Book 1: Chapter 13 - The Path [Part 1]
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Some of the most beautiful things in life are not things, but actions.
- Unknown.
Dinner had been a quiet affair, with Eloise carrying most of the conversation. Bless her little heart, she was doing her best with Anatoli. Seraphina almost felt sorry for him; with three women at the table, he was now clearly in the minority.
Anaselena ate in silence, mechanically, offering only minimal responses when drawn into conversation. The revelation from earlier had clearly shaken her deeply. Between bites, she managed faint smiles, offering brief comments only when absolutely necessary.
The younger woman took this time to parse out her thoughts. One way or another, Seraphina would have her brother dealt with before he became a problem and complicated my claim to the Duchy. She could not, would not, rely on her engagement to the Crown Prince to be the base of her power and authority. He had betrayed Seraphina before for a hussy… and would most likely try it again if she let him.
Now that the meal was finished, it was time for another important event. With a wide smile, Anatoli clapped his massive hands, and two servants hurried off to do his bidding.
“Now, Sera! Now that you are a woman grown…” His voice caught for a moment. “It is time to choose your Path! Haha!” he laughed loudly, regaining his usual verve. His infectious roar even drew a hesitant smile from Seraphina.
The servants, Desmond and Sandra, returned, wheeling in a small cart carrying two iron-oak cases. Each case was thick, dark, and aged with intricate carvings etched into the wood—runes and symbols of power and protection. Heavy bronze padlocks held the cases shut, each lock almost as old as the cases themselves, darkened by time yet polished to a dull gleam for the occasion. From within, an unmistakable aura radiated, humming with an otherworldly energy. These were the scrolls of power, treasures held by her family, awaiting just this day.
Eloise's eyes fixed on them, hungry for the power and promise they held, barely concealing her desire.
The bear of a man that was her father wore a broad, almost foolish grin. It seemed her parents had no inkling of what she truly had planned.
“As a subject of the Kingdom of Aranthia, I accept the Path presented before me. As is my right, by blood and birth as the firstborn of the de Sariens…” Seraphina declared.
Anatoli’s mouth fell open, his brows knitting into a look of shock and worry. In times of peace, the Presentation of a Path was typically a mere formality. No noble family would willingly put their child on the path of madness that came with wielding the Song of Mana—an energy the human mind was never meant to control. And most certainly not their firstborn, their most prized treasure.
“I will allow my lady-in-waiting, Eloise, to carry my honor,” she continued, her tone sweet and measured. She noted the immediate change in her father's expression as his worry softened into something closer to relief, almost pained in its intensity. She nearly chuckled. The man very openly wore his heart on his sleeve.
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“Well… if the Lady Eloise is, of course, sure… you have no objection, my darling flower?” Anatoli asked, turning to his wife.
“No… if that is what she wishes,” Anaselena replied, her tone distant. “Her wishes must be respected,” she added, almost nonsensically.
Anatoli shot Seraphina a concerned look, hesitant to break the occasion’s ceremonial gravity.
He coughed awkwardly. “Well, if you’re sure.”
For such an imposing man, it was quite funny how easily intimidated he was by the women of the household.
“I have chosen Earth, that we might be part of the Kingdom’s foundation,” Seraphina intoned, reciting the formal words. No one could deny her now. The only troubling part was that Eloise looked almost too eager. Had she been planning for this moment from the start? Was Seraphina becoming overly suspicious?
“As the Goddess watches over me, I humbly accept my role as a Magister of the Kingdom,” Eloise proclaimed, standing and dipping her head with a perfect blend of humility and reverence. She spoke the ceremonial words flawlessly, playing her part well.
“Well… as Duke of Sariens, I bestow upon you the Path of Earth. May you wield all your power and wisdom for King and Country,” he declared, rising to his feet with a touch of awkwardness, searching his pockets and fumbling until he found the key.
With slow, deliberate steps, he approached Eloise, who wore a radiant smile. His relief that his own daughter would not be burdened with an Element was gradually giving way to the dreadful realization that this young woman, whom he had welcomed into his home, was willingly stepping into that role.
Eloise stood poised, her expression carefully measured, though her eyes betrayed the faintest spark of hunger. Anatoli approached her, the heavy bronze key glinting in his hand, the symbol of her acceptance and the beginning of her chosen Path. For a moment, he hesitated, glancing between Eloise and Seraphina, the weight of the moment sinking in. Then, with a slow nod, he extended the key toward Eloise.
Eloise accepted it with a graceful bow, her fingers closing around the cool metal. She lifted her gaze to meet Anatoli’s, giving a respectful dip of her head before moving to the iron-oak case on the small cart before her. Every eye was on her now, every breath held as she placed the key into the lock, its age-worn bronze contrasting sharply against her delicate hand. With a measured turn, she unlocked it.
Free from their bindings, the chains fell away like swift serpents. With shaking hands the girl moved to open it.
The lid creaked open, revealing the scroll within—bound in rich, dark green ribbons woven with silver thread, exuding an earthy energy that seemed almost alive. Arcane symbols that promised the embrace of warm Earth, the soft warmth of rot and renewal. Eloise’s eyes flared, a flicker of unguarded excitement, but she quickly composed herself, her face a mask of serene acceptance as she lifted the scroll. In her hands, the scroll seemed to pulse with a deep, grounding power, an ancient force tied to the very bones of its element.
It burned, was consumed, passing all that it was into the girl. The dark-haired girl’s face was euphoric as the Element that had been chosen for her filled and replaced a portion of her soul.
As she turned to face the room, Eloise dipped her head, holding herself in her arms. Though she trembled, a wan smile on her face told the gathered few that she had succeeded in inheriting the element of Earth.
Anatoli exhaled, visibly relieved, as if a great weight had been lifted from him. There had been a chance, albeit small, that the Earth would have rejected her. According to the historical records, such a thing was rarely a pretty event.
Among the gathered few, Seraphina alone noticed the gleam in Eloise’s eyes—a glint of ambition. Whether that ambition was directed toward the mastery of magic or more worldly pursuits, only time would reveal. Whatever lay behind that intense gaze, Seraphina knew she would need to tread carefully in her dealings with the dark-haired girl. Keeping her close had proven to be a wise decision.