Two doctors were sitting in a break room, exhausted from their long night shift of treating patients.
“So you’re telling me that this patient is also a gold blood? That's amazing! I thought Lady Charlotte was the last one!” A young doctor in glasses exclaimed.
“Keep your voice down, and speaking of Lady Charlotte, even though she should be in bed, she's very persistent about being beside this woman.” Said a much older doctor, who was about to take a sip from his coffee mug before walking over to a counter.
“I bet you she found her way back there again; in fact, I will give you twenty coins if she’s there right now.” The older doctor said, pouring the rest of his coffee down the sink.
/// pov: Charlotte September 16, 1087 Hospital of Kazfel
“What did I tell you? She’s here again, Lady Charlotte, please wake up.”
The older doctor said as he shrugged her shoulder, trying to wake up.
Charlotte slowly opened her eyes only to glance towards ?Freya, who was lying unconscious in front of her. The smell of the hospital made Charlotte sick to her stomach, but she tried to endure it for her.
“Lady Charlotte? Who is she to you?” asked the younger doctor, who walked over to a machine that was writing Freya's vitals onto a piece of paper.
Charlotte laid her head back down on the bed, ignoring the two of them completely. The older doctor sighed as he unbandaged Freya's head and used a flashlight to examine her better.
“You told the rescue squad that the royal crown melted onto her head and you pulled it off by cooling it down with your magic.” The older doctor said, bandaging her head again with a new cloth..
Charlotte nodded silently as she lifted her arms onto the bed. The younger doctor took notice of how tired she was and wrapped an extra blanket from the shelf beside the medicine cabinet around her. The older doctor shook his head in disapproval at his younger colleague, who just ignored him as well.
“Lady Charlotte, I know that this is a hard time for you, from everything you have done and your previous meeting with the royal committee, but you need to rest, too. You have also suffered ?not only a spinal injury, but you’ve lost over ninety percent of your total mana. Please, Lady Charlotte, can you go back to your room?” The young doctor pleaded, even putting his hand on her shoulder to show some sympathy.
Charlotte opened her eyes again, giving an intimidating glance at the young man. Until an older voice broke the silence, “They are both two halves of the same coin. They can’t take the same medical practices as us because of the golden liquid that runs down their veins. It’s a blessing and a curse when you think about it.”
“Cornelius?” Charlotte whispered as she slowly lifted her head to see an old man with a long beard standing in the doorway. “You survived the attack?”
The old man chuckled at her; “Of course, I survived; I'm the royal arcanist, and I even thought I saved his majesty, but I was mistaken. I saved a beast pretending to be him.” Cornelius said in a defeated tone before pulling up another stool beside Charlotte. “Can you? Leave us, doctors? I must talk to my adoptive daughter.” He asked in a quiet tone.
The two doctors left, the older one grumbling, while the younger one said goodbye with a smile on his face before closing the door for some privacy.
Cornelius looked over at Freya. “So she is the Akrelus, huh? She’s pretty,” he said with a smile.
Charlotte gave him the same intimidating glance she gave the young doctor.
“I was joking, I was joking! Good ancients, I think Equila took over you there for a second.” He laughed before giving a sincere look. “Charlotte, what happened to the kingdom was not your fault. The King, Frederick, and the people — this is not on you. I know His Majesty was like another father to you; we both took care of you when no one else could. He would have been so proud that you ?stopped the Rift.”
Charlotte laid her head back down; “Freya stopped him and she killed-” Charlotte started sobbing; “Oh God! I killed Fredrick! with my own hands!” she said, bursting into tears.
Cornelius put his hand on her back; he felt the bandages underneath her clothes as the piercing cold slipped through onto his skin. “Charlotte, you both did the right thing; from what you told the Royal Committee, you both are divine heroes! When you exiled the Rift, all the monsters and black sludge? slowly vanished. The only traces of the attack ever existing are just the crumbling homes, and of course, the castle's state at the moment.”
Charlotte looked over at Freya again; “She put on the Crown to stop the RiftKing, and told me she would lose her mind doing so. There’s still so much I don’t know.”
The old man frowned, lost in his thoughts; “That is odd; I knew the crown could affect golden blood, but not to that extent. This is strange to me. She couldn’t ?have known it was a relic? Not even our best historians know this,” Cornelius said as he looked at the bandages on Freya’s head.
“Do you still have the Crown?” He asked concerningly.
Charlotte confirmed with a slight nod, as she slowly glanced at Freya's satchel that sat beside an end table just an arm's length away from her.
“The bottom of it is jagged through, due to it melting onto her head. I’m surprised I didn’t take her head off with it.” Charlotte whispered.
“You know they told me that there are pieces still inside of her skull, and that they are wedged in parts of her brain,” Cornelius said quietly.
Charlotte jolted up in a panic, staring at the bandages, moving her hand over Freya's that stayed perfectly still.
“I'm sorry, I thought I should be the one to break this news to you,” he said, and then smiled at their hands touching.
Cornelius got up and walked towards the door, not before hearing Charlotte faintly say, “She is pretty,” before he left the room.
When the doors closed, she slowly sat back down, not letting go of Freya’s hand, staring at the machine taking her vitals; “I’m sorry, if I were stronger, and if I didn’t get injured, you wouldn’t have had to put on that cursed crown. I should have gone with you. I knew it too. There’s so much I want to ask you, like how you knew how to deal with Fredrick, or how to close that Rift? How did you know the royal crown would affect you?
Freya, please, I need you. Wake up. Even though we just met, it feels like there’s something I’m missing. Who am I to you?” Charlotte said before hunching over, looking at her tears falling to the floor.
A faint murmur was heard. “You are my Dove.”
Charlotte gasped and looked up to see Freya slightly opening her eyes; “Doctors, come quick!” She exclaimed as Freya's eyes drifted down to see Charlotte's bare hand on top of hers, and a smile crept onto her face.
/// pov: Freya September 16, 1087 Hospital of Kazfel
The two doctors, both in a panic, tried to squeeze by each other, trying to fit through the door, only to trip over one another. The young doctor fell face-first, while the older one walked it off as if nothing had happened and approached a confused Freya.
He looks down at a clipboard and starts jotting down her vitals; “How are you feeling? Any sickness or blurry vision?” He asked in an annoyed tone, not once looking at her.
Freya squinted in annoyance at him; “No, can I leave now?”
The young doctor picked himself up and walked over as well, looking at her bandages; “Unfortunately, we can’t let you go yet. We know that you and Lady Charlotte are both capable of healing yourselves at a much faster pace than us, but you are in a horrible situation right now.” He said before walking away to retrieve a mana potion from the medicine cabinet.
Freya looked at Charlotte, confused, but Charlotte couldn’t look back at her.
“It was my fault,” Charlotte whispered before tears swelled in her eyes.
The older doctor looked up from his clipboard and walked over to Charlotte. He noticed she was picking at a scar on her arm from the overwhelming anxiety; “Lady Charlotte, can I check on your mana intake in the other room, please, while my co-worker checks Lady Freya's? Once we finish, you can come back here.”
Charlotte nodded in agreement and went over to pick up Freya's satchel. Freya looked at her and saw the sorrow in her eyes. Knowing that the prophecy was only going to break her even more.
She tried to put on a smile for her; “Charlotte, it was my choice to wear the crown, and look, I’m fine. Watch when I get out of this bed, I will somersault over to you! Okay?” She said before wincing from the pain coming from her head.
Charlotte chuckled softly before walking away and following the older doctor, leaving the room. The younger doctor gave Freya the mana potion before sitting down beside her on the stool; she looked back at him with displeasure.
She crossed her arms and leaned back into the bed further; “Alright, lay it on me. Am I going to die, or?”
The young doctor looked at her before looking back down at the clipboard, a bit flustered; “We thought ?you could have, if you didn’t wake up in three more days, but now we have to do the hardest part for your treatment. Lady Freya, because you are a demi-human, you heal much faster than we do, so our usual treatments aren’t as effective for you. When you first arrived at this hospital, you had four broken ribs, a twisted ankle, and even your lungs ?collapsed from pressure. Yet in the first ten hours of you being here, you healed your lungs and half of your ribs. However, there's one thing we were told you could not heal.” He said, pausing, looking up from the clipboard towards her head.
Freya stared up at the ceiling before giving him a side eye; “Don’t tell me my staff broke.”
The young doctor continued ignoring her statement; “You have fragments of the crown logged into your skull, and we believe it can also be partially in your brain. How are you alive? We don’t know, but you already healed some of that damaged brain tissue, and it's healed over some of the leftover fragments,” he said before standing up.
Freya sucked her tongue before putting her hand on her head; she could feel the rigid bumps still sticking out of her skull, before a knock at the door took away her attention.
“Sorry, we had to shave your head five times now, but before your hair grows back, we would like to take you to an operating room to remove some shards, and possibly even some from your brain.” The young doctor said while walking over to the door and opening it for Cornelius.
Freya looked at him with some reminiscence, immediately shifting her mood just by seeing him.
“You must be Miss Freya. Hello, I am Cornelius, and I have a few questions for you,” he said as he walked by the young doctor.
“Sorry, Lord Cornelius, but she is in a fragile state right now. Can you wait a couple of hours after her operation before questioning her?” the young doctor asked.
Cornelius faced him with a stern look; “Unfortunately, because of her condition, she may not remember after surgery, especially if something goes south. This is information the Royal Committee needs, and due to it being private, I have to ask you to leave,” he said, turning his back again to the doctor.
“Alright, but before I was interrupted, I was going to ask Lady Freya if she even consented to the operation.” The young doctor called out.
“You have my consent, and I would like it to go as swiftly as possible, please and thank you,” Freya responded with a frown.
The young doctor bowed before he left, leaving the arcanist and the red demi-human alone. The old man sat down on the stool, staring her down, before Freya broke the silence.
“So what can I help you with today, Lord Cornelius?” she asked, playing with the paper bracelet on her wrist.
He took notice of her jitteriness; “Even though we just met, you seem to be nervous, yet pleased since I walked into this room,” he said, looking back at her before she turned her head to avoid eye contact.
“I am here to ask not for the Royal Committee but for myself, and the royal secret. How did you know that the Royal Crown was one of the five relics?” He asked in a stern voice.
“I didn’t; I just put it on,” Freya responded quietly. She heard Cornelius tapping his foot with impatience before turning her head back at him.
“That’s a lie. Charlotte has told me many things about you so far. How you knew the crown would make you lose sanity, how you knew how to deal with the monsters, and most importantly, how to deal with a Rift when the last one was seen five hundred years ago,” he said, watching Freya slowly smile.
She scoffed at him; “And let me guess, you only heard about the prophecy a few days ago from your cauldron, right?” Freya said, rolling her eyes.
Cornelius sat up straight before he lost his composure. “I did not foresee this prophecy. I still don’t believe ?it, but because of the recent events, I have to. Now that I have answered your question, answer mine. Who are you?” he said before feeling a shift in Freya.
“Who am I?” she said with her eyes constricted; “I am Freya Guistiza, the Flame of Protection, and I am going to save the one precious to me. That's all I will tell you, because I already know you were trying to read my mind this whole time. That is your main ability, isn't it? You just needed my last name. So please go ahead because I am too tired to tell you everything.” Freya rambled before closing her eyes.
“Please don’t make me remember.” She whispered before falling asleep.
Cornelius closed his eyes while using his mind-reading ability on her. He saw different depictions of Freya and Charlotte in various scenarios. Still, before he could investigate, a cat-like monster appeared in the illusion and opened its giant maw, making him fall to the floor gasping for air. As he opened his eyes, Freya whispered to him again, “Don’t tell my dove, for this pain is mine alone,” she said ominously.
Cornelius rushed out of the room, his hand on his chest, and closed the door as fast as possible. Freya laughed before turning her head to a dark corner of the room; “So are you also here for a visit, Witch?”
/// pov: Charlotte: ??????????????
Charlotte came out of her tent to witness a starry meteor shower lighting up the night, flying over their campsite. Everyone was asleep at the moment, but something was calling to her in her dreams. It was a warm, yearning feeling that told her to follow the stars up a hill. She tripped over some stones and holes made by the local fauna from being sluggish, and when she reached the top, she was shocked to see Freya sitting in the grass, holding a bottle.
The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Charlotte sneaked up behind her and placed her hand on her head; “Freya? What are you doing?” she asked.
Freya, spooked and flustered, looked up, her face a bright pink as she stared back at Charlotte; “Have I ever told you that your eyes are as blue as sapphires, and your smile is as bright as the moon?” She said before doing a soft hiccup.
Charlotte smiled before walking and sitting beside her, leaning against Freya, resting her head on her shoulder. Freya, in response, rested her head on top of Charlotte's as they watched the stars fly across the sky.
“You are so kind tonight; is it the alcohol speaking or your heart this time?” Charlotte said before sliding her hand over Freya's.
Freya felt her heart skip a beat; “I like to believe it's my heart today. Hey Charlotte, can I say something selfish to you?” She asked, looking down at their hands.
Charlotte giggled as she snuggled up closer to Freya; “Of course, even you should be selfish sometimes.”
Freya leaned in as far as she could; “I was thinking, I want to be with you forever, I want to see you walk down an aisle in a white dress, made with the finest jewels in all of Kazfel. I know we are a relic away from arriving at the Divination Orb, but I can’t-”
Charlotte pulled Freya's hair gently, making her rest on her back and laid beside her, only to kiss her on the cheek, before rolling on top of her for a more passionate kiss on the mouth. Freya could only place a hand on her cheek, her heart igniting with passion.
Charlotte pulled away and looked down at her. “You are not selfish. Sometimes I wish we had normal blood. I even remember wishing on countless stars after you brought me to the castle. My selfish wish is to have a normal life with you,” she whispered.
“You know what? Let's forget about this stupid prophecy, Dove, and sit beside the river in Mangeal, while we watch the day go by, hidden in the shade of the trees, until it's dark. We are close to collecting all the relics. When we have them all, we can ascend when we need to, and-” before Freya could continue, Charlotte leaned in for another kiss.
“Oh my dear phoenix, you know we can’t, even though my heart and body want to go along with your ideas, and if we did, I know there would be some regret in your heart afterward. The world we seek is against everything you have been training for. So for tonight, let's pretend that we don’t have the weight of the world on our shoulders, and stay like this together, till the stars above find their way home.” Charlotte said, looking at a teary-eyed Freya.
“I still want to marry you, Dove, and it's not the alcohol talking; I mean it,” Freya whispered.
Charlotte pressed her forehead against hers and answered in a soft voice; “Then let's get married before our time is up.”
They held each other for the rest of the night, falling asleep on that very hill, not letting go of one another until the sun rose.
/// pov: Charlotte September 16, 1087 Hospital of Kazfel
“Lady Charlotte, are you alright?” The older doctor asked, holding an empty syringe.
Charlotte cracked her eyes open with a tear falling down her cheek; “(What was that just now?)”
The older doctor grabbed his clipboard and jotted down notes as the younger doctor walked through the door.
“She consented to the surgery, so we should prepare.” He burst out in annoyance before seeing Charlotte crying; “Are you okay, Lady Charlotte? Here, use my handkerchief,” he said with his tone turning sincere.
Charlotte accepted the handkerchief, wiping the sudden tears; “(Why did I dream of something that seemed so real with her?)”
The older doctor grabbed a box of supplies. “Well, Lady Charlotte, after that injection, your mana should replenish faster, I would say, with your regeneration about an hour and a half.” He said before heading out the door without giving her a single glance.
The younger doctor went up to squeeze her hand, only to pull away quickly from a freezing sensation. “Don’t worry, I will make sure that Lady Freya comes out healthier than before. She will do more than a somersault.” He said with a bright smile that Charlotte couldn’t help but smile back at him. He ran out of the room with a wave, leaving her alone with her thoughts.
She placed her fingers on her lips and pressed down on them, replicating the feeling from that dream, remembering the final statement Freya said, “Escaping the prophecy, that was the same thing the imposter said to me back in the castle, but that time it was more genuine. Is that something she wants?” Charlotte said in a faint whisper before closing her eyes and kissing her finger.
She looked down to see the satchel between her legs and, without a second thought, reached down to riffle through the objects inside the bag. She felt the sharp edges of the molten crown scratch her until she finally felt the rugged edges of Freya's journal. Before she could slide it out of the bag, Cornelius slammed the doors open.
Charlotte immediately sat up straight, seeing the old man stutter, “She, she, she is a monster! She, she has killed hundreds, no, thousands; I'm pretty sure she saw paradise and infenia at the same time. Charlotte! We must do something!”
Charlotte looked on at him with concern as she dug her thumb into her hand; “Are you alright, Cornelius? You aren’t making any sense.” She said, looking at him, shaking.
The old man sat down in the closest chair, hunched over; “I saw, I saw her wielding a sword, I saw a Rift bigger than the sun, I saw the crumbling of thousands of worlds. I saw an ominous figure, and I saw.” He kept rambling before looking at her with a distraught expression.
“You, but not you right now, but different versions, always with a look of agony, and blood, so much blood. Something even came out of her consciousness and attacked me!” he said, putting his hands on his head.
“Attacked?” Charlotte slid off the examination table and put on a wool glove before running over to touch Cornelius on his forehead; “You’re boiling up. What did you do?” she asked with concern, wiping the sweat off of him.
“I used my ability; I don’t know if it's the crown's fragments or, if that's her true mind, all I know is she’s bad news. Charlotte she knew about my mind-reading capabilities. I don’t trust her.” He said with pleading eyes.
“Cornelius, your nose is bleeding! Let me get you a nurse.” Charlotte said, rushing out the door.
She ran into the main foyer, witnessing the many citizens of Kazfel with slings holding their broken arms and legs in a position to heal properly. A small nurse, who was sitting at the front desk, immediately looked up from her work as Charlotte stopped in front of them, slamming her hands on the desk; “I need a nurse now!” she yelled.
The commotion also caught the attention of many citizens, who approached her, trying to ask questions.
“Lady Charlotte, are you alright?”
“Ms. Knight is the king, okay?”
“Have you seen my child?”
“Are those monsters gone?”
All the questions made her overstimulated, and Charlotte was hyperventilating as the nurse was trying to get her attention. She then felt a small tug on her shirt and looked down to see a young boy with a bloody eyepatch hugging a teddy bear close to him. He looked back up at her and went for a hug; “Thank you for saving us,” he said before letting go, calming her down.
“Everyone, please! Lady Charlotte is also a patient here! Leave all of your questions for the Royal Committee!” The small nurse yelled at the crowd, who sat back in their seats.
Charlotte got down on one knee and smiled at the boy, and then at his teddy. She took the last remaining bit of her cloak she was holding onto that wasn’t bloody or dirty, and wrapped it around one of the bear's eyes.
“There, now you two match,” she smiled.
The boy hugged her again tightly. Crimson could feel her cheer cold pressing against him; “Aren’t I cold, little one?” she asked him as he let go again.
“Yes, but weirdly it's also warm.” He said before waving goodbye and shouting down the hall, “Thank you, Lady Charlotte!”
She watched him skip away with his teddy bear with a bit of relief, and stood back up to talk to the nurse; I need a nurse to come with me back to my room, it's urgent.”
The small nurse nodded as she left the front booth to check on the situation. Charlotte swiftly followed behind, wondering how somebody so small could be so fast, before stopping at the room. Opening the door, they both saw Cornelius unconscious on the floor. Charlotte ran by his side, dropping to her knees as the nurse called for more backup. Three other nurses came through the door with a gurney and hoisted Cornelius on top of it, carrying him out to another room. Charlotte, still on the floor, slowly turned her head to Freya's satchel and saw the journal poking out.
/// pov: Freya: ??????????????
Freya stood in a church corridor wearing a tuxedo, with a pastor in front of her, looking away from the small audience of friends and colleagues. Her brother Nicholas stood right beside a woman; the two of them were considered her best men. The sound of an organ put a pit in her stomach, but not in a bad way, no, it was an exciting feeling. She heard the dual wooden doors open and the organ play a whimsical melody, following the beat of footsteps walking down the aisles. Some people were crying while others couldn’t watch, turning their heads from the sight of heartache, as a woman in a gown walked through the crowd until she stood beside Freya.
Once the music stopped, Freya turned around and lifted the veil to see Charlotte's bright smile and twinkling eyes. She couldn't help crying, looking at the sight. Everyone held their breath as the pastor began his ritual.
“Friends and family, we are gathered in this small village of Orgopel to bear witness to the ever-bounding love of Lady Charlotte of Magneal, and Lady Freya of the Royal Knights of Kazfel. May they find love in one another through sickness and health, and beyond this world, and may they find each other once they leave this realm. Would the two of you like to say a few words?” The pastor asked, holding his arms out towards them.
Freya raised her hand to have the floor, not looking away from Charlotte; “My Dove, I know we may have a short time left together, before I, you know. But today I just want to be with you and only you. Since the day I met you in Magneal, I slowly watched you tear down the walls you had surrounding your heart. I promise you I will protect you, and this time I mean it. Flying, never to fall with you forever. I love you, and it's only ever been you, Charlotte Libertá.”
Tears fell out of Charlotte's eyes before sobbing her response; “I love you to my phoenix, and I believe you will always protect me even after you are gone. When I left on this journey, my only fear was being unable to tell you my feelings. You helped me understand who I am, but also my purpose in life. I believe you are my soul mate, and I will always fly with you, and if you start to fall to the ground, I will catch you and spread my wings farther so we can continue. It has always been you, Freya Guistiza.”
“Now, if anyone has any objections to why these two should not be bound together in matrimony, speak up now or forever hold your silence.” The pastor said, waiting for anyone to speak up, but all that could be heard were sobs. Even Nicholas was trying not to show any sign of weakness, even though there was a proud tear running down his cheek.
The pastor continued, “Well, by the power that resides in me and the ancient one, I now pronounce you happily married! You may now kiss the bride.” He said with enthusiasm.
As the two passionately kissed each other, sealing their contract of love, an onlooker with orange eyes watched from the farthest corner of the chapel. They looked upset with tears, as she whispered; “I- I- object.”
Before disappearing with a gown made of shadows, leaving the altar.
/// pov: Charlotte September 16, 1087 Hospital of Kazfel
Charlotte had been sitting back on the examination table for the past three hours, looking down at the withered book she was holding firmly in her hands. She could hear the wall clock tick with every passing second. She rubbed her thumb against the cover, watching some of the leather flake off with every stroke; “(Everything I want to know lies between these hard covers, so why am I afraid to open it? I need to know if Cornelius' ramblings are true.)”
“What are you so scared of, Dove? Everything you need to know is in these withered pages. Do you really think she will tell you everything?” An ominous voice said, echoing in her head.
Charlotte closed her eyes as she slowly started to open the journal, only to slam it closed with regret. She opened her eyes again, feeling a piercing pain in her chest; “(I can’t — this is her journal. I don’t need to snoop into her things; I need her to tell me face to face.)”
As she stared down at the journal again, she heard a knock at the door, with the young doctor entering shortly after. He had a tired expression on his face, taking Charlotte's attention off the journal.
“Is she okay? What happened?, Charlotte said with a rush as she put the journal back into the satchel beside her on the observation table.
The young doctor walked over to the sink and ran the tap with cold water. Charlotte watched him grab a giant mug from a cupboard and fill it to the brim, only to chug with giant gulps.
The young doctor turned around as he placed the mug into the sink to fill up with water again; “Sorry, it was very warm in there; five nurses fainted while we were trying to operate,” he said, unbuttoning his collar.
“Is she-” before Charlotte continued, the doctor nodded his head.
“Yes, she’s fine; we even prepared the room for you to stay in as well, since you haven't left her side for the whole day.” he smiled at her before turning away to drink more water.
With the news, Charlotte grabbed the satchel and rushed out of the room, flying past fellow patients and hospital staff until she was in front of the door she grew familiar with. She nervously opened it with shaky hands to see Freya lying on her back, staring at the ceiling. Her hair had already grown back in that short amount of time, and she didn’t look uncomfortable. Charlotte quietly entered to see that a stool was already set up for her at the side of the bed, hidden behind a medicine cart. She couldn’t help but stare, not knowing this feeling she had in her chest. It grew sharper as she sat down. With her hands still shaking, she reached out and held onto Freya's arm and put her head down.
“I need you to tell me the truth about everything, please. Cornelius is scared of you now, and I need to know if I can trust you,” she whispered softly to her.
Freya moved her hand away, making Charlotte lift her head to see her still staring at the ceiling.
“What do you mean by not being able to trust me?” Freya muttered, not making eye contact.
Charlotte rested her arm on the bed. “Freya, you came from a small village, yet you knew more about the current situation than I did. You knew where the rift was located, you knew what those creatures were and how to dispose of their bodies, and you even knew what the royal crown could do to you. So please tell me, who are you?” she said without taking her eyes off Freya in case she could disappear.
“I’m Freya Guistiza, chosen by the prophecy to ascend while my other half is bound to stay with the mortals. I am the flame of divine protection, and I tend to keep that promise of protecting someone dear to me.” She said, moving her eyes to look out the window.
“That's not all, is it?” Charlotte said with a look of disappointment as she sat up; “If you can’t tell, then I will just use this.” She said while rifling through Freya's satchel to pull out the old, tattered journal.
Freya turned to see the journal being taunted; feeling threatened, she immediately jousted at her, only for Charlotte to move back, causing Freya to miss and dangle off the bed.
Charlotte stood up and tossed the journal on top of Freya's back, and turned around; “How am I supposed to trust you to save the world with me, when you can’t even tell me your story?” She said before walking out the door, leaving Freya alone.
/// pov: Freya September 16, 1087 Hospital of Kazfel
“Looks like she’s much more observant than the last few Charlottes, huh, Arrow?”
Freya stayed dangling on the bed, not moving a muscle, and staring at the floor tiles. Until she saw some familiar woman's heels in front of her.
“I can’t tell you because-” she said, with a husk.
“She doesn’t trust you because you are a fool who forgot that she now has to play the role of a country girl, and not a royal dog,” the figure said, with a smile on her face.
“What's so important about this book anyway?” they said, reaching for the book only to suddenly feel their arm being snatched and held in place.
“Here's a question for you. Why haven’t I killed you yet, Witch?” Freya snarled.
The witch, with a smile, turned her arm into nothing but smoke and walked backwards as Freya sat up on the bed with the journal sliding down her back.
“I don’t know? What I do know, however, is that it would make things a lot easier for you, wouldn’t it?” She taunted.
Freya pointed at her and made a summoning circle without a second thought and launched a small fireball. The witch disappeared before it could hit her, causing a hole to burn through the door.
“Aiming for my heart, should I take that as a sign that you had feelings for me this whole time?” she asked before cackling. “Maybe I should tell her for you, after all; I think Charlotte and I are good friends now.” She smiled only to notice Freya was missing.
“Where did you-?” She muttered before feeling a sharp pain in her stomach. The witch looked down to see Freya, who lunged a scalpel into her stomach. For the first time, her twisted smile curled into a frown.
“Oh, my knight~ I love you so.” The witch whispered.
Freya looked up to see the souls of endless lives in her eyes, gasping for escape, before she felt a familiar tug pulling her away.
“Nicholas, you took your time. Did you come to save me? You shouldn’t have. I was having a wonderful time, she impaled me.” The witch said enthusiasm before she pouted.
Nicholas pulled Freya closer and kicked her onto the bed, making her land on her stomach in front of the journal. He walked beside the Witch, who whipped some of her red blood from the stab wound onto her finger. Nicholas then opened the window and jumped out, leaving the two of them behind.
The witch walked towards the window and licked her bloody finger; “I hope that showed you, my dear knight, I am not infected or a god. No, I’m just a mortal who flew too close to the sun.” She said before turning away from the window and fell backwards.
Freya lay there gasping; I can’t tell you because you will go insane again.” She muttered.
/// pov:??????????????
(As you close your eyes to blink, you seem to have teleported to a dark void with a mysterious figure sitting on a red throne, sipping tea out of a small cup.)
Oh, you are back, outsider. I guess we can chat for a little while, and because you humor me, I will answer any question on your mind.
What happened to Nicholas? It was a horrible accident, a fight between siblings, one could say; it could have been betrayal.
Why doesn’t Freya just tell Charlotte that she has played this game before? You know, that's a funny way to say things, and that's what I want to know as well: what happened the last time she told her? It seems I too have forgotten it was such a long time ago.
What is the connection the Witch and Freya have? …… Maybe I can tell you that another time, yeah?
Looks like you are starting to fade out again. Until next time, Outsider, oh yeah, and stop teleporting to different moments in time, or you may start to feel the consequences.
(As you close your eyes to blink again, you teleported back to wherever you were before, yet they are watching you now.)
