost thou mean by that?"
"This tale both mirroreth and summarizeth the war of a century past. Yet, we know not for certain whether the two brothers left behind any true heirs. Furthermore, the truth of those three apples hath been shrouded in total secrecy, whether it be reality or mere fable. If it were true... where those magical apples lie hidden now, no living soul knoweth."
Mary nodded softly upon hearing her foster mother's words.
Before closing her eyes to sleep, she seized the moment to speak her heart. "Should I not survive this... pray look after Jezibel for me."
"Marilyn... Speak not such lorn words," the old woman stroked her hair gently, offering warm words of comfort. "Thou shalt be well. Have faith, my child."
[1] Series D - The Dead Journal - Main Protagonists