"I didn't think that would actually work," Rhea said, her voice tinged with a hint of dark satisfaction. She knelt beside the now lifeless man, dipping a finger into the pool of viscous red liquid that was once a human being. Her scarlet eyes glittered with a newfound power, her recent act of magic leaving her both ecstatic and disturbed.
Remuria approached, "Your spell was marvelous, Rhea," she said, her voice hushed in reverence. "Was it one from the tomes of the royal library?"
Rhea shook her head, "That's the thing," she replied, "I still cannot use the spells I have read about from the magic tomes I dug through."
Remuria frowned, "I see, perhaps it's due to your magical affinity?"
Rhea nodded slowly, "Possibly, the spell I cast just recently was not one I read about. The words and gestures came to my mind in whispers, and I simply repeated them."
The arcane arts were something that remained deeply mystical and mysterious in the world. Not all nations had access to mages, and those nations fortunate enough to be blessed with magic casters can barely muster a few dozen of them at a time. Ishgria itself only had just over 100 registered magic users based on the kingdom’s latest census five years ago: which included wizards, witches, and select speakers within Ishgrian Temples. Despite such a seemingly small number of mages, Ishgria was known as the nation with the highest number of magic users throughout the continent of Kartesia.
While the knowledge of magic itself can be learnt by even the lowliest peasant, the latent wellspring of arcane energy that was needed to manifest magic into the material realm was extremely rare. The only other way a human could hope to possess magical talents without being born with it is to receive the blessing of a god. This too, was an ordeal all on its own, for only a select few people would attract even the slightest glance from a god, let alone their blessings.
“How does your magic work, Remuria?” Rhea asked, eyeing her attendant with great curiosity. Remuria turned her gaze towards the princess, studying her expression for a moment before responding.
“Similar to yours, I too hear whispers in my mind: instructions on how to conjure certain spells and repeat them.”
“I see, but how come you are able to use more different types of magic than I? No matter how hard I try, I can only seem to manifest a select few spells.” Rhea now stood up, facing Remuria directly.
“Both of our magic sources come from a god,” Remuria explained, “so their nature and our connection with them dictates the abilities we have access to.”
“So does that mean you have a closer connection to Vhael than I do?”
“That is correct,” Remuria replied, her eyes flickering briefly to the ground before returning to Rhea's.
“You’ll have to teach me how to gain more favor with him in the future then,” Rhea said in a cheerful tone as she began to walk towards a nearby tree, beckoning Remuria to join her.
“That might be rather difficult,” Remuria hesitated, her eyes darting sideways.
“Difficult why?”
“You know how gods are, with their whims and what not, it can take a ludicrous amount of time before you are truly favored by one.”
“I’ll just keep trying,” Rhea declared optimistically, “besides, unless you’re a god’s child, I’m sure anyone would find it difficult to curry favor with the gods.”
Remuria froze at the princess’s words, her heart pounding in her chest. She knew that the princess still did not know of her connection with Vhael, yet, even the potential implication of Rhea knowing about her ties with the harbinger was enough to give Remuria pause.
“Are you alright, Remuria? Your mind seems as if it were drifting elsewhere,” Rhea looked at Remuria, appearing genuinely concerned, still oblivious to her attendant’s true thoughts.
“Sorry for worrying you, Rhea. I’ll join you now,” Remuria said, forcing a small smile onto her lips as she walked towards the princess.
“Come on then, the night won’t last much longer!” Rhea said in a gleeful tone, the princess had already sat herself against a tree and had taken off her mask.
As Remuria sat down next to Rhea, she noticed how the princess’s scarlet eyes were focused on her, seemingly staring into the depths of her soul. Remuria felt that that princess was expecting something from her, but she wasn’t quite sure what.
A tense silence settled in, broken only by the rustling of leaves and the soft hum of insects in the night. Remuria fidgeted, feeling as though a rift had opened up between them. She couldn't shake the feeling that Rhea was waiting for her to say something.
“Is something the matter, Rhea?” Remuria asked, trying to break the tension.
Rhea took a deep breath. “It’s just, something has been bothering me for some time. I’ve always buried it at the back of my mind, but it’s always there.”
“What is it?”
“I actually don’t know that much about you, Remuria.”
“That’s impossible, I have been by your side for years.” Remuria replied, trying her best to reassure Rhea.
“That is true, and as a result you know so much about me, but I don’t know enough about you.” Rhea replied with a hint of melancholy in her voice, her gaze turning away from Remuria and instead staring into the night sky.
“Rhea, I… I don’t know what to say.”
The princess took a deep sigh and turned towards Remuria, “I know it isn’t my place to ask, but I always wondered why you care for me so much?” Tears began to bead at the corner of Rhea’s eyes before they became thick streams, the tone of her voice becoming heavier, “I’m just another sheltered princess who couldn’t live up to her parents’ expectations and who most people think is dead!”
Remuria's heart ached as she watched tears stream down Rhea's face. Never before had she seen the princess so overwhelmed with emotion. Remuria knew how much Rhea yearned for validation and recognition from her parents, which they had always denied her. As Rhea's attendant, Remuria had always tried to offer comfort and support whenever possible. But now, she felt like she had failed in her duty. Despite spending over a decade together, Remuria still kept many details of her past away from Rhea behind lock and key.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
“I’m sorry, Rhea, I was and still am afraid that you won’t accept me.” Remuria said with a strained voice, her eyes began to mirror the princess’s, shedding tears of their own.
“Remuria, you are the person I cherish most in my miserable life, why would I not accept you?”
Remuria's hands began to shake as tears welled up in her eyes. She had always thought of herself as a person of control: someone who was always composed no matter the situation, but now that illusion was shattered. The walls she had built around her heart came crumbling down, and all that remained was the truth.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I just, I didn’t know.” Remuria broke down. She felt so defenseless, so vulnerable, so unprepared. She hated the feeling, she was usually calm and collected so she could act swiftly for Rhea’s sake. Now, she was completely lost as to what to do or say.
For the next few minutes, Rhea and Remuria clung onto each other tightly, tears streaming down their faces. Their embrace under the tree’s canopy was a sanctuary where the two could just be themselves. It was a moment of vulnerability and intimacy that they had long denied themselves. As they held each other, they were acutely aware of how unbecoming it was for a royal to have such close ties with a servant, but they couldn't bring themselves to care. All that mattered was each other's company, and for a brief moment, they felt as if they were the only people in the entire world.
As Remuria's tears began to dry up, her heart felt heavy with guilt and regret. She had always prided herself on her loyalty and dutiful service, but she realized that she had been keeping too much from Rhea. She knew that it was time to let go of her fear and share her secrets with the princess, that if she were to earn Rhea’s trust once more, she needed to open up.
“Rhea, I’m sorry for hiding parts of my past from you, so I’d like to correct that mistake. If there is anything you want to know about me, please do not hesitate to ask.”
The princess smiled at Remuria’s words, she began to speak as she wiped a tear off of her face, “Thank you, Remuria, you don’t have to tell me everything immediately, but I do wish to learn more about you.”
“So, where do you want to start?”
“Your past, Remuria, who were you before you entered the royal castle? Before we met each other.”
Remuria took a deep breath, she steeled herself for what was to come. If Rhea wanted the truth, she would receive it.
“I was always a demon, Rhea, I never was human. When I was a baby, I lived in the underworld with my father.”
“So, how did you come to the plane of the living?”
“I… I was always curious about humans as a child, I had heard stories about them before, but I never truly met one when I was young. Not until I decided to try and escape the underworld.”
Rhea’s face lit up at the mention of Remuria’s escape. The princess enjoyed reading tales of Ishgrian heroes who would fight through the underworld to save their loved ones. An enthusiastic smile began to break out of the princess’s once solemn visage.
“So, what did you do to escape?”
Remuria’s tone began to lighten as well at the princess’s interest, she replied, “I stole a tome from my father’s library and tried to cast one of the spells contained within.”
“Were you successful?”
“Depending on how you define success, I was indeed transported to the material plane. But, I faced, how should I say: unintended consequences.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“When I came to, I realized that I was a lot smaller than I was, and when I tried to speak, all I could muster were loud squawks. My body was that of the Ishgrian Falcon. I was lost and didn’t know what to do, so after I had adjusted to my new body, I flew in search of a way to either go home or return to my original form.”
“That must have been difficult for you, I couldn’t imagine myself being in such a situation.”
“It was… an interesting experience to say the least. My time as a falcon wasn’t all bad, soaring throughout the sky felt amazing, and I managed to enjoy myself a little bit, until I was hit by rocks that is.”
“Hit by rocks? How?”
“I was flying over the capital, when I passed some kids who were playing with slingshots. In hindsight, it wasn’t the brightest idea, but I wasn’t paying much attention to what was below me. One of the little brats managed to sling a rock at me, breaking one of my wings and causing me to fall.”
“That sounds terrible! I always hated people who did that to falcons. Such majestic creatures should be treated with more respect. Your story reminds me of one time when I saw some kids shoot down a falcon while I was out on a tour of the capital. Even as a child, I knew that it was wrong.” Rhea asserted.
Remuria smiled, realizing that Rhea had not quite read between the lines, “Indeed, I was fortunate that a certain princess took note of my plight, chased the children away, and nursed me back to health.”
“Wow, what a great princess, I would love to meet- wait, how long ago was this incident, Remuria?”
“I’d say it was roughly 14 years ago.”
“Wait, so are you telling me that…”
“I was that falcon you rescued all those years back, Rhea.”
Rhea's eyes widened in shock as the realization hit her. She stared at Remuria with a mix of disbelief and wonder. "It was you? The falcon I saved was you?"
Remuria nodded, her smile turning bittersweet. "Yes, it was. I had no way of repaying you for your kindness then, but I made a promise to myself that I would always be there for you, no matter what."
Rhea's expression softened as she looked at Remuria with a newfound appreciation. "I had no idea."
Remuria's eyes shimmered with unshed tears as she took Rhea's hand. "You saved my life back then, and you continue to do so every day, Rhea. I owe you everything."
“So, when did you manage to regain your true form?”
Remuria chuckled softly, "after you released me, one of my father's servants managed to find me," she explained. "They returned me to the underworld, after chastising me for my foolishness of course."
Rhea's eyes widened in realization. "Wait, your father had servants in the underworld, he can't be who I think he is right?" she asked incredulously.
Remuria's lips twitched into a wry smile. "Who else do you think?" she replied.
Rhea gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "You're the daughter of the deathbringer? Of Vhael?" she exclaimed.
Remuria simply nodded. The cat was out of the bag now, and there was no putting it back in.
"I have no words, this is a lot to take in." Rhea said in a melancholic tone. She was not sure exactly how to feel about everything she had just heard.
Remuria placed a comforting hand on Rhea's shoulder. "I understand. I can always continue the tale another time. We have a prophet to see, remember."
"You're right, but before we continue, I'd like to thank you, Remuria, for finally opening up to me," Rhea said, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
"It was my pleasure," Remuria replied, her gaze meeting Rhea's.
As Rhea was about to turn away from Remuria and return to their horses, she felt a sudden tug on her wrist. She turned back to face Remuria, only to be met with an intense gaze that made her heart race.
“What’s wrong, Remuria?”
“There’s something I need to tell you, Rhea.” Remuria replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
Rhea watched as Remuria took hold of her hands, squeezing them tightly. She felt a surge of warmth spread through her body as Remuria leaned in closer, their faces barely inches apart.
"Remuria, what are you doing?" Rhea muttered out, her face red with embarrassment.
Remuria's lips brushed against Rhea's as she spoke, "This," she murmured, before closing the gap between them in a passionate kiss.