He hasn’t changed one bit. The Jarvis I’m facing now is the same as the one I met seven years back – the child who looked up to me for helping him when his family was a wreck as fugitives from another kingdom.
I can imagine how Azriel judges us even without looking at him. He sure thinks that Jarvis loses his manners as a noble when he’s eager to meet me who seemed like a master. That this very moment, Jarvis isn’t a respected marquess, but a dog wagging his tail upon seeing his master.
Even if I want to deny the idea, this speaks of nothing else but that. Though I'm aware that Jarvis looks up to me and will do anything I'll ask, I have never seen him as a pet but as a trustworthy friend.
Part of me feels sad that we don’t see each other the same way. Even so, I’ll never understand this kind of ‘love’ he’s admitting even before.
Feelings.
It’s where people stumble. If it’s not handled properly and rules over logic, bad decisions would cause domino effect, and it’s not always fixable. How will Azriel take advantage of this situation, seeing that Jarvis’ weakness is me? Is it possible for him to use Jarvis, like using me as a threat?
Though I see Azriel as a friend, I can’t fully trust him. There’s still a possibility that Hervouet’s word is true – that Azriel’s the one who killed my father.
“Come on now, we have important things to talk about,” I stood up, finding it easier to move around in pants and boots compared to a dress. Jarvis, being considerate, allowed me to walk ahead before following behind. Azriel, showing his gentlemanly manners, stood up and pulled the chair back for me to sit.
“Finally, we’re all here and we can talk without being anxious about privacy,” On the most part, I’m referring to myself, but using ‘we’ than ‘I’ would sound less selfish.
“It’s been almost a month only but it feels like I haven’t seen you for years, forgive me for my actions. I was … carried away,” Jarvis admitted, avoiding to look at either Azriel or me. At least he's now realizing what he did.
“I can see that,” Azriel, with a serious expression on his face rather than disgust, commented while taking a sip of his tea. “The feeling of losing something valuable and then having it returned is indeed overwhelming. It's a moment that holds immense significance and cannot be replaced."
“We don’t have to make things dramatic. Let’s get to the point,” I suggested, and I can see Jarvis’ eyes saying, ‘as expected from you.’ We sure can understand each other by looking at our facial expressions alone.
"We're here today because there's a potential for a civil war," I began, delivering the news with a sense of urgency. "During my departure from Eurhyia, my carriage was ambushed by bandits. I managed to fend off most of them, but I was gravely injured. It was the second prince of the empire, Hervouet, who came to my rescue, saving me from the arrows that pierced my body." As I relayed this information, Jarvis's reaction was evident. He swallowed hard, his expression tense, and gritted his teeth in frustration.
“After being rescued, Hervouet took me to the house of his trusted acquaintances, where I was kept hidden. It became apparent that the citizens of Marrossi were unaware of the existence of alexandrite Izavenes. Hervouet revealed his true intentions to me, expressing his desire for me to become his ally due to the usefulness of my powers. His ultimate goal was to remove Azriel from the picture and claim the throne for himself, rather than his brother,” I took a sip of tea to pause, and the two men remained silent, waiting for me to continue.
“To ensure my compliance, he threatened to expose my role in decimating a significant portion of their army during the recent war between Marrossi and Eurhyia, which would lead to my execution. Reluctantly, I accepted his deal, although my loyalty to him is non-existent. It is not difficult for me to eliminate him with my own hands, but I refrained from doing so in order to delve deeper into the situation. When we meet again, I intend to gather more information and strategically leak it to further my own plans.”
"Why are you involving yourself in this? It won't benefit you or Eurhyia in any way. You could simply return to home." Jarvis exclaimed, his tone rising. I shot him a stern glare, making it clear that he was not in a position to question my decisions.
Azriel proceeded to enlighten us about the significance of an Izavene's ring. “If the ring is stolen or removed, the Izavene will turn to ashes, and their existence will be forgotten. The ring, although left behind, holds the power within it, but it cannot be utilized by another person. Alexandrite Izavenes possess the ability to create invisible shields,” Azriel’s words gave me the big picture of how my race died, and we’re nothing but forgotten individuals who weren’t lucky enough to be a part of the imperial records.
“When my mother ascended to the throne as empress, she sought to protect Marrossi from outsiders. To achieve this, she demanded that all alexandrite Izavenes surrender their rings for the benefit of Marrossi. As a Red Diamond Izavene, I possess the power to control someone's mind and force them to act against their will. My mother utilized this power to ensure everyone complied and surrendered their rings, thus establishing Marrossi's shield. However, it appears that Thyra’s mother managed to escape before this decree was enforced. The rest of the story is history." Azriel concluded, placing his teacup down and adopting a stern expression.
"Contrary to what I mentioned earlier, Red Diamond Izavenes have a different outcome when our rings are removed. Instead of turning to ashes, we become human with no memories. Even if someone tries to remind us of our past, the information simply won’t sink in, no matter how hard they explain. Our physical appearance also undergoes a change. Our red hair turns golden, and our once blue eyes become silver," Azriel explained, adding this additional information to his previous statement.
My jaw dropped at the description – that is exacly how Corianne, Evrart, and Marius looked like. Could it be that … Corianne was formerly a red diamond Izavene? How about my brothers?
Azriel noticed my reaction and subtly tilted his head to observe my response.
“You look pale. Did I say something that bothered you? Or it’s simply because of the long trip to be here?” I tried to regain my composure and shook my head, and in response, Jarvis made a distraction.
“So, you’re a red diamond Izavene then, Your Highness?” Jarvis inquired, his gaze briefly shifting towards me from the corner of his eyes.
“That’s right. The rest of the Izavenes have Thyra’s features in terms of hair and eye color,” Azriel’s tone sounded like he’s not willing to share further, which I understand considering that it’s unlikely for him to trust Jarvis that fast.
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“I’d like to know about Eurhyia. How is Evrart doing? In terms of physical condition and his way of ruling as the new king,” I requested, and Jarvis’ facial expression fell. He looked at his hands on his lap, finding the right words.
"His Majesty's condition is quite complicated. At first, he made rational decisions, but recently, due to his deteriorating mental health, the new queen, my sister Zenobia, has taken on his responsibilities. According to her, His Majesty prefers to isolate himself in his room, and his activities during that time remain unknown. On one occasion, Her Majesty entered his room to check on him and discovered him in a state of tears and intoxication. He was searching for you, the deceased king, and harbored a complex mix of emotions towards the dowager queen, encompassing both hatred and regret," Jarvis explained, his tone reflecting the gravity of the situation.
Jarvis locked eyes with me, and I could sense the urgency in his gaze. It was clear that he wanted me to return without delay.
“You’re making it sound like the dowager queen isn’t around,” My chest tightened upon hearing the news as I pictured Evrart doing the things Jarvis mentioned.
This is partly my fault. If I at least talked to Evrart before I ran away, things won’t be this bad.
"Queen Corianne and Prince Marius are missing, and I don't have any further details about their whereabouts," Jarvis shared. "The servants are fiercely loyal to His Majesty despite of his condition, and it seems that he intends to keep the situation confidential. Even Her Majesty is unaware of what is happening." The air was thick with uncertainty and concern as we grappled with the mysterious disappearance of two key figures in the kingdom.
While it's true that there may be animosity between His Majesty and his mother, it's unlikely that he would murder Queen Corianne and Prince Marius in secret. However, his actions may have caused feelings of guilt. It's important to differentiate between guilt and hatred. Further investigation is needed to uncover the truth.
As the staff began serving the food, to my surprise, Azriel joined in and started eating, despite the fact that Izavenes can survive without food. However, due to my human father, I still experience hunger like any ordinary human.
The three of us ate in silence until we finished our meal. By the time we were done, Azriel seemed to pick up on the fact that I preferred some time alone and understood that I didn't want him around for the moment.
"I'll give you two some privacy to talk. I'll be back later," he said, rising from his seat and leaving the conservatory, leaving an empty space where he had been sitting.
I set aside our plates and glasses on the other side of the table and laid out a piece of paper big enough for Jarvis to see what’s written, and brought out the pen I bought in Greizenne.
“I will go back to Eurhyia to personally meet Evrart but before that, I have to settle some things in Marrossi because the second prince is threatening me," I began, and I drew five figures – an imitation of Azriel and I next to each other on the upper side of the paper, imitation of Hervouet at the left, Jarvis at the right, and the question mark at the bottom symbolizes the unknown scenario that might happen which I don’t know about. I also included the name below each figure.
I drew an arrow between Azriel and me. "We're allies, but my guess is he doesn't see me as an enemy … yet. I trust him to a certain extent, but I'm not getting my guard down," I began, and I drew an arrow from Azriel to Hervouet.
"These are brothers. Azriel is the crown prince, Hervouet is the second prince. I don't know a lot about Hervouet's plans but demanded me to be his ally because I'll be beneficial in his group being formed behind Azriel's back. He said that if I won't play his game, he'll execute me by telling everyone that I'm the one who wiped out his army in the recent war, which is true. I'm likely to be the last alexandrite Izavene alive and they're killed by lightning. Everyone will buy that story. However, Hervouet isn’t aware that I’m friends with Azriel, and we’re meeting in secret.”
Jarvis raised an eyebrow, expressing his confusion regarding what I had just conveyed through the drawings.
"I informed Hervouet that I wanted the honor of killing Azriel, and surprisingly, he agreed," I explained. "I had to make him believe that I feared him and would follow his orders. But why would I follow someone like him when I know I could easily defeat him in an instant? He's a fool for trusting me. While he may think he has control over my life, the truth is, I hold the power because I have chosen Azriel over him."
I continued, "With that being said, when Hervouet reveals his plans, I will inform Azriel and help him in defeating this rebellious prince. Consider it my way of preparing Hervouet's grave as a gift." As I spoke, I drew a circle around Jarvis' figure to symbolize his involvement in the plan.
“I have no idea how many allies Hervouet has, but if in case it’s big, I’ll be needing your help. You have at least 500 men in your control who are skilled, and Izavenes use their power less unless urgent because using up their power often would shorten their lives. Thus, it would be a typical battle with weapons." I drew a bent arrow between Azriel's figure and me.
“You see, when I told him that I want us to be allies and I’ll betray Hervouet. But he had one condition – for me to marry him. I didn’t answer anything clear, but it’s likely to happen. When he steps up to become emperor, I can be the empress. If I find out that he’s the one who killed my father as we get closer …” I drew a line across the head of Azriel’s figure. “… I’m going to make him pay, and with that, I’ll rule over the empire. The Ruivenfiere Empire is wealthy and powerful. That said, I’ll help Eurhyia once I achieve that.”
I lifted my head to see Jarvis' reaction, but his eyes are fixed on the figures of Azriel and me.
“So, you’re marrying him after all,” his voice was low but was loud enough for me to hear.
As he lowered his head, his long, platinum earring adorned with tanzanite gemstones gracefully swayed back and forth, catching the light and adding a touch of elegance to his appearance. He ran his fingers through his hair, lost in thought, the earring shimmering with each movement.
“The night you left Eurhyia, you said that you’re going to find allies, which you achieved quicker than expected. But have you noticed that your goal is going too far?” he asked, and I narrowed my eyes, clueless about what he was saying.
“You told me that you’re giving me the right to call you by your name alone. Well then, Thyra, my lady. Your goal is filled with bloodshed, and I know it’s mostly because you wanted to avenge your father. But betraying people and aiming for the throne? This isn’t like you. How come you’ve changed?” I looked away after hearing his words.
He’s not wrong. My hatred is going too far, but can he blame me? I’m stuck in this situation, and I have to take risks for me to survive.
While ruling over the empire is not my primary objective, I acknowledge that it is a possibility that I can leverage to my advantage. I am still uncertain whether Azriel is the one responsible for my father's death, but I have a strong intuition that he is the one who has won me over with his kindness, perhaps to gain my trust and support.
“So what if I did? I have to find ways to survive. If I’ll return to Eurhyia, I’ll get killed because people see me as a monster. I have to be in Marrossi and remove all the snakes and rats so that I can live freely. Is that too much to ask? I’m only being careful.” I argued, and Jarvis finally looked into my eyes, down to my soul.
“For many years I’ve seen you as my master. Someone I respected, and you’re the most important person in my life. I’m even willing to leave my duties as a marquess just to be by your side. But this? I’m …” He avoided my gaze, his bitter expression revealing the struggle to find the right words.
"… I'm afraid I can't support you. Your goal sounded good from your perspective, but it will involve other people's lives. Can't you see the value of their lives? You wanted to climb the social ladder and kill everyone in the way. Then you’re saying that method would save your life? How can you even do this? Weren’t you satisfied enough that you killed almost their entire army? How can you be this selfish?!” His words felt like a cold bucket of water filled with ice poured on my head, giving my body shivers. It was the first time I heard a rebuke from Jarvis. He’s the last person I’m expecting to do it on my face.
“Don’t get the wrong idea. I value you more than anyone else and more than my life. That’s why I’m trying to enlighten you and make you understand what you’re doing because I’m afraid you’ll lose your way. My role is to serve and protect you, not to kill just because I want them out of my sight.” Jarvis rose to his feet and left me on the table alone, leaving me in shock and speechless.