I’m a maid from the House of Morte. My daily duties include washing the dishes, the clothes and taking care of the Princess. Although I say that I’m a maid I’m more specialized in assassination. As a Silent Voice it is unusual to take care of a child but that is my duty given by the Empress herself when she laid on the dirt with a poisoned arrow in her left shoulder giving birth to the Princess fourteen years ago. She was born in battle. Red was the first thing she saw since childhood. Because she didn’t get the necessary care at that time she has a weak body. Even one pinch on her arm can make her skin fall down. I still remember the last words of the Empress as she holds the child in her arms tears streaming down on her face Take care of my daughter! Take care of Sesilia! Since her early years she was known as The Fragile Diamond, especially in the army. But enough thoughts I can’t let the Princess see me like this she will get sad no doubt.

In the palace there can be seen a maid passing in a narrow hallway with a cart full of food and sweets. The hallway is decorated with plenty of paintings depicting the battles that the Kurt Empire fought and won against all odds. The battle on the Everlasting River when the emperor himself decapitated the Demon Lord and made the entire demon continent submit to him. The battle with the fanatics from the west where the sister of the emperor won but have lost the right arm making her inapt to continue the fight. The battle with the long ears east from the empire where the empress died and had given birth to the Princess. So many battles yet the empire still stands proud of its accomplishments.

Suddenly the maid stops and in her front there is a figure in red clothes with a symbol on the right side of his chest, a dragon in black and white with a book in his mouth clearly showing who he is and what status he has. The tactician, Zamir de Morte the first son of the Emperor. He is rather famous for keeping the fight with the elves when the Empress had fallen, trapping the elves in the very forest that kept them from advancing in their territory. He fought with one hand while holding his sister with the other killing countless elves and saving many lives. Even today the elves fear him and curses him in one name Zawasim, The Elf Eater.

-Good morning young master, are you going to the library again?

As the maid bows she can clearly see the red eyes that every family member from the Morte House has.

-Good morning to you too. Yes, I heard that there is a new batch of books coming today. I wonder if I would find something interesting to read to pass my boredom.

-While you search would you be so kind to bring me a book for the young miss? I’m worried she might try cooking again out of boredom and we all know how that ended last time don’t we?

-Hahaha! Why, yes. I still can’t believe she blow up the royal kitchen with basic ingredients. If I find an interesting book for her I will gladly give it to you. By the way how is she?

-Thank you for your kindness. She is well. I believe she can go to the academy if nothing happens along the way. Through I did saw some blood filled clothes that she hides in her dress room. I think she hides them not to worry all of us. It’s quite sad.

-Yes it is. Well if nothing else I’m on my way. Can you tell my sister to visit the library when she gets better? A change of pace might elevate her mood.

-Yes I will young master. Have a good read.

-Mh.

As the young master grunts in acknowledgment and the maid bows before he leaves the two make haste to get where they need to be. The maid soon enough finds herself standing beside a door knocking gently on it to see if the person on the other side is awake or not.

No response. I guess she still sleeps. Thinks the maid as she gently pushes the door and pulling the cart filled with food along the way. Redirecting her sight on the room she finds the young miss sitting on a chair with a book in her hand delicately pushing another page from the book. Her form shows clearly what years of battlefield does to your body, voluptuous enough to make even a proud dragon jealous and a white skin that almost looks unhealthy. Her face screams of innocence while her eyes clearly show what she would do to you if you even touch a single string of hair on her body, as two clear crystals of red are reading the book as if it would go away by blinking even once.

The maid doesn’t bother to talk as this situation happened before. No matter what she would do to her the young miss is absorbed in that book and she won’t let it out of her hand, not even by force.

As the maid is moving towards the table right beside the young miss she takes a peek at the dress room to see if there are any blood clothes from her. Through the cracks of the dresses door there can be seen different shades of red clothes but not filled with blood and no metallic smell is coming from it.

Good! At this rate she will get healthier. Just as these thought are flowing inside the maids head the young miss quickly puts a hand to her mouth and coughs blood covering the book that she was holding in her hands. Or not.

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-Ugh Lights Sake! I was just reading the book.

The maid rushes to the young miss with a white cloth in her hand to clean the blood from her face.

-Are you alright young miss? Askes the maid worried that she may need a basin filled with water and a towel for the young miss.

-I’m fine Marry. Just the usual in the morning. I may bother you with another book now that this is… in this state.

-Nonsense my lady. I’m more than happy to look for another book. But I believe the emperor has agreed to send you to the academy.

-WHAT?? Father agreed? Yes FINALY. This boredom will end.

The young miss happily jumps out of the chair and as fast as she got up almost fallen if not for the fast reflexes of Marry, holding the young miss and carefully placing her on the chair.

-Now, now my lady you need to eat first to talk with the emperor.

-Ugh. My head.

-Now, what would you like to eat?

~Two hours later~

As the young miss and the maid, Marry, make their way to the throne room to see the emperor a familiar face in red clothes meets them in the hallway. Although the right arm is gone and the spear that the woman used in the war against the Holly Kingdom is missing there is no doubt with the emblem of the empire on the right part of the chest that shows the dragon with a spear in his mouth. This women used a single division to fight back the fanatics from the west and won. Barely any damage was done to the division and only some scars that clearly show how hard they fought against them. She is famous for leading them straight to battle with no plan, no backups and no healers earning her a name that resonates in the songs of the empire even today. Jevelin de Morte, The Spear Berserker.

-Auntie!!

The young miss runs to the woman with her arms open, ready for a hug.

-Careful dear you still remember what happened last time right?

The voice stops the young miss in her tracks and gently although hurriedly hugs the woman like they would be together for the last time.

-It’s so good to see you. How have you been? I hope the uncultivated idiots at the academy don’t give you too much trouble.

-All’s good, all’s good. You? How are you holding on?

-Better than ever, I could even start swinging a sword and train my body to fight.

Jevelin stops the hug and looks straight at the young miss face that has a wide smile on it, then she changes her sight to the maid, Marry and before she could even ask the maid shakes her head and a clear no can be read from that.

-Young miss do you want another lecture from the old man? It seems you are quite eager to hear his tales from the old times no?

As Marry says these words the young miss face falls apart from the wide smile and a face full of disgust starts showing on her face

-Ugh! On another not it seems I’m not healthy enough to start. Maybe in another year or two.

-Pfff. Hahaha. You never change do you? I still remember the time when you tried to swing a dagger and the hand’s skin just flew off along with the dagger. The face you had at that time was hilarious.

Hahaha.

-Auntie please don’t tease me!

-Alright, alright I won’t. Let’s go, your father is waiting.

Continuing their walk to the throne room the three begun to talk about the past and teasing the young miss making her tell some embarrassing memories of the two as well. Laughter can be heard in the hallway making even the guards in the front of the throne room’s door smile from seeing this heart worming scene.

-Is the emperor here? Asks Jevelin.

-Yes my lady. He has been expecting you,

-Good, we shouldn’t keep him waiting, let’s go.

As the door of the throne room opens and the three maidens walk there can be seen already six figures. Three beside the throne where the emperor lies with his red clothes and with the symbol of the empire on the right part of his chest with the dragon holding in his mouth a crown and the two figures who are the left hand and the right of the emperor, The General and The Royal Mage. Beside them on the left, lined on their knees with the left leg are some unknown women dressed in full plate armour, a robe and a more lightweight armour all in the respective colour of the empire, red.

As the door closes and the three of them make their way in the middle of the room the general pulls out a chair from his inventory and places it right beside the throne of the emperor.

-Is that you sister that I see? No wonder the maids have started to sing your song. With you here I wonder if the guards could find someone to love. You seem to attract their attention everywhere you go.

-Oh shut it you idiot brother. It happened one time and now you pour salt on it. Just because a girl confessed to me once that doesn’t make every girl want me.

-Oh but I disagree. You see the song is more for the maidens in love with another. I bet ten light coins you get more confessions from the girls in the academy. Too bad that you are straight right?

-Brother must I remind you how many times I have won against you in a duel? If I remember correctly the score was what, twenty for me, nineteen for you?

-Want to make the score equal?

The brother and sister glares at each other with their red eyes waiting for someone to make a move when the young miss walks to the chair that is placed beside the throne and sits in it making everyone in the room look at her and how she expresses on her face how annoyed she is.

-Daughter are you alright?

The emperor speaks his concern about this. Knowing his daughter, no matter what she would do to her she won’t budge a single eyelid to him when she is like this.

-This daughter haven’t seen her father in a month time of sickness and the first thing the father does plainly ignores her. How do you think this daughter feels?

-Ugh. I apologize but there was not enough time with managing the empire. I would be there next time.

-If you are an emperor and have enough time for the empire but not for your daughter what would the common people say? The Kind Emperor, hmm?

-Okay Sesilia don’t be silly, we are here to discuss your stay at the academy not the ignorance of this idiot brother. By the way who are these people? You trust them enough with the casual tone you had when you argued with me. I think they are the bodyguards for her no?

-As perceptive as always. Yes they are. They will go with Sesi to the academy and they will make sure that no harm shall come to her during that time, isn’t that right?

With the words of the emperor the three tense up and at the same time answer.

-Yes your Majesty!

-Good, now with that out of the way let’s begin this meeting.