Aldana…

  A curious name. A woman of humble origins, it seems, and yet one whose shadow lingers far longer than her life ever did.

  Edmund reached for a handkerchief and gently wiped the tears from Serena’s cheeks. Although she was crying, there were no signs of her getting hurt. Her eyes were reddened, her lashes damp, but she did not look distressed. She was simply crying. Leif and Aristide stood a short distance behind Edmund, concern written plainly on their faces, yet neither spoke. The crown prince waited as well, saying nothing until Serena’s tears finally slowed.

  “What happened?” he asked quietly. “Were you hurt?”

  Serena shook her head, not to answer his question, but because of uncertainty. She did not know why she had cried. After a short moment, she finally spoke, recounting what she had seen. “I saw a man,” she said softly. “He was holding a woman as she was dying. I think… her name was Aldana.”

  Aristide stepped closer at the mention of the name. “Are you certain?”

  Serena nodded, then pointed toward the sword resting behind her. “It happened after I read the engraving on the blade.”

  Aristide approached the table, his fingers hovering briefly before tracing the inscription with care. “Could it be,” he murmured, “that you witnessed a memory from the past?”

  Serena tilted her head. “The past?”

  Aristide nodded. “A long time ago, after a war between Cervolna and Mezentius that saw the former emerge victorious, a Cervolnan soldier named Hugh Rohan was knighted for his service. For the ceremony, he named his sword Aldana, after a woman he had known.”

  Serena’s breath caught.

  “Then the woman I saw—”

  “—may well have been the one for whom the sword was named.” Aristide finished.

  “But who was she?” Serena asked.

  The younger prince shook his head. “No one truly knows. Hugh Rohan never spoke of their history. All that was known was that she was a woman he loved, based on the inscriptions on the sword. And, in my opinion… that alone was enough to understand why he chose her name.”

  Leif broke the silence, eyes narrowed in thought.

  “Are you saying Serena… can see the past?”

  Aristide turned back to her. “Was there anything else in your vision?”

  Serena nodded. “He was walking through a field,” she said. “And he said, ‘I’ve reached Ambria.’”

  Aristide cupped his chin. “If that is true, then what you saw may have been the moment Hugh Rohan arrived here after the war, when he settled here in Ambria.”

  A quiet pause followed. “Then yes,” Aristide said at last, voice measured. “It is possible that Serena witnessed the past.”

  Leif’s head snapped toward her, eyes wide. “No way—” He caught himself, barely containing his excitement. “We have to tell Mother! She’ll be thrilled to hear about this new ability!”

  Serena scratched the back of her ear, clearly uneasy. “Are you sure? Mother Idun’s reaction to new things is kind of… unpredictable.”

  Aristide spoke before Leif could protest. “She’s got a point, Leif. And it only happened once. We don’t even know if it’s a new ability or just some… strange phenomenon.”

  Leif frowned. “Strange what?”

  “Phenomenon,” Aristide repeated, “like, something that needs more time to observe before we start jumping to conclusions.”

  Only happened once, Serena thought. She said nothing. She knew better. Deep down, she knew this was not the first time she had seen fragments of another time and place. Her thoughts drifted back, to the time she was trapped in the Abyss, as Varhathor and the woman in that nightmare had both called it. A dream filled with memories of suffering that felt like it would never end.

  Her mind snapped back to the present when she felt a tug at her arm. Serena turned to find Leif holding her sleeve, pointing eagerly toward a table a few paces away. Resting atop it was an ornate bow, far more elaborate than the others surrounding it. Only then did she notice Leif’s expression. His eyes were wide and practically sparkling. “Can you touch that one,” he asked, barely containing himself, “and see its past? Like, how it ended up here?”

  Before she could answer, Aristide slapped a hand against his forehead. “I didn’t mean observe her right now,” he said, exasperated. “She’s obviously tired, Leif. We should let her rest first.”

  Leif glanced at Serena, noticing the faint redness in her eyes from the tears she had shed earlier. Not wanting to push her any further, he agreed to leave it for another day. Once things had settled a little, the four decided to leave the gallery and find something else to occupy themselves with. Leif suggested tending to the indoor garden. Aristide wanted to visit the library.

  They both turned to Serena for her opinion, but she only shrugged lightly, saying she was fine with either. It was during this exchange that Aristide noticed something else, something off. Edmund hadn’t said a word.

  Ever since they started talking about Hugh and Aldana, his brother had gone completely quiet, showing no reaction to anything. Aristide knew that look all too well. “So,” he said casually, “what’s bothering the Crown Prince of Aurelith this time?”

  Edmund slowed in his tracks, his head turning slightly toward his brother. “You said Hugh Rohan named his sword after a woman he loved?”

  “He did,” Aristide replied.

  “Then that means Aldana, the former state, was named after her too?”

  Aristide nodded. “In a way. After House Rohan was elevated into nobility, they named their ducal state Aldana, after the family’s founder, Hugh Rohan’s sword.”

  Edmund didn’t respond and simply lowered his gaze.

  “I know that look,” Aristide said. “Yeah. The bond between House Rohan and the former Grand Duchy of Aldana was more than just a noble family ruling their domain.” He hesitated, then added, his tone almost poetic. “It was a promise. A vow between two lovers, to always be together in name, no matter the form.”

  He then leaned closer and nudged Edmund lightly. “And I’m pretty sure I’m just adding fuel to the fire right now, so stop overthinking it, brother.”

  Edmund tried to respond. “We—”

  “We have to accept,” Aristide cut in, “as Minister Pierre had also said, the circumstances we’re in. Dwelling on the past won’t change anything.”

  After a brief pause, Edmund finally nodded.

  “I’ll try not to… again.”

  The younger prince tapped his brother’s shoulder, a simply comforting gesture. “Our ancestor did what he did,” he said. “But what can we do about it now, right?”

  “Um—Aristide,” Leif asked, cutting in carefully, “where is this House Rohan now?”

  “I don’t know either,” Aristide replied. “The last documented member supposedly died in prison, after being captured for a failed rebellion.” He glanced at Edmund and quickly added. “And don’t start or think of sulking. I said documented. Noble families are huge. There could be dozens… maybe hundreds of them still out there somewhere. Perhaps not in name, but definitely in blood.”

  The four let the thought settle as they continued walking, each taking turns once again asking Serena where she wanted to go. It didn’t take long before the answer appeared in front of them, quite literally. Standing in the open pathway was a man wearing a black tailcoat over a white doublet, complete with a ribbon tie, matching trousers, and polished shoes. A monocle rested over his left eye.

  “Your Highnesses,” he bowed deeply, “most splendid and benevolent princes. It is an honor, a pleasure, nay, a blessing to—”

  As he proceeded to list what seemed like every compliment ever devised, Leif leaned closer to the two princes, speaking in whispers. “Who is this weird guy?”

  Serena followed suit. “And why does he dress like that?”

  Aristide whispered back, “His name is Minos. He’s a travelling merchant. Edmund saved him when he was attacked by those monsters outside the capital.”

  “He’s been coming here for the past few days,” Edmund added quietly. “He insists on repaying us for saving him, and for salvaging what was left of his carriage.”

  The four continued murmuring among themselves as Minos carried on unabated. “Such kindness and bravery, befitting only—”

  “Please get to the point, sir,” a girl cut in. They all looked past Minos to see another figure standing just behind him wearing a maid’s uniform, head bowed.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  “And who’s that?” Leif asked.

  “That’s Filandra, his acting—” Aristide began.

  “My Temporary Acting Assistant, gracious one,” Minos corrected at once.

  “It’s a pleasure to—” Filandra lifted her head to greet them but stopped mid-sentence when her gaze fell upon Serena. Her eyes widened. Her lips parted. Before anyone could react, Filandra had already stepped forward, standing far too close, her eyes fixed on Serena with an intensity that bordered on reverent. “Look at those eyes…” she murmured. “Her hair…” She leaned in slightly, inhaling before anyone could stop her. “And she smells like lilac too.” Her breath hitched with each word. “So pretty…”

  Serena tilted her head, unsure how to react. Then, without warning, Filandra clasped her cheek and dropped to her knees, hands folded tightly before her.

  “Please,” she pleaded. “Please let me work here…”

  “See, Your Highnesses?” Minos gestured toward her. “She’s practically begging to stay. She’ll be useful in any task you give her.”

  “Minos, we’ve already talked about this, plenty of times,” Edmund replied, crossing his arms.

  “What are you guys talking about?” Leif asked.

  Aristide scratched the back of his neck as he explained. “Well, ever since the day Edmund saved them, Minos has been insisting on giving us Filandra as payment. Something about losing most of his merchandise and all that.”

  He leaned closer and whispered into Leif’s ear, “But if you ask me, he just doesn’t want to part with anything he can still sell. Not that we want anything, but still.”

  Filandra continued her plea.

  “I’d rather work for you,” she said, glancing briefly at Serena, her eyes blinking a little too fast before she finished, “than for this… tightwad penny-pincher.”

  She pointed at Minos as she spoke. The merchant let out a guilty laugh.

  Edmund closed his eyes and shook his head, exasperated.

  Minos cleared his throat, clasping his hands behind his back. “Setting that aside, there is one other thing I must ask of you, if you would be willing to listen.”

  Edmund and Aristide exchanged a glance.

  “What is it?” the older prince asked.

  “I heard you’re making preparations to travel to Danuville,” Minos said. “Some guards were talking about it earlier.”

  “We are,” Aristide replied.

  Minos’s face brightened into a wide smile. “Then may I accompany you on your journey?”

  The two princes didn’t respond right away. Taking their silence for uncertainty, Minos hurried on. “You see, I left my assistant there after he fell ill. I was hoping to return before the snow begins to fall. I thought it might be… safer, for all of us, to travel together.”

  The four huddled together, voices kept low as they discussed Minos’s request.

  “What do you guys think?” Edmund asked. “What if he ruins our disguise with the way he talks?”

  “I don’t know either,” Leif replied. “But that guy’s… strange.”

  “Right?” Aristide said. “He gives me the creeps.”

  “But how would you refuse him politely?” Serena asked.

  While the four continued discussing him among themselves, Minos let out a weak cough to draw their attention, and they all turned back toward him. “If you’d like,” Minos began, “we could discuss this further at my place, over tea. I assure you, all I require are companions to travel with since, you know…” He cleared his throat. “All my previous ones were… consumed by those monsters.”

  Aristide cupped his chin, eyes narrowing. “Hmm… you don’t happen to have some kind of concoction that messes with people’s minds, do you?”

  Minos laughed lightly. “Of course not, Your Highness. I’m not a quack doctor, I’m a con—” He stopped himself abruptly. “—erm, um… I mean, I’m a merchant.”

  The four exchanged glances again, then shrugged.

  “Um… sure, I guess,” Edmund finally said. “We can talk it over at your place.”

  “Excellent!” Minos replied at once. “Please, allow me to guide you to my house.”

  Filandra finally stood, brushing dust from her skirt. “You mean the house they lent us, sir, while we’re staying here.”

  “Yes, right, the house their Royal—”

  “Let’s just go,” Aristide interjected.

  And so, the four children set off, with Minos and Filandra in tow. Edmund also called over two additional knights, bringing their escort to six in total, just in case.

  It didn’t take long for them to reach the house. A simple bungalow east of the palace, perfect for two people, and all their stuff. Minos gestured for them to enter, while the six knights remained on guard outside. He locked the door right away and wasted no time once they were inside. “Filandra, please prepare tea for our guests.”

  “Of course, sir,” Filandra replied, with a slight hiss on the ‘s’.

  Inside, Edmund and the others were greeted by a strange collection of items, large and small, most of which they didn’t recognize. Rags, lamps, jewelry in designs not seen in Aurelith. Unlike the royal gallery, the place felt less like history and more like a collage of unrelated objects. Minos gestured for them to sit. The four did, only to immediately notice the strange softness of the chairs.

  “This is comfortable,” Leif said, impressed. “What are these made of?”

  “My late companions’ patched-up remains,” Minos replied.

  All four of them stood up at once, breaths hitching.

  “Re—remains?!” Aristide asked.

  “Hm? Oh, my apologies, sire,” Minos said with a smile. “Perhaps it was my accent. I meant raiment. You know, clothes? They left plenty, so I made chairs out of them.”

  Serena cautiously poked the chair, while the others stared, unsure what to think.

  Minos insisted they sit again, but the four chose to remain standing.

  “I don’t think I can sit here,” Edmund muttered.

  Not long after, a loud banging sound came from the kitchen where Filandra had gone, followed by the sound of something soft being pounded.

  “What is she making in there?” Serena asked quietly.

  “Never mind her,” Minos said. “She’s just making your tea.”

  He clasped his hands together. “Now, since you don’t want to take Filandra, and since you agreed to let me join your travels, may I show you some of my wares? Perhaps I have something you might fancy.”

  “We haven’t agreed yet to—” Aristide began, but Minos cut in immediately, already lifting a wooden staff shaped like a straight branch that curved slightly at the end.

  “This here is a staff capable of letting you summon magic of any kind. Fire, lightning, ice. Name it, and it will answer your call.”

  Leif stepped closer and examined it. “This feels like a regular branch. I don’t sense anything magical about it.”

  “Are… are you sure, gracious one?” Minos asked.

  “He should be,” Aristide said. “He’s a palace gardener, and an Alvarynn. He has a deep connection with plant life. He can sense their vitality, even influence their growth.”

  Leif nodded once. “And that there is just a branch.”

  Minos stared at the staff, then called out, “Filandra! Is this a regular branch?!”

  Filandra emerged from the kitchen holding a large butcher’s knife, instantly drawing everyone’s attention.

  “It is, sir,” she said. “You sold the real staff to a mage a while ago for twenty silver pieces.”

  “I—I did?” Minos blinked. “Why would I do that?!”

  “You tried to trick him into buying the branch,” Filandra replied flatly, “but you handed him the real one instead. I tried to stop you, but you said you knew what you were doing.”

  She then turned and went back to the kitchen. Chopping sounds followed… then a strange gurgle, like a wet, choking sound.

  Leif swallowed. “Should we… check on her?”

  “She’s fine,” Minos said, waving a hand. “She just didn’t like the taste of the tea, maybe.”

  He then reached for a dark bottle and held it up instead. “Now this one here is a magical bottle with a potent cure inside. They say it can heal any ailment or injury, no matter how grave, even life-threatening ones.”

  Edmund narrowed his eyes at it. “If that’s true, why didn’t you use it on your assistant? Couldn’t you heal him with that?”

  Minos let out a weak laugh. “Well, um… he’s not actually injured in that sense.” He placed the bottle back on its holder after that. “But I can offer you something else instead.”

  Aristide exhaled slowly, his eyes flicking toward the kitchen. Minos then produced a glass case. Inside rested a gauntlet that looked as though it had been forged from gold. “Ah,” he said proudly, “and this is a one-of-a-kind piece. An artifact capable of turning any object into gold. Non-living objects only, of course.”

  Serena stared at it for a moment, then looked back at Minos. “Have you ever used it?”

  “Certainly,” Minos replied without hesitation.

  Serena tilted her head, curious. “Then why don’t you just turn things into gold instead of trying to sell all this junk?” she asked, her tone genuinely innocent. “Wouldn’t that be a faster way to get rich?”

  “It’s because—um—” Minos began, but before he could finish, a scream erupted from the kitchen, sharp enough to jolt everyone in the room.

  “That does it!” Edmund exclaimed, already moving. “What’s going on back there?!”

  The others rushed after him. When they burst into the kitchen, they found Filandra standing by the counter with a hammer raised high. On the countertop sat a small humanoid figure, roughly the size of a kid, with one arm missing.

  Everyone froze.

  “Wh—what are you doing?!” Aristide shouted.

  “She’s about to kill someone!” Leif yelped, half backing away as he pointed at her, looking like he might faint. While the others recoiled, Serena leaned in slightly, her eyes narrowing as she took in the strange little figure more carefully. “I don’t think—"

  Filandra turned toward them calmly and lowered the hammer. “Kill someone?” she said, blinking. “You seem to be misunderstanding.”

  “What is that then?” Edmund demanded, pointing toward the counter.

  “This?” Filandra reached down and lifted the object. It was a doll, nearly reaching to her shoulder when held. “This is a toy. I tripped and fell on it earlier so I was trying to fix it.”

  “Fix it?” Aristide repeated. “Then what was all that noise earlier?”

  “This here is from a faraway kingdom. It has a device called an echo box inside.” She then pressed the doll’s belly. “The echo box is supposed to mimic humming sounds, but this one is broken. It makes… the wrong noises.”

  After pressing it, a sound of labored breathing spilled into the room. Everyone finally eased, breathing deeply as they tried to calm themselves. Filandra set the toy back on the counter. “Sorry for scaring you. Your tea’s ready, by the way.”

  She pointed toward a small table tucked against the wall. Four cups and a kettle sat atop it, the cups already filled. She carried the tea over, handing one to each of them, Serena’s last. “I put extra honey in yours,” she said with a smile, her eyes sparkling. “In case you like it sweet.”

  Serena thanked her with a polite, forced smile. She examined the tea briefly but noticed nothing wrong. The aroma was pleasant, calming, even. The four had only just begun to take a sip when Aristide yelped, dropping his cup and startling everyone… again. They all set their cups down immediately.

  “What happened?!” Edmund shouted, rushing to his brother.

  Aristide pointed at the spot where his cup had fallen, trembling. “The—there’s an eyeball in my tea!”

  Leif clapped a hand over his mouth. “I think I’m gonna be sick.”

  “Oh,” Filandra said as she walked over calmly and picked up the object, holding it up. “I was looking for that. It’s part of the doll that fell out earlier. I was wondering where it went.”

  She turned back to Aristide after setting it aside. “Would you like a new cup, Highness? I can prepare another. It won’t take long.”

  “Excellent idea, Filandra,” Minos said smoothly. “Their most splendid Highnesses and I still have much to discuss.”

  The four exchanged uneasy glances, all shaking their heads at once. “N—no, it’s fine,” Aristide said quickly. “I’m not… thirsty.”

  “Well, then can we—”

  “You can come, Minos,” Edmund cut in as they began backing toward the door. “It’s fine. It shouldn’t be a problem.”

  Minos’s grin widened, so wide it nearly reached his ears. “A magnificent decision, Prince Edmund. Thank you! I’m glad we were able to con—con—convince you to let us join your entourage.”

  He shook each of their hands in turn, then ushered them out with surprising urgency. The four stepped outside as fast as they could. Edmund’s guards were, as expected, startled. They turned just in time to see Minos and Filandra waving.

  “Have a pleasant afternoon!” Minos called cheerfully before slamming the door shut. The four stared at the door, unsure how to react to what had just happened. “Brother,” Aristide said quietly.

  “Yes?” Edmund replied.

  “I don’t think I’ll be able to go back in there,” the younger prince admitted.

  “Me neither,” Edmund whispered.

  Leif and Serena murmured their agreement. “Let’s get out of here,” Leif muttered. The four and their escorts turned and walked away from the house, quickening their pace, putting distance between themselves and it as fast as they could,

  …so fast that they didn’t hear the sound of a single clap coming from inside.