Chapter 35

"Your highness, though I am a powerful mage, I'm afraid necromancy is not my area of expertise. I suggest you consult a warlock on the matter."

"Enough with the unpleasant jokes, Lindina." He grumbled with a threatening scowl.

Glad to see he hasn't changed one bit. Crown prince Kazein and I attended the imperial academy together when we were younger. Although he was a bit of an oddball, I insisted on staying close to him for the sole purpose of teasing him. However, it was quite difficult to actually become friends since he hardly ever spoke, and always had his head buried in a book. 

"I thought you were just an annoying brat who can't keep her mouth shut. But this is crossing the line, Lindina."

The very first time he spoke my name was when I concocted the brilliant idea of playing a prank on him. I flung a fake rubbered lizard inside his drinking cup, which startled him and, as a result, caused him to spill his drink all over his uniform. My actions quickly backfired when  he sternly warned me to never approach or speak to him ever again.

"Your highness, the lizard…"

Oops! I messed up!

"I-I meant to say that I have done all I could for her, but I'm afraid we are too late. I dressed her wounds and gave her some sedatives and antibiotics, but that is all. The rest is entirely up to her."

He buried his face in his hands as he let out a loud sigh. He appeared to be troubled by the sad news. The atmosphere suddenly became gloomier than when I first walked in. Who in the world is the girl? She managed to draw out so many reactions from the emotionless tyrant. I am dying with curiosity.

Hm? Something is glowing on her arm. Oh! A crescent moon inside a circle of stars. It's sparkling a soft white light. Hold on a moment-could she be a Sant?

++++++ 

~Somewhere in the sticks of Ipera

"Papa! Papa! Look! A dead body is flowing downstream!"

"Munoh! Take those herbs to your mother right this instant! I won't say it a third time!"

From the severity of the wounds, it's safe to assume that this man has been fighting before he eventually fell into the river. He's not dead yet, but if I don't treat him soon, he may not survive the night. He looks too young to be a knight, and I don't recognize his uniform. *sigh* I can't take him to my home, but I can't leave him here either, lest these hungry predators feast on him throughout the night.

"I'll carry him."

"Oh, hey Micksen, what brings you here?"

Micksen is one of the strongest warriors in our village and also a skilled hunter. I'm sure he can easily haul him but I don't know where to put him.

"I was on my way back home from my last hunt for the day, and I saw you staring intently at a corpse. So, I decided to offer my help. Was he a friend of yours?"

He was carrying a clump of livestock with a rope hanging off his shoulder. Yet he did not seem tired at all. How I envy the young and strong…

"He's just unconscious for now. Though badly hurt. I was pondering on whether I should take him to my home, or somewhere else to administer his treatment."

"You can take him to my house."

Though he lives alone, now that his parents have passed away from an unknown illness, I don't want to expose him to any danger. Who knows what kind of person this young lad may turn out to be?

"It's alright Mick, I don't want to trouble you with my problems." I responded with a chuckle.

"Think of it as me returning the favor. I will never forget what you did for my parents when they were alive. That is why I will always be at your service, sir Carlo."

"Alright, you convinced me, kiddo. Let's take him."  

+++++

"I knew it! There was no other way to explain the mark on her arm."

"Keep your voice down, Lindina." He said with a sigh.

"Right."

"Your highness, I have an idea. As the most powerful mage in all of Alkaraz, and your friend who is not just an acquaintance. I am delighted to tell you that-"

"Get to the point!" he interrupted my rambling with an icy glare.

Scary!

"Take your index finger like so and lightly tap her glowing mark."

"And what will that achieve?" he responded distrustfully as he quickly withdrew his hand from my grasp.

"If my speculation is correct, you will fall into a trance and enter her consciousness. Once there, you two can have a nice long conversation in which you can convince her to come back."

I felt it when I was patching up her wounds. This poor girl has just experienced something very traumatic, to where she no longer has the will to live. I could barely hold my tears as her despair flowed through me. I don't know who she is, but I hope she takes his hand and grants herself one more chance. Although…I don't know if the crown prince is the right candidate for such an important task.

"How about it, your highness? Will you be able to save her life?"

"If this hurts her in any way, I will make you pay, Lindina." He said before proceeding to tap his finger on her mark.

I was right. He would have fallen off his chair, had his knights not caught him in time. And now, we wait.

+++++

Where am I? Based on the ruffling noise around me, I'd say this is a forest. It was so dark that I could hardly see anything. However, my feet felt as though they were being guided by someone other than me. It was cold, damp, and, above all, lonely. Is this what sadness and despair feel like? 

"Huh? Where is this water coming from?"

I, who have not cried ever since I was a child, am now breaking down. I could not dry the tears, no matter how many times I rubbed my eyes. Then I heard a crying voice echoing in the air. Suddenly, my feet dashed forward towards a small beam of light ahead that kept getting bigger the closer I got to it. Next thing I knew, I was in a vast green valley on top of a hill. Fati was standing on the edge of the cliff, sobbing and mumbling something I could not understand. The strong wind ruffled through her long silver hair as she took a step forward.

"Fati! Wait!" I shouted.

She jolted and slowly turned her head around. She was crying, and somehow, I could feel her emotions flowing all around us. It wasn't just pain I saw on her face, but despair. Her eyes weren't glistening like they used to. They were lifeless. She forced a smile on her face, then turned around and raised her foot to take another step forward. If I don't do something, she will fall to her death. She seems to be responsive to my voice, which means I should be able to use my powers on her.

"Turn around, and come to me, Fatima."

With 'command', I can manipulate any living being within a certain perimeter. Like the relationship between magnet and iron, or that of a chess piece and its player, I can effortlessly override their will with my own. A terrifying ability that had always felt like a curse to me more than a blessing. 

"Your highness." She called in a shaky voice while trudging towards me.

When I tried to take a step forward, the scenery suddenly changed, and we found ourselves teleported into a forest. I was standing in front of a small cave where Fati was sitting on the ground inside it with her head slumped on her lap.

"Princess…"

"Don't call me that!" she shouted in a quavering tone.

"Please go away. I want to be alone." 

Taking her stubbornness into account, I can foresee an argument ensuing soon. Keep calm Nathan. She's already agitated, so it would be best to appease her rather than bicker with her. 

"How shameless of you to push me away after deceiving me all this time. The least you could do right now is apologize to me, and I will debate on whether I can forgive or punish you."

Okay, that came out completely different from the way it sounded in my head. Let's try this again in a more polite way.

"I'm sorry, your highness."

"Wait! I didn't mean to-"

"You have every right to scorn me as I brazenly lied to you all this time. I truly am a terrible person. No wonder my sister sought to destroy me. I deserve to die. It is the only way to blot out this pain I am feeling right now."

I am hopeless. Instead of dissuading her, I only made matters worse. She was wailing so much that she started wheezing. Her emotions were already starting to consume her.

"Fati, listen to me."

Oh dear, she's not stopping. What should I say? Uuuhhh… come on brain, work! This is a crucial moment.

"May I come in?"

"What?"