Chapter X
“So, I think it’s appropriate that I ask you once more just for good measure, but do you really think my attendance is necessary? I, for one, fear that it may very well cause your mother’s head to explode with rage, and I may quickly find myself locked in the deepest depths of the Citadel’s dungeon.”
Ilirianna smirked as she listened to Ryokumo speak, the pair currently riding a silver lift up towards the entertainment levels of the Citadel, their destination the Niras Lounge and the abruptly-scheduled dinner with her real parents.
“To be honest, I think such a sight would be amusing,” she replied with a sly wink. “And you’re correct that, without a doubt, my mother will be utterly fuming… But that’s kinda the idea, you know?”
Ryokumo chuckled nervously as he side-eyed her. “I suppose it would be somewhat funny, but a prison sentence wouldn’t be.”
“Ah, don’t worry, I’m not gonna let her send you to the dungeons,” Ilirianna assured her friend. “That being said, if you’re getting cold feet or it truly does make you uncomfortable, you don’t have to join me. I won’t be offended in the least if you choose to head back home.”
“Well…” The young man paused, pursing his lips in thought before turning a warm expression her way. “You don’t want to do this alone, do you?”
“Not at all,” she admitted, to which Ryokumo gave a firm nod and added,
“Then I’m not going anywhere, Liri. Let’s have dinner with my future in-laws!”
She snorted before allowing herself to break out into laughter at his rather bold joke. Ryokumo followed her lead, and as their destination approached, the two mages were laughing so uncontrollably that her friend had to intentionally slow the lift down so they had time to pull themselves together. It was moments like these that served to remind her of just how important Ryokumo Caeli was to her, for ever since Nakoma and Toranei had practically forced her into joining them for a dinner she had no interest in attending, she had been overwhelmed by a storm of emotions varying from anger to dread to downright hatred for the two people who had destroyed her trust more thoroughly than anybody in her life ever had. She wanted nothing less than to bail and leave them waiting for her, but she also knew that if she refused, then her mother would force further interactions with her—something Ilirianna had gone out of her way to avoid over the last few years.
And it’s obvious they’ve begun to notice, but I don’t think I care whether they do or not. They’re too arrogant to ever come to the conclusion that I found out their darkest secret, so they’ll never realize the true reason I’ve come to hate them. With that said, let them squirm a little as they try to figure out what the hell they did wrong… It’s honestly quite enjoyable…
Since it had been dumped on her just that morning, she decided that she didn’t want to do this by herself, and since Ryokumo was the only person in her life who would understand why she felt that way, she went straight to his house and asked if he would be willing to be by her side. Even now, it was obvious that even the ever-bold Ryokumo Caeli was hesitant to crash a dinner put on by the Queen, so she felt a surge of pride and love at the fact that he wanted to help her through this more than he wanted to avoid conflict with Toranei.
“Kumo,” she began once her laughter subsided and the lift came to a stop. “This means the world to me. I hope you realize that. Thank you…”
Ryokumo grinned back at her. “You’re more than welcome. Now, shall we?”
“We shall.”
Side by side, Ilirianna and Ryokumo stepped off the silver disk and began making their way into one of the entertainment corridors the Citadel had to offer. While it was still windowless, with silver, colorless walls like the other floors beneath it, the entertainment corridors were still a far cry from the rest of the tower in that they were bustling, active, and loud. There were restaurants, game rooms, gambling halls, and many other attractions that served as a way for the denizens of the Citadel to relax and unwind without having to go through the trouble of riding through the city to reach Erika’s Market Street. Ilirianna used to frequent the place with Reigious and Piura, as well as Nakoma back when she was younger, but she hadn’t been there in quite some time.
Though, I do have some nice memories of coming with the royal team… I think Abi was a bit overwhelmed, but she still enjoyed herself, as did the others…
The thought of her old team made her a bit sad, for even setting aside Abi’s departure from the realm, Nigreos and Album had become rather distant despite living far closer to her than Ryokumo did. Album predominantly kept to herself these days, though she was still polite and friendly whenever conversation was sparked between the two. Nigreos, on the other hand, was an oddity that she couldn’t quite explain. Ever since Stellareid, there had been a tension between them that confused her greatly since he hadn’t actually done anything wrong to earn such an instinctual aversion like the one she had for him. She actually felt kind of bad, for there had been instances where she’d unfairly snapped at him, and she wondered if the reason he no longer spoke to her was because she had inadvertently pushed him away.
Then again, it’s not like we were that close during his time at the Academy anyway. He was the only one who never did away with the formalities. I was always ‘Princess Ilirianna’ to him…so maybe it was inevitable that we’d grow apart once our team was disbanded.
Yet, as Ilirianna and Ryokumo walked past a bar called “The Blue Dolphin”, she couldn’t help but glance inside since it was her personal favorite there in the Citadel and it was where she had often taken the royal team back then. She immediately spotted their favorite table on a small fenced patio just outside and her mind filled in the blanks, creating a vision of the five of them sitting around it, laughing, joking, chatting, and just having an all around amazing time with one another. Those days were long over, though, and as the vision faded, she forced herself to turn away.
“I miss it, too,” Ryokumo commented softly, to which Ilirianna internally scoffed at how obvious she was being.
“Yeah…”
It was then, as she finally returned to the present, that she realized the two of them were being watched curiously by the onlookers. Whenever somebody would recognize her hair, they bowed and remained in such a position until she had passed, and eventually, the entrance to the Niras Lounge came into view.
It was a very exclusive venue that was mainly accessible only by members of the highest status there in the tower, intended primarily to serve as a place where they could enjoy themselves without drawing the attention of the masses. The door was guarded by two soldiers, who stepped aside the second Ilirianna arrived and allowed her to go inside without so much as a word spoken. The interior was ridiculously cozy, with multiple velvet couches, finely crafted wooden tables, and a bar in the far left corner where a few legislatures were currently enjoying their drinks while chatting it up with the young woman behind the counter. The chatter was quiet, a stark contrast to the world outside that door, but since Toranei would have rented the private suite, Ilirianna didn’t remain there for long and quickly got about making her way to another door just beside the bar. As she recalled, the private lounge was pretty much a small version of the main room, with a seating area consisting of expensive couches and recliners facing a glass coffee table in the center, though when it was reserved for dinners, there was a portable table brought in and placed just in front of a window in the back that was slightly ajar.
It was there that she knew her parents would be sitting, so the very second she and Ryokumo entered, her blue eyes shot towards that table to find Toranei and Nakoma sitting across from one another. They turned their heads, and Ilirianna more than enjoyed the sight of their features contorting in surprise when they noticed Ryokumo accompanying her.
“Good evening, Mother, Master Taurus,” she greeted with a stiff smile. “I hope you don’t mind, but I invited Kumo here to join us. He’s spent so long on the road these last months so I thought he’d enjoy a chance to experience the Niras Lounge. You don’t mind, do you?”
Toranei instantly jumped to her feet, her features filling with a fury so strong that she hardly looked like the same person. Meanwhile, Nakoma just put his face in his hands and turned away, as if more than content to let the Queen handle this situation.
“Of course we mind, Liri,” she hissed, her tone trembling despite her clear efforts to not start screaming at her. “Somebody lacking basic manners like Caeli does not belong in a place like this, and I do believe I’ve made my opinion of him more than clear. You’re far from stupid, and there’s no doubt in my mind that you knew I wouldn’t approve, so I can’t help wondering what you think you are doing? If this is your idea of a joke…?”
Ilirianna raised her head so that she could stare back at her mother down the bridge of her nose. “I’m not joking at all, Mother, though I think it’s real funny to hear you accuse Kumo of lacking basic manners while you constantly ridicule and belittle a former member of the royal team and one of the only mages in this country to ever face down the Kosah-Rei leadership and come out of it alive.”
“Ilirianna…” Nakoma began, finally breaking his silence, but the Princess decided to talk right over him.
“Kumo and I are a pair tonight, so if he leaves, I will, too. Make your choice, and to be honest, I don’t care what you choose.”
Ilirianna was riding a high like she rarely ever experienced as she stood toe-to-toe with her mother and wasn’t buckling under her piercing gaze like she used to. She understood that, from an outsider's perspective, she was being childish and disrespectful to both her mother and the Master of Fire. Anybody who didn’t know what she knew would almost certainly take Toranei’s side in all of this, but Ilirianna couldn’t care less what anybody thought of her. All her life, Toranei Iiji had spoken to her with pompous arrogance, as if she were the epitome of perfection and Ilirianna needed to strive to be exactly like her. She only ever told her what she did wrong and made her feel like she was less than adequate.
And yet, you and Nakoma have committed one of the gravest sins you can against our King—and against me. How dare you look down on me when my very existence is your darkest secret. How dare you treat me like some sort of idiot when you’re the one who spent my entire life lying to me, to Markreas, and to the world. I don’t even know who the hell I’m supposed to be anymore because you couldn’t keep your fucking pants on when you were already married to the damned king! So forgive me for enjoying this… Forgive me for being childish, but you don’t deserve anything better.
“Fine then,” Toranei eventually grunted. “If you can’t behave like a mature adult, then leave.”
Ilirianna nodded. “Sounds good to me. Come on, Kumo, let’s go back to the Blue Dolphin instead.”
“Hold on just a second!”
Nakoma’s sudden shout caused Ilirianna to pause as she glanced back to where the Master of Fire had jumped to his feet so frantically that the table trembled beneath him. His crimson eyes were wide and his mouth was hanging open as if he had called out to them before he even knew what it was he wanted to say. Ilirianna narrowed her eyes, challenging him to go right ahead and speak, but that sharp look of hers only caused this supposed powerhouse of a mage to flinch away as if she had slapped him, just like he had that very morning. It was utterly pathetic in her opinion, so she was about to turn back and continue with her departure when he finally found his voice.
“This was not something I wish to ask you with Caeli present, but if he’s going to be here, then I’ll just say it anyway.” Nakoma took a deep breath and shook his head. “What have I done, Ilirianna? You’ve been avoiding me for so long now, and when you look at me, it’s as if you hate me…yet I cannot recall what I may have done to upset you. You treat your mother the same…and I don’t understand it. Please, if I’ve said something that hurt you, tell me and I’ll apologize! But I can’t repent if I don’t even know where I went wrong…”
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Toranei scoffed. “Stop that, Nakoma. If she wishes to behave like a toddler, then that’s on her. You’re a Master, so don’t go bowing your head to her so easily.”
“You may be right, but even so…” He swallowed whatever words caught in his throat, his attention never shifting from Ilirianna. “Please”
Trust me, the last thing you want is me putting my disgust into words. In fact, it wouldn’t benefit anybody. I need this throne. I need the ability to appoint Masters should they not have apprentices. I need the ability to control them, and I need the influence over the Great Cities that comes with Markreas’s crown. If I ever put to words what I learned in Stellareid, Anna-Piura or Reigious will take that spot from me, and while I trust them more than I trust any of you, I don’t trust them quite as much as I trust myself.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she said coldly, then spun on her heel and departed with Ryokumo right on her heels. They drew some attention from those in the Lounge’s main room, which was probably due to the fact that she had just passed through mere minutes ago, but nobody said a word to her, and eventually, she and Ryokumo were back out in the corridor and heading towards the lift.
“Thank you,” the Princess repeated once they had put the Niras Lounge far enough behind them. “That was probably awkward as all hell for you, but I appreciate you standing there with me. And honestly? I didn’t think they’d hate you enough to let me skip the stupid dinner. I’ve got my night back to myself.”
Ryokumo laughed, though there was a clear tinge of sadness in the tone that he was trying, and failing, to suppress. “Yes, it was a tad awkward, I’ll admit. However, since all the attention was on you, I was able to silently fade into the background and be a mere observer.”
“Yeah, I was surprised you didn’t offer any of your typical commentary,” she teased. “Normally, you’d have slipped in a quip or two. Why the sudden surge in self-control?”
“Hey, now!” he protested. “You say that like I have no filter whatsoever! I can be polite when the situation calls for it! That being said, the air in that room was heavy enough that I think any usage of my tongue would have resulted in its removal, maybe even by the Queen personally.” Ryokumo grinned as he said it, but yet again, a hint of that sadness poked its way back out. “Though, it’s a pity things ended up like this. Of course, I don’t blame you for treating them the way you do, but…well…” She waited patiently for him to go on as his brow furrowed in consideration, as if he wasn’t really sure what he was trying to say. “Anyway, it’s just that Master Taurus seemed so desperate. Whatever his sins, I do think he cares for you.”
The emotional part of her wanted to immediately deny that, but the logical part kicked in fast enough to overcome the knee-jerk reaction. Whether she liked it or not, Ryokumo was right. Nakoma had always been somewhat of a father figure to her, and she knew now that was because he was her father. He treated her with respect, and perhaps that was one of the reasons she was so furious at him. Her mother lying to her wasn’t terribly surprising given the way she always acted, but Nakoma held Ilirianna’s trust in a way very few ever had, only for it to turn out that even he had been lying to her all this time. Toranei’s deceit made her angry, but Nakoma’s hurt her in a way she had never been able to articulate.
“So, are we actually heading to the Dolphin or do you want to just split off and go home?” Ryokumo inquired when she didn’t respond.
Ilirianna pondered the question, for there was something she had wanted to do that night before Toranei hoisted this dinner onto her. “Actually, I was gonna do this alone, but since you’re here, perhaps you can join me. I had intended to visit Grunly and finally tell him the truth, but I was forced to reschedule for sometime tomorrow. He might still be in his office, so I was thinking I’d head up there. You wanna join?”
“Ah…” The young man let out that soft sound as a pained look overcame his expression. “So you’re really going through with that? And…” Ryokumo then lowered his voice to ensure nobody but Ilirianna heard what he said next. “...she was okay with it, even though we never told Nigreos and Album? I mean, this is a big risk.”
“You’re right, it is,” Ilirianna conceded. “And I wouldn’t be taking it if I didn’t think it was absolutely necessary. We cannot allow King Markreas to appoint Grunly’s successor, but he’s holding out for her sudden return. If something doesn’t give, he will die before he can name the next Master of Nature…and I think the only person that can get through to him is her. She agreed with me, so I planned to take him there before we departed for Ankalla.”
Ryokumo grimaced. “Y-yes, I understand the reasoning, but…”
He’s concerned about the rest of the royal team, and understandably so. But I think the time for telling Nigreos and Album passed us by when Abi didn’t instantly divulge Scott’s existence to them when we got back from Omaruo all those years ago. Nowadays, both of them may very well follow their duty to turn her over to Markreas. Grunly, on the other hand, almost certainly wouldn’t. It’s much less of a risk… I know it is…
***
Upon reaching the silver lift, Ilirianna and Ryokumo made the decision to ride it up to the floor where Edwar Grunly’s office was located. The hope was that he was still up there, and while it was after working hours, Ilirianna knew that the old man spent a lot of his time there, so it wasn’t completely impossible that he’d still be at his desk, reading a book or fiddling with some magic. If he wasn’t then she had the option of checking his quarters, but she probably wouldn't bother him if that were the case. Instead, she’d just wait until morning. Thankfully, when the mages turned the corner and began approaching their destination, they were met with the sight of an open door and dim firelight coming from within, indicating that somebody was occupying it. That was an instant relief, but it was one that quickly gave way to apprehension when somebody who was not Edwar Grunly suddenly walked through the doorway and noticed their approach.
“Ah, Princess Ilirianna, Ryokumo! Good evening!” Nigreos Noctis called out as he strode towards them. “Where are the two of you headed off to?”
Like always, an unexplainable shiver of annoyance went over her body upon seeing the Master of Darkness, leaving Ryokumo as the one to answer their old friend’s greeting.
“Good evening to you as well, my friend. We were just stopping by Master Grunly’s office for some personal business. Is he in?”
Nigreos furrowed his brow, as if disappointed that Ryokumo was vague and didn’t tell him what was wrong despite their long history. “Er, yes, he is. I was just here to get some sleeping medication he had offered. I still have the occasional nightmares, you see, so I was hoping this could remedy them.”
“I see,” Ryokumo muttered. “Um, well, thank you, Nigreos! Have a nice night.”
“Er, yeah, you, too.”
Nigreos then shuffled off, his head lowering as if sad that their interaction was so swift and awkward, and while the empathetic part Ilirianna wanted to reach out and comfort him, the logical part knew he was one of the last people they needed lingering around the office for the conversation they were about to have.
When she and Ryokumo poked their heads inside, they found the Master of Nature exactly where they hoped they would—sitting at his desk with his head in a book. He had yet to notice their arrival, so she wrapped her knuckles softly on the open door and spoke in a gentle voice,
“Master Grunly? Do you have a minute?”
He looked up and narrowed his eyes, as if he couldn’t quite make out who was there, before a beaming smile spread across his face. “Ah, Princess, good evening. And is that Mr. Caeli with you, too? My, I just have an influx of company tonight, it seems. How may I be of service? Er, I thought we postponed our appointment?”
“We did, but my plans got canceled so I thought I’d check in anyway,” she assured him. “Are you free or should I just wait until tomorrow?”
Grunly nodded almost to himself before his grin returned and he motioned for them to approach. “No, come on in, come on in! Why don’t I make some tea? It’s not everyday I get visitors, so make yourself comfortable and I’ll be ready in just a minute!”
At first, she wanted to insist that he didn’t need to be so hospitable, but she quickly realized that he wanted to do this, so she decided to do as he offered, shut the door behind her, and took her seat at one of the many student desks that were placed in rows down the length of the room. Grunly was a very social person, and she knew that Abi had been his most consistent visitor, so her departure had left him feeling quite lonely. The least she and Ryokumo could do was accept some tea, so they settled themselves down and watched as he used magic to heat the water in a kettle. Ryokumo offered to help him, but Grunly insisted he could do it himself, and it didn't take long before he had retrieved some ceramic mugs and had them filled with a lavender-smelling liquid that he brought to their spots.
“Now then,” Grunly murmured as he lowered himself into the desk adjacent to Ilirianna. “What can I do for you, Princess? Does this have to do with Ankalla or has something else come up?”
Ilirianna slowly shook her head, knowing she would have to choose her words carefully and approach this situation with the utmost caution. She was almost certain that Grunly would never turn Abigail over, but she was playing with fire by telling anybody, even him, so she didn’t want to get overconfident. For the sake of Abigail Reiner and her family, she needed to be at the top of her game.
“Listen, Master Grunly,” she began in a steady voice. “Before I start, I need an assurance from you that what I’m about to say never leaves this room. Not even to King Markreas or my family, the other Masters, the Council of Elders—nobody. Can you promise me that?”
Grunly frowned with alarm, his eyes darting between Ilirianna and Ryokumo with concern. “Er, not even King Markreas? Princess, that’s a very dangerous thing you just asked of me. For what reason would I hide something from the King that wouldn’t be illegal?”
“No reason,” Ilirianna admitted. “This is illegal, but I think you’ll be willing to hide it once you know what I’m about to tell you.”
“B-but, Princess—?!”
“Abigail is alive, Grunly.”
The old man’s protests abruptly ceased as she bluntly laid out the truth for him, and for a few seconds, he merely blinked, like he was trying to determine if he had heard right or if he was imagining things.
“I’m sorry?” he stuttered. “I misheard you, I think.”
But Ryokumo shook his head, speaking now to back up Ilirianna’s claim. “No, you didn’t, Master. Abigail is alive, and she’s been alive all this time. The Kosah-Rei didn’t kill her.”
“But I… But…? Well, where is she then?” Grunly seemed utterly baffled, making Ilirianna feel a bit bad for suddenly dropping such a revelation on a man who was already struggling to cognitively keep up with everybody else. “Why hasn’t she returned? And how do the two of you know when King Markreas does not?”
Ilirianna smiled warmly, wanting to at least try and bring him some comfort in such a stunning situation. “It’s a long story, to be honest, but I promise that she’s happy and that we’ve kept this a secret because she’s happy.”
“Then…where has she gone?” he asked again.
Ilirianna hesitated for only a second before answering his inquiry. “Omaruo. Six years ago, when myself, Kumo, and Abi got stranded in Omaruo during the Battle of Hiriech, something happened that we never told anybody. We exposed magic to a magicless boy living there, and he was the one who housed us, fed us, clothed us, and even risked his own life to stop Mallicent Malloway from harming his hometown.”
“You…exposed magic?” he uttered, his lower lip shaking. “And you kept this secret?”
Ilirianna nodded. “He would have been erased otherwise, and he didn't deserve that after everything he did for us. Thing is, something else we never told anybody was that the realm dagger Mallicent used was not destroyed, rather we convinced the King to allow us to keep it for emergencies should we ever need to use it behind the Council’s back. It was hidden in the Academy and kept safe.”
She wondered if she should stop there, for Grunly appeared to be struggling to keep up with what she was revealing to him, but even in the face of finding out his King had kept something like that from him and the other Masters, he glanced back at her and silently motioned for her to keep talking. Realizing that he would remain silent until her story was done, Ilirianna went on.
“Now, in yet another secret, that dagger did not remain dormant. You see, Abi fell in love with that magicless boy who helped us, and for better or for worse, she snuck back to Omaruo multiple times to visit him in the years between Hiriech and Stellareid. It wasn’t too often, but Kumo helped cover for her, and for a while, she was unsure what to do. She didn’t want to abandon Ijiria, but she also loved that boy. Unfortunately, the decision was made for her when she forgot to cast the birth control charm and became pregnant right before we left for Stellareid.”
His eyes widened again, so the Princess quickly added,
“However, she did not find out she was pregnant until we were already on our way out of Erika. To this day, I know she regrets never being able to tell you the truth, Master Grunly, and I think she would have if things hadn’t happened so suddenly. She didn’t want to lose the child, but she also couldn’t raise it in Ijiria without arousing suspicion, so she made the painful choice to abandon Ijiria for good. She returned to Omaruo, while Kumo and I used the chaos of Stellareid to fake her death so that nobody would ever search for her. Right now, she’s living a peaceful life with her husband in Omaruo as they raise their son.”
Grunly absently lowered his eyes to the cup of tea clutched in his hand—a hand that was shaking so much that Ilirianna wondered if he was about to spill it.
“Why…tell me this…?” he managed to ask. “If you’ve kept it secret all this time then why reveal it now?”
Ilirianna sighed. “We underestimated how much her death would affect you, so we thought it time to finally tell you the truth, if only to help you find some sort of peace. I’ve spoken to her about it personally, and we’ve both come to the same conclusion, so…would you like to see her again?”
“See her again?” the Master of Nature parroted. “But how?”
“How else? I’m gonna cut open a portal to Omaruo, and I’m going to take you to her.”