The present

A low moan brought me back to the current time. Serefina was waking up, stirring in my arms. Before she could fully awaken, I scooped her up and brought her to my room.

It would be easier to keep an eye on her, make sure nothing happened again. A quick pinch of my own Magick sent her back into a deep sleep, ensuring she would not wake up before I had finished what I needed to do.

Racing back to the Great Hall, I found a commotion outside the oaken doors. I cursed under my breath. In all the chaos, I had forgotten about the palace staff.

"Excuse me," I called out, pushing my way through the small crowd that was growing steadily larger. Standing in front of the doors, I pulled them shut, away from prying eyes. Word that King Adrien and his beloved wife was dead could not get out. Not yet.

Summoning the most authoritative voice I could muster, I declared, "This is Mystic business. Please go back to your duties and rooms. Information that regards any of you will be announced later. All those who have entered the Great Hall already, please come see me."

Immediately, questions started pouring from their mouths. "Is it true that the king is dead?"

"I heard that Their Majesties were assassinated!"

"Are they okay?"

"What is going on here?" A new voice cut through the melee. It was Tom.

Sighing in relief, I asked calmly, "Tom, could you help me out here please? I need all these people to clear out, and Margarette and Caius must come meet me." I caught the butler's eye, signaling to him.

The butler nodded. "Certainly." He turned away from me, addressing the crowd. "All right now, everyone please relax. We will get this situation sorted out as quickly as possible. You will be informed when everything is put to rights once more."

Nodding gratefully to him, I mouthed, "Thank you."

He curtly acknowledged me before starting to herd the slackers back to where they belonged. When he finished, he retrieve Margarette and Caius, the Captain of the Guard.

Once everyone I had called had gathered in front of the Great Hall, I took a deep breath to steady myself. It would not be easy to deliver such morbid news.

"What's wrong sweetie? You are making everyone a bit nervous." Margarette shifted her weight to her right foot as she spoke, tapping her left foot twice against the floor. It was a habit she had when she was worried or agitated.

"Please, I want everyone to stay as calm as possible. I need all of you to approach this with the greatest caution, and to steel yourselves. It is not pleasant in there, but all of you here need to know the situation. Soon, the whole kingdom will know, but damage control is necessary." After checking that no one else was around, I held up a hand to stop the incoming questions and opened the doors.

As soon as everyone was inside, I closed the doors swiftly behind us. The Captain looked a the bodies in disbelief. "This is...?"

I nodded gravely. "It is, unfortunately, King Adrien's and Queen Selena's corpses." That bombshell went over well.

Margarette gasped, a hand covering her mouth. "But how? It is not possible! Unless...." She trailed off, the unthinkable running through her mind.

Shaking my head, I hurried to stop her wild thoughts, even though the truth was much worse. "No, they were not assassinated, nor has his sister returned. The truth is nothing such as that, but instead something more atrocious. They were killed by a family member."

Tom knelt by His Highness's charred body and examined it. It was still warm from the fire that disfigured it. "They burned to death, that much is obvious. By a member of the royal family, you say? Could it be...? Serefina lost control of her powers?"

I nodded again, head bowed. "I'm afraid that I must admit your observations are, unfortunately, correct Tom."

This time, the Captain of the Guard stepped in, "What do you mean by the Princess's powers? Do you mean to say that she is a Mystic, like you?"

"Yes and no. She is of Mystic heritage, but not quite as I am." Under my breath I muttered, "No one is quite as I am." In a louder voice, I elaborated. "Her bloodline is more pure and more powerful than mine. It comes from her mother's side of the family."

Caius nodded. In his line of work, surprises were, ironically, common. Being captain meant keeping cool and collected, and it was now that he showed off these qualities splendidly. "So, Princess Serefina killed her own parents? How did this occur, or do you not have any ideas?"

Before I could reply, Margarette cut in. "There is absolutely no way my Lady Serefina would kill her own father! She loved him more than life itself! Just as she does with her mother, the Queen, as well!"

In other circumstances, I may have found Margarette's expression amusing. Her cheeks were a ruddy red, and her short arms were out at her sides with fists balled. Her face was twisted in anger, brows scrunched magnificently.

The maid's sound belief in her mistress caused a feeling of relief to spread through my chest. If she felt this way, then others were sure to follow in her example.

"That may be so, but without proper training a Mystic can easily lose control of their powers. It was a foolish decision on the King and Queen's part. Emotions are a big part of the strength and control of a Mystique. Too much emotional strain can put a Mystic into what we call "Berserker" mode.

"This is a state in which the Mystic loses complete control of their powers due to emotions such as stress, hatred, helplessness, etc. It is unfortunate, but it happens often. That is why we train as much as possible. Training starts early so accidents such as this do not occur. Princess Serefina's mental state was unstable, and she went through something terrible. I do believe I know what-"

"What do you mean?! Their Majesties would never do anything to hurt her!"

I sighed. "Margarette, please stop interrupting. It wouldn't have to be anything physical, as I said earlier. Today, she was informed of her engagement to a certain prince. Her freedom is the thing she prizes the most, and having the freedom of choice taken away, being forced into something where she would have no freedom whatsoever, is one of the worst things that could have happened to her. One thing led to another, and things got out of control. It is especially unlucky that this arose today, it being her birthday and all.

"Upon inspection, I have discovered there is a fracture in her amulet, the one that protects both us and Princess Serefina herself from her Magick. The results of these cataclysmic factors are plain as day. And as I don't know how it broke, I will be investigating this incident further."

Tom stood up. "It is fairly easy to discern what has transpired when you put it all together. This is indeed a tragedy. But how come something such as this has not happened before?"

"That would be because the necklace she holds so dearly isn't just an ordinary necklace. It holds Magicks inside it cast by one of our most experienced and powerful Mystics. Charms to hold back her power and prevent her from being discovered. A shield of sorts, if you will. But the Amulet seems to have a small fracture, which, combined with her emotional reactions to the engagement, have caused this tragedy. This is the part that is cause for concern. Only very powerful Magick could have broken this spell. Of course, I will get it fixed as soon as possible."

Turning to face the men, I requested, "Would you two please take care of the King's corpse? Make sure no one knows about this. Swear to absolute secrecy, you and anyone else who gets involved. This includes all Guard that were on duty in here today."

Caius and Tom nodded. "Margarette, however, I'm afraid you will have to figure out what to say. I know you are good with words if need be, so I suggest you write a speech about His Highness falling ill due to severely overworking himself. As for the Queen, say she is keeping his bedside company until he recovers. Keep this as quiet as you can for now. The people will know eventually, but the later the better. It will give us more time to do what needs to be done."

"But... Very well. I will whip up a speech of some sort. I shall try my best ," Margarette whispered.

"Good." I nodded. "Thank you. I understand how difficult this must be for you." Turning back to Tom and the Captain, I wondered, "Is there a place we can put Their Majesties' body until I can sort things out?"

After thinking for a moment, the Captain of the Guard suggested we lay them in their chambers by way of seldom-used servants' passages. Everyone agreed that, yes, this would be the best plan of action.

I exhaled. "I hate having to put everyone through this. Unfortunately, we shall all have to put our emotions on the back-burner. It is for the good of the people and the kingdom. I do fear her Aunt Clarice though. She might think this the perfect opportunity to try to seize control of the crown. For that reason, I believe it best for Princess Serefina to come with me. I will take her to Aveatall, to a Mystic's hideout. She will be safe there. Any objections?"

All three shook their heads.

"Alright then." I faced Margarette. "As much as I know you want to say goodbye, I'm afraid we must leave as soon as possible. Please pack the Princess some practical clothes. Nothing fancy. The only people I will be telling of her status will be Mystique, leader of Aveatall. Her and some trusted friends to help, of course. Do you understand? Also, no trying to contact us. When the time is right, you will receive a message from me. Do not try to send anything back. It is too risky, and besides that, it will not reach."

Looking around, I nodded to myself. "Yes, I do believe this will work. Any questions? No? Good. Oh, yes, Tom?"

The head butler stepped up to shake my hand. "Good luck Brooks. Keep our girl safe. If I find out anything bad, you will have hell to pay. Got it?" He squeezed my hand. Hard.

"Yes sir. I stake my life on it." My voice was resolute with determination.

"Oh Brooks!" Margarette wept, wiping tears from her cheeks.

I stepped closer and gave her a gentle hug. "Don't worry Miss Margarette. Everything will be alright. I promise to take good care of Princess Serefina."

"I know you will. Even though I shouldn't have to say anything at all, I cannot help it. Be safe and take care."

"I will ma'am." I gazed at everyone in the room. They had all helped me adjust, becoming like parents and friends to me. They taught me everything I needed to know for the palace life and more. Everything I had to learn to fit in, I learned from them.

Margarette and Tom helped my manners and etiquette. They educated me in protocol and Tom had taught me as a father would. And of course, the Captain was no exception. He had coached me in guard duty and helped improve awareness of not just myself, but also my charge. He trained me to not just act as a guard, but become one.

I knew I was going to miss everyone here at the palace, but it could not be helped. "That's right," I told myself. "It cannot be helped." Of course I was going to miss them. It was only natural.

They had raised me as if I was one of their own, not an outsider. Not as a stranger or a Mystic, but as another human being. They were kind to me, unlike other Outsiders. They treated all us Mystics like trash. Like freaks.

The only decent treatment we were given was with our own kind, and within this kingdom. Aegravear was the only continent known for being kind to and intermarrying with Mystics. Perhaps it was because of the close proximity of our two lands, as they were connected by a small isthmus.

"Thank you everyone. For everything since I first arrived here at Liamsalt Tower. I shall keep good my promise and protect the Princess and this continent. On my honor and life, I swear it."