The Stonehearted Knight
Chapter 243: A crazy idea (2)

Chapter 243: A crazy idea (2)

"Who...who is this?"

Elena scurried back. She stopped when she hit the broken pillar behind her. She eyed her surroundings. The tears stood in the way, so she wiped them. She knew it was a futile endeavor. She was so afraid she felt like crying again.

Her heart thumped against her chest. There was no one. Simmering blue light and a dim golden luster filled her surroundings. She didn’t see the familiar black and grey around her. Not even in the corners – there were almost no corners left to hide in though but still.

Confusion welled inside her. Did she imagine the voice? Was she going crazy? But it had sounded so close. So real. And almost...so familiar.

Don’t be afraid my child.

She jerked her head. The sound was back.

Mother is here.

That couldn’t be true. Despite her mother’s body lying close to her, she refused to listen. To believe. Mother hadn’t spoken since...well ever since she could remember.

She even doubted whether the body in front of her belonged to her mother. How could it be her? Wasn’t she dead? She maintained her grave since she could walk. That was the last time her father spoke with some warmth to her. Ever since that day, after leaving her to clear the tombstone, he turned cold to her. Almost as cold as the blue crystal hovering in front of her.

Look at the crystal.

She looked. She didn’t think it wise to listen to the voices in her head. But the voice didn’t ask. She commanded. And Elena followed commands. She always did. Commands of her father, her brothers, her teacher...teacher, where was she? She hadn’t seen her since –.

Her thoughts froze. Not because of the cold. Although it was very cold. No, she froze because of the face inside the crystal. It was the same face as the one on the body beneath the crystal. The face of Mother.

Despite forming from vapor, the features of the face were vivid and identic to her mother’s. She stared in disbelief. It took a while before she blinked. Then she blinked again. And again. But the face didn’t evaporate. It looked at her.

"...mother?"

She didn’t know how long it took before she spoke. Her throat was dry. She felt relief that she wasn’t going crazy. She felt happy to see her mother. She felt...down because the gaze at her lacked warmth. It lacked closeness.

You have grown well. It’s time for you to fulfill your destiny.

Elena felt confused. What was her destiny? How could she fulfill it? And...why was that the first thing her mother spoke to her about? She imagined countless times how it would be to have her mother with her. The things they would talk about. The list of topics filled with each passing day. Yet, never did she place talking about her destiny as one of the topics to be discussed on it.

"My destiny? What is my destiny?"

She wished to talk about the world outside. She wished to talk about her fears. She wished to hear that she loved her. But she ended up asking about her destiny. Mother wished to talk about that. So, she chose that.

Your destiny is to help me fulfill mine. You are the last hope our family has to survive. Only you can make your brother the next king. The Oracles will use your body as a vessel for my soul. Only that way, we, mother and daughter, will be able to control the Strings of Fate to change the Fate of our family. Don’t be afraid. This is what we have been preparing you for all these years.

Elena laughed. She hadn’t meant to. But there was no helping it. It started soft, then turned loud. She laughed like never before. Why? She didn’t know herself but she laughed. Perhaps she did go crazy.

Behave yourself. I am serious!

"I believe you. But I can’t help it."

Elena wiped the tears from her eyes. They kept coming back. She tried to stop laughing. But she hiccuped. And laughed again.

What is so funny? Do I seem like a jester to you?

Mother was angry. Truly angry. She could hear it. But she couldn’t help it. She wiped more of her tears away. She hiccuped again. It didn’t stop her laugh. It did slow down a bit though.

"No mother. It isn’t funny. And no, you don’t seem a jester. I am laughing because I didn’t know I was the jester. My sole purpose is to humor the royals it seems. I laugh at myself. For the fool I am."

It hurt. It hurt badly. All her life she was told to remain here. To clean mother’s resting place. Not because there weren’t others to do it. She knew she had younger siblings – half siblings but still. She was told she was chosen because there was nothing she would be able to do. To stay in the dark. To talk to a grave. To accompany her father who closed himself in his chamber most of the time. What sacrifice, what purpose? No one even spoke to her about it, not to mention ask her. She, no, it – her family considered her a tool after all – had no say in it.

"We are ready."

Elena looked up. She didn’t sense them coming near her. Or perhaps they had been here all along. She looked at the three ladies around her. She used to admire, even envy, the colorful eyes of theirs. But today, the colors of the rainbow seemed bleaker than black.

All three looked injured. She saw the blood smears on their clothes. Blood trickled down the neck of the one on the left. The right one was missing an arm. And the middle one couldn’t stop her arms from trembling. They looked...close to collapsing. As a student of a Healer, she could tell.

Could she run away? Perhaps. Perhaps not. Even if yes, then where to? She didn’t know what existed just outside these thick walls.

She sat listlessly as one of the ladies – the one with both arms – pulled her to her feet. One moved her arm, the only one she had, and the crystal drifted to the monolith. One, Elena didn’t even look which one, pulled her toward the monolith.

"We need to start now. Soon, these fools above will be annihilated. Girl, move over here and –."

Elena looked up. The one in charge paused. She stared at the space behind Elena. "What are you doing here?" She heard her ask. Confused, she looked over her shoulders.

A person stood there. Elena didn’t know when she came but she was glad she was there. Her dark blue armor with glimmering light highlighted her beauty. Never had she felt this elated by seeing her. A smile – a genuine one – bloomed on her lips. She called her.

"Miss Rosa."

Her teacher returned her smile. She looked at her with a warmth Elena never experienced before.

"Hehe, I am here, girl."