The Spy

Snashi's POV

"You are supposed to be in Quintessence. Are you out for a mission?"

Nash bowed his head a little upon seeing me in the entrance of the palace. He seems bothered so I decided to walk beside him.

"You know you could tell your older sister about anything," I said, and I heard him sigh. "I knew something's wrong. I'm all ears."

He stopped walking and looked at me. It was so obvious that he is having an internal debate about telling me or keeping the matter to his self. And he chose the latter.

"It is nothing."

He went straight to dad's office so I followed him. He looked at me as if he didn't want me there but he didn't say anything.

"Come in."

We both went inside. We gave respect by bowing our head before walking near his table.

"The investigator told me that you are heading back to Quintessence, it means you have significant updates about the mission that the headmistress gave you," dad said. "Tell me about it."

He didn’t speak so I glanced at him. Is he hiding something from us? He never hesitated to give us details before. He volunteered to be the spy of Guerreier in Quintessence and he has been doing it for years but it is the first time that he is acting like this.

"Say it, Nash," I said. "May it be a useful information or not."

He looked at me with a weird look that I've never seen from him before. He is begging me not to ask anything from him.

"Are you betraying Guerreier, Nashin?" Dad calmly asked. "You are not saying anything but you are ready to report to Quintessence. Change of hearts?"

"Dad," I said and shake my head. I looked at Nash and tapped his shoulder gently. "Does it bother you that much?" He sighed and nodded. "Then tell us about it. Maybe we could help a little."

He sighed once again before he speaks. "I found traces of Fenanie Rodrigo's daughter."

So she's alive.

"I just talked to a Heilsenian who's working in the palace. He said he could still see your younger sister's death, it means Fenanie's daughter is still alive. The corpse that was found is not her daughter."

Dauthinian. After they killed mom, they'll still come to us. I will never allow anyone to touch my family. I'll eliminate any Dauthinian if I need to. I need to protect my siblings.

"What traces did you see?" I asked Nash.

"Her daughter.. she's in their house in Dauthi."

Dad immediately ordered our people to gather. He sent them to Dauthi to get rid of Fenanie's daughter. I wanted to come with them but I needed to stay and talk to my brother.

"Why did you hesitate to tell us about her daughter? Did you meet her? Do you know her?"

"Do we.. do we really have to do this? What if she doesn't have intention to hurt us?"

"What if she does?" I stared at him for seconds and looked around before asking him. "You know her, didn't you?" His silence answered my question. I sit beside him and look at him in the eyes. "Whoever she is, she's a Dauthinian. They killed mom in the past. The future that our seer sees shows that Fenanie's daughter will kill Ashinaida. We are saving our sister here, Nash."

He remained silent for a couple of minutes before he stood up. He look at the sky and whispered, "I hope we are doing the right thing."

"We are," I answered.

He smiled at me and said his goodbye. He said he'll go after our people and help them find the daughter of Fenanie. But I know he won't help them. He'd rather help the girl escape.

I sighed. I know my brother too well. He must know Fenanie's daughter even before he found out that she is her daughter or else he won't be acting like this. He put his trust to the girl and believed that she won't hurt Ashinaida.

I walked down the hallway that is leading to the rooms of our servants. I went to the second door of the left wing and knocked thrice. The door opened and the man bowed down upon seeing me.

"Your highness," he greeted and opened the door completely. I walked in and sat on one of the chairs there.

"Tell me everything about the future that you've seen," I demanded. "Everything," I indicated.

“My apologies, but the king ordered to not talk about the future. You can ask him instead," he calmly said, still bowing his head.

I know the King won't tell me anything.

"Have you seen me coming down here to ask you about it? That’s why you calmly speak, as if your words and moves are scripted."

He didn’t speak. I knew it. He knows everything but he'll never say a word unless it is dad who is asking him. Do I need to torture him?

I shake my head and went out. I stopped in the end of the hallway when I see a portrait of my mother.

She's wearing a white long-sleeved dress. Her hair is neatly braided in one side and compliments her overall look, especially her crown. She has this small smile and confident eyes which screams elegance. I wonder what she'd look like if she's still alive right till this moment.

"What will you do if you are the one in this situation, mom?"

Will she hunt the one who is meant to kill Ashinaida? Or will she have another way of solving it without having anyone killed?

I guess I don't deserve to sit on the throne and be the Queen. Because a real Queen knows how to handle a situation and stand firm on her grounds. But I don't.

I want to side with Nash and leave Fenanie's daughter alone, and to save my sister from the tragic end that she'll face.

Is there no other way to make the two of them alive and prevent their death from happening too soon?

.

KRAIN’S POV

"Are we going back to Quintessence?"

Krace shook his head as he placed a cup of water in front of me. We are now in one of the restaurants here in Gelare. We spent hours walking so we decided to stop by.

"There's a possibility that Nashin will head back to Quintessence to report to my mom after he failed to get you. We can't risk our lives by going there," he said in a low voice while looking around attentively.

He’s right. He reported it first to Guerreier and now that he failed to get me, he’ll report it to Quintessence so his search will speed up. He betrayed me and he was betraying Quintessence ever since.

"As of now, we'll head to Kauma. Miss Ember Whittle could help us."

Ember Whittle. "Is she a relative? Are sure we could trust her?" I asked.

Our food arrived so we stopped talking. We started eating and when the server left, we continued our conversation.

"She's your father's older sister. Your aunt," he said, pointing me with his spoon. "She raised me and hid my real identity until now so yes, we could trust her."

After eating, I leaned to Krace’s ears, pretending to say something but I was actually covering Aru as she eats. Her existence could wake people's curiosity and we don't want that to happen.

"Am I making you uncomfortable?" I asked in a whisper when I saw Krace looking at other directions but me. "I'm sorry if I have to do this."

He looks straight into my eyes. He also leans closer and whisper, "I don't mind being uncomfortable if it means we are saving ourselves from trouble."

"I’m done," Aru said, running back to the pocket of my hoodie so I sit up straight.

"We should get going."

We both nodded and stood up. I was following Krace when a hand held my arm. I look at the hand, then up to the owner of it. I was surprised to see him but I didn’t show any change in my expression.

"Philip."

The Guerrerian that I nearly killed during the duel. What is he doing here in Gelare?

I saw Krace stopped but I motioned him to go ahead. He understands what I mean and left right away.

"Glad you remember me," he said, smiling. "I'm sorry about that day. I teased you. That was my fighting style but what I said is true. Chiena of Kauma ordered me to do it. I don’t know what for but still, sorry.”

I also don’t know why she did it but I feel betrayed. I don't need to hear explanations. I knew I could never trust her anymore.

"I am also sorry for hurting you back then."

He smiled. "I’m alive, thanks to Ember. She was sent to the hospital after saving me."

I don’t know what to say next. I honestly wanted to leave but I can’t just leave him, right?

"You're on vacation, aren't you?" He asked. "Our section won the battle so I am here. I guess you came home that’s why you’re here in Gelare?"

"Yeah," I nodded. I don’t need to tell him the details. I'll let him assume whatever he wants. "I have to go," I said. "Have fun on your vacation, Philip."

I didn’t wait for his reply and just walk away. I looked around to see Krace and I saw him standing in front of a bookstore, staring at a book. I stand beside him and curiously look at the book.

"A Dauthinian's Tale," I read the title. My eyes automatically dropped on the name of the author and my forehead creases. "Laurel Rodrigo?"

Those are last names, aren’t they?

Last name of the royal family who rules over Guerreier and the last name of my family who rules over the continent of Epiliar since like forever.

Or Laurel is really the first name of the author? But it is a Rodrigo. There’s no other Rodrigo other than my family. And the names of my ancestors are written on the history book of Epiliar, from my great grandfather up to my mom. I’ve never heard of that name.

"I've never heard of that name before," I murmured. Krace took the book and trace the embroidered name of the author.

"Because that is not the real name of the author."

I look at him as he enters the store, bringing the book with him. He pay for it before going back to me.

"You know the author?"

"I know the name."

So he knows the author? "Why did the author used that name?"

"Because she has to protect herself." He started walking so I did too. "This book will spread in no time if she used her real name. That didn't happen but.. she was killed because of this book, despite hiding in that penname."

I was caught in deep thoughts. What’s in the book that causes the life of the author? Did she wrote some secrets that could hurt someone’s reputation?

I glanced at Krace who is staring at its cover.

What kind of environment did he grew up to? I know for sure that he is trained secretly, like how his existence became a secret. More likely, he was hidden from the world, like me and my sister.

Wait.. my sister..

"Is there a possibility that my dad and sister are with Ember Whittle right now? You said she is my aunt." They must be there.

"They were there before I left for Quintessence."

My lips formed into a smile. "Really?!"

He nodded. "I went to Quintessence because your dad said you'll head there but I only heard about the news that you were killed. That's why I investigated on my own while hiding under your aunt's name."

I suddenly remembered my first days in Quintessence. So as his arrival on the night of the acquaintance party.

"I actually heard your thoughts when I went to fetch you from the admission office. I thought it was because we have the same family name, but it was actually because you are also a Dauthinian, like me."

We walk through an alley with old people so we both stay silent. For some reasons, the temperature of the air lowers so we both look at each other. We went to different directions, pretending to buy something.

The air feels weird, as if.. something bad will happen.

The people in the alley suddenly starts running. They hide everywhere so Krace and I did the same. He guided me to a restaurant and we hide there, together with the other people.

The door swung open and a tall woman stepped in. When she saw us, leaves moves in her hand, forming a sword.

Guerrerian.

She pulled a girl from the bunch of people who are trembling in fear. The girl fiercely looked at her so she asked her.

"You’re a Dauthinian?" She asked. The girl didn’t answer, receiving a slap from the woman. An old man come between them and knelt in front of the woman.

"S-she’s my daughter. I’m begging you. Don’t hurt my child. She’s a Gelarian," the man plead so the woman let go of the girl.

They're hurting people just to find me? This is so brutal! How could they hurt these innocent people? They’re that desperate?

I was about to stand when Krace held my hand. I tried to take my hand but he tightens his grip and shook his head.

"We need to stay alive, Krain. Think of this as a sacrifice for the greater good," I heard him say in my mind.

Greater good.. How can we achieve that if we can’t even do small things like protecting the innocent?

"Krain, we need to survive, remember? The moment you stand up for them, the lives of more people will be in danger."

I need to survive..

My knees weakened. I dropped my hands as I stop myself from crying.

Do they really need to suffer and become a sacrifice just so I could survive? Is it impossible to have no sacrifice at all?

The questioning of Guerrerians continued. I closed my eyes tightly as I hear the whimpers and sound of agony of the people here.

Krace holds my fist. His serious gaze softens when he saw my tears, finally making its way out of my eyes.

I kid shouted so I looked at her but closed my eyes again when a soldier from Guerreier slapped her, causing her to fall on the floor.

I was next on the line so Krace was forced to let go of my hand. He is looking at me intently, waiting for whatever I have to say.

I look at the woman who is gripping my arm. It is too tight so I flinched in pain.

"You’re a Dauthinian?"

I bravely fought with her gaze. I am looking up at her so my tears flow freely.

Anger. That's all I can feel right now. I wanted to hurt all of them for hurting the innocent Gelarian but I know I shouldn’t do that.

Krace is right. A hundred times fold of people will get hurt if I’ll be taken Guerrerians. I may not know the details now, but I have to follow what my mom said. I need to survive.

Her grip tightens as she repeats her question. "You’re a Dauthinian?"

"I’m not," I answered as I felt my heart, aching. I just denied my district. I am.. useless. Because I am powerless.

I saw how Krace sighed in relief. I'm sorry to disappoint you, Krace, but I will protect the people of Epiliar, even if I am.. not that strong to do it.

"I’m not letting you hurt the innocent people," I said with gritted teeth. "Why are making a commotion here just to find a Dauthinian? Trespassing in the territory of other district and hurting their people is against the law of Epiliar," I bravely said.

The woman raised her hand to slap me but before it landed on my cheek, a hand stopped it halfway.

"Krace," I whispered in surprise. I didn't expect him to jump into the scene. I thought he'll just play safe.

"You can't hurt anyone, with or without valid reason." He let go of her hand. "We are students from Quintessence who are enjoying our vacation, and we didn't expect to meet the welcoming committee here," he sarcastically said before helping me up.

"Gelarian," the woman murmured, taking aback with what she heard.

"Kaumanian," Krace corrected. "If you don't want this to reach the ruler of our continent, kindly leave in peace while we are asking you nicely."

They throw us angry gazes before they left the place one by one. After they left, Krace pulled me to the other exit as we head for Capitel.

"Dauthinian," I said. Krace look back at me.

"We are not Gelarian nor Kaumanian, like what you claimed," I clarified. "We are Dauthinian."

And we are born to protect the people of Epiliar even if we are not that strong. Well, not yet.

...