Morning came eventually.
She stood in front of the mirror, already dressed halfway for court. One hand was inside her coat as she adjusted it, but she stopped for a moment.
Her dark-circled eyes met her reflection. She stared at it for a while. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
It didn't feel like her but yet it is her, right?
She exhaled slowly.
"Eleven years…" she murmured. Her gaze stayed on the mirror.
"Why do I still feel like a stranger?" She narrowed her eyes and gazed a bit more intensely at the mirror, then shook her head lightly.
"…I don't have time for this."
She quickly wiped at her eyes before anything could fall, then finished putting on her outfit properly.
Everything was neat. Everything in place.
By the time she stepped away from the mirror, only the cold, ruthless king Yreleus remained.
She turned and walked out toward the court.
…
The court was already gathered when King Yreleus arrived. Upon his arrival the noisy chatter among nobles instantly silenced, only the calm, steady foot steps of the King was heard. Nobles and Chiefs straightened their backs subconsciously, it felt as if an immense aura was suppressing them, none other than that of King Yreleus himself.
He didn't acknowledge them as he walked up to the raised court seat at the far end of the grand hall.
One leg crossed over the other.
Elbow resting against the armrest.
Fingers curled lightly against his jaw.
Lucas; his right hand man, followed behind and took his place as guard, standing still and alert.
The hall settled slowly into silence. Then Yreleus spoke.
"…I hereby pronounce Hyacinth Marahashi as my heir."
The air was so thick with tension, the type you could cut with a knife.
Then the court erupted.
"What is the meaning of this, Your Grace?" one chief stepped forward.
"You should be getting married and securing succession, not naming heirs!" another snapped.
The third scoffed, "How could you choose a girl as your successor?"
"We know you favor your sister, but think of the people!"
"A woman ruling is preposterous!"
" ….and besides we all know she is the last, white haired Marahashi we have…" a voice not too loud spoke because he knew the consequences of daring to say it loudly.
Voices overlapped, growing louder, bolder.
But Yreleus didn't move.
He rested his jaw lightly on his hand,watching them.
'Very predictable fools' She thought.
One by one, his gaze passed over their faces, slowly and almost lazily.
'Orsin'
'Viscrent'
'Demeris'
She remembered them. All of them. The same voices from years ago, those greedy bastards that did everything to get themselves to the throne.
When the noise pushed too far— she let out an exhausted sigh and muttered under her breath
" Ughh.. I'm getting to old for this"
"Silence." He said in an extremely nonchalant voice. But the word cut through the hall instantly.
Everything stopped and the court fell still.
Yreleus straightened slightly.
"I have made my decision." he said in a tone that left absolutely no room for questions.
Behind him, Lucas stood unmoving.
Yreleus didn't turn his head, but his voice shifted;lower, but still carrying through the hall.
"If anyone dares to oppose me…"
A pause. Now he was speaking to Lucas, loud enough for everyone else to hear.
"…you will remind them of the consequences."
A beat. Then, he spoke colder and slower.
"And if they still fail to understand…"
His eyes lifted slightly across the court.
"I will have their head."
Silence returned, heavier than before.
Lucas answered immediately, hands on the hilt of his sword
"As you command, Your Grace."
…
As the heavy court doors closed behind them, Yreleus and Lucas stepped into the cool, open air of the palace courtyard. The nobles had dispersed, but the weight of the recent announcement still lingered in the air. Yreleus kept his expression composed as he asked quietly,
"Have they given up on this? Have they finally let it go?"
Lucas shook his head, his jaw set. "No, they haven't."
A sudden wave of exhaustion swept over her.
"Seems like they still strongly want her," she thought.
Then Lucas spoke again, hesitating briefly before continuing.
"Your Grace, if you truly cannot stop the marriage between Princess Hyacinth and the Northern Emperor, why insist on making her heir?"
"Simply because there is another white-haired Marahashi that you do not yet know about," Yreleus said with a knowing smile.
"Who might we be speaking of, Your Grace?" Lucas asked, clearly considering the possibility of another white-haired Marahashi.
Without another word, Yreleus smiled and walked away, leaving Lucas' question hanging in the air. She drifted toward a secluded archway behind the palace—a forgotten nook flanked by crumbling stone pillars. The air was still, and as she leaned against the cold wall and took a deep breath—
"Rune, come forth."
A thick, dark smoke unfurled around her, swirling like a living shadow that coiled through the air until it blocked out everything else. From within that suffocating darkness, a voice emerged—low, soft, and almost otherworldly.
"What is it you seek?" the voice asked.
Yreleus closed her eyes and whispered, "I need you to help me find who masked my appearance—the one my mother met eleven years ago."
Then she drew her penknife and made a small cut on her palm, because that was all the smoke inside her fed on—either her blood or her life force.
The smoke wavered, and in the eerie silence, it began to take form.
"Tao'Tei," she whispered. "Thank you," she added softly.
"I am always at your service, host," the voice replied.
Then the dark smoke withdrew back into her.
She inhaled deeply and exhaled, staggering slightly from exhaustion as she left the secluded corner.
Just as he stepped toward his chambers, he caught a glimpse of Lucas waiting at the far end of the corridor. He turned, meeting his gaze, and called out,
"Lucas, gather the boys—we're heading out. I need them ready for a journey."
Without hesitation, Lucas nodded. "But if I may ask, Your Grace, where are we going?"
Yreleus took a final, steadying breath.
"To Tao'Tei."
"This is it, sister—my final act of sacrifice for you."