The Court of Shadows (3)

"That sounds unfair. They are emasculating their men." Chrysanthe said.

Ricci sighed, but she didn't refute what Chrysanthe just said. It's been like that even before she was born.

"But what does that have to do with Iris being a magus?" Amelia frowned. She couldn't understand Ricci's worry about her friend.

"As I said, women are the only ones allowed to oversee the governing in Shayla Kingdom, and this is why Queen Asheera didn't mind taking in the chosen maidens and care for them. She wants to see if she would be able to find a magus amongst them and lure her to change into one of us."

"Huh? You mean a mortal like us could be a faerie like you?" Chrysante's eyes widened in surprise. Her mind was trying to catch up with all the information Ricci was telling them.

Ricci nodded.

"Yes, but that's a forbidden art not many know how to use. It requires a great amount of mana and most of the time, those magi would lose their lives even before their transformation were completed. It didn't stop my mother from trying it anyway. My mother disposed of me because I wasn't born with a powerful mana in me. She's trying to find a person who would eventually succeed her as the next High Queen of Shayla Kingdom. Lord Kieran has seen great potential in Lady Iris. I'm sure my mother would see the same." She tried to explain coherently.

"But regardless, even if you were born with a weak mana, you are still her daughter. How could she do this to you?" Chrysanthe was appalled that a mother could be this heartless and exile her own child because of something that was beyond control.

It's been five hundred years since Ricci left her hometown, and although she had seen her mother during the Solstice meetings of the Court of Shadows, Queen Asheera had never acknowledged her presence. Lord Kieran only took her under his wing when she proved to him that she was a skilled warrior and proficient swordswoman.

"Sounds like trouble to me." Amelia crossed her arm over her chest and glanced at Iris. She was upset that even here in Asnar, someone would pose a threat toward her best friend.

Iris said nothing, but she understood that she was wrong from assuming that things would be favorable for her.

"Let's just hope that she will eventually let you leave Shayla Kingdom. Since you are also one of Lord Kieran's people now, I doubt that it would be easy for her to convince you to stay."

Iris turned her head and looked at Ricci, feeling confused. Since when did she become one of the demon lord's people?

"Is this because he gave me a magical bow? I could return it to him if he wishes to have it back." She asked.

It was Ricci's turn to be confused this time. She looked at Iris as if she couldn't fathom what she was even saying. After a few moments, it dawned to the fae that Iris had no idea that Lord Kieran had blessed her.

"I'm sorry, Lady Iris. This one has made a slip of the tongue."

"You aren't telling me what it is, Miss Ricci. Why would you say that I'm one of Lord Kieran's people now?" Iris refused to let it off. She had a feeling that whatever it was, she wasn't given a chance to decide at all.

Ricci hesitated, but seeing how serious Iris was, she took a deep breath and rubbed her temple.

"I thought you already knew, since Lord Kieran had asked you to join them to fight the Night Critters. Even Master Cal and Master Yuri are both curious as to why our lord would bless you with his protection. From the moment we saw you in Calaren Town, we've sensed Lord Kieran's magic embedded in you. It's some sort of claim that whoever harms you would be offending Lord Kieran himself."

Iris opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out from it. Was it his repayment for her saving him during their first encounter in the woods? Still, wouldn't this also mean she would be targeted by his enemies just because she was associated with him somehow?

"But why would he bless you, Iris? Have you met him before?" Amelia asked. When she saw Iris's reaction, she then remembered Iris's suspicious actions in the woods two weeks before the Selection Day took place.

"I did Lord Kieran a favor, but I swear I didn't know who he was back then. I just didn't expect that he would try to compensate me because of it."

"But why do you look surprised, Miss Ricci?" Chrysanthe asked curiously.

Ricci wasn't able to answer her immediately as she struggled to find the right words to explain the situation. She didn't want to humiliate or put her lord in an awkward situation, but she couldn't lie to Iris and her friends either.

"Because it has never happened before. I mean…Lord Kieran has never bestowed his protection on anyone here in Asnar, so it came as a surprise to us that he'd blessed a human magus."

Iris wanted to ask Ricci more questions, but she didn't have the chance to do so when the carriage suddenly pulled to a stop and a horn was blown somewhere. She looked outside, but the fog became thicker as they went deeper into Asnar.

"We're about to enter Silver City, ladies. Please brace yourselves. You might experience some discomfort as we pass the portal." Ricci said once she saw a large dark portal at the end of the road.