Chapter 13

“It’s been a while, my guardian,” Aurora said with a shining smile. It’s been a couple of weeks since we met, but she looked the same as ever That’s a Goddess for you.

“My Goddess, it's always good to see you,” I said with a curtsy, flaring out the legs of my pajamas as I stood in the void I’ve come to know as Aurora’s divine plane. An endless view of circulating galaxies and stars slowly floating overhead. “I see you’ve decorated the place,” I said while admiring the view. The first two times I’d been here, it had only been an endless black as far as the eye could see.

“Yes, well, after having you visit, the endless void became a little uncomfortable for some reason,” she said with a wistful sigh. Her golden eyes flickered as she watched the colorful stars. The deity looked beautiful as the otherworldly light reflected off her silver locks. We stood together like that in comfortable silence before I spoke.

“I actually had a few questions I was hoping you’d help me with.” I turned my attention toward her, and she met my eyes with an expression that seemed to already know what I was about to ask.

“You wish to know about that power inside yourself, correct?” and I nodded.

“How did you know?”

Aurora laughed gently. “You are my guardian. That means we are connected on a spiritual level. I can sense your intentions and feelings as if they were my own.”

“A-All of them?” I asked, embarrassed. I thought about earlier in the night when Lydia and I had confirmed our feelings for one another before we went to sleep. In fact, The princess and I were even sleeping in the same bed before I awoke here. Aurora smirked at my reaction.

“I’m truly happy for you, Audrey.” My face felt a little hot, but my feelings for Lydia were nothing to be ashamed of, and having my Goddess acknowledge it made me incredibly happy.

“Thank you, Aurora.” I cleared my throat to push the conversation along. “So, you do know what that power is and how I can control it, then?”

She nodded, the silver hair framing her face rippling. “Of course. It’s called ‘Stella’ and is the manifestation of your divine power. Every guardian has some, but the amount varies depending on the deity they are connected to.”

“So the stronger the deity, the more someone has?” I inquired. How does the divine even classify strength?

“In simple terms, yes.”

“Then how do we compare to other pairs?” Aurora smiled at my use of “we.” That’s the simple truth: I am hers, and she is mine for as long as I live. I could tell by her face that she felt the same. Some may view that as presumptuous or blasphemous, though.

“I may not look it, but I am among the strongest. Allow me to teach you how the divine, and things like spirits, are born.” She winked as a desk and chair popped into existence. I sat down, and a pencil and notebook appeared in front of me. Is she emulating my lessons with Mr. Tressum? The thought was amusing.

“Spirits are born when the emotions of living things converge onto something. This is usually an object or concept. Sometimes even another living being.” A blackboard with a diagram materialized behind her, and it changed with her words. “A spirit evolves into a deity when they exist for long enough without their energy waning.” I raised my hand with a question, and she pointed dramatically at me. “Yes, Audrey.”

“You said ‘living things, ’ right? Not just humans?” I asked.

“That is correct! Even the lowest insects contribute to the creation of spirits. But sentience does play a massive part in where a spirit or deity draws its power from.” She glowed brightly for a moment, and her usual silver robe was replaced with an outfit reminiscent of academy instructors. She also had a pair of stylish glasses on her face. She’s really getting into this. “For example, flower spirits draw most of their strength from human admiration, but they would still exist without that, just in weaker states. There are myriads of insects and animals that depend on flowers for survival as well.”

“Wouldn’t that mean there’s a spirit for every little thing then?”

“No, it takes hundreds of thousands of beings' worth of emotion to create even a weak spirit.”

“I-I see…” The scale was hard to fully grasp, but as I thought about it, I connected a couple of dots to form a hypothesis. “That’s why you’re so powerful? Because you embody the concept of night?” Aurora’s face lit up, and I knew I hit the right answer.

“Correct again! My Audrey is so smart!” Her praise was embarrassing, but I brushed it aside as she continued. “Night is a nigh universal concept. Even if a person doesn’t understand why the night happens, or an animal only feels it on instinct, the concept itself is acknowledged.”

“I think I get it. That means there’s a deity of the day, right?” But my Goddess’s face fell when I asked.

“There is. Her name is Azure, and to put it in human terms, she’s my twin sister.” She paused and bit her lip. Our relationship is… complicated. We haven’t spoken in a long time.” I got the feeling I shouldn’t pry, but Aurora gave me another chance at life—a chance to be with my own sister again. I wanted to help if I could.

“I know I’m only human, but if I can help in any way, please don’t hesitate to tell me.” I stood up from my desk to give her a hug, and she gratefully returned it.

“Thank you, my guardian,” she said as we separated. Another moment of silence passed before she continued. “But that about covers the basics. Do you have any questions?” Aurora attempted to regain the air of an educator, and I still had a question.

“I love that I get to understand you better, but what does this have to do with the ‘Stella’ inside me?” I asked, circling back to my original question. My Goddess only smiled and shrugged.

“Think about what happened every time you’ve visited me and what that has in common with my lesson. When you fully understand the connection, you’ll be able to control ‘Stella.'” The classroom implements all winked out of existence, and Aurora was back in her elegant robe. “I will give you a word of warning. Never attempt to utilize ‘Stella’ by itself. You may mix it with your mana to enhance your magic, however.”

“What would happen if I did?” It was a little worrying to be told such a thing about something inside me.

“Just know that it’s dangerous.” Her mood was a little heavy, but she clapped her hands together to dispel the tension. “But if you do master ‘Stella,’ you can communicate with me directly, not just through dreams. So focus on that instead.” My goddess seemed to be hiding something, but I knew she would never do anything to harm me, so I was sure there was a good reason for it.

“Alright, I will heed your warning, my goddess.” All I could do now was be the best Divine Guardian I could be. Aurora reached out and caressed my cheek lovingly like my mother used to do.

“Please be safe out there. I look forward to speaking again soon.”

With a flash of white, I awoke to Lydia’s sleeping face next to me. I could certainly get used to this. It was still dark out, so I could sleep more, but my throat felt a little dry, so I got myself a cup of water before returning to bed.

For the first time since I met Lydia, my mother’s pendant felt heavy around my neck. It used to be a reflex for me to clutch onto it for comfort, but these days, it felt less like a weight and more like an extension of my body. So, even though I wore it constantly, I tended to forget it was there, though I had a feeling I’d notice immediately if I didn’t have it. But Aurora reminded me so much of my mother at the end of our meeting that I was reminded of its presence once again. Right… didn’t Aurora infuse it with power when we first met? I wonder if that’s why…

My mind relaxed as I laid back down and stared at Lydia’s face. Her loose blonde hair framed her relaxed expression, and I couldn’t help but think it was beautiful as I drifted into sleep once more.

***

My divine plane felt empty after I sent Audrey’s soul back to the mortal realm. In the short time I had known her, my guardian had become like a daughter to me. Even though we had only talked a few times, I always kept watch over her and couldn’t help but look forward to when we could converse at will.

Humanity wouldn’t believe it, but being divine isn’t much different than being mortal. The only difference was having more power, but in every other aspect, I was hardly different than Audrey. And that’s exactly why I couldn’t be totally forthcoming with her.

War was coming.

And Audrey would play an integral part in saving the mortal realm. Mastering her ‘Stella’ was only the first step. But I couldn’t bring myself to tell her what the consequences may be. If she ever fully taps into the divine power, it’s possible she may turn into a spirit herself, but most guardians can’t handle the immense strain, and their bodies fall apart instead. I shuddered at the thought of losing another guardian that way. The outcome didn’t matter. Either way, the person known as “Audrey Rose” would cease to exist.

It wouldn’t happen for a while yet, however. So I desperately wanted her to enjoy her life—to live and love like anyone else. I wanted it even more since most of her childhood had been snatched away. To that end, I vowed to do anything and everything I could for her.

But Audrey will have to become stronger—stronger than anyone else. Because if she doesn’t… She will lose everything.

***

A series of taps brought my attention to the window. I was alone inside the student council room, so I opened it, and a paper bird flew inside and settled on my desk. It was a nice day, so I decided to leave the window open. As I sat back down and pushed some of my mana into the bird, it unfurled into a pristine sheet. This was a type of magic tool designed for secure communication, and If mana other than the registered recipient’s is detected, the bird will combust into flames. It was how Simon and I exchanged reports currently.

“Hmm, just what is that Duke up to?” I murmured to myself. According to the report, some suspicious movements have been reported inside the Rose Duchy. Unfortunately, Simon had been unable to dig up anything concrete. Duke Rose was an expert in covering his tracks, after all. Either way, it seems that the time has come for me to investigate where Sasha stands.

We’ve definitely gotten closer, working on the student council together, but she almost never lets her guard down, and I have a feeling I only see the faces she wants me to. Audrey’s little sister is certainly a tough nut to crack, but I couldn’t leave her be if she posed a threat to my future plans. I was hopeful that once Audrey revealed herself to Sasha, the problem would solve itself. But I also despised myself for thinking of using my new girlfriend in such a way, so I wanted to figure it out without resorting to that. I penned a short response to keep me updated and reset the tool so it would fly back to Simon.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

I leaned back in my chair and groaned. I hadn’t told my family yet about my relationship with Audrey, and every time I sat down to write a letter to send, I hesitated. It wasn’t that I was worried they would object. Quite the opposite, in fact. I knew they would love and support us wholeheartedly. It was the smug expressions and incessant teasing I dreaded, especially since by the time I returned to the castle, my family would have a whole year to come up with all sorts of remarks.

But we kissed… The memory made my face flush. Audrey had asked for me to wait for her, but that was in regard to an official announcement. Both of us still wanted to explore these feelings, so we had settled on being unofficial girlfriends for now.

She had also informed me of her goal. To free Sasha from House Rose… or at least get her out from beneath her parents. It made sense. The reason why she’d been so anxious about seeing her sister again was because she felt guilty about finding happiness while leaving Sasha behind. It was something I could understand since I also loved my brothers just as much. I would most likely feel the same in her situation.

Honestly, this arrangement was the best possible situation for me. It gave me time to work with high society a little more before we came out with the news and hopefully lessen the backlash. All while enjoying my time with Audrey behind the scenes without having to hide it from the people closest to us. Even if rumors did spread, I’d be able to use it to my advantage and work toward my end goal.

Audrey is the true heir to the Rose Duchy… That means if things work out, I’d be a duchess instead of a princess. But even the loss of status wouldn’t deter me, and if House Rose became a staunch ally to the crown instead of a fierce opponent, the social climate would settle dramatically for the rest of my father’s reign and Luke’s after.

I shook my head to clear my rambling thoughts. All of that was far into the future, though. Right now, I have more pressing matters. It was time for me to start pressing Sasha a little more. Every time we spoke, I always backed off when I seemed to touch on a sensitive subject, but I could not afford to wait any longer. Duke Rose was calculating. If even vague information was being leaked, it meant whatever plan he concocted was nearing completion, and I intended to do everything I could to prevent the sisters from ending up on opposite sides.

In the midst of my thoughts, the door to the council room suddenly opened, and Brandon and Yuzuki entered.

“You're here early, as usual, Prez,” Brandon said with a jovial smile.

“How many times have I told you to be more formal?” Yuzuki objected from beside him, but the boy only shrugged his shoulders in response. She sighed and turned to me. “Good morning, Your Highness.” She performed an elegant curtsy as she spoke.

“Please, Yuzuki, It really is alright for you to be more casual with me,” I said, but the black-haired girl only shook her head. Her eyes burned with passion.

“It may be the norm here, but in my homeland, it’s unthinkable.” She paused for a moment. “I appreciate the offer, of course.” I have heard the Yamanda Islands adhere to a strict social code. I just gave her a thin smile.

“Well, you’re in the Kingdom of Venyth. It’s okay to loosen up if you change your mind.”

“I’ll… think about it, Your Highness.” That made me blink in surprise. This wasn’t the first time we had this conversation, but it was the first time I got such a response. Maybe we’re finally becoming friends?? I couldn’t help the excited thought. Even Brandon looked shocked at the development. The air grew a bit awkward in our stunned silence, so I cleared my throat and brushed some hair out of my face as I sat back down.

“I have to ask, Prez. Who was that girl you were with yesterday?” My eyebrow quirked, but I had expected there to be lots of questions.

“She—” I was cut off as the door to the council room opened again to reveal the last member.

“Good morning, everyone,” Sasha said politely as she entered. Then she stopped, noticing that Brandon and Yuzuki hadn’t sat down yet. “I’m not interrupting something, am I?”

“Not at all, Lady Sasha,” Yuzuki said. “We were just asking the princess about that girl she was with at the dance last night.” She turned back to me, her eyes sparkling. “I really want to know as well, she was very pretty! And you wore matching dresses!” She spoke with enthusiasm. It was unusual for her to be so expressive. But with Sasha present, I chose my words carefully.

“She’s a guest of the royal family from the Principality of Trazkel. She was transferred here just for this year.” I recited the backstory we had come up with before coming to the academy, my eyes staying on Sasha to gauge a reaction. It seemed she was a little curious herself, but I couldn’t sense anything else.

“That explains it! You guys did seem really close, but it makes sense if she’s also a royal.” Yuzuki said with a smile.

“It seemed more than close to me…” Brandon muttered, and he doubled over as Yuzuki’s elbow found a home in his gut. For someone who values decorum so much, she doesn’t hold back with him at all.

As I thought about Audrey, an idea began to form in my head. She hasn’t had much socialization since she spends most of her time training. It would be good for her to meet some other students.

“She actually doesn’t know anyone other than myself at the academy due to her special curriculum. How would you guys feel about her becoming a provisional member of the council?” My idea was to have Audrey help when the council was especially busy and needed extra hands. Getting to spend more time with her is just a bonus. Of course, I still needed to run it by Audrey, but if she’s serious about her plans to help Sasha, it would be a great opportunity for her.

“I don’t have any issues, Your Highness,” Yuzuki said with a slight nod.

“Another girl? Don’t things seem a little unbalanced?” Brandon complained. A smirk formed on my face as I teased him.

“What? Don’t you like having all these top-class ladies to yourself?” The young man’s face went blank, and he shuddered violently.

“If you saw the looks I get from the other guys, you would understand my plight, Prez.” I couldn’t help but giggle at the dead look in his eyes.

“I’ll scout out another boy or two just for you,” I said with a wink, then turned to the youngest member. “How about you, Sasha?”

The brown-haired girl hesitated, biting her lip before speaking. “I also have no objections, Your Highness.” She definitely had something on her mind. Perhaps she can sense something familiar about Audrey, even though they haven’t officially met yet. If they were as close as I’ve been told, it wouldn’t surprise me.

I brushed some blond hair behind my ear as we all sat down at our respective seats. “If that’s the case, I’ll bring her around for some introductions in the future. We’ll definitely need the extra help for the tournament coming up.”

Once we had all started our respective tasks, I breathed a sigh at the massive workload that would soon hit our desks in preparation for the upcoming event.

***

I can do this! The thought raced through my mind as I dodged a maelstrom of wind blades. The only damage was to the edges of my academy uniform as I closed the distance to my target.

In the two months since I started at the academy, training has taken up the majority of my schedule, whether with the sword or magic. Today was the first time I’ve really felt the results of that as I whipped a tendril of water at Leah. The liquid wrapped around her leg before I yanked with my hand to bring the lady-in-waiting crashing to the ground. Thank goodness for the protective barrier…

I continued to manipulate the water far afar, binding her arms behind her back in a kneeling position. Learning from my past mistakes, I covered her mouth, allowing her to breathe through her nose. The black-haired woman struggled against the bindings before I manipulated the density to harden the water to a near-frozen state. As I approached, I kept my guard up. It wouldn’t be all that surprising if she had another trick up her sleeve, but when I finally stood beside her, Mr. Tressum called the match.

“The winner is Audrey!” He yelled from the sidelines, and I couldn’t help the grin that formed on my face as I released my magic. Leah took my hand and gave me a wry smile as I pulled her to her feet.

“That was some impressive control, Audrey.” Mr. Tressum commented as we huddled for an after-spar report. “Your abilities are on par with the average court magician, and in only two months. It really is outstanding.” His praise made me straighten with pride.

Two weeks have passed since my last conversation with Aurora. While I haven’t quite mastered ‘Stella’ yet, nor figured out how to infuse my normal mana with it as my goddess had said. I could feel that my connection to my divine power was steadily growing stronger. All I needed to do was find the trigger.

“Thank you, Mr. Tressum,” I said in response while brushing some of my errant crimson hair back into place. “It’s thanks to all the lessons you and Sir Theodore have been giving me.” I never would have made it this far by myself. I left the last part unspoken, but the professor only shook his head.

“While that may be true, it is without a doubt that you have amazing natural capabililites!” He cleared his throat, pushing his glasses up his face before awkwardly continuing. “In regards to magic, at least…” His words took the wind right out of my sails as I slumped down a little. While I was making astounding progress with magic, the same couldn’t be said of my swordsmanship. I was definitely in better shape than when I started, but I still couldn’t land even a single hit on Lucia or the bear-like knight captain.

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that, Siegfried.” A deep voice said from behind our little gathering. We all turned to see Sir Theodore himself, and I mimicked the salute I’d seen Lucia give him before. The man only shook his head with a smile. “You really don’t have to do that, Audrey.”

I smiled back. “I know, it's just fun!” He laughed at that, putting a hand on my head. He may be strict in training, but outside of that, he acts like a doting uncle. According to Lydia and Lucia, he’s like that with almost every one of his recruits.

After removing his hand he continued his earlier statement. “By no means is she as gifted with the sword as she is with magic.” I once again slumped at his words. “But Audrey is a good student and a quick learner at that. As I’m sure you already know.” My professor nodded his head in agreement. “While I wouldn’t compare her to any of the royal family, she’s certainly among the best students I’ve taught. She has amazing potential.” Mr. Tressum seemed to agree wholeheartedly with that as well.

It was certainly embarrassing to hear them talk about me like that, but it was leagues better than the constant ridicule I’d grown used to all my life. I have to keep giving it my best so I can live up to everyone's expectations! I mentally pumped myself up. It was by no means a perfect fight, and Leah had almost won a few times throughout the fight. That means there’s still plenty for me to improve on. I can’t let my one win get to my head.

After we discussed the sparring match, I moved on to physical training once again, doing some practice swings and stretches while waiting for Leah to switch places with Lucia as Lydia’s attendant. The two attendants took turns staying by her side, depending on who I needed to train with. They almost never left her alone, the only exception being when she was with me. But even in those times I knew they were still watching over us, just from a distance.

It took about ten minutes before Lucia arrived at the training field, where she promptly and thoroughly crushed any pride I had from my win against Leah.

Later that night, in our dorm room, Lydia said she wanted to talk about something, and from the tone of her voice, it was pretty important.

“I would like you to become a member of the student council.” The blonde girl said while we were getting ready for bed. I froze mid-brush of my hair as I sat on the edge of the bed. Ever since the night we confessed to each other, our beds had been pushed together in the center of the room. I’m still not quite sure how Leah had pulled it off before we got back, though.

I finally spoke, pushing the asinine thought from my mind. “Are you sure? That would mean…” I trailed off, thinking of my sister. Lydia picked up on my hesitation and turned to face me from the opposite side of the mattress.

“Yes, that would mean being in close contact with Sasha.” She finished brushing her golden hair. “But I feel the benefits outweigh any potential consequences, and I think the chance of her recognizing you right at the start is slim.” She paused. “Though not completely impossible.”

The dark thoughts I had been fighting with for so long started to resurface. What if she hates me for leaving her? What if she truly didn’t care that I disappeared? Countless doubts swirled in my mind before I closed my eyes and took a deep breath to put a lid on those intrusive emotions. Things are different now. I glanced at my best friend and girlfriend. It really hasn’t been that long, but it feels as if we’ve known each other forever.

“I have to face her at some point,” I said with determination. Reaching over, I grabbed Lydia’s hand. “Plus, I know you’ll be there to help me.” I gave her a sincere smile, something I found myself doing more often these days. But the princess only stared at me with a blank expression frozen on her face. I waved my hand in front of her eyes, starting to feel a little worried after a few seconds.

“Hey, Lydia? Are you alright?”

This finally seemed to snap her back to reality, and she gasped a little. “What? Oh, yes! I’m glad you’re on board with the plan, then! I’ll take you with me soon to introduce you to everyone!” For some reason, Lydia seemed a bit panicked, but she quickly threw herself under the covers, facing away from me. She mumbled about something being dangerous, but I didn’t quite catch it.

“What was that? Are you sure nothing’s wrong?” Concern filled my voice as I climbed into bed beside her.

“It was nothing! It's time to sleep, goodnight!” She quickly extinguished the magic lamps in the room, not even turning the devices off but straight up using her fire magic to douse the flames.

Well, if she says it’s nothing… I let the thought die as I quickly fell asleep, the day's exhaustion catching up with me from my long training sessions. As dreams overcame reality, I thought I heard stifled laughter coming from the attendant's room.