As my culinary venting was coming to a close, there was a knock at the door, which made Lasory's eyes perk up and his eyebrows flick, like a dog hearing his master come home.

He hurriedly made his way to the door, and if he had a tail, it would be wagging.

Moments later, two people entered, and I could only describe them as rays of holy light. The glimmer in their cheeks as they looked at me so warmly made my heart gush as I looked at their fluffy, deep green hair that surely was woven from the fabric God himself makes his pillows from.

"I'd like to introduce to you Dasmo and Defor." The two of them waved, and I couldn't control my own giddy smile as I enthusiastically waved back.

These must be the "twins" Sage was talking about.

They entered and approached the kitchen, their steps soft and gentle, the very air about them seeming to part ways as they came.

"I'm Dasmo," one of them, with shorter hair and a soft, but masculine face greeted as he reached his hand out.

"L-Lydia," I stammered.

"And I'm his sister, Defor," the girl with longer hair said with a wink.

At least it won't be hard to tell the two apart.

The two took a deep whiff, lifting their faces as they closed their eyes and seemed to get lost in the smell of my cooking. Let me tell you.... biggest compliment you can give a cook.

"It smells delicious," said Dasmo.

"Like home," Defor chimed in.

Their voices were so velvety and soft, and they smelled good. Like cinnamon rolls. Oh my God they are cinnamon rolls.

It wasn't taking a detective to figure out why Sage was so insistent that she get to see the twins if I was to be allowed. And suddenly, the prospect of having to make it through a night didn't seem so bad if it was going to be here.

Speaking of Sage, another knock at the door brought her and her teacher in the little house inside the castle. The bubble-popping pupil wasted no time bolting after Defor and throwing her arms around the poor woman in a tight and inescapable hug.

She really just doesn't have even the slightest sense of boundaries.

Fezege exchanged a kiss on the cheek with each of the twins, and not long after that, we were seated. Of course, Sage, opted for the seat right next to mine.

Our plates were served, but nobody was eating yet. I looked around, and the twins and Lasory joined hands, gesturing for Sage and I to join them until all of us had our fingers interlocked.

The twins began by closing their eyes, then spoke softly in a language that I didn't understand. It sounded like a prayer. Their voices were incredibly low, and their cadence gentle. Then, the room darkened, which made me open my eyes, and soon, Sage did the same as a sparkling blue glow began to emanate from the elves and Lasory, who joined in.

The candles themselves dimmed, and for a moment, I saw tiny light blue orbs gently floating around us. Everything seemed dark now, save for every one of us, who were now wrapped up in a vibrant blue aura. The little orbs wove their way around strands of my hair, one resting on my glasses for a moment. They reminded me of fireflies, only with an ethereal surrealness to them, and I gasped a little like a kid seeing snow for the first time.

The stars that danced among the table glistened in Sage's eyes, which were beginning to water, and when this ephemeral brilliance subsided, Sage and I were left shocked.

A tear slid down her wordless face, and I wasn't far behind her.

The last time I saw magic, it was robbing people of their lives, families of their loved ones, and me of my home, viciously and unforgivingly.

I had at that point forsaken it, as little as I'd seen of it, to be capable only of murder and destruction. But Lasory lit the magic stove earlier, and the twins put on this beautiful display.

This... is what magic is truly like in this world. It can be brutal and cruel, but it can also be stunningly beautiful.

For the second time today, my world views were challenged. And I was only in awe. I felt like I should be closing my eyes, but at the same time, I couldn't help but gawk at what was happening, and even as the room returned to normal, my jaw was still on the table.

Aside from some laughs, their prayer's conclusion brought with it a warm happiness upon us all.

We dug into the food, which was nothing short of phenomenal. Much better than the cheapest market food we could find in the one city between the mansion in Sakari and here.

The first round was pretty quiet. Once again, a massive ego boost when it's because everyone's tucked in to their plates. Fezege ate modestly, and everyone complemented and thanked me for the food.

I got seconds, and the chatter began to start up. Fezege talked a little about training, told a couple stories about Sage and some of the other members of her class, who I haven't met yet, and made fun of her pupil at the table, who wasn't enjoying it.

Lasory related with some stories about his time as a Messenger, then telling one to make fun of me to even the playing field. Now Sage and I had common ground in seething at the end of the table, much to the twins' amusement.

When he brought up Myu, it stung a little bit, but the group bowed their heads for a short moment at the first mention of her name, and then Lasory continued his story. It was about how she bounced off the walls all day long when she found out I was becoming a Messenger.

I saw how wrapped they were into what he was saying and tried my best not to let missing her get in the way of the story.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

Even after you're gone, you still manage to put a smile on my face.

Except it's me wearing that smile, and not you. We all know you wore it better - hell, you wore anything better... especially that dress.

As the eating slowed and the talking went on, outside, I noticed for the first time all day a clock's bells ringing. It was the turn of an hour. Fezege and Lasory were beginning to laugh together, and the brightness in his mood was shining through the little bit of dirt still on his face.

"Aww, looks like Cupid's shot his arrow," Sage leaned over and muttered in my ear.

"That's not true!" I shouted.

Everyone looked at me, especially Fezege and Lasory. I gulped.

"I mean... there's no way the food's that good..." I muttered, feeling every drop of blood in my body rush to my face.

Sage giggled in my ear. Would you leave me be, teacher's pet??? Lasory's not like that! He's just a really nice guy.

She teased me for my surprising shout, and then she started talking about a story Fezege was telling about her earlier, coming to bat for herself on a story I forgot about anyways. I mean honestly, you can't possibly be that dignified, can you?

The girl went on and on, even when the twins were humming and clearing our empty plates from the table, she was telling me stories from her training, going on about some classmate she loves sparring with, some running jokes that are best just kept between you and the person they're with, and pretty much gave me her whole stream of consciousness.

Does she have an off button?

Even then, though, I'd be remiss not to admit that her talking was oddly comforting. As god-awfully annoying as it was to me, I couldn't help leaning my head toward her and listening anyways.

I think she knew, judging by the way I'd hardly given so much as a nod in the last... long time... and she was still on the yap train.

We paused at one point to see Fezege and Lasory well into a conversation. Now I was just starting to get scared for the guy. What exactly are you playing at here, mister doctor? The teacher looked to be in all high spirits, too.

The clock rang again, and I was the first to hear chattering down the hall which only made my heart sink since the slightest notion of other people being even somewhat nearby was an awful feeling.

Once again, someone knocked on the door, and I turned around. From over the railing between dining room and foyer, I saw a well-dressed servantly man stood in composure. Dasmo had answered the door, and he gestured to Fezege and Sage, who spoke with him for a moment, waved goodbye, and left.

And then there were four.

The twins finished cleaning the kitchen and table, which I hadn't even noticed them doing, and left to follow the other two. So I guess that makes just the two of us. While sudden, it was a welcome end to the noise and chatter, which was starting to get sickening, especially with my now-worsening headache. Though, I was looking forward to being able to talk to the twins. They mostly sat back and listened at dinner, sometimes asking small questions to show that they were interested, and other times laughing and gasping with such exaggeration.

Yet, it all seemed so genuine. I took off my glasses and rubbed my eyes. "Doctor," I said in a mock posh voice.

"Yes, Miss Lydia Sakari?"

"What do I do about this awful headache?" I whined.

He smiled and sat on the couch, gesturing for me to sit on his lap.

"I'm not a kid!" I grumbled. People liked to mistake my short stature and young features for childishness, and sometimes I think Lasory fell for that trap too. Though my demeanor the last few days I'm sure hasn't been helping my case.

"Just come here," he doubled down. I sighed and sat ahead of him on the couch.

He placed his hands atop my head, which were so warm and didn't feel foreign at all, and then he rubbed his fingers in circles through my scalp as he rubbed his thumbs firmly around my temples.

"I don't mind the royal treatment, though."

"You are a princess, after all," he reasoned as I tilted my head back, really really enjoying the waves of relief he was giving me.

"You and I both know that isn't true."

"Well, beliefs are self-evident."

"I don't think it works like that at all," I chuckled. "A little more diplomacy and birthright involved than some PMA."

And just like that, I had a tiny sliver of what felt like the old times, where we'd all get together and just enjoy ourselves. Be ourselves. The moment was soured a bit as soon as I thought about it, but I think that's okay.

"About earlier," I began. He was silent. "Thanks for saying what you did."

He was still silent, his fingers beginning to relax.

"I just miss her a lot, you know? And Kino. It's not fair that..."

That sentence was probably better left unfinished. Lasory seemed deep in his thoughts, and he stopped his massage, though taking care not to do so abruptly. I moved to his left, and we sat in silence for a moment.

"Las?" I concerned. "Are you doing okay with everything?"

He looked me dead in the eye, and without missing a beat, said, "Of course."

"Are you really? You knew them so much longer than I did. I don't even know the history you had with Lockwood, and you and Ayami all but raised Myu..."

He nodded. "This is true."

"So don't you feel sad about it?"

He paused. "Of course."

"You say that, but..." I trailed off and left us both in silence, before it started to click to me as he looked away and towards the floor that this whole thing was hitting him just the same way, if not twice as bad, as it was for me. "Oh my God..."

I lunged across the couch and hugged him around the neck. "Lasory... I'm so sorry."

"For what, dear?" He chuckled, but it was empty. I knew it. All of this was a front. He was good at those. But he's not the only perceptive one here.

"For not realizing," I said shakily. "How hard this was on you, too."

He was dead silent, I guess afraid that he might cry if he were to utter another word. Doctor Kyur was known for being a composed man, but he's family to me. And right now, he's all I have left.

To leave him suffering in silence would be a crime above crimes.

I tightened my hug and pulled him closer, knowing damn well now that he was hurting. The man's lost his family, especially Myu, who was almost a daughter to him. And Lockwood, whose relationship was so tight with him that Lasory could be trusted to help raise King Lockwood's daughter to begin with.

"It's not a one-way offer, you know?" I barely whispered, my words muffled as I embraced him.

"I'm okay, Lydia."

When he said it this time, I knew it to be true. That perhaps I'd come to him at the right time, after all.

~

Sage

"What's going on?" I asked, not used to this level of commotion.

"M'lady, a young man clad in the similar attire to what we found you in was brought here."

To what they "found" us in. That terminology's ironic. We weren't "found," as you lot seem to call it. Hospitalities and kind teachers aside, this place has so much dirt it could bury the country six feet under.

The "fabled heroes," they called us.

Yeah right. Like you didn't completely rip us away from everything we knew and loved.

I was more fortunate than the other four. At least I speak the language.

"You can't possibly expect me to sit here and fight for your stupid country!" Keith's shouting rang clear in my memory.

Almost as clear as Fezege's shouting. "Sage! I'm glad you're enthusiastic about your training but walking a little slower would be okay with the rest of us."

I flipped around, now dozens of feet ahead of her and the servant, who were now joined by the twins. It's seldom I get to see them out, so whatever's going on must be the real deal. They caught up to me, and Fezege went to my side.

"Hun, don't get too excited. This could be totally nothing."

Don't get too excited.

This was the first real chance I had at seeing any semblance of the life I was stolen from. In truth, my heart was racing in anticipation, which my teacher could feel. Her hands gently touched my arm, which was clammy with sweat.

We entered what looked like a ballroom, the sunlight beaming in almost biblically through the windows of the rounded top of the ceiling, gleaming on the chandeliers, silver-trimmed walls, and illustrious marble floors.

And there at the center stood a face I thought impossible to see again.

"Zeke!" I shouted, and Fezege's grip on my side immediately dropped.

But that's impossible!