Four Cores

Cassandra swallowed hard at Duke Salvador's words.

She was frightened as she looked around nervously fiddling with her fingers. Cassandra knew that she could not make the Duke wait any longer. What if the man becomes angry and does something that might affect her further.

'And my life is already a mess.'

Cassandra took a deep breath as she made herself ready for the things to come. Her life was always unpredictable and after the entry of the man sitting on the couch, looking at her with his red eyes had made it even more so.

Cassandra took some steps as she stood in front of the Duke at a distance. She was a little nervous but when the Duke raised his eyebrows he smirked. Cassandra understood what was happening as she sat in front of him.

Aiden placed the papers in front of him on the table and said. "Tell me what it is written."

Cassandra took the paper from in front and looked at the things she had written. She was silent. "This .."

Cassandra was confused. She could not understand that if she had to read it herself then why would she write it for so long.

"Any problem Princess?"

Cassandra looked at the paper in her hand and the diary at the study table. Aiden who was looking at Cassandra's every move understood what was happening. The fifth Princess was asking why she had written this.

Aiden smiled as his eyes twinkled. 'How will the Princess react if she knows I cannot read the pages as well.'

Duke Salvador wondered if he should tell the Princess this or not. 'No, let's enjoy it for some more.'

"I have to return the book back to the library. You know it is a crime to take the book out of the library."

Cassandra nodded as she understood it quite well, 'But how did the Duke manage to get the diary out then?'

'Did he steal it?' Cassandra's eyes widened as she looked at the Duke suddenly with an accusing gaze.

Duke Salvador sighed as he explained further. "The King gave me the permission to take the book home. But I have to return it soon, so you have to start working harder and write everything down as soon as possible."

"Maybe the Princess has to visit here more to get the work done for a limited period of time."

Cassandra was quiet as she nodded. She started looking at the pages in her hand. 'I cannot read it.'

'Should I tell him what I have known so far?'

'That is the only option left.'

Cassandra took a deep breath as she started telling the Duke what she had understood so far. It was a little knowledge that she had taken in, over the years.

The Duke was silent as he listened to the Cassandra's words. "So you're telling me that the field of power for the mage depends on the orbital."

Cassandra nodded. It was something as she had understood over the years. It was a bizarre thing to get acquainted with but soon when Cassandra started to play around with her power she realized how true it was written in the diary.

"Every mage has his or her own orbit of power when they can use the elemental fragments in it," Cassandra explained further.

"So that means I as a mage have an orbit of power?" Duke Salvador said as he raised his eyebrows.

"Yes. But the orbit depends on the person's core. Some strong mages have a larger orbit while those who have lesser power have a small orbit."

"So, the Princess is saying that I am one of the strongest fire mages so I have a larger orbit while the soldiers in my army have smaller orbit thus limited intensity of power."

Cassandra nodded. She was excited for once. No one had ever asked Cassandra her opinions and this was something that she had always kept to herself with the fear of getting killed at any moment. After all, her powers were unknown and foreign.

Duke Salvador was a safe harbor for Cassandra and now that she was talking about the diary she felt like she was needed. Cassandra felt that she could talk freely about things she is curious about and discuss what had always kept her hooked.

"The elemental fragments that are spreading those orbits are played by us in the form of our elemental power." Duke Salvador said as he nodded. He already had the answer for it but yet he wanted to listen to the fifth Princess's voice.

"Hmm …"

"Princess .." Aiden rested his head on his hand as he moved forward. He was unsure if he should ask it or not but he decided to ask away, anyway. "According to the theory written in the diary, the Emperor can control all four elemental fragments."

Cassandra nodded. She had thought about this possibility too but there was a thing that was making her a little confused.

"Although the Emperor can use the four elements, he cannot use the sub-elements in it."

"Sub elements?" The Duke asked as he raised his eyebrows. He had known a little about it as only a few people could actually do it but was disregarded in their society. Anyone who had an affiliation with any element that was not from the four cores was considered an outsider.

Maybe because of the discrimination many of the people hid their powers. They were afraid of getting sent out of the Empire.

Duke Salvador was in thoughts as Cassandra did not explain further.

'If the Emperor could not use the sub-elements it was understandable that no one should be allowed to use it.'

'But it had been banned from the start.'

'Maybe when the two Empire's separated.'

'So that would indicate that none of the Emperor knew how to use it.'

Aiden wanted to know it further. Although he was loyal to the people in the Empire he was distant from the Emperor.