Countess Liliath rose as Lonna entered her study. The instant after the countess left the chair, before the backs of her knees could strike against the wood, the maid smoothly pulled the large seat back. Melissa could tell that the maid must have practiced that maneuver countless times to achieve such precise timing. By rising like that, Liliath showed her respect for Lonna’s station while simultaneously broadcasting her tight control over this manor.

“Princess Lonna,” Liliath murmured, bowing her head. “Melissa, the heroine.” Liliath gave Melissa a small nod, and a smile of encouragement, before turning her attention to the final member of their party. “And of course the princess’s…. bodyguard?”

“He wishes,” Lonna muttered, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “He’s my brother.”

“Your brother,” Liliath repeated. Her voice was flat as an ironing board, and Melissa couldn’t help but notice that the countess was looking over Talith more carefully now. “Adopted, I assume?”

“That’s right,” Lonna confirmed, narrowing her eyes. “Is that a problem?”

“Of course not,” Liliath denied. “But you must realize that being family to a princess is no small matter. People will no doubt try to use your brother to get to you after you’ve taken charge. Are you prepared for that?”

“I’m not prepared for any of this,” Lonna told her, scowling. “I haven’t dealt with nobles since I was thirteen.”

“The basics have remained the same, I assure you,” Liliath replied, answering Lonna’s scowl with a faint smile. “And if you need help reacclimating to nobility, I would be proud to give you some lessons. But I fear all that will have to wait until after you’ve taken the throne.”

“...Sorissa knows we’re here. Doesn’t she?” Despite phrasing it as a question, there was no doubt on Lonna’s face. “When is she coming? Or is she just sending her army?”

“Actually, Sorissa hasn’t said a thing about you,” Liliath said. Despite those words, there was a faint frown on the countess’s lips. “Officially she’s sending a small envoy to Dorith, and she’s simply requested that I house them for a day or two before sending them on their way. But I doubt there’s a soul in the city who doesn’t know you’re here. Once they arrive, they’ll ask about the rumors of your presence, and from there, an investigation will be launched.”

“Will you be alright?” Melissa asked, unable to keep the worry from her voice. 

“I’ll be fine,” Liliath promised, turning her gaze to Melissa. “It’s hardly illegal to meet with the princess of one’s queendom. It’s not as if Lonna was ever officially declared a rebel and a traitor, after all.”

That was news to Melissa, who shot a glance toward Lonna. The glower on the other woman’s face was enough to discourage her from asking any questions, though.

“How long do we have?” Melissa asked, turning her attention to Liliath instead. “Until we have to leave, I mean.”

“The sooner you’re gone the better, alas,” Liliath admitted. “In fact, I’m hoping to have you out within the hour. I called you here to settle the last few details before you leave.”

“Details like what?” Talith asked, stepping forward to stand next to Lonna. His brow was furrowed, and the sockets that housed his glowing red eyes were narrowed in suspicion.

“It’s nothing you need to concern yourself with,” Liliath promised. “Certainly nothing that would cause your sister harm. Or Melissa, of course.” Liliath gave Melissa a small smile of encouragement at the end, but it didn’t do anything to help with Melissa’s nerves.

“Then what?” Lonna pressed, placing her hands on Liliath’s desk. “Sorissa’s people could be coming at any moment. She probably sent them right after the messenger. So tell me - what’s worth risking everything for?” 

“It would seem that you’re in a bad mood,” Liliath commented, apparently unphased by Lonna’s ferocity. “Should I ask what happened?”

“Maybe it has something to do with your maid,” Talith muttered, pointing a thick finger toward the brunette woman standing behind Liliath. It was the same woman who’d attended Liliath during their first visit. So far she’d attended to her mistress with a serene smile on her lips, but when Talith pointed her out she paled.

Countess Liliath lifted an eyebrow at the accusation, looking between Lonna, Talith, and the maid. “I invited Tabitha to serve me today because I understood she had a positive relationship with Princess Lonna. If that is not the case, then I can certainly request a different maid.”

“It’s fine,” Lonna insisted, shaking her head. “If Sorissa’s people are on the way, we don’t have time to spare on stuff like this. You should have had me halfway out the door the moment you got that message from her.”

“An abundance of caution is better than none, but too much and you’ll simply wear yourself out,” Liliath warned Lonna, frowning. “I sincerely doubt Sorissa wants you captured. Unless you think it’s merely an oversight that’s kept her from putting a bounty on you all these years?”

“But she did put out posters for Melissa,” Lonna pointed out. “And everyone in town knows you’re holding her. Unless you have a way of wriggling out from under that accusation, too?”

“I’ll simply say I remanded her to the custody of the princess.”

“And they’ll believe that?” Melissa asked, incredulous.

“Of course not,” Lonna scoffed, pushing up off the desk and crossing her arms again. “...But it’s a good excuse. And even Sorissa can’t afford to press the countess too far. Isn’t that right, countess?” 

“More or less,” Liliath agreed. “I have the support of my people, and control over the seaport. Sorissa will need to carefully consider how far she’s willing to press me - though there’s always the risk that she’ll simply kill me and be done with it.”

“Which makes me question again what’s so important,” Lonna said, turning her gaze back to Liliath. “Why are we here and not fleeing the city?”

“You’re here for this,” Liliath replied, opening a drawer in her desk and pulling out a small wooden box. Removing the lid, Liliath lifted a small glass orb from the box. “I trust you know what this is, princess?”

Lonna studied the orb, seeming confused at first. Melissa could tell the exact moment that recognition dawned on her, though; a small smile appeared on Lonna’s lips, but it disappeared quickly.

“Yeah, I recognize it,” Lonna confirmed. “It’s a breathstone.”

“Correct,” Liliath confirmed, before turning her eyes toward Melissa. “There’s a spell inscribed upon it - you see, here?” Liliath tapped her thumb against an etched design, featuring several runes bisected by a circle. “All you need do is touch the inscription, while I hold the orb. It will probe your breath capacity and light up relative to your total potential.”

“Breath capacity refers to how much magic you can wield,” Lonna translated. “The more magic you can wield, the brighter the thing gets. Commoners usually get it done in a church, but generally only once, when they turn thirteen.”

“So I’ll finally find out my capacity?” Melissa asked, excited. The idea of magic had always been enticing to her, even back in her own world. Spells that let you transform, magical swords that let you fight to protect what was right, enchanted shields that would defend against injustice. A lot of it had been nothing more than childhood fantasy, looking back at it, but she still wanted to know the real deal. If not for the dire circumstances of her summoning, she would have immersed herself in studying magic first thing.

“That’s the idea,” Liliath confirmed, holding out the orb. “Just place your finger within the circle, and we’ll know what we have to work with.”

Melissa nodded eagerly, reaching out to press her finger against the smooth surface of the glass orb. It was warm beneath her finger, and she imagined that she could feel the power pulsing within it.

“Ready when you are,” Melissa declared, grinning up at Liliath.

Liliath didn’t answer. Her eyes were focused purely on the orb, and there was a faint frown on her lips. After a long moment, she let out a small sigh. “Exactly what I was afraid of…”

“What you were… What do you mean?” Melissa asked, worried. Even as she asked the question, though, the gears were already turning in her head. The frown on Liliath’s face. The faint rumbling sigh that emanated from Talith as he looked on. The way Lonna was glaring daggers at the glass ball as if it had personally offended her. And the orb itself, as dim as ever.

“...I don’t have any magic, do I?” Melissa whispered, softly.

“...I’m afraid not,” Liliath confirmed. Her tone was gentle, and she showed no trace of the disappointment Melissa herself was feeling. “It’s a setback, but nothing that can’t be overcome.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Lonna protested, holding up a hand. “Not that I don’t trust you, but there’s no way that the heroine has no magic. I mean…  she’s the heroine.”

“A position we know nearly nothing about,” Liliath countered. “The only thing we know is that the heroine is destined to kill Sorissa. If she doesn’t have magic, we must assume that she’ll find some other way of accomplishing the feat.”

“But… No magic at all?” Lonna’s eyes shifted from the countess to Melissa, who was still staring at the orb. Seeing the forlorn expression on Melissa’s face, Lonna’s own countenance hardened, and she reached out to snatch the orb from the countess.

“Here, one more time,” she insisted, holding it out to Melissa. “I’ll be the one activating it this time”

“Now who’s wasting time?” Liliath demanded, rolling her eyes. She did not try to take the orb back, though, instead gesturing for them to continue.

Melissa hesitated a moment, then slowly reached out to tap her finger against the orb once more.

There was no response.

“...It’s gotta be broken,” Lonna insisted, next, shifting her own thumb to touch the circle. Instantly, the room was bathed in light so bright that Melissa’s eyes began to tear. She squeezed them shut, but it still felt as if the glow was penetrating her eyelids.

A loud crack ended the light show, and when Melissa blinked the spots from her eyes she saw that the orb had broken apart into three distinct pieces. 

“If you’re quite finished breaking valuable magic tools,” the countess murmured, “perhaps we can turn our attention toward viable solutions, instead?”

“Solutions like what?” Lonna demanded, placing the broken orb on the Countess’s desk. “How is Melissa supposed to face the most powerful being in the world when she can’t even use magic?”

“With cunning, strength, and a good weapon,” Liliath answered, calmly, before turning her attention to Melissa. “I have not asked after Lonna’s specific plans, because it is for the best that I do not know them. But I assume that training you in weaponry is among them, no?”

“I… Guess so?” Melissa floundered, glancing at Lonna. There was definitely talk about a legendary weapon, but they hadn’t really discussed how Melissa would learn to use it.

“Talith can teach Melissa how to fight,” Lonna interceded, gesturing to her brother.

Talith’s eyes widened faintly in surprise as if this was news to him, but he quickly covered his surprise and let out a small grunt of affirmation. Crossing his arms in front of him, he looked to Melissa as if he were daring Liliath to argue with his qualifications.

“I’m sure he can fight,” Liliath admitted, shooting Talith a quick glance before turning her attention to Lonna. “But it seems to me that your brother shaped his body with an eye toward brute force.”

“And so what if I did?” Talith demanded, lowering his hands to the ground in order to swing his body forward, a step closer toward the countess.

“Can you wield a sword?” Liliath asked, turning her gaze to Talith. “Or a spear? Without snapping it?”

“...Not exactly…” Talith confessed, in a low grumble. If Talith had teeth, Melissa thought he’d be grinding them together with that answer. “But I know the right grips, and I make for a durable sparring partner.”

“But you can’t actually show her those grips, can you?” Liliath pressed, narrowing her eyes. “And even if you could, your form is hardly suited for showing her proper stances.”

“Do you have a point?” Lonna demanded, placing her hands on her hips and glaring at the countess. 

“I do, actually.” The countess met Lonna’s harsh gaze with a small smile. “I want you to take one of my guards with you. Her name is Joanie - I believe you’re already acquainted with her, Melissa?” Liliath’s eyes didn’t waver from Lonna’s as she spoke, even as she brought up the heroine’s name.

“You mean the rabbit sapphi?” Melissa asked. “Wait. Is that why you’ve had her guarding me?”

“You’ve been planning this all along, haven’t you?” Lonna accused, pointing a finger toward the countess.

“I have,” the countess confessed. She was still smiling, but there seemed to be an edge to it now as if it were merely an excuse to bare her teeth. “Even before our first meeting, actually - from the moment I saw you walking up the path to my manor. I could tell at a glance that our heroine wasn’t a warrior. And it’s become more and more obvious that neither of you have the right temperament or ability to teach her how to fight.” She turned her gaze toward Melissa, and her smile seemed to soften a little. “You have a sharp mind, Melissa, and a strong build. There’s a lot you can accomplish if you have the right teacher. You might learn to take down opponents even your friend Talith can’t beat.”

“And you think Joanie can teach me?” Melissa asked. Lonna looked like she wanted to say something, but kept her mouth shut after a single glance at Melissa. Perhaps because of the resolute look on the heroine’s face.

Despite the confidence that she’d shown throughout the meeting, Liliath seemed to hesitate here. “...She’s the most accomplished master I have at my disposal,” was what she eventually said, but her eyes didn’t quite meet Melissa’s.

“What aren’t you telling me?” Melissa demanded, trying to catch Liliath’s gaze again.

The countess hesitated a moment more, and then let out a small sigh, shaking her head softly. “Joanie can teach you how to wield any weapon you can imagine. She’s shown so much natural talent that it’s almost maddening - the sword, the lance, the bow, even a bladed fan - I had her trained in each, and she mastered them all.”

“So what’s the problem?” Melissa inquired, tilting her head to the side. So far, Joanie sounded like the best teacher she could ask for, but all the same, something was making Liliath hesitate.

“She only learned those weapons so that I’d stop insisting she train in them. When it comes to actual combat, she’s infuriatingly stubborn in her weapon of choice. No matter what the situation, she’ll only enter combat with… Lucinda.”

“Lucinda?” Lonna interjected, arching an eyebrow. “Who or what is Lucinda?”

“That’s what she calls her spear,” Melissa replied, recalling the conversation she had with Joanie. “Is that why you’re so hesitant? Because she’s so attached to her spear?”

“Attached doesn’t even begin to describe it,” Liliath warned. “She held a commoner’s handfasting with it.”

Lonna let out a short bark of laughter at that, and even Talith chuckled a little. Melissa, however, only frowned.

“A  commoner’s handfasting?” Melissa, she echoed back. “That’s like marriage, right?”

“It’s a type of marriage, yes,” Liliath confirmed. “It’s not legally binding, like the contracts we nobles use for our handfasting arrangements. There’s rarely even a written record of the event. But in the eyes of the majesty trees, it’s quite sacred. Joanie truly has married herself to that weapon.”

“If that’s all it is, I don’t have a problem with it,” Melissa promised, idly wrapping a strand of hair about her index finger. “No offense to Talith, but I might learn faster with someone who can show me what to do.”

“I’m not convinced,” Talith protested. “This whole mission is insane enough already, we don’t need a branch with loose leaves.”

“That’s quite the harsh evaluation,” Liliath remarked, arching a thin blonde eyebrow at Talith. “But if you have a problem with my judgment, you’re certainly free to pick among my guards for yourself.”

“But we’re bringing someone with us no matter what, right?” Lonna said, narrowing her eyes at the countess.

The right corner of Liliath’s lips pulled ever so slightly upward in response, but she didn’t say a word.

“I think it’s fine,” Melissa declared, deciding to interrupt before things could get more heated.

The interjection caused Lonna’s eyes to widen in surprise. Her lips pressed against each other to form a thin line, and it was obvious she wasn’t thrilled about Melissa interfering, but she only nodded for Melissa to continue.

“I like Joanie,” Melissa explained. “She’s sort of… weird, I admit. But I have a good feeling about her. And I trust Liliath.”

“Wonderful,” Liliath declared, even as Lonna opened her mouth to argue. “If the heroine is on board then I see no further need to delay here. Joanie is waiting for you in front of the manor, alongside your horses. I took the liberty of providing you with some supplies, money, and a few good weapons - I’m sure you’ll find everything in order when you make camp tonight.”

“Just like that?” Lonna complained. “You get what you want and we’re out the door?”

“You were the one who pointed out how tight time is, Princess Lonna,” Liliath reminded her. “We have no way of knowing when Sorissa’s people will arrive. And I’d rather not have to rush you out the back door.”

“...Fine. We’re leaving.” Lonna spun on her heel with those words, practically stomping her way toward the door.

“Oh, but I do have something to discuss with Melissa,” Liliath added, just as Lonna was pulling open the door. “I trust you won’t mind if she stays behind a few minutes?”

“Discuss whatever you want,” Lonna snapped back. “I clearly have nothing to contribute, anyways.” 

Lonna was out the door before the countess could argue. Talith hesitated a moment, then silently moved to walk out the door as well, closing the door behind him.

“...Why are you being so mean to Lonna?” Melissa asked the moment she and the countess were alone.

“Because she’s the princess,” Liliath responded as if it were the most obvious answer in the world. “She is going to be in charge of all of Resperan. With luck, she may even reunite Auroris as a whole.”

“And that makes it a good idea to get on her bad side?” Melissa asked, confused and more than a little exasperated. “Is it because Sorissa’s her mom? Or because she’s half-dragon? Because neither of those things is her fault.”

“None of this is her fault,” Liliath agreed, softly. “But all of it is on her shoulders. She is the only one who can unite this broken world. The only one who can fix things.”

“Then why are you so mean to her?” Melissa asked, again, stepping closer to the desk. She placed her hands on the cool wood, wrapping her thumbs about the edge of the desk and tightly squeezing. “Even if you hate her, for whatever stupid reason, shouldn’t you be trying to get on her good side?”

“I don’t hate her,” Liliath said, laughing softly. “I don’t even judge her. As you said, her parentage is hardly her fault.”

“Then why?” Melissa asked, for the third time, staring into Liliath’s green eyes.

The countess returned the gaze without flinching, a sad smile on her lips. “Because she can’t let it get to her.”

“What do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said,” Liliath said, sighing. “Her role is to be the queen of our continent. Her duty is to heal our broken world. It’s a hard, harsh task that lies before her. One that she never asked for. One that she’s imminently unqualified for. And one that will set her against people far crueler than I. She needs to learn how to control her temper, or she’ll never succeed.”

“So… what? You were testing her?” Melissa asked. “...Did she pass?”

“She did not,” Liliath confessed, with a sad shake of her head. “But she didn’t fail, either. She simply has a long way to go. And you, I fear, are the only one who can take her there.”

“...Me?” Melissa demanded, nonplussed. “What do you mean? What am I supposed to do?”

“Be with her,” Liliath answered, softly. “Even if it’s only as her friend. That girl needs to feel like there’s someone truly in her corner.”

“Then why couldn’t it be you?” Melissa asked. “If you were nicer to her, then-”

“My job is not to be nice to royalty,” Liliath interrupted. “My job is to watch out for my people. To that end, I am willing to use her, abuse her, or even betray her - whatever it takes. Something she understands.”

Melissa opened her mouth to protest, but then closed it, unsure what to say. Liliath’s gaze softened faintly in response, and when she spoke next it was in a softer tone.

“The princess needs you, Melissa. She needs someone in her life who’s there from choice, and affection, rather than necessity or political guile.”

“She has Talith for that, though,” Melissa pointed out.

Liliath just shook her head. “The sort of love she craves is not something a sibling can provide.”

“...Oh.” Melissa wrapped another strand of hair around her finger, giving it a nervous tug. “And if I can’t give her what she needs, either?”

“Then we might have nearly as much trouble with our next queen as our current one,” Liliath warned. “But I didn’t ask you to stay behind so that I could talk about Lonna. I wanted to talk about you.”

Melissa gestured to herself, blinking in surprise, and the countess nodded with a faint smile.

“You’re disappointed about not having magic, aren’t you?” she asked, cutting straight to the point.

“...A little,” Melissa admitted, surprised at the question. “I mean. I didn’t even think magic was real a few days ago, and now it is - but I still can’t use it.”

“And on top of that,” Liliath added, “you have to fight someone who can. It must be quite distressing.”

“...I don’t suppose you asked me to stay because you have a way around it?” Melissa asked, a faintly bitter smile on her lips.

As expected, the countess gave another shake of her head. “I do not.”

“Then… Then what am I supposed to do?” Melissa asked, her voice barely a whisper. “How am I supposed to win?”

“By entrusting your all to those who have put their faith in you,” Liliath responded, pulling open a drawer to her desk. She pulled out a dagger with a silver hilt and a pure black sheath. When she turned the hilt toward Melissa, Melissa noticed the inscription of a kraken on the pommel.

“This blade bears my family crest,” Liliath explained, speaking softly. “By carrying it with you, you’ll be making your connection to me official. Simply revealing it will be enough to prove that you have the backing of my house.”

“Isn’t that dangerous?” Melissa protested. “The queen-”

“Will likely have me locked up, depending on the scenario in which this comes into play,” Liliath admitted. “Perhaps worse. But if your need is ever great enough, I want you to have the option.”

Melissa stared at the blade for a long moment. “Why are you so nice to me?” she asked, at last, turning her eyes from the blade to the woman who offered it.

“Because the fate of my world lies in your hands,” Liliath replied, meeting Melissa’s gaze. “It doesn’t belong in them. This is our problem, which you simply got drawn into. Yet here you are, all the same, with our burden in your hands.”

Melissa stared at the dagger for a long moment, before finally reaching out to take it. “Thank you. I still think you should be nicer to Lonna, though. If she’s really going to be queen one day, then she’s going to need people around her who she can trust - people who know how politics work.”

“I’m aware of that, yes,” Liliath agreed. “Have I done something to make her distrust me?”

“It doesn’t matter if she trusts you if she can’t stand being around you.”

“...I’ll keep that in mind,” Countess Liliath murmured, after a long moment.

Melissa nodded, slowly, before turning toward the door and the princess on the other side. 

Author's Note: Been a couple months since I was able to produce a chapter, so I'm happy to be coming up with this one! Hope you enjoyed~