“Go and bring Lady Ilyana at once.” A familiar voice spoke from the other side of her bed and Tori automatically turned her head. Her vision was still a bit blurry, but she could recognize her brother without a problem.

“Kasey?” Tori croaked once more, and someone brought a glass of water to her lips. Her brother leaned over the bed and helped prop her up so she could drink.

“You’ve been asleep for hours. Drink first.” Her brother gave Nanny Rey a nod and Nanny Rey made her drink until the glass was half full. “Better?”

“Better,” Tori said. The water felt good against her throat. She squinted and looked around the lavish four poster bed and the gilded walls. There was only one place she could be. “Palace?”

“Palace,” Kasen said with a slight smile. “Are you hungry?”

Tori wasn't sure, but she knew she hadn’t eaten breakfast as she’d been busy getting ready for the dance. “I can eat.”

“My angel, I will request a light meal for you.” Nanny Rey stroked her hair back lovingly before scurrying out the door.

“Kasey, what are you doing here?” Tori said as she turned her head to her brother.

“I was in the same meeting as Piers and the Emperor,” her brother said as he sat on the chair next to her. He uncrossed his legs and leaned over to push her hair back. “I had planned to come to your store’s opening, but we heard about what happened.”

Tori frowned. “Duel’s opening...what time is it?”

Her brother raised a brow and immediately put a hand on her shoulder, as if knowing she’d try to sit up. “Don’t get up. It’s already afternoon and Duel has already opened.”

“Are you sure?”

“Don’t you trust your friends?” Kasen asked. He gave her a gentle smile. “Lady Ilyana, Miss Sonia, and Ewan are here.”

Tori furrowed her brows. “Where are they?”

“In the hearing room. The Guthrys came, presumably to beg for forgiveness.” Kasen’s face darkened at the family name.

Tori frowned. “Did the collapse have something to do with them?”

“We will find out soon,” Kasen said. “I just came from speaking with the Emperor. The Empress is overseeing the matter of the Guthrys.”

Tori took a deep breath and sank down into the bed. “Children were hurt, Kasey. In the past, I didn’t want to get involved with Hart or Guthry, but I just can’t seem to get rid of them. Now there’s this.”

“What do you want to do?”

“First, I’d like to go back to the orphanage,” Tori said. She looked towards her brother. “The children must’ve seen me faint. It could have added additional trauma. If I visit and show I’m alive and well, it may help.”

“All right. I’m free next week and will be working in Horizon during your winter break. I’ll accompany you,” he told her. He smiled softly at her and stroked her head. “You did a good job, Tori. You kept the roof from collapsing long enough to get the children out, and cleared the debris quickly and safely.”

Her eyes crinkled up and her lips pulled into a smile. “That’s what heroes do.”

Kasen laughed. “Yes, yes, my little sister is a hero.”

“Well, this hero also wants to know what is going to happen to Hart’s project. Guthry was heavily involved in it. There must be some repercussions.”

“Piers will manage that, as this goes beyond the Lycée project,” Kasen told her seriously. “The Belcoy Church will be notified, but they can’t do much.”

“Did they send doctors? I’m sure some children were injured.”

“Prince Gideon called for imperial doctors and engineers to check on the children and to try to find out what caused the collapse.”

Tori raised a brow and found herself a little impressed. “He actually did something useful.”

“Tori!” She slowly turned her head towards the half open door as Ilyana ran through with Sonia and Ewan behind her.

Relief at seeing Ilyana safe and sound filled her, and Tori shut her eyes tight and held back a cry. She’s fine. She’s safe. It’s okay.

“Ilyana, don’t move your hand!” Sonia scolded and Tori opened her eyes to look towards Ilyana.

Her brows furrowed. “What happened to her hand?” Ilyana immediately retracted it and tried to hide it behind her.

“She punched Guthry in the face!” Ewan told her, sounding impressed. “She was fast, too, and sent him to the ground. All that training with Nanny Rey paid off.”

Sonia rolled her eyes, but Ilyana puffed out her cheeks. “He deserved it!”

“Ilyana.” Tori’s strained voice tempered the excitable atmosphere, and her friends turned their attention back to her. Tori lifted her hand and Ilyana grabbed it instinctively. She hissed and pulled her right hand back. “Did someone call for her hand to be checked?”

“Someone will come in a moment,” Sonia replied.

“What about Guthry?” Tori asked as she kneaded Ilyana’s left hand, as if to reassure herself that she was fine.

“An imperial doctor was called, too,” Sonia said.

“There was blood everywhere,” Ewan said with wide eyes.

“She punched him in the nose, and it might be broken. She didn’t stab him.” Sonia sighed. She crossed her arms.

“He tried to blame Tori for the roof collapse!” Ilyana seethed and Tori stopped kneading her hand.

Her eyes were wide and tense. Beside her, Kasen lifted his head and frowned. “He tried to blame my sister?”

“Is he crazy?” Tori spat out as her face heated up. “With what reason did he have to blame me? Why would I overexert myself if I wanted the roof to come down?”

“Mr. Guthry insisted that he was not completely at fault and believes that as you went inside the schoolhouse before it collapsed, you may have done something to instigate it.” Piers stood by the door with a stoic expression.

“Did the engineers and knights report?” Kasen asked from his seat. He looked at Piers with a sharp gaze.

“Yes, Senior.”

“Then report it.”

Tori listened to Piers repeat what had been reported and the more she heard, the more tense and angry she became. Her grip on Ilyana’s good hand tightened and she forced herself to let go so as not to hurt her friend. A doctor arrived to check on Ilyana’s hand and as they finished wrapping it up and putting ice on it, Tori trembled with anger.

“He deserved it,” she said in a low voice. “He knew that this was being built for children. He has no excuse to let incompetent craftsmen build it and without a seasoned foreman! It should’ve been inspected to make sure the building was sound before children were even let inside! What is wrong with Dimitri Guthry!?”

Her voice echoed off the high ceilings and Kasen put his hand on her shoulder to keep her from flying out of bed to hunt down Dimitri.

“Piers,” Kasen said, without taking his eyes off her. “Has his punishment been decided?”

“I will have a meeting with the Guthrys and Headmaster Laurent to discuss this week. Until further notice, he is suspended. Outside of the Lycée project, as he is partially responsible, he will be fined and issued punishment,” Piers said. “The two masons and the carpenter who sold the original building materials have been found. They should be held for questioning at the moment. Horizon’s city judicial council will oversee their trial and punishment, as proof is conclusive.”

Tori let out a low breath. “Will Hart be held accountable in any way?”

“At the moment, there is still an investigation pending on her involvement. Hart accepted donations and labor. At the very least, she’d be fined for improper site management and dereliction of duty,” Piers told her.

“Your Highness, it is still her Lycée project. Will it be affected?” Ewan asked.

Piers nodded. “Yes, however, she still has a year to complete it. This will heavily affect the outcome, but she has not failed completely.”

Sonia sneered and Ilyana scowled, but Tori frowned. “As much as I don’t like her, I don’t want her to fail. There are innocent children depending on this and they shouldn’t have to suffer.”

“They’re already suffering,” Ilyana muttered. She sat down on the edge of Tori’s bed. “I don’t see why she had to build a school. Wasn’t her project just to make sure orphans had a place to learn? They were learning in the abbey’s communal space previously. Couldn’t Hart have provided materials and hired suitable teachers?”

“Come to think of it, this whole time, have those children been taught?” Sonia said, furrowing her brows. “Didn’t Hart once complain that Tori took the teachers she was trying to hire?”

Tori shut her eyes again. “In the end, this doesn’t have a major effect on Hart, even if she’s the cause of it.”

Ilyana snorted. “How is she so lucky?”

Tori held back a bitter reply about Alessa. She looked over at Ilyana and held her hand once more. Her friend was more important. “Ilyana, please don’t hit anyone anymore. I’m sure the Guthrys were mad.”

“I wouldn’t say they were mad,” Ewan said with a slight shrug. “The Prime Minister and his wife were upset with him. After Ilyana punched Guthry, all Madam Guthry did was ask why, but neither asked for Ilyana to be punished.”

“Whatever it is, it’s worth it,” Ilyana insisted.

“No, wasting your time and energy on him is not worth it,” Tori told her firmly. “I know you were angry, and you have every right to be. He deserved that punch to the face. I am also furious and would love to take a stab at him, but we can’t let our emotions get the best of us, all right?”

“You will worry my sister if you or any of her friends are hurt,” Kasen said as he gave Ilyana a thoughtful look. “Please be more restrained next time. That goes for the rest of you, as well.” He looked towards Sonia and Ewan, both of whom had also struck someone for Tori’s sake.

Ilyana lowered her eyes and nodded. “I’ll try. I’m sorry.”

Tori smiled and squeezed Ilyana’s good hand, her heart both aching and relieved. “As long as you’re safe. It’s not bad to be able to fight, but pick your battles carefully.” Ilyana’s eyes reddened and she stood up. She rounded Tori’s bed and sat on the other side before laying down.

“I’m going to stay here tonight. Don’t try to stop me!”

Tori chuckled and nodded. “All right.”

“I guess this means I’ll get the sofa,” Sonia said, looking across the room. “Ewan, you can head back.”

Ewan nodded. “I’ll tell everyone what happened and tomorrow, we’ll come to report about the opening.”

“Tell them not to worry. It’s just a little crystal fatigue.”

Piers frowned. Axton arrived beside him and ran his hand down his face. “A little crystal fatigue can add up. You can’t do this too often,” he said in a firm voice.

“I know, I know,” Tori said. “But this was an emergency.”

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

Piers looked over the room for a moment longer before turning around. Axton followed him. “You’re not going to weasel your way in and take up Tori’s time?”

“Tori wants to be with Lady Ilyana right now,” Piers said. “I have things to do.”

Axton raised a brow. “You’re not annoyed that it’s ‘special treatment’?”

Piers didn’t look back, but Tori heard him over the sound of her friends chattering. “Lady Ilyana is Tori’s best friend; her treatment should always be special.”

Axton paused for a moment and then frowned. “Well, then, you can learn something from her.”

[https://static.wixstatic.com/media/334114_6091e4325c304c4d9804d3c53f9887d3~mv2.png] When she fell asleep after dinner, she thought that sleeping most of the day wouldn’t affect her sleep schedule, but she was wrong. Tori stared at the dark canopy above her bed. Dim light crystals glowed in corners of the room while the hearth had a carnelian heater that was glowing and casting shadows around her.

Ilyana was sleeping on her side of the bed and on the small bed by the hearth, Sonia was sprawled out with a thin blanket and borrowed sleepwear. There was some comfort in knowing her friends were safe and she knew exactly where they were.

Whatever she saw when she fainted from crystal fatigue hadn’t happened, or at least didn’t in this lifetime. Perhaps it was a warning. She recalled the dull headache and the droning buzz in her ears that was similar to what she felt and heard when she was at Axton’s inn and vividly recalled the game sequels that revolved around her brothers.

Those scenarios hadn’t happened.

In contrast to the sharp, quick pain of Victoria’s memories, the dull headaches and buzzing were meant to show a threatening future. In all honesty, Tori didn’t want to dwell on it. She had enough to think about, but it did highlight her suspicion on Adrien Rosiek and Alessa. Since he didn’t go to school with them and was generally mysterious, Tori didn’t know what the two arranged between them, but she knew it was important.

A fluffy tail swept over her face, and she blew it out of the way. Alexander was laying on her pillow, just above her head. She tilted her head back and was immediately met with more fluff.

She brushed his tail away, but he let it fall on her face again. If he was trying to distract her from being alone with her depressing thoughts, it was working. She wanted to tell him to stop, but didn’t want to wake her friends.

Alexander pushed himself up and hopped off the bed. He then turned around and stood up, easily reaching the side of the bed, and reached forward with one paw. He pushed against Tori’s arm.

Okay, I get it. Maybe he wants to go out. Tori carefully adjusted her weight and slid her legs over the side of the bed. She found a pair of slippers by her bedside and put them on. She looked down at the frilly, but warm night dress Nanny Rey had brought for her and looked for the robe that was nearby.

As she put it on, she saw Alexander’s untouched litter box in the corner. She looked across the room and found an empty food bowl, but water in a water dish. She looked at her cat with a frown.

He’s probably hungry. I’ll ask for food. She shuffled to the door, glancing over her shoulder to make sure her friends were still sleeping, and quietly opened it.

“My lady?” A quiet voice whispered from the side. Two knights were stationed at her door, as expected.

“Alexander is out of food- Alexander!” The large, fluffy gray mass slipped between her legs and out the small opening of the door so quickly, she didn’t notice until he was well into the hall. She frowned. “Alexander, come here!”

“It’s all right, my lady. When Master Alexander visits, he roams the halls freely,” one of the knights told her.

Tori’s eyes crinkled up. “What?” She looked at the cat with his tail up looking at her, as if waiting, in the middle of the hall. Wasn’t letting her cat roam free in the palace dangerous? She was sure there were other pets. What if Alexander got into a fight? Or worse? The Emperor had a parrot gifted to him by a diplomat. What if Alexander killed the imperial pet parrot?

“It has been approved by the imperial couple, my lady,” one of the knights assured her upon seeing her horrified expression. “Master Alexander occasionally wanders around at night. Cats are highly active at night.”

She knew that, but being active at night and being active at night in the imperial palace were different situations.

“I can accompany you, my lady,” one of the knights told her. “A knight usually accompanies Master Alexander.”

Are you coming with me because of my cat? Tori pursed her lips. “I was just coming out to ask for food.”

“It is not time for Master Alexander’s meal, my lady. His Highness strictly enforces Master Alexander’s mealtimes and portions.”

Tori’s eyes drifted to her cat once more. Alexander let out a small meow and made a circle. He appeared impatient. Tori let out a heavy breath and closed the door behind her. She was awake anyway. A small walk wouldn’t be bad. She could use it after being in bed for so long.

“That’s fine. I’ll just follow him for a bit.”

The knight gave her a salute and Tori stepped forward. As soon as she got within grabbing distance of her cat, Alexander trotted forward. Occasionally, he’d look back to make sure she was following. Tori shook her head, wondering where her cat was headed.

The halls of the palace were still lit by light crystals, but they were dimmed just low enough so that one could still see where they were walking and avoid bumping into things, but it was still relatively dark. Light from the moon poured in through the windows. Alexander seemed to know exactly where he was going.

It wasn’t until Tori felt a familiar pulse that she stopped. Her attention went from her cat to her surroundings, and she tensed up. “Alexander!” she hissed in a low voice. “Alexander, stop!” Alexander did not stop. He continued walking and Tori frowned. He’s usually so obedient. Living with Piers has made him rebellious.

She turned around to ask the knight to stop her cat, but the knight who had been a few steps behind her had disappeared. Tori frowned more so and turned in a circle.

“Sir Gladstone?” Her eyes narrowed. Did she take a wrong turn and then lose him? She heard a meow and as she turned her head to look towards her cat, she felt another pulse of energy. Alexander stood at a hallway intersection, facing the hall to their left. Tori took a deep breath. She ignored the pulse and marched forward. “Alexander, let’s go back to the room-Alexander!”

Her treacherous cat darted forward just as she was about to bend down to grab him. Tori stumbled after him and felt another wave of energy. She looked up and around. Her shoulder slumped forward.

She was back in the old castle.

“Nyaow!” Tori looked ahead and saw Alexander’s glowing eyes as he circled once more.

She swallowed hard. “I’m trusting you not to take me anywhere shady, Alexander.”

“Nyaow!” His tail stood up straight and Tori clenched her hands and followed. Her steps were quieter and smaller, but in the old stone corridors, she could hear the echoing of her steps. Ahead of her, Alexander continued forward undaunted.

He led her directly to an open doorway and Tori could see a faint light coming from within. The pulsing had died down into a slow, steady wave. It was neither faint nor overwhelming, but it was all around her. Tori stood a few steps away from the door.

“Dammit, Alexander.”

“Nyaow!” Her cat turned around from the inside of the room and Tori grit her teeth and readied herself for what she’d find. She rushed into the room and stopped as the light crystals came on.

Tori’s eyes darted around, looking for any vague shape of a human, but no one else was inside. She turned around. There were familiar shelves littered with crystals and various small objects, all exuding a faint energy, but the most came from the crystal table and chess set.

“No old man...,” Tori muttered to herself. She turned around to look at the table and sucked in a sharp breath. Alexander was on his hind legs, his front paws resting on the edge of the table, and he seemed to be getting ready to jump. “No!” Tori darted forward and grabbed her cat before he could jump on the table. Even if he didn’t, she’d forgotten how long he was. It was easy for him to sweep all the crystal obelisks off the tabletop with a swipe of his fat paws. “Alexander, what are you doing?” She adjusted her cat in her arms to look at his cute face.

“Animals with a high consciousness are said to be drawn to crystal energy,” a voice said from the doorway.

Tori’s heart shot to her throat as she turned around. As soon as she made out the figure, she relaxed. “Piers, what are you doing here? It’s late.” Alexander wiggled out of her arms and landed on the floor. He trotted over to Piers and rubbed his head against Piers’ legs before returning.

Piers was in a dark violet robe and seemed to be wearing pajamas underneath. His hair was tousled, meaning he’d likely been woken up. “One of the knights came to report that you were up and following Alexander.”

Tori shot a glare at her. “Don’t give him free reign. What if he gets hurt or lost?”

“He is safe.”

“What about your father’s parrot?”

“Avocado is kept in the greenhouse. Alexander cannot get in easily,” Piers said. Tori sighed and rubbed her head. Piers frowned and walked forward. “Does your head hurt?”

“Not physically....” Tori looked towards him. “How’d you know I was here?”

“I saw you turning into the hall and followed.”

Swordsmen did tend to walk quieter than normal, and Piers likely dismissed the knight. She looked towards the crystal table. Alexander stood beside it, but didn’t seem interested in jumping on top. “This is the room I thought I saw a ghost in.” The corner of Piers’ lip curled up slightly and Tori narrowed her eyes. “I’m aware it sounds ridiculous.”

“There is no ghost,” Piers said. “This room isn’t visible to everyone. You are only allowed in when the table allows you.”

Tori furrowed her brows. “Is the table a conscious entity now?”

“It is better explained as having its energy resonate with you. If your energy resonates with the crystal, then you are allowed in,” Piers told her. “It triggers the wall to disappear.”

“And you didn’t tell me this when I panicked?”

“I thought you got lost and made a mistake.”

Tori tilted her head and looked at him and then back to the table. “Then, it’s tied to other crystals in the room?”

“It is tied to all energy. That is what it is,” Piers told her. He walked closer and looked down at the glowing table.

“I’ve never seen something like it before. It’s quite spectacular.”

“It’s an ancient relic that pre-dates the establishment of the empire.”

She glanced up at him. “Do you know what it is?” He nodded. “Then, do you know how to play?”

Piers raised a brow. His eyes flickered towards her before looking back at the table. “Play?”

“Isn’t it an ancient chess board?”

Piers had a slight line between his brows. He looked at the table and the numerous crystal obelisks. “It’s many things. It was used as a strategy board.”

“That connects,” Tori nodded to herself. She peered back at the crystal and the clusters of colored obelisks. “How does it work as a strategy board?”

“The crystals represent important families. Large ones, like the imperial family ,the duchies, and the marches have multiple crystals representing important people.”

Tori perked up. “Do I have one that represents-”

Before she finished, Piers was already pointing as a small reddish-brown crystal with a small crack on it. “You.” Her crystal was away from others of a similar color, meaning she was away from her family. There was another similar colored crystal near hers.

“Is that one Kasey?”

“Madam Biancci,” Piers said. He pointed to a crystal on the outskirts of the table, away from the rest of the clusters. “That is Senior’s. He was there as of the last time the table was used.”

Tori furrowed her brows and circled the table. From the lines she could make out beneath the crystals, it was outside of Soleil’s borders. She looked across the table at Piers. “Where is this?”

“Pargath.” It was a small city state on the far southeastern border, touching Osten and near where her villagers had fled from. Its wealth came from trade, and it claimed neutrality, allowing for both Soleil and the Duraga Federation to pass through and use their ports for trade. It was a major caravan stop, as it avoided the hostile Duraga Federation.

As long as they didn’t attack, the Duraga Federation was free to buy and trade there without having to deal with defending a location they were ill-equipped to run.

Tori drew her lips inward and bit them. “Can I ask why?”

Piers was quiet for a moment and shook his head. “Confidential.”

Tori wrinkled her nose. She should’ve figured as much. She circled the table, trying to read the carvings. “What else does the table do?”

“My grandfather said it can do many things, including commune with the gods. However, ancient relics are difficult to use and may or may not actually do what their legends say,” Piers told her. “The symbols for the gods are carved around the table.”

Tori bent down and saw the carvings along the side. “These are the elemental gods.”

“They were the first gods,” Piers said as he walked around. “Here is Suraelle, for wisdom. Necessary for strategic war. Gods for luck, prosperity to support our people, strength, and valor....” He stopped and ran his fingers across a symbol. “Time.”

Tori craned her neck. “Raelus, god of time. It makes sense. Timing is important in nearly everything. Growing crops, building during the seasons, tides, weather, definitely in war....”

Piers glanced at her and let out a low hum. He looked at the table. “Your crystal was moved when you came to Lycée.”

Tori smiled a bit. “I didn’t know I was important enough to get a crystal of my own.”

“You are very important.”

She drew her head back, surprised at the firmness in his voice. “Well...I suppose if I’m going to build a port city....Did my crystal fall? It has a crack on it.”

Piers was quiet for a bit. “A few years ago, my grandfather found it on the ground.”

Tori narrowed her eyes and looked at the cluster of similar colored crystals where she assumed Sur would be. Her family’s cluster wasn’t close to the edge. It should stand to reason that her crystal couldn’t have just rolled off the table. “Was it not with my family?”

“I don’t know. When Grandfather found it, it was on the floor.”

“With a crack?”

“Yes.”

“...When did it fall?”

“Two years and seven months ago.”

Tori let out a small snort. “That’s a precise answer....” Her voice trailed off and her eyes narrowed. She fell off a horse about two years and seven months prior. “How often are crystals replaced?”

“They are not. They are placed when the table calls for it. The family cluster will glow and then we put a new crystal into the cluster. They are removed when the person they represent is no longer of use or die.” He swallowed and against the light of the table, he seemed to pale.

Tori furrowed her brows and looked at him. “Is something wrong?”

“Nothing.”

She restrained her curiosity to respect his wishes. She gave him a nod. She wanted to play with the crystals, but at the same time, was afraid of touching the table and breaking something. Tori let out a heavy breath.

“I should get back in case Ilyana or Sonia wake up,” she said. Piers nodded. He bent down and picked up Alexander, draping him over his shoulder.

“Come.” He held out his right hand and Tori grasped it. She took one more look at the table and followed Piers out. After she took a few steps outside the door, she turned around. The doorway was still there.

Tori frowned and continued to walk. She made it to the intersection and looked back once more. The door was gone.

“Maybe I stepped out of its boundary....” Tori muttered.

“When my grandfather returns, he will teach you how to use it,” Piers told her as they walked down the narrow corridor and towards the newer part of the palace.

Tori jerked her head back and looked at him with surprise. “Why me? I mean, is that allowed?”

“There is no reason for there not to be.”

“But I’m not an imperial family member,” Tori said.

“You are allowed if it calls for you,” Piers told her. “Didn’t you say before that you felt a pulse of energy that reminded you of the energy vein in the delta? Not everyone feels that.”

“Then, that was the crystal calling for me?” Tori asked. She furrowed her brows. “I didn’t search for it. Alexander led me here and then I felt the pulse again.”

“It called for you again. Grandfather says that very few people are called by the crystal and only those it calls can use it.”

“But why me?” Tori shook her head. “I think I’m improving greatly with my crystal work, but I’m not as sensitive or powerful as my brother and masters. Sebby never mentioned this. I would think he’d be qualified.”

“Master is not qualified.”

“He’s tried?”

“He has been to the palace before and has not felt the pulse,” Piers said. “Nor did he find the room.”

“That table gets more and more mysterious....” Tori said in a hushed voice. “She glanced at Piers. “Did you find the room by yourself or did your grandfather show you?”

“I found it by myself. Then Grandfather brought me.”

Tori stood up straight. “Then at one point it called to you! That means you can use the crystal table, too. Have you?”

Piers kept his eyes ahead of them as they emerged into the main palace corridors. “I have.”

“Then, next time you should show me.”

“I cannot,” Piers told her. His hand tightened around hers. “It no longer calls for me.”