Chapter 20 - and so he arrived...

"Fell?!" The duke looked at me in disbelief. "That's from a fall?"

"We need the doctor Duke! Please call him fast!" The maid ignored his words, speaking with such urgency it was as though I had seconds left to live.

Moments later I was in a grandiose bed with a single small finger-sized plaster on my cheek. Covering the one place I actually had a scar. The bed was covered in a thick blanket which I was huddled under and above it sat Edmund and the duke keeping me company.

I needed entertainment and got a headache.

"Duke I'm really fine. There is no need to be so worried".

"It's uncle, Mallory, and no, you need to rest desperately. I can't face my brother if he returns to see a scar on your face. So sit quiet and finish your milk" he patted my head in a way that could only be called comforting but felt more patronising if anything.

Getting treated like a child was annoying - oh wait...

Despite my short height it was still strange to know that currently I actually was a child. Long gone was the lanky twenty year old and in its place was a tiny, chubby child that couldn't hold a fight against a crow.

Ha... the irony...

Edmund sat next to me, drinking his glass of milk as he for some unfathomable reason patted my head. It was weird. But... if I thought about it, Edmund had been strange these past days. He wouldn't get so mad at me, he'd still shout but it was less aggressive or hateful and more friendly?... I don't know! Will it last? I hope so.

"Stop it", I waved his hand off and he moved it obediently.

"But I like it", he pouted.

"Why?"

"It's soft", he looked at my set of curly hair and twitched his hand.

Yeah... no..

"You're banned from ever touching my hair again!"

"What! - Why?! I said it was soft!" What type of argument is that?!

"T-That doesn't even?"-

"Edmund stop bothering Mallory. She needs some rest so leave her be and come down stairs", it was the duke who said this, looking strangely frightening as he scolded the young boy.

Edmund noticed his strange behaviour and flinched, but nonetheless nodded and left with a reluctant face. Adrian followed, shutting the door and leaving me in silence in the now, very still room.

So what exactly do I do now?

I stared up at the ceiling, placing the glass of milk on the little table near the bed. It might've been the lack of sleep from last night that made start to doze away. Dreaming of a completely normal adult who left so many loose ties before she passed. Stressing over things I couldn't even fix right now but eventually everything turned black.

The sound of the door opening with a long creak stirred me up. In the dark room my eyes opened up to the darkness being marred by a streak of light, pouring out from the now open door.

I lifted my groggy head, rubbing my eyes to catch sight of a small figure. They were barely visible until another person appeared behind them. A beautiful immaculate face illuminated by a bright candle light, a smile broke out on the face, too wide and gleaming more teeth than necessary as the familiar voice of my half-brother, who stood in front of the woman I hadn't ever wanted to encounter, spoke up.

"Mallory? Did I wake you?" His voice, too apologetic for me to snap back at him sarcastically, spoke.

"N-No", I replied, eyes still staring at the woman behind him in fear.

Her beautiful blonde hair, paler and fairer than any colour I had seen in this book, complimented the deepest blue eyes that stared back at me. But the look in her eyes was unlike my shocked one, full of fear, but a look that seemed to resemble a lion. A starved lion. One that held grudges behind smile and soft words.

"Mama wanted to see you!" He walked in, pushing the door open so the candlelight exposed the whole room, including my huddled figure.

I wanted to strangle the kid as much as I wanted to give him a pitiful look. The mother that never payed him any mind was suddenly interested in something regarding him, but... why exactly was she here? Did she have business with the duke?

"E-Empress- please excuse my state!" Oh god this is so uncomfortable.

"My, it's as your father said darling, she is a bit like you, isn't she? Lady Jean must have hired a good teacher", in translation: there's no way you were born a genius.

Just nod along. Don't attract unnecessary attention.

"Yes".

"Uncle said you got hurt?" The innocent voice questioned.

"It was just a scratch"-

"Oh boo hoo! A scratch on the precious princess' face", the woman, who once just watched from the sidelines, had now swooped down and grasped my face. Her eyes full of fake pity and behind them a speck of satisfaction could be made out.

What was going on?

"E-Eh?" I stuttered at the woman, trying to lean back but she gripped my chin tightly, staring so intently at my face it had me shivering.

"That wouldn't do good for a princess. Not good at all", she grinned and stepped back. "That teaches you a valuable lesson, doesn't it princess?" She gave a coy smile and tilted her head.

It does?...

"You don't know?" She chuckled lightly and decided to answer after a long silence, "you body matters more for your title than that smart mind of yours. A princess is nothing if she can't be married off, so watch your back every so often..."

What the fuck?... did she just threaten a one year old?

Jirael watched his mother with an expression similar to my own and met my confused face with an anxious look. He understood.

"Y-Yes Ma'am", oh god- there it is again! The stutter. The lack of confidence in front of an adult person who could tower over me so easily.

"Cute", she patted my head, making me flinch and then with a grin of satisfaction she left. A giggle left to linger in the silence between me and Jirael.

"Mallory..." Jiraels large doe eyes turned to me gravely, his face ashen.

Again... it amazed me that he was so intelligent for such a young kid.

I shook my head at him.

"It's fine. I'll be fine." I was sure of it, so I wasn't perturbed by the Empress' threats.

"I'm sorry. I thought she wanted to meet you because I wanted her to meet you. I didn't realise she"- he cut off his words with an expression of guilt.

"It's not your fault. She would've met me anyway" I shrugged.

He didn't look convinced and with a sigh climbed into the oversized bed. He looked at me with a betrayed expression all of a sudden.

"Why didn't you visit me?"

Eh? - I - I didn't anticipate this?!

"S-Sorry?" I stammered, but he wasn't done.

"Father said you promised! You broke your promise!" He glared at me.

W-Wait! He's right. I did promise. I didn't think he meant so often though... maybe once every other year...

-oh-

It hadn't occurred to me that I was the only one aware of the fact this war would last exactly nine years. To Jirael it could be a few months. And to father... it must've been uncertain so... oh dear... I've made a mistake.

"I-I'm sorry Jirael. I forgot", was that good enough a reason though?

"Hmph", he turned his head away with a pout indicating that he had not accepted my sloppy apology.

"I'll visit you everyday for a week?" I offered, more desperately than I meant to.

He faltered a bit at this, but still stubbornly pressed on.

"Two weeks?" Again I tried.

Nothing.

"T-Three weeks?..."

He didn't react for a moment and then, suddenly turned to me with a devious smile. I had a strange sense of dread in my stomach.

Oh boy...

"1 month. And I might agree to forgiving you", he grinned as my stomach dropped.

A month?! And he MIGHT consider it?!

Well... my life's on the line... it seems I have no choice.

"Fine..." I reluctantly agreed.

Better than being killed... right?

He gave a gleeful grin, showing off three small teeth which somehow made him look adorable enough for me to let him off the hook.

The door once again opened to reveal Edmund. Staring the two of us as if he had caught us talking about him behind his back. He didn't intervene and only shyly looked back and forth us.

"Edmund?" I questioned, just as my stomach growled.

The room went dead silent and then slow laughter broke the ice. The two boys clenched their stomachs, cackling at my red faced state.

Apparently, Edmund had called us to eat so my stomach was on time for its roaring. After that I had stayed longer, humouring three kids of mildly different ages until the eldest spotted me yawning for a split second and sent me home in a bumpy carriage with my silver haired companion.

I had visited Jirael everyday after that, staying true to the promise I made him even though it drained the life from me. Until, one morning when the sun was covered by fog and I hadn't been awaken by my mother's screams of praise for my younger brother.

It was quiet. Not creepy quiet like on the day of the departure for war, but just quiet. Intrigued, I hopped out of bed and made my way for the door, pulling it open with the rope Martha had attached to the handle for me.

What...? I'm short!

Anyway... after opening the door I finally heard something. Mother's voice. Sterner than usual. Much quieter too.

"This is Victor. You will grow to be his supporter and protector. You will live for his success", my eyes widened at words I heard. A lump of spit balling in my throat as I continued to make my way to the dinning room where her voice came from.

No. No. Isn't this too soon? I was meant to-! I was meant to stop this from happening! How could I just forget?!

In my rush, I stepped onto the hem of my little nightgown and almost fell down the long way of stairs beneath me. For once, I didn't flinch and wasn't even surprised at the flap of wings and soon enough the body that held me a secure embrace.

"Why are you rushing about so early in the morning?" Bright blue eyes with furrowed brows stared at me from above as Ruby held me in a princess hold.

"Put me down. This is important!"

He did so with a shrug and I raced to the dinning hall. Eyes immediately catching sight of sparkly blonde hair. I could only see the back of him.

But.. it was definitely him.

It was time.

I don't think I'll catch a break anytime soon....