"Lady Oleander!" Luna turned to see who called her out as she was about to step into her carriage. She sighed seeing the crown prince walking down the stairs but she kept her composure.
"What business do you have with me?" She inquired as he reached her carriage.
"I.. um.. I was wondering whether you have selected your partner for your coming of age banquet." He was looking at her with an expectant gaze.
"I have not." Short, precise answer.
"Then would you like m-"
"I was thinking of not having a coming of age party with the recent events that have unfolded." She cut him off in the middle.
"Why not?" Duke Rezef, who had overheard their conversation, was surprised, "It's not like you get eighteen everyday. And as for the recent events, didn't his majesty take immediate action for the unknown beast?"
"That may be so, but it's good to take precautionary measures. We still don't know its whereabouts." Luna squared her shoulders with pride, "I have to increase the security of my territory tenfolds. We have no intel on its strength, magic and weaknesses so we need to be extra vigilant."
"Is that all there is to it?" The crown prince lowered his head to meet her eyes.
"Personally, I believe it's a waste of time and money. We could use those for the benefit of the people of the empire." She moved her hands behind her back with a firm look on her face, "I've talked about it with uncle and he agreed."
The two men frowned at this. A coming of age ceremony came once in a lifetime, and it was a crucial platform for any noble. They exchanged glances, baffled that she preferred her people over debutante balls.
"It might be a crucial event to showcase my authority and wealth to many, but I have better ways to show than a mere party." Being a duchess at a young age, she was way too mature amongst her peers.
"Now if you'll excuse me." Luna brought her hands from her back and gave a light bow before stepping into the carriage.
Sebastian sighed as he saw her carriage strolling away from the palace gates.
"Don't worry, your Highness." Rezef patted Sebastian's shoulder, "I'll take care of it."
"How?"
"Just wait and see." Rezef's smile told him he had already thought of something.
Sebastian smiled back, "As expected from a General who advises the Emperor."
"You flatter me. I am but from a Lily." Rezef chuckled, " It runs in my blood to have a plan for any scenario, be it trading or war."
The man was shaking like a leaf as he shovelled the soil in the backyard. His face was white save for the red nose due to the biting cold at dawn. He didn't know which was worse- killing hisbrother or burying him in his backyard.
His hands trembled while his knees buckled as he dragged the dead man into the pit. It wasn't dug deep, only three to four meters and that was intentional. He had read far too many books to know that his decomposition would be much faster at this depth than six feet under.
He haphazardly threw him in the ditch and covered his body with soil. As he finished leveling up the ground, he noticed the brown soil in that patch of land was giving away with something buried beneath it.
He searched around with his eyes, trembling with the cold and fear of being caught. There it was- the small garden fairy sitting on a maple leaf, observing him closely for what he was doing.
"I....I.." The man stammered, knowing it was too late and all of his excuses would be futile.
The fairy stood up, flew towards him and sat on his shoulder. Its hands emitted some shiny green dust which landed on the brown soil. To the man's surprise, the soil was soon covered with grass just like the one in the backyard leaving no trace of a ditch dug there.
"Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me." The fairy whispered in his ear. "I'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe."
Owen threw the blanket off of him panting and sweating heavily. He looked out the window and for some strange reason, he felt as if he'd seen that ground before. And that's when it hit him- it was the same one he had seen in the dream.
He moved his hand and rubbed it against his throat trying to relax. His eyes caught sight of a child sitting on his bed and stared at him in confusion. He looked oddly similar to him except that his straight cinnamon brown hair was falling on his eyes and there was a collar on his neck rather than a choker. There was a chain attached to the metal collar.
A slave? Wasn't slavery abolished two decades ago?
"Who are you?" He asked as soon as his panting stopped.
"You don't know me?" The child looked at him with sadness and disappointment. "I'm-"
The knock on the door made Owen turn his head towards it and a few moments later, he saw Rezef entering his room. "Sorry to barge in this late at night."
"Are you here for-" Owen pointed his finger towards the child only to see nothing over there.
"Is something supposed to be there?" He looked at the direction where Owen was pointing.
Where did he go? Was I imagining it? His hand stood mid air for a moment then he changed the topic.
"Um, the backyard." Owen's eyes flashed towards the window, "I think you should dig around that spot." He pointed at the place where he saw the man being buried in his dream. It felt too real to be a dream. Was it the dead man's ghost giving a clue?
"Ah, there was a body buried there." Rezef looked at the ground, "but we exhumed it a long time ago."
"What?" Owen looked at him in disbelief. Was his dream real?
"They say the ghost of Owen Lilian haunts this place. Though nobody has seen it, sometimes we hear strange voices. I bet it's just the wind but the staff doesn't believe it." Rezef casually told him as if it wasn't alarming. "There's a reason why nobody stays in the annex for too long. I was against putting you in the annex. Till your room's prepared, I'm afraid you'll have to be patient."
Was that child the ghost of the three centuries old Owen? Maybe it wasn't just an imagination. But then again, he hadn't felt any warmth left on the bedsheet where the child was moments prior.
"What brings you so late at night?" Owen changed the topic.
"Ah right!" Rezef looked at him with a solemn expression, "Since you've successfully become a part of the Lily family, it's time to put you to the test."
Owen glanced at him nonchalantly, inviting him to continue. "Your first task has been decided. You'll leave for Moldavite first thing in the morning."
"Any explanations?" Owen's voice was cold and indifferent but he knew he couldn't leave the place without knowing what he was going to do.
"You'll be representing the Lilies in the house of Oleander. I'll brief you at dawn."