"Heir - Chapter Four: The Shade Wizard" by Teagen A. May

"Anni, come, you need your rest." Terra said softly, helping her to stand. She looked down at her blood-stained dress as two guards came to take away the woman's body. Lyrik had long disappeared, intent on finding out who had killed her. Kith had gone to check on the Prince, and Ewan had returned to his barracks on the outskirts of the castle city. Only she had remained until Terra returned from his duties with the Royals and found her sitting beside a pool of crimson.
"I need to clean this dress." She said absently, staring ahead at the doorway as Terra led her out.
"Never mind that, you can get one of the maids to do that later. For now, you need to sleep."
"No." Anni said. "I need to bathe." She looked down at her hands, red from the blood, and shuddered. A memory came flashing back of deep red blood, the last time she had seen so much of it. It seemed like an age since she had, and still she felt the warmth of it trickling down her neck. The very thought made her trip. "This wasn't exactly the way I wanted to spend my first night here."
"I have to agree with you on that. I would rather you had seen the good side to the castle." Anni fell forward a little and Terra righted her. "Look, Anni, you're literally falling asleep where you stand!"
"I'm not falling asleep, and even if I was, I wouldn't care." Anni said tearfully as they walked slowly down the hallway to the spiral staircase that led to the Servants Level. "If I hadn't been in utter awe of the Princess, I would have seen the woman and her attacker."
"Everyone was in awe, Anni. You were not the only one who missed their chance to catch the murderer. The princess hasn't been seen in public for over three years now." He said gruffly, helping her down the stairs. He sighed softly. "Would you rather I carry you back to your room? Because I can do that too."
"No." Anni said forcefully. "I need to bathe!" She attempted to take the next step alone and would have pitched forward if it were not for Terra's strong arms.
"Gods, what is wrong with you?" He asked, pulling her upright. "You can't even walk!"
"Take me to the baths or I swear, Terra, that I will push you down these stairs right now."
"I doubt you could, even if you tried, Miss." He replied sternly, holding her shoulders and guiding her down the stairs to flat ground. "Now, the baths, you say?"
"Yes, the baths. And now, not in the morning."
"Fine. But I'm not leaving you there alone; I severely doubt you could get back without falling down every few feet." A group of maids were making their way towards the staircase.
"Well, while I'm bathing, you can fetch some new garments for me, seeing as though you said the cleaning of these ones could wait."
"Easily fixed." Terra said. The maids hurried past. "Excuse me, could one of you women kindly find Miss Fisher some new garments?" The first maid nodded and whispered to her followers, then continued. "There. Now I can ensure your safety and find you new clothes! Aren't I resourceful?" Terra said, his voice containing no trace of humour. Anni scowled. He was treating her like a child again.
They entered the Servants' Bathing Area. On one side of the room, there were a series of doors that Anni knew led to the privies. On the opposite side, there was a large hole in the tiled floors, full of steaming water. The tub was large enough to fit the entire staff of Servants, and often did so. Anni cringed at the thought of bathing with other women and men, but then remembered that she had done so in her youth. They had bathed together every night after their duties, and it was often fun. Besides, she thought, there are no other bathing areas on this level of the castle.
Even in the presence of Terra, Anni suddenly felt the need to wash the blood from her hands. She broke free of Terra's grasp and ran to one of the changing screens and tore at her dress, tears falling in thick lines down her face. She pulled free of the bodice and quickly pulled the silk under-dress over her head.
Terra stood helplessly as he heard her crying. He knew that to interfere would be an invasion of her privacy, but he did not wish her to be upset. I don't even know why she's upset, it is not as if she has never seen anything like this before. I should have asked why she was feeling so badly, he thought, angry with himself. He turned away just as she stepped out of the cover of the screen.
Anni gingerly eased herself into the tub, submerging herself in the warmth of the water. She closed her eyes for a moment and let the blood wash away, along with the memory. She leant back against the tiled wall of the tub, sighing deeply, the tears still falling. She wished she had not gone to the Ball tonight. The poor woman's death had brought back awful memories, ones that she had thought - that she had hoped - she had lost years ago. With her eyes closed now, she almost believed that she had never been in the hall, that she had never recovered those emotional times, and that she was safe, that she was far away from the castle and everyone in it.
While she rested there, the maid brought in a new set of garments for her to wear, and Terra placed them behind the dressing screen for her. He still did not look at her while she was in the tub, and kept his back to it. If he had turned to her in that moment, he would have been able to stop her impending panic.
Anni sighed again, rising out of the water. She ran a hand through her tresses of hair, leaning backwards and cleaning the curls. Then she stood upright and opened her eyes.
The water around her was tinged a bright red, swirling through the clear, clean water like poison. She had no recollection of how she had gotten into the tub, or what the blood was from, but the sight of it made her gasp. She cried out, turning away, sobbing uncontrollably. Terra, sensing her alarm, spun on his heel quickly, running to her. Anni clutched the wall, trying to clamber out of the bloody water, but she could not get a grip on the slippery tiles.
"Anni, Anni, I've got you, come on." Terra said softly, trying to calm her. He reached out a hand to help her up, bringing with him a towel. He hauled her out of the tub and helped her upright, handing her the towel. "Anni, I would hug you right now, but there is a problem with that." He said awkwardly, watching her trembling from both the cold and fear. He turned away, suppressing his worry and letting her have her privacy. He waited until she had stumbled behind the screen before asking, "Do you want to talk about it?"
For a moment, she stood there, tears rolling down her face. When she stopped sobbing enough to reply, she said "No."
"Are you sure? I will listen."
I doubt you would care, anyway." She said monotonously, donning the new garments as quickly as she could with her trembling hands. She recalled Terra's words at the meeting earlier about replacing her. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes,
"What makes you think that?" Terra frowned.
Anni cleared her mind of thought, and then studied her new clothes; a shirt very similar to her old one, with long sleeves, and a full-length skirt of a sturdy material. She stepped into her new slippers and replied, "The way you act as if you can just replace me on the spot. I doubt it was easy to find someone like me to fit this position."
"You're right. But I don't see how that means I wouldn't listen to what you have to say." Terra reasoned. Anni thought for a moment, smoothing her hair back.
"I can't talk to you about it anyway." She said finally.
"And why is that?"
"Because I erased the memory from my mind." She said plainly. Terra's brow furrowed.
"How did you do that?" He asked, confused. Anni shrugged.
"I'm not exactly sure," She said, coming out from behind the screen. She crossed her arms and walked towards the door.
"Hey, come here." Terra said, reaching out to her. He turned her around and looked into her eyes. "I want to know you're telling the truth and not just making an excuse not to tell me. When you said you had erased your memory, you were behind the screen; this time, I can see your eyes. Say it again."
Anni shook her head. "I don't really think it's up to you to order me around, Terra. Please, unhand me now." She tried to walk away, but Terra held her back, his grip softer this time.
"I thought we were friends, Anni. Please, tell me again what you did with the memory."
"I erased it from my mind. It is no longer in my awareness; I cleansed it. You will not get any more chances to see me naked, because I will never break down as I have just now. I hope you made the most of it." She said, irritated.
Terra studied her eyes; they were their normal light-green hue, they did not change colour, proving that she was telling the absolute truth.
"You have either learnt how to lie or learnt how to erase memories from your mind."
"I assure you that it's the latter." Anni said, walking to the door. "Now I'm going to bed. Wake me up in the morning." She disappeared around the corner, and Terra sighed, shaking his head in despair.
"Oh, by the way!" Anni's head reappeared around the doorway and Terra froze. "Can you please ask one of the maids to let the water out of the tub and put in new water for the servants in the morning? Thankyou!" She smiled and left again. This time, Terra did not shake his head, but followed her out of the door, pondering her words as he went to check on the King and Queen.
With no painful memories plaguing her thoughts, Anni changed into her nightwear and fell into bed, exhausted from what she imagines was the longest day of her life - what she could recall of it, at least.

As the sun rose into the sky, Anni awoke to the sound of whispering around her. With her eyes still tired from her exertions the previous night, she pushed back the thick covers on her bed and sat up, looking around at the unwanted visitors.
"Good morning, Miss!" One of the many maids that crowded her bed said.
"Why didn't you wake me?" Anni asked sleepily, rubbing her eyes and trying to cover up her half-naked figure beneath the covers. Her face began to grow rosy at the thought of how long the maids had been standing there.
"We all knew you would be tired after your long trip from Alistair." The first maid said, "And there's no need to be modest around us, Miss," She added, noticing Anni's hesitation at getting out of bed in only her undergarments, "We are all women here."
Anni, smiling at the thought of how she used to act around the maids in her youth, agreed. She was at home here, why should she be afraid to be seen at any time?
She stood up and wandered over to her dresser sleepily. Her brow furrowed as she realised her High Maid dress had been cleaned and set atop the dresser. She took the dress and, as she turned back around, she shrieked.
Standing in the doorway was Terra, attired in a bland outfit similar to what he had worn the previous day before the Ball, smiling at her, his eyebrows raised.
"All well, Miss Fisher?" He said, winking at her. Anni scowled, embarrassed tremendously, pressing the dress to her chest so that he could not see her near-naked body.
"Says he who turned his back while I was bathing yesterday." She said erratically, running behind the dressing screen. "What are you doing in here?" She cried, her face reddening as the maids that stood by the door began to giggle.
"You asked me to wake you, so I came. It seems like a few people beat me to it." Terra said, crossing his arms and watching the shadow on the screen as she struggled into her dress. "Let me help." He sighed, crossing the room.
"No, Terra, I'm fine, I'm not some damsel in distress that you've come to rescue." Anni said heatedly. Terra stopped walking.
"The Prince wants to see you in his study. He's been there all night." He said disapprovingly, "I suggest you get up there quickly, or he'll get provincial on you."
"Oh, let's hope he does! I'd like to see him with his defences down." She laughed wryly, stepping out from behind the screen and trying to adjust the ties on the back of her dress. She froze as she remembered that the maids were still in the room. They must have heard what she said about the Prince!
"I certainly would too!" One of the younger girls said, "He treats us all so badly! I'm surprised you think that of him already though, Miss." She added, "You only got here yesterday."
"Yes well, let's just say that I've had past associations with the Prince." Anni said grimly, without deliberation. "Now, Terra, you know how you offered to assist me…?" She asked awkwardly, wrenching at the back of her dress. Terra smiled and walked around her, taking the ties into his hands.
"The Prince has been pondering the death that occurred last night." He said softly. One of the maids gasped.
"I thought that was only a rumour!" She cried, "We did not know it had actually happened."
"Aye, it has happened." Anni said, gasping as Terra tied her dress up a little too tightly. "Let me breathe, would you?" She moaned angrily, standing straight.
"Sorry, worker's hands." Terra said gruffly. He undid his handiwork and crossed the ribbons over again. He turned and nodded to the maids, who left the room silently, closing the door behind them. "Don't worry about the maids; it's not strange for the High Maid to be in a close relationship with the Servant Guard." He laughed. Anni scowled.
"Close relationship I doubt, Terra." She retorted, "Just because you have succeeded in seeing me unclothed doesn't make us friends."
Terra coughed. "Reid needs company right now." He said.
"And you think that I am the one to accompany him? What about the Princess?"
"She left this morning."
Anni looked puzzled. "Why did she leave? Aren't they here until the wedding?"
"The Prince ordered a coach to take them back to their own castle." Terra explained, "He told me that he was not celebrating anything until the killer is found. That means no wedding. The King and Queen have also fled the castle and are seeking refuge in a close coastal town."
"I see what you mean about him needing company." Anni sighed. "So, what do I have to do? Bathe him?" She shuddered.
"No, Anni. You just need to ensure your part of High Maid is retained. He asked you to go to his study, and as High Maid, it is your duty to do so. If he asks you to do anything, leave the room and find Kith." Anni nodded, rolling her eyes. "What was that for?" Terra asked, noting her gesture.
"Why does Kith have to do everything for me?" She said, turning around to face Terra when he finished tying the strings. "Is it because I'm a girl?"
"It is because your main duty is to find out about the Prince."
"Right, and if I stuff that up I'm out of the Alliance, I remember now." Anni said. Terra looked at his feet.
"I'm sorry about what I said yesterday." He apologized almost inaudibly, "But I was only telling you the honest truth."
"I know you were, and I'm glad you did, because I'm sick of being lied to." Anni replied tartly, crossing her arms defensively, "And I'm not talking about just in the Alliance."
"Anni, I'm sorry about your past, whatever you went through, but you have to put all of that behind you." Terra tried to calm her down.
"True, but I never asked to be in this position in the first place. I never wanted to have to hide myself from the world, never wanted to be Anni Fisher, the High Maid from Alistair."
Terra, growing tired of her stubbornness, took her tightly by the arms. "And I never wanted to be Terra Samuals, the Servant Guard." He said icily, his almond eyes searching hers. Anni return the glare willingly. "We were all put into this situation, whether we wanted to be in it or not, and we all have to live with it. We have a job to do, and if we do not do it, who will?
"Listen to me, Anni, when I say that you were sent here by Indiana for a reason, you just don't know it yet." He said.
Anni shrugged his hands off her shoulders, glaring at him with something close to betrayal in her eyes. Terra averted his gaze to the portrait on her bedside table. "Maybe you need this time to forget your past, or to rekindle the memories and turn them into something wonderful. Try to remember them, after you have so willingly erased them from your mind." He added softly.
Anni did not take in his words at all. She knew that, if she had, she would have inadvertently obliged, for fear of losing his friendship. She shook her head and walked to the door, opening it and leaving him alone, gazing at the portrait of the younger Anni and her family that lay, grubby with fingerprints, all but forgotten by the girl who strode down the corridor.

"Do you know anything about the death of Duchess Edwina?" Prince Reid asked Anni forcefully. Anni shook her head.
Having no recollection of the Ball, Anni answered in the way she thought was best. "No, Your Highness. I only tried to help." She said. She saw Reid sigh and slump in his seat.
"You were standing right beside her at the time of her death, were you not?" He said coldly. Anni answered as truthfully as she thought she could. "And you only tried to help." He repeated. "How could this happen?" He asked no one in particular, rubbing his neck, "One minute everything was going perfectly, and the next, there is a woman, dead, in the Feasting Hall." Anni looked at the ground.
"Are there any clues?" She asked.
"None at all." Reid said, almost inaudibly, "No witnesses, no suspects, nothing." He slammed a fist onto the table and stood up, turning to Anni with a freezing fire in his eyes. "Fetch me the King."
"The King has left the castle, sir." Reid's expression remained cold. Talk of the King and Queen's escape from the castle had spread like wildfire through the servants. Along with them was the announcement that the wedding was not happening until the murderer had been caught.
Reid's eyes darkened to an intense aqua in his dislike, "I am not doing anything until I talk to my father. Fetch him now, or I swear by my family's safety that -"
"I'm sorry, Your Highness, but I have no power over the King. I can not get him to return to the castle." Anni said through clenched teeth. How she would have loved to yell and scream at that particular moment.
Reid groaned in his anger, and turned away, collecting his thoughts.
"How in the Gods names can I trust you with anything?" He cried, crossing his arms, his back to her. "You came here yesterday, only moments before one of the royals was killed!"
"I assure you, Your Highness, that I had nothing to do with this murder; I only tried to help the poor woman." Prince Reid remained silent, and Anni was glad that he was not facing her - No doubt, he would have noticed her eyes flaring with rage.
"Then perhaps you can help me. Actually, you will help me. Anything you hear on the topic of the murder, you will report it to me. Any piece of information, however insignificant, is to be passed to me. Understood?" Anni nodded and answered politely, but she could not help but display a rude gesture with her hand while he had his back turned. "Meet me on the balcony of the castle every two days, for your report." He looked over his shoulder at her and she nodded in understanding, curtsied, and left the room.

"The Shade Wizard, you say?" Terra repeated, sitting across the table in the Meeting Room from Lyrik.
"I'm almost certain." The usually jovial wizard nodded, his face set in a grim expression. "As far as my knowledge goes, he is the only other fully-fledged wizard remaining in these lands. No mortal would have been able to conceal themselves so well within that room as to kill another and vanish without a trace. There was no weapon found, no trails. I didn't even know he was there!"
"I see what you mean." Terra sighed. He had spent the day searching the hall for any sign of evidence as to who killed the Duchess, and he had found nothing. "Why do you think he came here?"
"I'm not sure." Lyrik answered after a moment. "But chances are that he did not come to pay his respects to the Prince and his betrothed." He stood and began pacing behind his chair. "Have you ever heard of the Shade Wizard, Terra?"
The Servant Guard shook his head. "Never. Well, not until now. I thought you were the only Wizard left. But I was obviously misinformed. Is he really as bad as you say?"
"Oh yes." Lyrik said hoarsely. "He is, by far, one of the worst people you would ever want to meet. You have heard of the story of the Royals separating, haven't you?"
"Yes, of course I have. The one royal family split into two - the Hendells and the Marwanes - over four generations ago. India and Lacey Hendell, twins, were undecided as to who would take the throne after their older brother, Gerry, was killed, so they each found a husband to rule their own throne with. Lacey became a Marwane. The fact that the two Royals are near warring stages is why Prince Reid and Princess Elian's wedding is so contentious."
"Well, that is half of the story." Lyrik sat back down, putting his hands behind his head. "You see, there never was any real explanation for the schism. Of course, it was because of both of the twins' desire to rule, but there is certainly another part to it. There were rumours that there had been an interfering party, that someone from the outside had caused it. The only problem with that is, in those days, the Royals were completely separate from their followers; no one saw them, and they saw no one. The fact that someone from outside of the family could have caused the split is one that not many people favour, myself included, at one time.
"But it makes you think; what actually happened? None of the Royals owned up to being the cause of the problems. My only theory is that someone with immense power managed to infiltrate the barrier between Royal and Peasant and sabotaged the family."
There was silence as Terra took in the words.
"The Shade Wizard?"
Lyrik nodded slowly. "I believe so. Of course, he went by a different name then. A normal, peasant name.
"A supposed friend of the Royals, a dignitary of sorts, was said to have disappeared around the time of the schism. I believe that this man, if he is still alive, will have the answers. Of course, that is highly unlikely; he would be at least two hundred years old by now." He sighed. "But I am going to try to find him."
"What would you like me to do?" Terra asked.
"I need you to keep an eye out for anything suspicious. If the Shade Wizard could enter the room without my knowledge, what else is he capable of? He is much more powerful than I, Terra." Lyrik said. "It's time for the Alliance to do something. Now, Terra. If we do not, we will be killed along with the Royals. I do not doubt for a second that the Shade Wizard is hell-bent on destruction, whatever destruction that may be."

With Anni and Prince Reid meeting every two nights, the week went by quickly. Terra and Lyrik had not divulged any information about the Shade Wizard to anyone, and the High Maid had not recalled her lost memories, so Anni was forced to create fake rumours about what certain unnamed people had said during the course of the two days; Reid took the information without so much as a thankyou.
Anni and Kith spent most of their time talking about the Alliance and the members that made up the board.
First was Indiana. Anni learnt that the man that she had come to see as a father figure tried to make it to the meetings every fortnight, but for most of the time was busy with other missions. He was, at present, in hiding outside of the castle walls, but Kith assured her that the man would return to them soon enough.
Then there was Lyrik. The wizard played a big part in the meetings; securing the room of all sight and sound, and creating illusions in hallways so that others thought they had seen different members of the Alliance just casually wandering around during the time in which they were actually in the meetings. After the meetings, Kith said, he teleported back to his tower on a nearby island, which Anni found hard to believe.
Terra and Kith were next. Kith told Anni that they had entered the Alliance after Indiana found them abandoned as children. This reminded Anni of how she had met the mysterious man. Of course, Kith did not divulge any more information, and Anni decided not to press the matter, recalling their previous conversations.
Dieko was highly ranked in the castle, but not so much in the Alliance. His church was the only one in the city, and every religious man, woman and child went there to worship their particular god or goddess. Dieko himself had no idea who or what each of the gods and goddesses were, and spent his time poring over books on the subject. Although he was not one of the most valued members of the Alliance, Anni guessed that, eventually, the man would learn his craft and would be invaluable to the mission.
Jye Mercy, the executioner, was the one who ensured the safety of every Alliance member. Kith told Anni that his job was the hardest of all, and Anni agreed, recalling the grey eyes of the man shrouded in black. He had killed many innocent people in his lifetime and had told Kith that, when the Royals were brought to their justice - "Whatever justice that is," Anni had said - he was going to find a wife and settle down in the country to the north.
A man named Ewan was next. He was the battlemaster and taught all the new Alliance members combat. When Kith told Anni of this, she wondered why she had not been taught the art of swordcraft.
"He believes that only men should ever wield a sword, and that women should stick to their embroidering." Kith had told her hesitantly, knowing that she would get cross. "He will start teaching me soon, and hopefully I can change his mind on that front." He added hastily.
Gere, the conductor of the string orchestra, was a lively man who was known throughout the country for his musical pieces. He was a valuable member of the Alliance, and used his music - together with Lyrik's spells - to help plans in any way that he could. It was very rarely that he could make it to the meetings, and Terra visited him when he could to tell him of the goings on.
Finally yet importantly, was a young maid named Emmy; it was the girl she had met at the Ball. Anni was surprised; she wondered how such a beautiful girl had ended up as a maid. According to Kith, she was rather skilled in magic, and was Lyrik's apprentice mage.
After Kith had finished the introduction of the Alliance board, Anni thought of something.
"You named nine people from the board, but there were thirteen seats in the Meeting Room; there's me, but who is are the other three people?"
Kith had shrugged. "No one but Indiana and Lyrik know." He said simply. Anni had pondered over that for the remainder of the week.
As the next meeting of the Alliance dawned, Anni realised that she had not been called to see the Prince for a few days. I wonder what people will think, noticing that his own High Maid is never there to tend to him…why has he not asked of my services? She thought as she walked down the hall towards her room after a meeting with Kith about the Prince's needs. And I have not seen Terra around, either. I bet he is still concerned about that conversation we had the other day…
She opened the door to the common area and gasped.
Spread around the room was a multitude of white roses, placed neatly but randomly across the furniture in bright contrast to the crimson chairs and carpet. She squinted through the brilliance and saw a glimmer of purple in the air; grinning madly, she ran back down the corridor towards the kitchens, bursting through the door and racing past the many servants that took no notice of her whatsoever. She wrenched open the door to the meeting room.
"LYRIK!" She shouted, slamming the door, crossing her arms and breathing heavily. She took a hand and ran it through her tresses, smoothing them out. "Lyrik, I know it was you!" Over the two weeks she had been in the castle, she had become accustomed to Lyrik's illusions, and had realised that she could sense when the trickster was around. This was definitely one of those times. Sighing slightly, she rearranged her dresses; seeing the roses had made her immediately think of Terra, whom she had not seen since their angry conversation.
"You called, my dear?" Lyrik said cheekily, hanging upside down from the ceiling. His pointed hat was still, amazingly, on his head.
"Are you trying to tell me something?" She asked, smiling. Lyrik laughed.
"I thought you would have been used to my illusions by now, Miss." He said, crossing his arms and mocking her expression.
"Of course I am, but you made me jump, that's all. If you do not mind, Mister Whitedagger, can you please get rid of them? I like the thought and all, but I doubt the other maids would understand how over a score of roses ended up in their Common Room."
"As you wish, Anni." Lyrik sighed, his fun diminished. He lifted a finger and waved it. "There you go, darling. I'm sorry about that."
"I really did love the thought." Anni replied, taking a seat at the table. Lyrik dropped from the ceiling and sat beside her.
"Then why the sad face?" He asked her. She sighed.
"It's a lengthy story." She said dismissively, "And your attention span isn't long enough, Mister Tricky." She scolded mockingly. Then she gasped.
"What's the matter?"
Anni grinned, an idea forming in her mind. "I have a brilliant plan!"
"No you don't, you're just trying to change the subject, Missy." Lyrik said. Anni shook her head.
"No, seriously Lyrik, I have an idea." She turned to him. "Can I ask you something?"
"Was that the question?" Lyrik asked.
"Stop being smart!" Anni laughed, "No, that wasn't the question." She rubbed her temples, "Okay, ready for the question now?"
Lyrik nodded heartily. "Of course!"
"Can you teach someone your magic?" The issue caught Lyrik off guard.
"Well, it depends…" He started hesitantly. For once, he was speechless!
"Let me rephrase that. Can you teach anybody your magic? And I don't mean people who already have the power to wield it."
"Like I said, Miss, it depends. It depends on the person, and whether they have the power already. If they don't have the magic inside of them, it takes a lot of hard work on both my part and the trainee's." Lyrik explained slowly.
"Is there any way that you would be able to teach me?" Anni asked, her verdant eyes wide.
"Why do you want to learn?" The wizard said, taking off his hat and scratching the back of his head.
"It would come in handy, trust me. And it would give me something to work on other than looking after the Prince and finding out information about him and the Princess." She said, putting a hand on the sleeve of Lyrik's robe. The man looked at her, smiling.
"You really want to learn my craft?" He asked seriously. Anni nodded.
"I've seen the way you wield it and I would love to learn something of it." She said truthfully.
"Well, there are a few things we need to figure out first." Lyrik said, standing up. "Firstly; were any of your parents or grandparents magically-oriented?"
Anni shook her head. "Not that I know of." She said slowly.
"Okay… take these." He lifted a hand and rolled his wrist, conjuring up a pair of silvery white daggers. Anni's eyes widened in awe at the beautiful blades, amazed at their brightness in the dark room. Lyrik handed them to her and she held them gingerly in her palms. "Okay, just sit there for a moment; I need to do a bit of searching." Lyrik said, closing his eyes.
For a few minutes, Anni sat there, watching the silent and still figure of the wizard, wondering what he was doing. She guessed she would never figure out what was happening inside of his mind, what he was seeing and hearing.
His eyes flickered open and he smiled.
"What did you do?" Anni asked. Lyrik winked at her.
"I was finding what magic would suit you most." He answered, sitting beside her at the table once again.
"And what was your verdict?" Anni wondered aloud.
"There's good news and bad news." Lyrik said. Anni nodded.
"Bad news first, please." She said.
"You can't use illusions as your magic." Anni's eyes lowered, "I'm sorry, the magic wouldn't be suitable for you."
"It's okay; it's not your fault." Anni smiled sadly, "Now what's the good news?"
"You have a magic inside of you already."
"What sort of magic?" She asked, wide-eyed.
"Well, I'm not sure yet. It's not the power of Illusions, though." Lyrik said.
"Right." Anni said.
"There are many different types of magic, Anni. I have mastered nearly every type there is; the only ones I have not learned to wield correctly are the magics of Remembrance, Fortress, and Healing; I'm sure you noticed I could not save that poor woman at the ball."
"Yes." Anni's eyebrows drew together in confusion, "And you don't know what type of magic I have?" She asked the Wizard. He sighed, shaking his head and smiling as a thought occurred to him.
"But… Anni, you grew up with people who needed healing, correct?"
"What are you talking about?" She said.
Lyrik laughed. "My dear, I know why I could not sense what type of magic you held. It is because I don't hold that magic either!"
"Your point, please, Lyrik."
"You have the magic of healing." Lyrik said, taking Anni's hand. Anni looked stunned. "Truly, Miss. You have healing magic inside of you."
"How does that work?" She asked. "I have never done any training!"
"Wizards get their magic from living; a man who spends a long amount of time with wildlife learns Animal Magic; a man who chases storms and spends his time outdoors will become a master of Weather and Nature. You, my dear, have obviously spent a lot of your short life with people who needed help and healing."
"Sounds about right. Can you teach me how to wield it?"
"Well, I'm not sure. I guess we will have to try. As I am the only friendly wizard in the castle - or the only wizard in the castle at all - I seem to be the only one who can help. And besides, my dear, I would love to see you help those who need it.
"And what's better is that, because you already have magic in you, once you start to manipulate it, you will be able to wield stronger and greater magics. That's how I got to be the great and powerful wizard I am today!" Lyrik bellowed, making Anni laugh. She studied the daggers in her hands.
"Here, take these back." She said to Lyrik. He waved them away.
"They are a gift!" He winked at her, "Seeing as though you did not like my roses, you can have these… weapons… instead!"
Anni smiled fondly. "You really are a strange man…" She murmured. "Do you have sheaths for these? I can't exactly -" She was cut short as a pair of leather sheaths appeared before her, "- Thankyou very much."
"My pleasure, Miss." Lyrik grinned.
She tied the sheaths to her wrists and put the daggers in them, stanching the light that emanated from them. "Where did you get these from?" She asked, pulling her sleeves down to hide them.
"A friend." Lyrik said, grinning. "Never you mind."
Anni laughed. "Thankyou, Lyrik. You really made my day." She kissed the wizard on the cheek and stood, walking to the door. "I had better find the Prince."
"Have fun, Miss!" Lyrik laughed, waving as Anni left the room.

Anni found Prince Reid in the castle stables. She was surprised to see him there; not many noblemen ventured too far from the safety of the castle walls. She had not been searching for him all too much, but felt a need to wander outside of the castle grounds after the astounding news Lyrik had given her. She had not been ready for him to say she had a gift, especially after his question on her parents' wizarding abilities. She had thought that magic was an inherited thing, but she was consummately wrong.
She studied the Prince for a few moments before deciding on approaching him. She breathed deeply and plunged into the role of High Maid Anni Fisher.
"Pleasant day, Your Highness." She grinned, lifting the hem of her dress and crossing the hay-littered floor of the stable. Prince Reid, hearing the voice, turned his head to her.
"What are you doing here?" He asked, slightly nervous, stepping away from a young horse he had been petting.
Anni curtsied quickly. "I didn't mean to startle you, Your Highness. And I am not too sure why I'm here, to tell the truth sir, I just had a feeling you would be in the stables." She said. Reid nodded. "What are you doing here, Highness? You haven't called me to a meeting in a few days."
Prince Reid lowered his eyes and smiled. "I have a friend that resides here." Was his reply. He seems genuine, Anni thought.
"May I meet this friend, sir?" She asked. The Prince nodded - which surprised the High Maid - and beckoned to her.
"She's very protective of me; she doesn't welcome new people very often, especially people of lower social classes." He said.
Anni, ignoring his last comment with much difficulty and wandered over to study the horse, which was a rich golden colour. A silvery white star crowned her head and her hooves were a mixture of silver and a deep gold. Her eyes, Anni noted, were a peculiar violet, and were wider than that of any other horse in the stable.
"She's beautiful." Anni breathed, reaching out a hand and touching the tip of the horse's nose. She had never seen a horse before, even through her years in the castle. The horse butted her hand, sniffing her palm.
Prince Reid's eyebrows drew together. "Well, that's a first." He said, "Usually she bites strangers before they can get near her." He watched as Anni stepped closer to the mare, running a hand along its mane.
"How strange." Anni murmured. The horse whinnied, almost as if replying. "I seem to have a knack with animals, Your Highness." She laughed.
"I learn something new about you every day, Anni Fisher." The Prince said, shaking his head and smiling. "Her name is Cail, by the way. I've had her since I was a child." He looked at her. "Do they have horses in Alistair?" He asked her. For a moment, Anni just stood there, wondering why he had asked her such a strange question, and then remembered where the High Maid had come from.
"Ah, yes, they do. At my old keep we had a stable much like this one; my sister, Kellie, handled them." She said hesitantly, creating a vision of the imaginary girl in her head. Prince Reid nodded.
"Perhaps you can assist me in looking after Cail, then? You must know something of horses?"
"I know a little, sir, but I doubt it's enough to help you with." Anni said, clutching the mare's mane and splitting it into three long sections. "Besides, you have looked after her this long, haven't you? I'm sure you can do it for longer." She began to plait the strands, much to Cail's liking. She whinnied, and then stood comfortably as the High Maid massaged her head.
The Prince shrugged. "Suit yourself." He said, leaning against the wooden rail that held his cherished horse inside the stables, "But you're welcome to visit her anytime you want. She seems to enjoy your company." He smiled as Anni finished the plait and took the ribbon out of her own hair to tie the strands together, "And it seems you enjoy hers, too." He added. Anni returned his smile.
"Thankyou, Your Highness." She said, "Well, I'd better get back to my duties. If there is anything you wish me to do in the way of searching for clues, I would be happy to help. I have not heard any other news from the servants." Prince Reid shook his head. "Well, if there's anything general that you need completed that you can't perform yourself, call for me and I'll see to it that it gets done." She said. The Prince nodded.
"I shall. Goodbye." He watched her leave and then began to follow her back up to the castle.

Anni closed the door of the Meeting Room and breathed a sigh of relief. She knew that as soon as she was in this area of the castle, she was safe to be herself. Even though Lyrik occasionally dropped by, she knew she could be normal while she was hidden from the rest of the castle. This High Maid Anni Fisher girl seems very bland, she thought, she never sticks up for herself, she never argues, and she never has anything interesting to say! She ran a hand through her long tresses of brown and blonde hair - now unbound - and wandered over to the charts that were hanging on the walls.
The first one she studied was what looked like a map of the castle. The many stairways and levels were all clearly marked.
The next chart was a series of portraits and descriptions of some of the many nobles that often stayed in the castle, as well as the Royals themselves. Anni grinned wryly as she studied Reid's picture. For some reason, although he seemed not so arrogant now, she still felt a sense of foreboding where he was concerned.
There were a series of small charts designated to certain characters, and she stood for a moment reading the fake past of Terra Samuals with a grin.
The last table was the one she had been looking for. There were notes taped haphazardly around the board, all written in scribbles, and all mentioning a piece of her fake past. She read a few of them and learnt a lot about herself in the process; she never knew that her fake mother had been a painter, or that she had spent a year at an all female tutoring house.
It seems I am not the only one who has had trouble keeping my past a secret, she thought bitterly, remembering how Terra had acted towards her and her inability to lie; and it seems that many people have been asking about me!
She took a scrap of parchment from the round table and called for Lyrik.
"Do you have a quill and some ink?" She asked, knowing he was around somewhere.
"Of course, my dear." He replied, appearing beside her and handing her a long, feathered pen and a small green bottle. "Anything for my little liar." He grinned, his beard twitching.
"Thankyou, Lyrik." She said, kissing his cheek, "You can go back home now, if you like." She smiled. Lyrik nodded.
"I shall be back soon for the Meeting, remember. I just need to finish my new truth serum." He winked at her and disappeared.
Anni shook her head and grinned. Thank the gods someone looks after me here, she thought; I have not seen Terra for days!
With a steady hand, she opened the cork on the bottle of ink and dipped the end of the quill into the thick black liquid. Then she began to write on the parchment;
Sister's name is Kellie. Kellie worked with horses in Alistair. …If someone can teach me how to care for a horse, I would really appreciate it!
She screwed the cork back into the neck of the bottle and set down the quill, rereading her words. She groaned at the thought of Prince Reid finding out about her inability with horses.
With the fortnightly meeting to begin any moment, Anni took her seat at the circular table, setting the ink bottle and the quill in the centre. Lyrik appeared moments later, brandishing a small jar of foul looking liquid.
"I have finished!" He breathed, shoving the jar into Anni's hands, "My truth serum!"
Anni studied the glass jar, and then turned to the wizard.
"What's it for?" She asked, slightly worried at what his answer could be. Lyrik laughed heartily.
"Whatever you feel like using it for!" Was his reply, "I made it for you to use on whomever you will."
Anni's eyebrows drew together in confusion. "But… why? Why not keep it for yourself?"
"Because I doubt anyone in the castle would appreciate me spilling this gunk into their drink."
"And they would if I were to do it?" Anni said. Lyrik laughed again.
"Dear dear, Miss, you are rather naïve! You are the High Maid! You have rule over every servant in the castle!" He scoffed jokingly, "Either way, no one in this castle knows of me being here, save the Alliance. I'm sure the Royals would not like it if they found that I was here, either."
"Why is that?"
"Later, M'lady, later." He said dismissively, waving a hand towards the door and opening it.
Terra entered, greeting Lyrik with a nod and a salute. The wizard saluted back, though much more whole-heartedly, as the guard walked around the table.
"Greetings, M'lady." Terra smiled at Anni, taking her hand and kissing it gently. He eyed her warily, worried that she was still upset about their conversation two weeks earlier, but Anni seemed oblivious and smiled back. "I trust you have had a pleasant two weeks in this humble castle?"
"Where have you been, Mister Samuals?" Lyrik said, crossing his arms as Anni grinned, glad that the wizard had taken the words from her mouth.
"I would have thought you of all people would have known the answer that. I have been busy." Was Terra's reply. He sat beside Anni.
"Doing what? What could be more important than ensuring that our special lady guest was comfortable in her first weeks here?" Lyrik said, winking at the High Maid.
Terra laughed. "You're right. I should have been here. I actually spent the weeks watching over the King and Queen while they escaped the castle."
Anni's eyes widened. "You were outside the castle?"
"Yes." Terra admitted. "I went to visit a member of the Alliance in a nearby township."
"What?" Lyrik cried, his eyes flaring yellow in a rapidly building ire, "You left the castle? You left Miss Fisher to fend for herself, even after Indiana told you to keep an eye on her?!" He shouted. He watched as the two stepped back, afraid of him. Then, with a twinkle of mischief in his eye, he laughed at them. "Ha! I got you both!" He cried, finding the whole moment hilarious while Terra and Anni were still scared out of their skins. After a moment of nothing but Lyrik's laughter, Anni sighed.
"Well, he always knows when to do something funny, doesn't he?" She said softly to Terra. The guard nodded in agreement.
"I don't think I will ever understand how he can do that." He said, his face blank.

"Right, let's get to it, then." Dieko said, looking around at the occupants at the table. Every seat was filled save five beside the elegant chair; Anni noted that Emmy was present at this meeting, and that Kith and Gere were absent. She wondered where Kith was.
"To begin with, which one of you bumbling fools let slip to a servant about the plan at the Ball?" Terra growled, his temperament changing once again. "Someone must have said something about our plan and it ended up being heard by the young girl." Terra said. There were murmurs of denial and accusations and Terra stood up. "Someone had better own up, or we will be in a lot of trouble with Indiana." This time, no one said anything.
Anni, realising she still had her truth serum, hid it in her sleeve immediately. If someone isn't truthful enough to admit they made a mistake, I'm not going to force them into it, she thought angrily.
Lyrik saw her hide the serum and nodded, understanding why she had not piped up about a solution.
"Fine." Terra said, his almond eyes scanning the faces of everyone but Anni and Lyrik, "But whoever did it had better listen to this; the girl knew everything about the plan, from charms Lyrik was using to who was in the room that was from the Alliance. It was as if she had been told every single detail by someone who knew what was happening." He realised that the others were glaring at Anni. "Gods, stop accusing Anni! She knew nothing of the plan until it was upon her!" He turned to Anni. "I know it wasn't you who did this," He assured her, "On the other hand; these men - and woman - have nothing to prove that it wasn't them."
"And nothing to prove that it was." Lyrik added. "I successfully placed a permanent charm on her; she can't say anything about what she knows." He stood up. "Did anyone get information about the Princess or her escape from the castle?"
Terra shook his head and sat down, crossing his arms. Anni placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"I did." Jye said, "According to some of the prisoners, she sentenced someone to death while she was here, although she does not even have any justification to do so." He explained monotonously. "The man was hanged last week, on Prince Reid's command."
"What gives her the right to do that?" Anni demanded, feeling sick. Jye shook his head.
"She doesn't have the right, that's the thing. It's as if no one will stop her from doing what she pleases."
"Some of the villagers from the Marwane's castle say that it's the same thing there, too. The Princess can do whatever she likes, and no one gives a damn." Lyrik agreed.
"Did Anni find anything out about the Prince?" Dieko asked, "Perhaps that will give us some insight into what could be happening."
Everyone turned to Anni.
"Er… Well, he has a pet horse…" She started. She sighed. "The truth is, I haven't gotten that much information so far." She admitted.
"Why? You're his High Maid, for gods' sake!" Dieko said angrily.
"He has a grudge against me because I am a servant." Anni explained, her anger rising. "I can't just talk to him yet. Give me some time." I might have Healing Magic, she thought, her ire intensifying, but I definitely do not have the ability to heal this rift between Dieko and myself. "I don't do much work for him."
"So, you're saying that you have basically forfeited your position as High Maid?"
"No, I'm not saying that at all." Anni defended herself. "I just spend more time finding out about other things." She leaned forward in her chair. "Prince Reid has assigned me the job of searching for the murderer of the Duchess."
"Rubbish!" Dieko sneered, throwing his arms up, "That makes no sense at all! Why would he assign you to such a duty? What are you playing at, girl?" He asked Anni. Anni looked across at him, astonished and insulted.
"I assure you, Dieko, that I am truly working for Prince Reid. I have not found out anything of use yet, but when I do, I will surely be held with more respect.
"If I were you," She continued, "I would start acting more the like the Priest you are supposed to be." She stood up angrily. Her chair fell backwards as she swept around the table, "And I'll tell you all something else; if I keep being treated like an outcast, like - like a traitor - you won't be seeing me around at all!" She wrenched open the door to the Meeting Room and left.
Terra stood also, glaring at Dieko. "Don't you dare say anything like that again. If you value your place here, I suggest you be more considerate to people in indispensable positions, unlike yours." He said icily, following Anni out of the door.
When the door slammed shut, everyone turned to face Dieko for once. Lyrik shook his head.
"Tut, tut, tut, Mister Dieko, you've really outdone yourself this time." He scolded.

"Anni, wait." Terra called, striding through the kitchens, following the back of Anni's dress. "Anni, please."
Anni did not reply, but turned and glared at him as she pushed past the doors into the corridor.
The guard followed her down to the common area. "Anni, please, wait!" He breathed. Anni opened her bedroom door, entered the room, and slammed it behind her, leaving Terra outside. He beat a fist on the hard wood. "Damn it Anni, let me in." He said.
"Why should I?" He heard Anni reply. "You're just like the rest of them!"
"What are you talking about?" Terra asked coolly.
"The Alliance. You are just like all of those pigs in the Meeting Room. I'm an exile in your eyes!" Anni said tearfully.
"Anni, don't say that." The guard sighed.
"Why not? It's true, isn't it?" The High Maid said angrily.
For a moment, Terra stood there, contemplating the best way to say that he disagreed with her entirely. Suddenly the door to Anni's room flew open and Terra looked up.
Anni was on the opposite side of the room to him. Her watery eyes opened wide in surprise and she opened her mouth to shout at Terra for breaking down the door, but then she noted Terra's own surprise and looked up at the ceiling, a half-smile gracing her face.
"Lyrik." Was all she said, walking over to her bed dejectedly and sitting on the edge.
Terra entered the room. "You didn't answer my question." Anni said, making him stop. "It's true that you think I'm an outcast, isn't it?"
"Actually, Anni, you're completely and utterly right." Terra said, shaking his head. He continued to walk towards her, taking a seat opposite her on the bed.
"I thought so." Anni said, looking at the bed sheets miserably. She had not expected him to disagree with her. Terra smiled sadly.
"I do think of you as an outcast, but I consider every single person in the Alliance as one too. Someone abandoned us all in our lives, and we all came together. We are a band of outcasts, when you think about it."
"Right." Anni said, confused at his reply.
"But, Anni, you are more than an outcast." Terra went on, "You are like the little sister I never had. A very good looking sister, actually." He said, studying her. She blushed as his eyes roamed her body. "Not that I would ever say anything like that about a real sister, I assure you," He added hastily, making Anni giggle as his face burned scarlet. He cleared his throat, "Look, I can't really explain it, but you have to trust me." He took her hands in his, "Trust that I think of you as something more than just another person in the crowd. Can you do that for me?" He asked.
Anni thought for a moment, and then nodded.
"Alright. I'm more than just a person in the crowd." She repeated, making Terra smile. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it gently, and then took her into his arms in a brotherly embrace.
"I'll look after you while you're here." He said softly, pulling away and wiping her tears with a finger, "And remember that I'm in the next room, so you can talk to me any time you like." Anni nodded.
"Thankyou, Terra." She whispered. "I now pronounce you one of my friends. You can't go back now." She said, smiling. Terra laughed and looked down at her.
There was a knock on the door. The Servant Guard stood abruptly and held his hands behind his back.
"Come in." He called thickly. Kith's head poked around the door.
"Sorry to interrupt." He said cheekily, winking at Terra, who rolled his eyes, "But the Prince would like a word with Anni."
"I saw him not long ago." Anni replied, wiping her eyes on her dress.
"Well he said he would like to see you immediately." Kith shrugged. "I don't know what he wants, but he was smiling when I saw him."
"That's a first for the past two weeks." Anni said. She sighed. "Alright, where is he?"
"In the observatory." Kith replied. "Right at the top of the castle."
"Right." Anni said, standing, "Thanks, Kith. I guess I'll see you both later." She looked at Terra, who smiled in return, and left.
"So, what was that all about?" Kith asked, standing beside his brother and nudging him with his elbow.
Terra sighed, shaking his head and grinning. "Kith, if you really must know, she got upset during the meeting and ran out crying, so I followed her here."
"Oh." Kith said, the smile fading from his eyes, "Sorry."
Terra laughed. "I know what you were thinking, little brother." He replied, nudging him back, "And it's not going to happen." He added, watching Kith's expression.
"Even if you want it to?" The younger boy asked expectantly. Terra looked at the ground.
"Right." He said softly.
"Don't say that, you're starting to sound like her." Kith laughed, punching his brother playfully on the arm. "Come on; let's go steal some more sweets from the kitchens, eh? I'm sure Lyrik's holograms of us will prove useful once again."
"Great idea." Terra agreed, following his younger brother out of the door and into the corridor.
From Terra's doorway, Anni's gaze pursued Terra, her eyes wide with surprise. "Did I hear him correctly?" She whispered to no one in particular, "Did he really say…?" She looked at the ground.