Heart of Aemoria II

"Give me a moment to explain, my lady...Your name is Saya, and you are the Queen of Aemoria."

"Aemoria?" she repeats the name inquisitively, raising a brow at him.

"The greatest empire in the world," he says, looking at her proudly. "Ruled by the ancient and powerful Vesalius bloodline, your family. Aemoria has always been a powerful kingdom, but under your regime, it became what it is now." He tilts his head to the side slightly. "Or... was, at least."

"So...how did I end up here?" Saya asks, glancing around at the deserted hallways. Her surroundings hardly seem fit for a queen- or any living creature, for that matter.

"Someone must have been jealous of your accomplishments, my lady," he says, his expression darkening. "After your coronation ceremony, you returned here, to your castle. You wanted to celebrate by having fun with a certain prisoner you keep locked in the prison..."

Trivis's voice trails off and they continue walking in silence, but he doesn't have to finish his sentence; he already gave her a good idea of what kind of fun she had with that prisoner. His words leave her with more questions. What kind of person was I? Who was this prisoner?

"...I followed you in here to make sure you were safe and to remind you to go to your father's celebration afterwards," he says after a few moments pass.

"Did you see the traitor?" she asks.

"No, I'm sorry." He shakes his head, an ashamed look on his face. "The magic took over me the moment I stepped into the castle. They must have used it to stop me from finding you before they did."

Saya remains silent, glancing into the darkened end of the hallway. She remembers general things, such as common knowledge and trivial facts, but she can't recall a single personal memory. Even as she attempts to remember what Trivis is telling her, she only sees darkness.

Her head throbs painfully and she bites down hard on her lip to stop herself from crying out and alarming Trivis. She winces and rubs her head with her other hand. This must be part of the magic...

"You don't understand how relieved I was when I found you," he says, still pulling her forward. "I know that your father will be happy to see you again, too."

"My father?" she asks, tightening her hand around his. "Trivis, I can't even remember my parents..."

"Don't worry, my lady." He stops walking and turns around, giving her a reassuring smile. "We will find the traitor and make him reverse all of this."

"How?" she asks. "He could be in another country, or even dead, by now!"

"That's where your wrong," Trivis says with a wink. "The downside of black magic is that it's unpredictable and uncontrollable. It usually always affects the caster as it does the victim."

She tilts her head slightly to the side. "Then the traitor would have fallen into a deep sleep like you and I did?"

"That's right," he replies with a smile. "The bastard shouldn't be waking up until around now, as will everyone else in the castle."

"But what if he woke up before us?" she asks, giving him a doubtful look. "What if he's leaving right now?"

"Even if he tried to escape now, he wouldn't be able to pass the barrier I keep placed around the castle," he says. "Only I can lift it long enough to let people through. I lifted it for us, but since then, no one has been able to leave or enter this castle."

"So that's why no one has found us," Saya says with a frown.

"Exactly, my lady," he says with a nod. "But before we search for the traitor, we need to ask if there is a way to return your memories."

"Ask who?" Saya raises a brow at him.

"Your advisor." Trivis turns away from Saya and she realizes that they stopped in front of a tall doorway. She follows him through the arched doorway and into the massive room. The room resembles a library, the walls lined with bookcases overflowing with books. Tall stacks of papers and extra books fill a majority of the room, leaving only a small pathway through which two of them to walk.

Walking amidst it all, Saya only notices the young woman sitting in the center of the room, holding an open book in her hands. Ribbons, beads, and feathers adorn sections of braided white hair, the rest hanging around her like a long veil. She wears a simple but elegant white gown over her dark tanned skin. A bright gold sash is tied in intricate knots around her waist and laced brown boots cover her feet.

What intrigues Saya is how the woman seems to be effortlessly reading the pages of book despite wearing a strange mask over her eyes. Before she can give it too much thought, the woman gently sets down her book and turns towards them. In spite of her blindfolding mask, the intense power of her gaze can be felt by Saya, who shifts uncomfortably.

"The lovely Queen, and her shadow," she says with a forced smile. She rises to her feet and pats down the skirt of her dress. "Oh, to what do I owe this honor?"

"Get over yourself," Trivis says, crossing his arms and glaring at the woman. "Lady Saya just needs some information from you."

"Doesn't she always?" The woman asks, shrugging one shoulder. "I'm going to assume you came here because you want to know more about that little piece of silver in your chest? Too bad I'm just as clueless as you."

"That's not all we came here for," Trivis replies quickly as the woman turns to walk away. "Some things are... different now, since our short rest."

"Short rest? Are you really that foolish?" The woman rounds on Trivis, her face contorting with shock and anger. "We've been trapped here, in Trystel Castle, for an entire century!"