Shortly after Etienne and Isla were born, their mother plunged her holy sword into her chest. They said the emperor's scream could be heard all the way to the capital and as he wailed, Giselle came into the world. Their mother's body slumped over the altar of her goddess where she breathed her last. It was a tragic story and carried many different meanings for many different people. To some, it was a doomed love story, or the story of an arrogant woman who dared to awaken a goddess, or a cautionary tale. To the people of Lusine, it spoke of their queen's capacity to love and her loyalty to the goddess. The queen so loved her kingdom, they said, that her ancestress was moved by her sacrifice and blessed her twins.
There was only one question which remained on people's minds.
Why Etienne? By all rights, Isla should have been the heir, as female descendant of the goddess. If not for her blue eyes and hatred of swordsmanship, she'd look like the perfect heiress. It shouldn't matter much what others think, but the thought haunted Etienne through many sleepless nights.
Etienne ran a hand through his hair as he surveyed his luggage. Most of his things have already been brought to Lusine, sent by ship ahead of his own party. Leaving Ilvaine would be harder than he thought. He had spent nearly his entire life here, despite knowing that his place isn't by the gentle blue seas, but by the green rolling hills and mountain forts that dotted the landscape of Lusine. It has been five years since he was confirmed duke, but now he would truly be the Duke of Lusine. Aine had done her best to send him the letters and documents imperial eyes couldn't see, but it cannot compare to the real thing. It cannot compare to being there with his people and conferring with them in person. All his life, he had looked forward to the day he would leave Ilvaine for good and settle down in Lusine where he belonged. However, he felt afraid. Never has he felt more afraid than he did now, his heart pounding as he thought of what to do next.
There were plans, he knew. Plans he'd ruined when he signed the betrothal contract. Giselle couldn't know about them and he'd never tell her. A pang of guilt pierced his heart. As her husband, his loyalty should be to her, but as a descendant of the goddess Serene, she'd have to come second. Once he arrives, he would have to figure out a way to communicate with the goddess or attempt to awaken her. He'll be a traitor many times over but he'll bear so long as he isn't a traitor to his people.
What a hypocrite he was. The kind of man who'd betray his wife after all.
As he lost himself in his thoughts, he heard three sharp knocks from the other side of the door.
"Are you ready?" He heard Isla call from the other side.
He straightened himself up and went to meet her. Parting from his twin would be the hardest part of moving to Lusine. She had always been there, his best friend, his greatest ally since they were a breath apart in their mother's womb. He'd once heard their grandmother joke that they might as well have been conjoined at the hip. Even their looks were nearly identical, the same golden brown skin and blue black hair. In their much younger years, they were only distinguishable by their eye color- he had blood red eyes, while Isla's were as blue as the sea. Things were different now and they were to lead two separate lands. At least Ilvaine was only two days' ride by ship from Lusine since the archipelago was near the capital. He could take trips to see Isla once in a while.
"Yes," he said, embracing her. "I'm going to miss you Isla."
"I as well. Make time to visit, alright?" She replied, returning his embrace and giving him a watery smile. He felt her press something into his palm. An amulet.
"An amulet of the Sea God?" He raised an eyebrow.
"To remember me by. Besides, it could protect you."
Protect him? A divine amulet couldn't protect him while it's god remained asleep. Still, he rubbed a thumb at the shell shaped amulet and smiled at his sister.
"Thank you, Isla. I'll take care of it," he said, pocketing the amulet.
For a moment, there was silence. There's something else Isla wanted to say, he could see it in her onyx-colored eyes. By the way she was fidgeting, it couldn't have been anything good.
"Is something wrong?" he finally asked.
"No, be careful," Isla replied. "I wish you didn't have to leave."
"I wish so too, but my place isn't here."
"Yes, I know. It's with her."
"Don't hate her too much, she isn't a bad person." Etienne felt a pang of guilt, saying these words even as he prepared to betray Giselle. Still, he didn't believe she was a terrible person. She certainly didn't deserve what he was going to do to her.
"You shouldn't like her too much," Isla retorted. "You know that, don't you? Even if she is to be your wife, you know where we stand, where we should stand."
"I know," he said bitterly.
Finally, the time came for them to part. He hugged his twin sister and prepared to head for the port. From there, they would ride to Lusine's capital of Yulran where he'd prepare for Giselle's arrival and their wedding.
Aine escorted him to the lively port, but he paid none of it any attention. All that mattered now was the journey to Lusine. Surprisingly, not even the boat ride fazed him, despite his tendency for seasickness in the past. The trip barely registered in his mind as he spent the two days' ride staring at the horizon, his eyes searching for land, Lusinon land. The two days spent on sea passsed by seemingly within a blink of the eye. When he sighted the port, his heart nearly skipped out of his chest.
"You should wash and fix your clothes a bit, my lord." Aine said, a frown on her face. "You shouldn't greet your vassals looking like that."
"As rude as ever, Aine," Etienne smiled, but he found himself tidying up and fixing his clothing. He wanted to make a good impression as it's been years since he last step foot in Lusine. A good impression was a must, especially since the matter of his marriage had been so controversial. Perhaps even more controversial than his mother's decision to make him heir, instead of Isla.
When the ship docked, Etienne reminded himself to walk with dignity instead of rushing out of the ship. He was the Duke of Lusine, a proud land which had once been a kingdom ruled by the descendants of the goddess of war and peace. In these times of peace, he was known as the Son of Peace and he would greet them as such. He found himself smiling at the number of people gathered at the port and waved at them. It was a good day when they landed in the port town of Risel, the sun shining bright and nary a cloud in the sky. At the port, a great number of people had gathered to greet their duke, home at last.
Etienne focused on the men and women dressed in gleaming white ceremonial military uniforms, guessing that they were the vassals under his command. They wore stoic expressions on their faces, no doubt appraising the young man they've only communicated with through secret letters, reports, and official documents till now. White robed priestesses stood beside them, their faces similar to that of the vassals. As duke and descendant of the goddess, he needed a good relationship with them even if the goddess slept for now. Still, it surprised him that they were there so openly, despite the fact that there should be an imperial agent or two in his party.
As they moved and Etienne started to greet his vassals, he kept an eye on the priestesses in white. The color of peace, the goddess' face in peacetime. Their eyes roamed over his party, no doubt trying to figure out who among his party were imperial agents. A sense of uneasiness came over him. Just because these priestesses wore white doesn't mean they weren't dangerous. And having them here out in the open. Some would think he was taunting the imperial family.
"Why are there priestesses here?" An indignant voice asked. Etienne turned to look at the pompous lordling whose name he'd long forgotten. "I thought the duke had long rid of the traitorous tendencies in the family."
"I'd choose my words carefully if I were you, my lord." Etienne said, his voice low. "This is my land, my people. I will not stand for any insult to them."
"The princess would be disappointed in her betrothed, this is truly most unfortunate." the lord said haughtily.
"The princess has nothing to do with this."
"Do you plan on greeting her with priestesses?"
"How I greet my wife-to-be is none of your business." Etienne said tersely. "I am well within my rights to remove you from the party and send you back to Karom."
"If you do, the emperor will hear about this, so do go ahead duke."
What a slimy man, Etienne thought. Still, it wouldn't do to have some trouble just before the wedding. As he debated on how to handle the situation, four priestesses moved so quickly he almost didn't see them and-
A flash. A glint of metal in the sunlight. Priestesses carried the limp bodies of three men and moved quickly from an unfazed crowd. The sight of the pale, lifeless bodies of the men shocked Etienne, but even more so were the reaction of everyone else.
Nothing. There was no reaction, as if the existence and sudden death of these men did not register in their minds. It was like their deaths was the natural order of the world, an expected thing. The townspeople continued to cheer and greet him as if nothing happened.
"Close your mouth my lord," Aine whispered beside him. "The priestesses are very efficient."
Etienne nodded mutely and continued among the crowd. Aine took charge and led him to a priestess who introduced him to his vassals, explaining that he would be meeting with Lusine's military officers at a later date. Their soldiers had been training in secret, she explained and most things regarding the military in Lusine had to be done away from prying eyes. This, Etienne already knew from his secret correspondence.
He couldn't help but be amazed at how quickly the priestesses had disposed of the imperial agents once he'd recovered from the shock. It will be difficult to explain away their deaths, but he'd have to come up with something. A hunting accident, or straying too far from their path only to be beset by bandits were some of what came to mind.
"We aren't going to Yulran, are we?" Etienne asked. "Is that why the priestesses were here?"
Aine nodded. "The High Priestess said there was somewhere you have to do before the wedding."
"Will we be able to make it in time for the wedding?"
"It will take us a week to reach the meeting place with the High Priestess. From there, it would take two weeks to reach Yulran. We'll make it if we hurry."
"Alright."
Before leaving, he decided to partake in the banquet the townspeople of Risel had prepared. It was mostly simple fare, of stews, meat pies, and rice but he felt the sincerity and care of his people in them. He smiled, laughed and talked with them throughout the morning, wondering in the back of his mind what it was that the High Priestess has planned for him. It was one thing to hear about the sword dances of Lusine, and another thing to see it in person. Once, he'd heard it described as barbaric, who dances to the beat of war drums? It was mesmerizing, to hear the war drums and the young men and women dancing in robes of white and red, their swords glinting in the hot sun. More than once, Etienne held his breath, anticipating that someone might draw blood. None did. He wondered if Giselle would appreciate it at their wedding.
Once the morning festivities were over, he bade them goodbye and promised to visit again. Once he got on his horse, Etienne looked towards their destination. The steep mountains looming in front of him were to the north of the capital. Even from Risel, he could see them clearly. According to Lusinon legend, these mountains were formed when the goddess stuck the swords of her fallen enemies to the ground. In just a few days, they'd reach the mountains and wherever the High Priestess wanted to see him.
"The thing the High Priestess wanted to see me about, what is it?"
"I cannot pretend to know the priestess' business, my lord."
"So you won't tell me." Etienne sighed. "I understand. I feel uneasy Aine, I don't want to betray Giselle."
Aine gave him a strange and somewhat pitying look. Etienne understood in that moment that he had no choice. Whether he wanted to betray Giselle or not, the fact of his birth was enough to threaten her position. Whether he wanted to betray her or not may not even matter in the long run.
"Your lot was cast the day you were born, my lord." Aine said, not without sympathy. "All we could do now is to make the best of the situation. The High Priestess believes this could still turn out to be in our favor."
Etienne's mind wandered to the last night he'd spent with Giselle. At that time, he didn't think he could be the kind of man to betray his wife. But his birth made him capable of it, a prisoner of fate. He couldn't change his blood anymore than she could. The fact that he was descended from the goddess was the reason they were betrothed and it was the reason he'd have to betray her. No matter what he thought, his lot was long cast.
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