Lucy woke up in her bed and it was already the next day, she frowned at how long she had slept. Just thinking that Nanny Han was dead, made her frown. She was not happy about how things had turned out. Nanny Han was the one who raised her when her mother died, this was a person who took care of her. All through birth, only Nanny Han and her mother had helped her bathe.

She would insist on washing Lucy’s hair by herself. When Lucy left for the academy, Nanny Han had prepared her hair products with utmost care. She had even made a note on how they were to be applied to her hair and her maids were supposed to follow it to the letter. Nanny Han had taken great pride in her job.

Lucy called in a maid to help her dress. Shilla and another maid entered and curtsied before preparing her bath. She took long hours sitting in the wooden tub staring blankly. This was not her usual in-thought expression, causing her maids to worry. Shilla had spent the last day acclimatising to her new post. She was glad she was still next to the lady, and in those times, she discovered all the staff were secretive and did not talk much, going about their jobs in utter silence.

If Shilla had not spent some time with Lady Wickshire before, she would have been uncomfortable. But she, herself, did not wish to get to know anyone. She did not talk much too, as spending time with the lady had caused her to be quieter. But one of them told her Nanny Han was the highest authority after Lord Torgenn and Lady Wickshire. She had been Lady Torgenn’s maid and had raised Lucy after her lady’s death.

Even with this knowledge, Shilla did not truly take this to heart. All she knew was that Nanny Han was dead. She did not know how she died and did not ask. Maybe because she sees Lady Wickshire almost as a celestial being, she thought nothing about how the lady felt.

Lady Wickshire, in her mind, was impenetrable. But looking at her staring blankly in that tub, she could not help but worry. After all, everyone had that someone whose absence was capable of breaking them. The maids’ thoughts did not last long When Lucy emerged from the water abruptly.

They covered her and helped her dress. Lucy walked at a slow and strolling pace towards the west wing. She walked out into the west wing courtyard and the guards saluted as she passed. Inside the west wing, she entered a small room and took a stairway underground.

It was first dark and silent, with nothing but the ground echoing her steps, soon light entered her eyes. Her appearance caused a guard in black to immediately kneel.

“Take me to the prisoner,” she said and he got up and led the way. It was a well-lit hallway stretching in between prison cells on both sides.

Soon she arrived before a heavily guarded door. The guards gave way allowing her to enter. They placed a chair for her and she sat, as they reluctantly left her inside with the chained prisoner.

The prisoner, herself and the largely lit cell, none bothered to speak first. The man chained to the wall looked up into empty eyes. He had heard rumours of Lady Wickshire, but none that ever bothered him. She was just a little girl.

“You wish to interrogate me? Without any guards?” the man broke into a fit of laughter before choking out bloody coughs.

“Worry not, I already know who you are. A little kingdom’s queen and a stupid headmistress would not have had the ability to recruit you,” Lucy said and the man went silent.

“It was a brilliant plan. You found a way to have the former queen pay you for a job someone else had already employed you to do. She was thinking she was using you, but you were using her. When she was taken down, you found a gullible Lady Beaumont to take her place. That way, you would be only seen as assassins and no one would truly investigate your identity when you are done. It was brilliant, really; but I had known who you were the moment you made your move,” she said and his eyes shrunk.

“If you know who we are, then why are you here? What could I possibly tell you?” the man asked.

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“Who I am. You are going to tell me who I am,” Lucy said.

The prisoner paused for some minutes before falling into a fit of laughter.

“The great Lucy Shorterux, daughter of Lady Torgenn, legendary Lady Wickshire, A Thraine; does not know who she is,” he said to her blank face, as he laughed so hard, if he was unchained, he would have sprawled on the ground with laughter.

“I know I am a Thraine, I know it is important. My mother was a Thraine, and my mother made her identity known. I know that Thraine blood only passes between females and that no one is sure how a person is named one; after all, it has skipped many daughters. I never declared myself one, so how did people assume I have been titled Thraine? There are many Thraines, I could just take a trip and ask them; after all, they are well-known people. But that does not matter to me, I want to know why those who employed you strive to kill off my mother’s lineage?” Lucy asked and the man was dumbfounded.

“It is understandable that you do not know much about the Thraine lineage because, your mother died too long ago but, you seriously don’t care about being a Thraine? Whoever named you one, clearly made it known that you are one of them and you don’t care what they might have planned for you? You expect me to believe that?” the man asked.

“You have not answered my question,” Lucy reminded him.

“Who said the reason your mother died and being a Thraine is not connected?” the man asked.

“I’ve always suspected so. I know it is the people from the Harnian gate that had a hand in this. They enlisted your service through the help of one of the four clans on Other-side. I know you are just one of their pawns. What I wish to understand, is what they told you about me. No sane person even at the brink of death would take up the job you did. I need to understand, why now? They have been quiet for years,”

“Lady Wickshire, I was told to do anything to kill you, anything,” he reminded her solemnly. Lucy understood his point. He is a martial artist; he could just self-destruct and take her with him.

“But you won’t. You must have suspected something was odd about this. Your organization wanted to rise in popularity, that is why you took this deal. Even if they told you nothing, they must have given you something to make you take such a risk. Still, you must have already guessed a lot about me through interacting with them. Even with that much power in your hands, you cannot use it. So tell me, what did you learn about me?” she said and he paused.

“You don’t want the power they handed to me?” he asked.

“You did not answer my question. All your suspicions; lay it out and we will put it together. After all, who better to clear your suspicions than the one the suspicion is about?” she said and he was silent for almost a minute.

“The Thraine family is powerful, alright. The way I see it, the only reason why they use people to act instead of coming themselves, is because of the Thraine family. Something about you Thraines is keeping Other-side away. I know Other-side is powerful, powerful enough to make Ancients look like ants. They hand out precious and powerful artefacts easily, as though their forest are not growing trees but artefacts…” the man chuckled.

“I remember the first time I saw an inscribed spirit armour. I stared at it with wonder, yet a man who was not even as powerful as I said it was just something sold in the marketplace. Ha ha… they are so powerful they could have raided This-side and crushed us. Someone from Other-side, our martial artists of the same rank would not even stand a chance. If they are that powerful, why do they stay away? I always wondered why those that crossed over here in disguise, would never enter a Thraine territory. They avoid citizens of the Thraine territories like a plague. It makes me wonder whether you Thraines, are the only reason This-side is still standing,” he said but, Lucy remained silent.

“I guess I should not ask you; you don’t know much about it. You could, but as you said; you don’t care. During your mother’s time, they did everything to enter Juhntt and kill her. You, I think they were just watching. Now, they want you gone. Whatever you and your mother have, it’s Thraine-related. You should find out more about this,” he chuckled. Lucy got up and turned to leave.

“What will you do with me? I killed your nanny,” he said and Lucy paused.

“Oh, you will die. But before you do, you will repent for your sin,” Lucy said.

“That power they offered me. You want it…” he laughed.

“That power? That power is called a spirit lantern. And that was just a copy, not the real thing. This copy, you could not even control; the real thing would be beyond you. You are useful; that lantern has bound itself to you. It may be fake, but it has a shadow of the real thing. You are still useful,” Lucy said and left.

The shadow guards saw her come out and hurried to lock the door. One of them knelt before her.

“What should we do with him?” he asked.

“Nothing,” she said causing them to pause.

“He is of use, so he will remain alive. Let him feel relaxed, he has no idea how painful his usefulness would be. Since I cannot kill him yet, that Beaumont household; it’s time I vent some of my anger,” she said solemnly and left. Her voice was so soft, an exact opposite of the dark words that left her lips.