Chapter 13: Blood and Water

Luthera Revena

I have been picking at my food since we sat down for dinner. I can hear mother and father speaking but I really can't summon the will to engage in whatever conversation they are having. All of my thoughts have been unable to leave Finn since he ventured to the Blue Mist Lake. The logical part of my mind knows he has likely been on dangerous exploits like this before but the rest of me can't help but worry, even with my instruction to Juno to watch over him.

My eyes always seem to find a way back to the mark on my wrist. I keep trying to feel what he might be feeling but every hum from the mark feels muffled and hazy, almost like trying to navigate through thick fog.

"Luthera…" My mother's voice snaps me back into the waking world.

"Pardon." I recover quickly, looking up to meet my parent's concerned faces.

"Are you alright?" Mother asks, leaning forward to take a better look at me. "You haven't been yourself since you arrived."

"I'm just worried about Finn." I decide to stick with a response as close to the truth as possible but I don't elaborate further.

Father offers a warm smile. "Our kingdom is as peaceful as kingdoms come. Prince Finnan has no cause for concerns during his exploration."

I fight back a frown that so desperately tries to inch its way onto my face. If it's so peaceful then why are aberrations of magic only useful for violence being created within our borders.

Allegedly…

I won't know for sure until Finn returns with whatever he has managed to find out.

"Of course, you are right, father." I force a smile.

"You appear to have grown fond of him." Mother changes to topic, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"We know our situation isn't ideal." I reason, ignoring the teasing tone in my mother's voice. "But we are making due with the hand we have been given. He has been good to me."

"We're glad to hear it Luthera." Father raises his cup to me. "To both of your good health."

"And to our many grandchildren." Mother chimes in, also raising our glass.

Normally I would be flustered by such a statement but given the relentless teasing by Gertrude and Finn's mother, mother's light jest isn't so bad. Though the look in her eyes tells me that is at least partly serious. In any case, her words draw a hearty laugh from my father and a light scoff from me.

"You sound like Finn's mother." I take a sip from my cup.

Mother laughs some more before her expression morphs into something more stern.

"Your being treated well in Kamrion?" Mother's tone has lost all of its levity as her face melts into genuine concern. "Because if somehow you do not feel welcome I can speak with Queen Samantha…"

"No, mother." I stop her, reaching over and gently placing my hand over hers, the ring she gave me glistening in the light of the midday sun beaming in from the windows. "Everyone has been very welcoming. As I have said, Finn is good to me. The Queen treats me as her own and Gertrude has already taken to calling me sister."

A genuine smile spreads across her face. "Princess Gertrude has wanted a sister ever since she was a girl. I'm glad you are being treated well. You would tell us if there was anything wrong, wouldn't you dear?"

I can't help but glance at my father who also appears to be curious about my answer. Knowing I can't tell them the truth, not with so much at stake, I force another smile.

"Of course, mother."

We sit in idle chatter for a little while longer until a servant quietly enters the room, bowing to each of us before politely speaking.

"My king, my queen, my princess. Prince Finnian of Kamrion has just arrived." He announces.

I resist the urge to jump to my feet, keeping my expression and posture schooled. There are so many questions racing through my mind; did he find anything? If so then what did he find? Is he harmed?

All those questions are put on hold as father speaks up. "Please see him in. He must be famished."

The servant bows before swiftly exiting back the way he came in, leaving the door slightly ajar. A few moments later the door swings open, two guards holding the doors open as a voice loudly announces the new arrival.

"Prince Finnian Northguard I of Kamrion, wie…."

"Not necessary." Finn's voice cuts the announcer off.

He sounds so exhausted.

As he walks in I can see the slouch in his shoulders, the ever so slight shake in his hands and the way he is almost dragging his legs. All these things are small, very difficult to notice unless you were actively searching for them.

"Never one for formalities, were you?" Father jests, raising to greet Finn.

Finn's steps falter as father speaks. The dark grey of his eyes seems to grow just a little bit darker as he eyes my father wearily. The mark on my wrist burns so much I almost wince, feeling the waves of intense emotions bubble from him. I don't like that look in his eyes, not one bit. Quickly getting to my feet, blurting out the first thing I know will get his attention.

"I hope you enjoyed the sites our kingdom has to offer, dear." I hope it is enough to break him out of whatever thoughts seem to be clouding his mind.

His eyes immediately meet mine, the storm behind them subsiding into surprise and a little confusion. I reach out through the mark and with my eyes, willing him to put whatever he is thinking aside until we can discuss it alone.

"I did indeed… dear?" It comes out as a question as he raises a curious eyebrow at me.

Mom seems to love it though, cooing at the two of us. "Oh, how lovely."

Finn's eyes return to my father before he offers a small bow to him, then my mother. "King Tristan, Queen Portia."

"Finn, please join us." Father's voice is friendly and inviting.

"Oh I would love to." Finn's smile is as forced as I've ever seen it but perhaps the only reason I can tell is because I've seen what his real smile looks like. "But I'm afraid I'm rather tired, I'm sure we could have our time to catch up with each other later."

Noticing the look, he sends my way, I stand. "You do seem tired. Mother, father, I think it best I show him to our quarters so he can get some rest."

"Of course."

"Certainly."

"Thank you." I offer a light bow of my head before making my way over to Finn and hooking my arm into his. "Shall we?"

The moment he nods I begin dragging him through the palace. He doesn't say a word as we go through the elegantly styled corridors. The white stone wall decorated with beautifully patterned blue drapes gives the palace a sort of vibrant energy that is missing in Kamrion's black and gold halls.

We make it to my room, or perhaps I should call it our room now. Firion squawks happily in the corner upon seeing me, I offer him a brief smile. I untangle my arm from his before looking over him carefully.

"Are you hurt?" I have to resist the urge to reach out and physically check for injuries.

"Just a bit bruised." He assures me. "I ended up using quite a bit more of my magic than I thought I would."

I feel my eyebrows crease in worry, remembering what he told me happens when someone from Kamrion overuses their magic. "What could you have been doing that required you to use so much magic?"

He looks away, looking a little abashed. "I… may have almost brought down a cave."

I stare at him for a few moments, sensing that there is a little more to it.

"You…"

"While I was still inside."

My mouth snaps closed as my eyes narrow at him, a strange anger bubbling in my chest.

"Of all the irresponsible…" I can't find anyway to finish that statement, my disbelief still making it difficult to think clearly.

"I was in a tight predicament and I didn't have many other options available to me." He tries to reason.

If anything his response stokes the fire in my chest even more. "And in all your wisdom you decided the best of your few options was to bring down a cave on top of yourself?"

He winces, looking away again. I feel heavily tempted to give him a lecture but I bite my tongue, wearily walking over to my bed before sitting down.

"Tell me what happened. Everything, from the beginning."

A wave of sympathy and maybe a hint of regret soothes down some of my anger as he pulls the chair from my desk and sits down, facing me. He does look truly exhausted. From the point we separated on the main road, he explains what happened to him afterwards. He explains the peculiar and most likely magic nature of the blue mist surrounding the lake, his journey into the caves and his fight with its occupants.

When he reaches the part about his fight with the two people in the cave along with their caged creatures I have to stop him.

"Necromancy? Finn are you sure?" I can't keep the disbelief out of my voice.

"I know what Necromancy feels like, Luthera." His voice is so serious and cold it actually scares me. "It's a magic unlike any other, devoid of life, corrupting, tainted. There are many things I am uncertain of but this is not one of them."

His gaze is piercing and stern, his stormy eyes almost crackling in their intensity.

"I believe you. I didn't mean to imply I didn't. It's just…"

"A lot to take in." He supplies for me, nodding in understanding.

He finishes his retelling of the story, about the assortment of mutant creatures being held in the cage and how he ended up caving the cave roof down above them to escape. I fiddle with the rings on my fingers, my thoughts spiralling out of control.

"Necromancy and unnatural mutation, all happening in the place I call home. Right under my father's nose."

The way Finn looks away after I speak is subtle but it's unlike him. I feel my eyes narrow as I stand up and approach, looking down to his sitting form.

"There is something else." I don't bother phrasing it as a question, I already know there is.

"It's just something the woman, Kiera said." He tries to play it off like it's of no importance. "It may have just been her attempting to catch me off guard, she seems the crafty type."

"All the same, I want to know." I insist.

"Luthera…" He sighs, looking much older than he actually is. "Hearing it won't do you any good."

I stamp down my frustration at his insistent refusal to share the details, knowing that getting snippy will get us nowhere.

"Finn, we agreed to work together. I have placed my trust in you twice now." I keep my voice even and civil, slipping back into the formality I had when we first met. "Is it so much to ask that you trust me too?"

He finally turns to look at me, a lost look in his eyes. He sighs, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"She implied that your father is aware of what was happening at the blue mist lake. She might have even been implying that he is directly involved."

I lump forms in my throat so quickly I almost choke on it. Ice runs through my chest, it' hard to breathe. No, no.

No.

That's not possible. Finn is looking at me, worried, as if I am seconds away from bursting into flames. In his defence, I might as well be. Every fibre of my very being is screaming at me to protest, to scream at him that what he is saying is impossible, that the harlot who spoke these words was obviously lying.

But… I am the one who pushed him to say it, he wasn't going to.

"Do…" I cough, choking on my own words. Finn immediately bolts to his feet and rests a gentle hand on my arm. "Do you believe it is true?"

He is visibly surprised by my question, his grey eyes widening slightly and his mouth hanging a little open. He composes himself quickly, reaching into his coat and pulling out several folded pieces of parchment.

"I don't know." He answers and it's the truth. "I managed to pick these up before I left, perhaps you can make more sense out of them than I can."

Gingerly, I take the parchments from him and turn away as I begin going over them. They are definitely correspondences for items to be delivered, by themselves nothing too out of the ordinary but the items in question…

Basilisk blood? Wendigo horns? All difficult to come by and very costly materials.

"Alchemic materials." I conclude out loud as I keep reading through. "I remember reading about them in one of our library books when I was younger. Thaegon makes a good catalogue of the unique properties of such materials and how they can be used."

Which would explain why Queen Clementina's signature is on all of these correspondences. What is curious though is the Merridor signature, my knowledge of Necromancy isn't as extensive, however from what I recall they don't require most of these materials.

"I figured as much." Finn affirms.

My eyes land on one item that stands out from all the rest.

"Dragon's eggshell?"

That can't be right.

"What about them?" Finn asks.

"What do you know about dragon's?" I fold the papers and turn back to face him.

"Admittedly not much, they haven't been around for a long time."

"Indeed." I nod. "My ancestors used to help mother dragons hatch their eggs. Father used to take me down to the vaults to see the remains of the eggshells from the past ages."

"Your ancestors could commune with the dragons as well?" He sounds impressed. It makes sense though, given the reputation of dragons that has all but faded into legends.

I turn to fully look at him, he does seem genuinely interested. "A few of them could. It was a rare gift, even among our family. But those select few people in my family were the only people the dragons trusted enough to have near their eggs."

A look of slow realization dawned on his face. "Meaning your family's vault is the only place one would be able to find dragon eggshells."

"Yes." I nod again, my heart feeling like it is sinking into my core. "There is no doubt that Illis is involved but… there is no evidence in these papers that proves my father is directly involved himself. I can't believe that he is until I see it."

"Luthera…"

"Just…" I interrupt but keep myself from raising my voice. "Kai and Gertrude are looking for information as well, if they find something that implicates my father's involvement I will accept it but I need to see proof."

Finn's eyes soften and he appears to finally relent. "That's reasonable."

"Thank you." The words come out of my mouth like a strained breath, the weight of everything we are discovering bearing down on me.

"Besides you, your father and you mother, who else has access to the vault?" He asks.

"A few of my father's advisors and the generals."

"We'll start with them."

It's a compromise, something we can do while we wait to see if my father is indeed trying to sabotage one of his oldest friends. Though I am grateful for the compromise I can't hold back the rapid torrents of distress weighing down my shoulders. Finn seems to sense it too, eyeing me with concern filled eyes.

He offers a smile which is somehow equal parts cheeky and comforting.

"I know Illis is all about peace and meditation and all that sort of thing but you must have a training area of some kind for your knights."

I quirk a curious eyebrow at him, answering his question slowly. "Indeed we do."

He claps his hands, gently taking my arm. "Marvellous, then let us be on our way there."

I'm so stunned I end up not putting up any sort of resistance as he gently tugs me out of the room.

"W-wait… why?" I blurt out.

"I'm going to teach you how to use a sword." He replies easily without missing a beat. "From what I've seen you desperately need it."

The situation is so absurd I actually find myself laughing. "Finn, you're taking us the wrong way."

He stops, turning back to me, his cheeky smile still firmly planted on his face. "Please lead the way then.

Shaking my head at his antics, I begin leading us down the correct route to the training area. Honestly, I have no desire to learn how to use a sword, but his enthusiasm is actually quite contagious.

The training area is unsurprisingly empty. Practice swords neatly arranged along a rack next to a few straw dummies. Finn releases my arm before taking two of the wooden practice swords, swinging them a few times.

"Fine craftsmanship." He comments offhandedly. "Catch."

He tosses one of the swords towards me. In my surprise I fumble gracelessly with the practice sword just before dropping it. I look up and narrow my eye at him when I hear him snickering.

"It would appear you find the idea of sleeping in the stables quite appealing."

He raises his hands in surrender but the amusement on his face is still ever so present. "My apologies, dear."

"You don't seem very apologetic." I slowly make my way over to him.

"Believe me, if you had seen things from my perspective you would find it amusing too." He offers before lowering his head in a small bow. "Still, it is unbecoming of a man to find amusement in the inherent clumsiness of his wife, please forgive me, dearest."

I try to hide my laugh under a scoff as I swat him lightly on the shoulder, I am married to an idiot. "I'm not clumsy, you just surprised me."

"Of course." His smile widens. "You once told me that you had never held a sword or dagger in your life, correct?"

I nod my head. "Mother said it was unladylike to wield a sword. Something about the pen being mightier that the sword."

"A sword will do you much better than a pen when facing down a bandit with a blade at your throat." He counters evenly. "Unless you stabbed the bandit in the eye with the pen of course."

I can't hold back a wince, the image of our encounter along the borders of Merridor flooding back into my mind.

"Luthera?" Finn steps closer, his eyes softening in concern.

"I'm alright." It's a lie and he likely knows it but I continue, hoping he will ignore it. "What are you going to show me first?"

He doesn't look convinced but he backs off, easily twirling the practice sword in his hands. "The basics, let's make sure you know how to properly stand and hold a sword."

Slowly he guides me through the basics; how far apart to keep my legs, the proper grip for the sword and a few practice motions to loosen up my wrist. I scold myself for how long it takes me to grasp what are essentially the first steps but Finn is a surprisingly patient teacher. He points out what I could do better without ever once looking impatient or annoyed.

Eventually I am able to perform a basic 5 step combination of motions that apparently every knight in Kamrion knows by heart. 5 Quick and easy attacks ending with a step back to create distance. After repeating it a few times Finn claps his hands softly.

"You actually got that rather quickly." He admits, sounding genuinely impressed. "I've trained with a few of the Vanguard who didn't grasp this so quickly."

Feeling a sly smile tug at my lips I twirl the sword like I saw him do earlier, only with nowhere near as much finesse. "Perhaps I will even be able to best you some day."

He lets out a genuine laugh, amused rather than mean-spirited. "That may take you a good long while. I've been practicing most of my life."

"Then you should have nothing to worry about." I raise the sword, falling into the stance he just taught me.

He quirks an eyebrow at me, a smirk growing on his face as he places his offhand behind his back, raising his sword hand to meet mine.

"Whenever you are ready, my dearest."

Charging forward, I perform the 5 step combination I have just learned. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that he effortlessly deflects each of my strikes to the side. I try again, this time doing it quicker and with more force, the muscles in my arms and shoulders aching.

"The combination is only a basis." He explains calmly. "You don't have to perform all the moves in the exact order I taught you, fighting is about being unpredictable, making the other person question what you are going to do next. In that moment when they are trying figure out your approach, that moment of uncertainty or hesitation, that is the moment you are trying to create. That is the moment you strike."

His words sink in as I back off, my breathing ragged while he doesn't even appear winded. Taking his advice into consideration, I rush forwards and through the five moves in random orders, occasionally throwing a few clumsily executed improvised moves. My movements grow sloppier and less coordinated with each attack but at least now he appears to be putting more effort into defending himself, if only just a little bit.

"That's better." He nods. "But you're still being too predictable. Play to your strengths, thus far you've been playing into mine."

As the words leave his mouth a thought pops into my head. I glance upwards, spotting a flock of sparrows above our head.

Focussing, I allow my magic to reach out to them. It doesn't take long for them to get my message. I take a step back, ignoring the way my muscles are begging for me to stop. Finn eyes me curiously until a sparrow whizzes by his face, startling him. Another follows, then another, and another.

Finn raises his hands to try to keep the birds at bay and that is when I rush forward. With the sparrows harassing him I should be able to land a hit.

Oh how wrong I was.

Finn all but vanishes from my sight, my eyes barely able to keep up as I feel him brush past me, knocking me back. The practice sword falls from my hand as I brace myself to meet the ground until a strong pair of arms grab me from behind. Finn is chuckling as he helps me back to my feet.

"You almost had me there." He admits, I turn to look up at him. "That was unexpected, good. You learn quickly. I actually had to use some of my own magic there."

Feeling my eyebrow crease, I look down to his hand which is shaking slightly. "You shouldn't have; you've used a lot already. No more magic until you have recovered, understood."

His eyes widen, probably by the tone of my voice. Admittedly, I am also surprised by how much authority comes out of it.

"Understood." Finn nods, smiling down at me, that infectious and easy smile. "I didn't know you cared so much for my wellbeing."

"Well, one of us has to. Seeing as you seem adamant not to."

"My Princess!"

A voice cuts our banter short just as it looks like he is about to respond with another witty remark.

One of my handmaids, Ira, runs up to us, clearly winded. A cast a curious glance at Finn who appears equally as confused. Ira takes a moment to catch her breath and I let her, it seems she has been running around to find me for quite a while.

"Ira, catch your breath first" I reach out, gently placing a hand on her arm when she attempts to speak.

"My princess, Prince Finnian. My apologies for disturbing you." She bows to us, her breathing finally settling. "There are visitors, a man with a child, they are requesting to see you. Both of you."

"It seems odd that a random visitor would be granted a direct audience with the princess." Finn's voice is filled with suspicion. I can't deny that I too find it odd. "Does the king know they are here?"

"No, Ser." Ira shakes her head. "He claims to be here concerning a matter that should reach the two of you and no one else. The visitor and child possess the robes of Kamrion's Vanguard."

Finn and I share a look. The Vanguard? Surely that means whoever it is was sent by Kai. All the Vanguard answer directly to him. But why are they with a child?

Finn spares me a weary glance; to which I respond with a gentle nod. Finn appears to ponder it for a moment before nodding back.

"Are you certain the king and queen are unaware of their presence here?" Finn asks, voice even and non-threatening.

Ira nods her head. "Yes, Ser."

"Good, escort them to my private study in the library. See to it that no one else is aware of their presence. Not the king, not the… queen, no one."

I can feel Finn send me a concerned look when I hesitate over the word 'queen'. The thought of going behind my mother's back actually hurts more than my suspicions surrounding father. Ira looks uncertain and perhaps a little apprehensive.

"Please Ira, this is important. No one can know they are here before we speak to them." I implore.

Ira visibly swallows but bows her head. "It will be done, my princess."

Ira quickly makes her way out of the training area. I turn to Finn whose features are tensed in concentration, his eyes boring a whole into the ground below us. Gingerly, I reach out, taking his hand in mine, getting his attention.

"We should get to my study, wouldn't want to keep our guests waiting."

He looks down at our joint hands, nodding before responding with a gentle squeeze. "Lead the way."

Our trip to my private study is quiet, Finn absorbed in his thoughts and myself thinking about our impending meeting. My private study was the most practical place for this meeting, only I ever go there and it is one of the few rooms on this level to have a lock. It's only when we reach the door to my study do I realise that our hands are still joined.

Evidently, Finn noticed this as well, he quickly releases my hand, murmuring a quick apology. I assure him it is alright before gently pushing open the door. Almost immediately, I feel a strange magic permeating the air. A very strange magic, somehow similar to the beast that attacked Kamrion and yet somehow so different.

Ira is standing off to the side, offering each of us a small curtsey as we enter. Just in front of my reading desk towards the far end of the room is a tall young man with brown hair, shoulders slouched in what must be exhaustion. Secured around his shoulders is indeed a Vanguard coat from Kamrion.

I can't see much of the child next to him. The child is also wearing a Vanguard clock, except she has raised the hood fully up and she has a cloth covering the lower half of her face so I can't make out any of her features. Her eyes are also firmly planted on the floor so I can't meet them. The deeper I walk into the room, the stronger the strange magic feels and now I can tell where it is coming from.

The child?

"Gregory?" Finn's voice breaks me out of my thoughts as he steps forward to meet the other man.

"Prince Finnian." Gregory bows his head towards Finn before turning to me and bowing again. "Princess Luthera."

"Ser Gregory." I greet him before turning to Ira, giving her a small smile. "That will be all for now, Ira, thank you. I will call for you when we are finished here."

Ira nods obediently before gracefully leaving the room. I follow behind her and lock the door once she is gone.

I then take my previous position at Finn's side, facing Ser Gregory and the child whose strange magic I still find unsettlingly familiar.

"I take it you bring news from Kai." Finn breaks the silence.

Upon hearing the name, the girl glances up before immediately averting her eyes to the ground again. It was brief but it was just enough for me to catch a glimpse of her eyes and there was no mistake.

They were glowing.

A rich amber glow. I choose not to say anything yet, trusting Ser Gregory will cover that in his explanation.

"Indeed I have, My Prince." Gregory nods, pulling out a stack of parchments from his robes. "With the information we gained from Princess Gertrude we were able to locate a series of tunnels under the Valley of the Cracked Scales where certain… experiments were being conducted."

I feel a sour taste build in my mouth at the mention of the word 'experiments.' I think I have a good idea of what kind of experiments were being conducted given his tone. Similar to the one Finn discovered at the Blue Mist Lake.

Finn accepts the papers and begins reading through them, his expression curious. As he goes through each parchment, his features darken, a dangerous and cold rage seeping from him with such intensity I can almost see it coming off of him in waves.

"The bastard…" Finn grits through his teeth.

Hesitantly, I try to reach out to him. "Finn…"

Abruptly, he turns to look me dead in the eye. On instinct I retract my hand and feel myself flinch away. I can safely say I have seen Finn reasonably angry but this is something else entirely. The look in his eyes isn't a fiery anger, it's a cold one, he looks like he means to hurt someone and even though I'm certain he wouldn't, for a fleeting moment an irrational part of my brain thought it might be me.

Something shifts in Finn's expression though when he sees me flinch away. Slowly, the cold fire in his gaze settles to a light simmer and he looks to the side, letting out a deep breath.

"I…" He trails off, clearly struggling to find the words. "You should read them for yourself."

He holds them out to me. I don't take them immediately, my chest growing cold. I try to ignore the shaking in my hands as I take the parchments and begin reading through them.

Oh…

The details on these missives are about our wedding day, everything needed for someone to get through Kamrion's defences. But it's the seal at the bottom, the unquestionable blue royal Illisian seal at the bottom that almost causes me to drop the paper. The shaking in my hands increases as my breath catches in my throat. I don't dare move from where I am standing, afraid of my legs giving out right under me.

I keep trying to steady my breathing but it only seems to get worse. I look up to Finn who is looking back at me, anger replaced with concern. He attempts to reach out for me but I shake my head. I force myself to take deep breaths, trying to centre myself. After what feels like far too long my legs finally feel like they can support my weight once again.

I fold the papers, handing them back to Finn, an odd numbness building in my chest.

"I suppose you were right." I can't find it in myself to put any emotion behind my voice. Not anger, not sadness, nothing.

"I wish I wasn't." He reaches out fully this time, resting a warm hand on my shoulder.

I need something else to think about. I turn back to Gregory and the child who thus far have been silent. Gregory offers a sympathetic bow of his head. My eyes fall on the child again who is still boring a hole into the floor with her eyes.

"What of the child?" I ask, not taking my eyes off of her.

Ser Gregory actually seems to flinch at the question, a nervous look overcoming him.

"We… Prince Kaius and I found her down in the tunnels where we found the letters." He shifts uncomfortably, his eyes falling on her for a brief moment. "She was one of the experiments."

Finn reacts before I do, stepping forward, eyeing the girl critically who tenses at the increased scrutiny. I share a look with Gregory who nods.

"Ai, please remove the hood." Gregory tells her gently.

Ai? A peculiar name.

In the corner of my mind I can see Finn's hand inch towards Arno. I find myself frowning, she is only a child… but then one can never be too sure.

Still…

I reach towards him and ease his hand away from his sword. He gives me a strange look before relenting. I turn back to the girl who appears to be hesitant to show what she truly looks like. Forcing myself to push aside the revelations about my father, I try to keep my voice as tender and as compassionate as I can as I address the child, Ai.

"It's alright, little one."

She hesitantly looks up to meet my eyes. Just as I thought, glowing amber.

"Y-your Luthera and Finn?" She asks, her voice quiet and apprehensive.

"We are." I nod.

"Kai told me to find you. H-He said you were good people… that you would keep me safe."

Something breaks in my heart at the terrified hope in her voice. The way her hands fiddle with her hood, visibly fighting herself to pull it down. Finn says nothing, eyeing the girl wearily.

"I promise you we will, dear." It's a surprisingly easy promise to make considering I have only just met her, but it just feels right. "You can show us what you look like, you'll face no judgement here."

Almost unconsciously, I feel my magic reach out to hers, calming her down, willing her to read my intentions and see that I mean her no harm. I wasn't sure it would work but it appears to be having the desired effect as she visibly relaxes.

It seems that was the encouragement she needed. Ai, with wobbly hands, slowly pulls back the hood. Long ashen silver hair falls down her shoulders and now the unmistakable glow of her eyes is even more pronounced. I can sense her hesitation, her magic calling out to me, telling me there is something else she is still hesitant to show.

"You don't have to show us everything. But we'll be in a better position to help you if you do." I tell her gently.

She nods slowly before unfastening the cloak. I am about to question why until a pair of black wings unravel from her back, spreading out free. A small gasp escapes my throat and for a moment I am in awe.

I've never… never seen anything like this.

Dark thoughts replace the wonderment as I realise the implication. They have been experimenting on children. My… my father participated in or at the very least was complicit in what happened to this girl and who knows how many others.

She must sense my anger, I see her flinch away, fear returning tenfold in her eyes. I release a breath, scolding myself lightly before calming myself down.

"I'm sorry, it's just… you must have been through so much." I turn to Finn who hasn't spoken for a while, eyes still firmly planted on the girl. I don't need the mark to feel the suspicion radiating from his gaze, he still seems very weary of the girl.

"Finn." I make sure to infuse some firmness into my voice. "She needs our help."

Finn doesn't respond immediately, looking the girl up and down, a slight frown on his face. "She…"

He stretches the word curiously, like he's wondering if it is the right word to use to describe her.

A hot flash of anger runs through me as I roughly grab his arm, turning him to face me. He is so caught off guard I actually manage to turn him around. His eyes are wide in surprise, staring down at me.

"Yes, She." I emphasize the word through almost gritted teeth. "She is a scared little girl who has most likely been through too much already, she is someone whom your brother saw wise to send to us, she is child who needs our help, she. Is that clear?"

There are a few heartbeats where Finn is just staring back at me. He looks equal parts shocked and impressed.

"Your… right." He nods slowly. He gently placing his hand over mine, the one that still has his arm in a vice grip, prompting me to loosed my grip. He turns back to Ai, a much softer expression on his face. "My apologies, Ai. If you are my brother's friend then you are also mine. Speaking of which… where is he now?

The way both Gregory and Ai's faces grow grim at Finn's question fills the room with something cold and anxious. I keep a close eye on Finn, seeing the way his shoulders tense and hearing his breath hitch. The mark on my wrist senses his distress, humming with a dull warmth.

Finn steps closer to them, his eyes focusing on Ai.

"That's his cloak. I thought it looked familiar." He sounds almost out of breath.

"We… encountered something else that was unexpected." Gregory speaks up, much like Finn having mostly been silent up until now. "Sky serpents. From what Ai told me, they killed the people who experimented on her. Two of them attacked us on our way out of the tunnels. Kai… Prince Kaius ordered me to take the girl and leave. I tried to argue against it but he insisted I leave and take Ai to you while he held them off."

Finn jaw visibly tenses as he lets out a humourless chuckle. "Of course he did. Always so infuriatingly noble."

"Sky serpents?" My mind finally catches up with Gregory's explanation. "They are meant to be extinct."

Perhaps yet another breed of creature brought back through the twisted arcane practices of necromancy.

"I can assure you, my princess, they were quite real."

I glance at Finn who appears lost in thought, distress painted all over his face. I step towards him, concerned

"Finn?"

He flinches almost as if struck, his hand gravitating to Arno at his side.

"My father didn't speak much about our uncle after he died." He starts speaking, each word measured. "One of the few things he did say is that when Uncle Oswald died, he felt it, he felt it through Arno. Langris had lost its owner and its other half could sense it. I felt nothing like that"

Connecting the dots, I nod, mostly to myself. "So, he's alive."

He turns towards me, somehow a small playful smirk tugging at his lips. "Two overgrown garden snakes with bird wings wouldn't be enough to kill me. I'm certain they weren't enough to kill him." The smirk is short lived, a frown returning to his face. "Which makes me wonder where he is now."

"For now let us trust he is safe." I rub his arm comfortingly, at least I hope he is. "Right now we have concerns that we must address here. We found what we could, as did Kai. Now we must wait to hear from Gertrude."

He nods, worry still in his eyes but he is able to at least return my words with a smile. I turn back to Ai, walking up to her, slowly so as not to startle her. I smile down at her.

"We must get you to my… to out quarters. I know a number of ways of getting there without being seen." I turn to Gregory, offering him a smile two. "You both must be so tired. I'll arrange food and baths for both of you. I believe we have done what we can for today."

Gregory bows a nice and formal bow. I bow my head back before turning to Ai, offering her my hand.

To my surprise she doesn't hesitate before taking it.

"Let's get you taken care of, dear."