"Queen Adaora requests your presence."

"Oh." JiYeong tucked a stray hair behind her ear, looking down at her boots. She was dressed in her normal clothes; leggings and a tunic. She was supposed to be training with Mathieu, but there were suspicions of Faerie spies nearing the border of Whitewall and Mathieu had gone to investigate. In order to avoid Mathieu doubling her training again she’d taken the time to train by herself. "I should probably change then, huh?"

Shiloh smiled, gesturing for JiYeong to follow her. Taking that as a yes, JiYeong swallowed a groan and followed the Sylph back to her room. Once there she stood off to the side while Shiloh rummaged in her closet, pulling out a simple dark blue dress. It reminded JiYeong of Mathieu's eyes, and by the look on Shiloh's face, the Sylph had done it on purpose.

"He's not even here to see it." JiYeong grumbled as Shiloh helped her undress. The Sylph simply smiled, helping JiYeong into her dress. Once she tied the ribbon in her hair, she tucked a stray lock behind JiYeong's ear.

"Do you wish he were here?"

"Who?"

"Lord Mathieu."

JiYeong's face turned red and she turned away. "It doesn't matter. He's probably busy doing whatever it is Lord Knights do and not thinking about me."

Shiloh offered her a gentle smile. "It is alright to miss him. I'm sure he misses you as well."

JiYeong slipped on her shoes with a sigh. This was part of the reason she'd been so apprehensive about starting anything with him. It was incredibly hard not to worry about him when they were separated. "I feel silly." She said as she followed Shiloh out of the room. "Worrying about him when he's literally doing his job."

"Worrying about the person you love is a normal thing. Especially in your line of work, I am sure there will be plenty of worrying to go around."

"I don't lov--"

"Queen Adaora is waiting inside."

JiYeong frowned at Shiloh's grin but grumbled a "thank you" anyway before pushing into the dining hall where the Queen was waiting. She offered an awkward courtesy.

"Ahh JiYeong please, sit." Adaora smiled once she noticed JiYeong standing near the door. She waited for JiYeong to sit at the place set for her before saying, "How is training going? Is everything well? I admittedly do not know much about our training regimes, and Mathieu doesn't share much more than necessary. A trait, I'm afraid, he's picked up from me."

"Training is going well. Mathieu is a bit of a taskmaster but I'm getting back into shape quickly because of it." JiYeong laughed a bit.

"Ah yes, I've heard many say how focused my son is. That is the reason he rose in ranks so quickly. Once he sets his mind to something he is loyal wholeheartedly, and accepts nothing but the best."

The two paused as their food was brought in. Adaora thanked Shiloh with a smile and picked up her tea, taking a sip and looking at JiYeong.

It was that look she'd gotten used to seeing from both Prince's, and unsettled JiYeong.

"How are you feeling, JiYeong?" Adaora asked, looking at JiYeong. She held her tea cup in her hands. "I can't imagine what it must feel like, being pulled from your home and asked to participate in something outside of your comfort zone."

JiYeong froze. The way Queen Adaora worded that question, she had to know about JiYeong's origins. How could she not?

"Siniupo is vastly different from Whitewall." Adaora continued. "I know you've spent quite some time travelling in our Kingdom when the need arises but Siniupo is home, right? There is nothing quite like it."

"R-right." JiYeong took a deep breath, trying to push her nerves away. She ate a bit of her food before saying, "It was hard to adjust at first but Shiloh and everyone has helped me learn so much. Even Prince Piers has taught me some things, though I don't think he's aware of that."

"Yes, I've heard all about your library visits."

"You know about that?" JiYeong couldn't keep the surprise out of her voice, drawing a laugh from Adaora.

"I do. There isn't much that happens in this castle that I am not aware of. Truthfully, I am glad you are getting along with my sons. Both are great men, but neither are the best when it comes to forming relationships. The fact that both have grown fond of you, in one way or another, gives me some peace of mind."

JiYeong couldn't help the blush that stained her cheeks. Of course Adaora would know about her and Mathieu. Actually, she wouldn't be surprised if Mathieu told her himself. "So you don't mind that me and Mathieu...?"

"Oh of course not!" Adaora reached across the table to place her hand on JiYeong's, a gentle smile on her lips. "As you can probably already tell, my youngest does not have very many relationships. I know he loves his brother and I but he is so focused on work he rarely comes to visit. He thinks it is easier to keep himself distanced in case something were to happen. For you to have worked your way into his heart, how could a mother disapprove?"

She pulled back, clapping her hands together. "Now, let’s eat. I hear Piers is looking for you and I would keep you to myself for just a while longer before one of my sons steals you away again."

Despite the fact that her heart was still pounding in her chest, JiYeong smiled, nodding at the Queen.

⚔⚔⚔

With Mathieu gone and lunch with Adaora over, Piers took the opportunity to invite JiYeong for a horseback ride, his offering coming almost immediately after hearing she hadn't had a chance to truly explore since arriving and that she was free for the day.

With the rumor of spies milling about, he’d insisted they ride in light armor, swords attached to their hips, readily available in case something were to happen. Ordinarily, JiYeong would have felt he was being too cautious but she was reminded of the Faerie that’d attacked her on the way to Whitewall and she more than willingly donned the armor.

It was taking her a bit to get used to. They hadn’t done much training with armor on yet so she wasn’t sure if she would be able to fight in it if the time came but JiYeong tried not to worry about that.

“It’s going alright. He’s less obvious about his attempts at killing me.”

Piers laughed. “Still convinced my brother is trying to kill you, Champion?”

“I really wish you’d just call me JiYeong like everyone else.”

“Well that would hardly be appropriate. I would get too comfortable with that and accidentally call you by your name in front of someone important and then where would we be? Rumors would go flying and then the future King of Criesal would have a terrible reputation. Kingdoms would collapse. Rebellions would form. I’d have to actually learn to fight.”

JiYeong was unsure how to respond to Piers outrageous comments. After a moment of silence she began laughing. “You are absolutely ridiculous, you know that? So dramatic. I highly doubt your kingdom will fall because you call me by my given name.”

“Wars have been fought for less, Champion.”

A sound of exasperation left JiYeong’s lips. “You’re being dramatic, you know.”

“I do not think I am.”

It was interesting seeing how similar Mathieu and Piers were. There were their differences, pretty big ones too. But their mannerisms were strikingly similar, and if she were to spend more time with the two brothers and their mother JiYeong was sure she would find they all shared the same traits. That was to be expected, she supposed, seeing as they were related and all.

“To answer your earlier question though, training is going well. I’m surprised at how much stuff they don’t teach once we leave basic training. Stuff that we should know.”

“I remember Mathieu commenting to Mother that future classes need to involve more than just how to swing a sword.”

“You talk to Mathieu about our training?”

“Only certain things. Not usually about you specifically. For some reason he tends to avoid talking about you, especially lately.” Piers looked at her from the corner of his eye and she felt her face start to heat up. “What a reaction. Care to explain?”

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“No.”

Piers laughed, returning his attention to the path ahead. “Rosval is a beautiful forest, isn’t it? The closer you get to Sylfelia, the more beautiful it gets. I haven't ventured that way much lately but it used to be my favorite way to spend some alone time.”

“Why does it seem to be frozen in time?” In game, the autumn colors near Blackmeadow made sense aesthetically. There was never an explanation for how it became Magicked, though.

“A fairy enchanted it a long time ago. Nobody remembers why. It was thousands of years ago. People speculate it is because she loved the colors so much and couldn’t bear to see them disappear every winter. Others say it is because she had a lover who she could only see in the autumn, so she Magicked the forest around her to never lose him. Either way, it is a beautiful place.”

JiYeong could only imagine how it would look in person. With the threat of DoHyeon there was no way she would get over there much less make it there alive.

“Maybe once all of this is over, whenever that is, you’ll get a chance to witness it in person. It truly is breathtaking.”

“Is there nowhere else like that outside of Sylfelia?”

“Any other enchanted place?” Piers tilted his head to the side, tapping his chin thoughtfully. He’d stopped holding on to the reigns of his horse minutes ago. “None that come immediately to mind. I am sure there must be others elsewhere. Maybe in places I have not visited yet.”

“Have you been to a lot of places?”

“Not as many as Mathieu has. The title of Crown Prince does not give me as much liberty to travel. I’ve been to my fair share.”

“More than most people do, probably.”

“Oh most definitely.”

The two fell quiet for a while, enjoying the ride. It was nice, doing something that wasn’t physically draining. Riding horseback was taking some getting used to but JiYeong would take it over fighting any day. Though if the ride from Obsidian to Whitewall was any indication she was going to feel this ride for days.

The peace wasn’t meant to last.

It wasn’t too long after they’d decided to head back to the castle, not wanting to get too far away. There wasn’t much longer to go, they’d only been riding for a few hours and was maybe thirty minutes away from the castle.

A rustling in the trees caught JiYeong’s attention and she looked behind them, scanning the area. Not seeing anyone, she assumed it was an animal.

Piers must have heard it too. He looked at her, a frown on his face. “Perhaps we should pick up the pace.”

JiYeong nodded in agreement.

They kicked their horses into a trot.

More rustling. Piers cursed. So it wasn’t an animal then.

“Faster?”

A whiz past their heads answered that question. An arrow lodged in the tree just ahead. JiYeong felt her stomach drop and sucked in a breath.

“Faster, Champion.”

He kicked his horse into a sprint and I followed quickly after. Had DoHyeon found us or was this a completely unrelated attack?

Whatever it was, JiYeon didn’t really want to stay to find out.

The pair were almost near the break of trees indicating they were near the castle when a sickening thud was heard. Piers cried out and then the sound of him hitting the ground reached JiYeong’s ears. His horse galloped on without him, spooked.

“Piers!” JiYeong stopped YeongGi, sliding off him and running back over to Piers. He was laying on the ground, an arrow lodged in his shoulder. There was blood pooling on the ground where he’d landed.

“Why are you stopping? Go back to the castle.”

“I’m not leaving you here!” She couldn’t believe he was actually suggesting something like that. “Can you walk?”

“Doubtful. This arrow must be poisoned, I can feel my energy draining.” He was astonishingly calm considering having just been shot. Opposite to that, JiYeong felt like panicking. “I won’t be conscious for much longer. It’d be faster if you just left me.”

“Would you stop saying that?”

“Champion. We don’t know what’s attacked us. My horse has run away too.”

YeongGi pranced nervously nearby.

“Mine hasn’t. Come on.”

Squatting down next to Piers’ good side, JiYeong wrapped his arm around her shoulder and helped him to stand. He winced. “Champion.”

“Come on.” He relented, leaning the majority of his weight against her. Before training, JiYeong wouldn’t have been able to support him. Even now it was a struggle but they made it to YeongGi quickly. The hard part was helping him onto the horse. She wasn’t strong enough to push him onto the horse by herself and he was growing too weak to pull himself up.

Finally he clenched his teeth, gripping the reins with his good arm and heaved his way onto YongGi’s saddle. That seemed to sap the rest of his energy and he slumped forward, eyes closed.

“Are you gonna make it?” JiYeong asked, worried. He was paling, his breath coming slower and slower.

“This...isn’t enough...to kill me.” He managed to get out.

“Okay don’t talk. Just get back to the castle alive.” She walked around to the front of YeongGi, grabbing his muzzle. “Make sure he gets to Whitewall safely.”

She had no idea if the horse understood her but she sent him into a gallop anyway, and he headed in the direction of the castle. Hopefully someone would see him in time.

Once she was sure Piers was a safe distance away JiYeong turned back in the direction of Rosval. Whoever was chasing them hadn’t emerged yet. What were they waiting for?

Taking a chance, JiYeong used Burst, the energy spiking around her feet. She had a hand on her sword. If he wouldn’t come out, then maybe she could outrun him.

Mind made up she turned and barely gave it a second though, sprinting full speed toward the castle. She barely got a few feet before her arm was grazed by another arrow.

Coming to a halt JiYeong let out a frustrated sigh, scanning the area around her. Nothing.

“Where are you?” She murmured, gripping the hilt of her sword. She couldn’t fight what she couldn’t see, but outrunning him was out of the question. He could keep up with her too easily.

There was the faintest breeze. JiYeong raised my sword just as another arrow sang through the air, instincts taking over. The arrow clanged against the metal of her sword and she sucked in a breath. They’re toying with me.

Somewhere in the back of her mind she remembered Shadow Ritual. There wasn’t a chance of fighting this guy up close and outrunning him was out of the question. Shadow Ritual was the logical next step.

The thought brought a new slew of problems.

Using it in game had caused headaches that were disarming in real life. To use it now... Not to mention knowing how to use it. The only thing JiYeong had to go off was her use of Surge and Burst. If she applied the same concepts then Shadow Ritual would be usable, right?

There was no time to think about it, and there wasn’t much of a choice.

If I don’t do something I’m going to die out here.

JiYeong dropped her sword, taking a deep breath. Everytime she used the move in game her eyes were forced closed so she didn’t know what it would look like. But she watched the shadow around her feet begin to swirl as she forced her energy away from her body. The shadows began to venture further away the more she focused.

As she feared, JiYeong could feel the beginnings of a headache forming, though she couldn’t tell if it was from the effort she was using or the Magick itself.

Ignoring the pain, she forced the shadows even further away. She didn’t know what she was looking for, but as the shadows began circling a spot several feet away she could feel a different energy than her own. It was strange, like an invasion of her personal space despite it being so far away.

She clenched her fist closed, the headache now full blown as the shadows began climbing up what appeared to be nothing. They circled the form and she heard a scream. A Faerie stood in the spot, bow on the ground beside him. He was trying to get out of the cyclone of shadows but couldn’t force his way past them.

Her fist tightened, as did the shadow cyclone. They engulfed his entire body, leaving no room for him to move, let alone scream. He was completely frozen.

It didn’t dawn on JiYeong that she could no longer feel his energy.

When the pain became unbearable she released her hand, letting out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. The Faerie collapsed onto the ground. She didn’t know if he was dead or just unconscious.

That didn’t matter. She was soon to follow, the shadows dissipating altogether as she hit the ground. Her head was throbbing. Every breath seemed to make it worse. JiYeong forced myself into a seated position, which proved to be a bad idea. The movement made her world tilt, and then there was nothing.

When JiYeong came to it was to see Mathieu sitting next to her on her bed. He had his eyes closed, arms folded across his chest. He looked as if he had been sleeping, though it couldn’t be comfortable.

She shifted, reaching out to grab at his sleeve. Mathieu peeked an eye open. It seemed to take him a moment to register she was awake but when he did his eyes grew wide and he sat up straighter. “You’re awake?”

He reached out to cup her cheek before running his hand across her forehead and through her hair. “How are you feeling?”

“My head isn’t killing me anymore.” When JiYeong moved to sit up he moved his hand to her shoulder, forcing her down. She gave him a questioning look. “What?”

“JiYeong you’ve been out for three days.”

“...what?”

“When YeongGi returned to the castle with my brother on his back and you nowhere to be found they sent a team of Scouts to find you. They thought you were dead. You were barely breathing. What did you do? What happened?”

“How is Piers?” Unsure herself of what happened JiYeong ignored his question.

“He’ll live. A bit beside himself that he was taken out so quickly but he’s glad you’re okay.” His hand returned to her head. “Piers told me as much as he could but he didn’t see what happened to you.”

“Have you ever heard of Shadow Ritual?”

Mathieu frowned. “No. What is that?”

“It’s a skill I used. I don’t remember learning it. Some kind of Magick.” JiYeong shifted so that she was laying against Mathieu, who wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her in closer to him.

“It took its toll on you. Not surprising though, Magick has that effect on people. I’m more concerned with the fact that you were able to use it at all without a catalyst.”

“What do you mean?”

“Have you ever noticed how all Magick users have some sort of tool? Staffs, wands and the like. Each of those tools either have catalytic stones embedded in them or weaved throughout. Those catalysts channel Magicks flow, making it possible for one to use Magick without it killing them.”

“I thought Faeries could naturally use Magick.”

“Well yes, but they still need a catalyst. Even if they are born with an affinity for Magick that doesn’t make the cost any different.” He looked down at her. “You shouldn’t have been able to use Magick at all. Your sword doesn’t have a catalyst and you weren’t trained in using Magick.”

The book JiYeong had read about Summoner’s losing their lives made sense now. Using Magick without a catalyst wasn’t supposed to be possible. And she could only imagine catalysts could only filter so much Magick before they inevitably broke or needed to be replaced. Summoning a deity would cost more than a normal Summoner had to offer.

That also explained the pain she felt using Shadow Ritual. Her body was paying the price a catalyst normally would have. What it didn’t explain was why she was able to use Magick in the first place.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

There was a small lingering headache, but it was nothing compared to what she’d felt back in the field. “I’m okay.”

He sighed, eyes closing again. “I’ve never been so afraid for someone else before, JiYeong. I don’t know what you’re doing to me. I am glad you were there though. As much as I hate that you were hurt, you saved my brother’s life.”

“I don’t think he would have been in danger if it weren’t for me. That Faerie had to have been after me.”

Mathieu clicked his tongue. “Maybe. We don’t know that for sure. Even if he was, you still saved his life. We are both grateful for that.” He leaned down, kissing her forehead before settling her back against him. “Get some more rest. You resume training tomorrow.”

“So soon?”

“You’ve already missed two days due to me being gone. Add in the three days you’ve been asleep and that’s a lot of time missed. You only have until the end of the month to get all this information in. No more missed days.”

“Fine fine.”