The Mysterious Family

- Rohan!

She stopped him with her calling as he walked through the religious corridor, turning to face her as she ran towards him.

- Your Highness!

As she approached him, she gasped for breath and intercepted him.

- My God! How dare you call me like this here?! Are you a fool?

He smiled and sarcastically replied,

- No, I'm Rohan!

She struck him with her fist, then smiled and asked,

- You didn't come to ask about him again, did you?

She hesitated in embarrassment, and he looked at her in astonishment and annoyance. Then she said,

- Actually, I came to speak to you as your sister this time.

- What's the matter?

- Rumors about you avoiding the Golden Knights Council are spreading, so I thought it was my duty to alert you about it.

He smiled gently, then patted her head and said kindly,

- No need to worry, my dear. When there's a need for it, I'll definitely attend.

- But you know about the recent events, don't you?

Annoyance appeared on his face, causing her to step back and say encouragingly,

- You know, our father relies on you a lot, and all of this comes from his trust in you.

He looked into her sparkling eyes, as everyone always talked about her enchanting eyes, with their captivating sapphire colour. They shimmered before him, filled with a farewell. He smiled to keep up with her, but she didn't miss it. Worry and apprehension had always filled her mind. When her gaze turned serious and piercing, he lowered his head and sighed in surrender. Then he raised his head and said gently,

- Can I act as a brother this time too?

Confusion appeared on her face, and he added,

- Can you lighten the burden on your shoulders a little, my dear? You will grow up quickly.

Her eyes widened in shock, she patted her head, and he walked away, leaving her in her distraction.

...

The young maid entered the room, carrying clothes, but she threw them on the ground and screamed in horror,

- My lady!

She rushed towards her drunken mistress on the table, her face pale, and her cheeks flushed. In front of her were two completely empty bottles.

- My lady!

The maid complained,

- You should stick to the required dose! Why don't you listen to us?!

But the mistress began to sway like a drunkard, muttering incoherent words. She tried to stand up, but her feet couldn't hold her, so the maid quickly held onto her.

- My lady!

- Ah!

Then she took her to her bed and hurried to pour water for her, but she looked at the cup with her half-opened eyes and pushed it away.

- My lady!

She pleaded with her,

- What will happen if you take a larger dose? Are you planning to commit suicide?

- Be silent!

Her drowsy voice came out.

- Send my son to me.

- My lady!

She pleaded with her again,

- Do you want His Highness Lucas to see you in this state?

- It doesn't matter!

Her drowsy voice came out again, and she staggered.

- Send him to me.

- Ah!

The maid sighed with patience and pity. Luckily, the doctor arrived quickly, followed by another maid.

The face of the maid who was trying her best to keep up with her mistress brightened, and she exclaimed,

- Lara, the doctor!

Lara replied,

- I heard commotion here, so I thought Her Highness had done it again.

- Ah!

The doctor sighed and unfolded his equipment.

- Fortunately, it's herbal medicine. Otherwise, her condition would have been lamentable.

- Doctor!

The young maid asked anxiously,

- What should we do now?

After examining her pulse, he looked at both of them and said,

- We need to inform His Majesty first. I suggest we withhold the medication for some time.

- But she will return to her previous state!

Lara interjected, and the doctor looked at the princess, who was smiling foolishly, and said firmly,

- And is her current condition any better?

She raised her arms, her drowsy voice came out, and she said foolishly,

- Bring me, my son!

- Poor thing!

The young maid commented to Lara,

- She thinks he's still a baby!

Lara looked at her in astonishment and exclaimed,

- Is that true?!

- Yes, after losing in the recent duel and being stripped of his title, she calls out to him every night.

The doctor seemed to be facing a difficult situation, and she grabbed his shirt and screamed foolishly,

- I told you to bring him!

The young maid tried to calm her fears,

- Don't worry, Your Highness, we will bring him to you soon.

- Is that true?

And within seconds, her body collapsed onto the bed, covered in deep sleep.

Lara commented,

- We have to prepare ourselves for the worst now. His Majesty will not remain silent about this.

Confusion appeared on all three of their faces.

...

- Alright, everyone line up.

The supervisor in the greenhouse called out,

- I have an important announcement.

All the girls gathered around her as she began to speak,

- The royal palace is in need of a herbalist to oversee the medication regimen of Princess Fina.

There was a great commotion and chatter from all directions, so she started clapping to silence everyone.

- Quiet!

The silence fell, and she continued,

- I know everyone is wondering about this, but they need a smart girl who can keep up with Princess Fina and administer her medications at the designated times and correct dosages because no one has been able to manage that for her so far, and she's spiralling out of control.

- Poor thing!

- Who would do such a thing?

- The royal palace?! That's madness!

- I won't risk myself for that!

- Princess! Your life is at stake, Isn't it?

The supervisor became annoyed with their reactions and tried to regain her composure. Then the murmurs shifted towards a different direction.

- Why not send Nawras?

- Yes, that's right!

- She'll make a mistake and get her head chopped off. (Laughs)

- Enough!

The supervisor shouted, making everyone startle. Then she said,

- I can't send Nawras. She's responsible for the knights' medications, and no one can take her place.

Everyone seemed displeased. Then she looked at Lady Marwa and said,

- What do you think, Lady Marwa?

Lady Marwa appeared flustered and said,

- Oh! Yes, you're right!

She gave her a disdainful look and said firmly,

- We will hold a competition, and the loser will go to the palace.

Everyone exclaimed in surprise,

- What!

She smiled cunningly and said with a hint of sarcasm,

- Because I know what you're planning when I announce the winner, everyone will deliberately lose!

Everyone's eyes widened in shock as she continued,

- That way, you'll have to put in double the effort to maintain your position in the nomination.

Objections started to rise, but she clapped her hands again and shouted,

- Silence!

The silence fell, and she added,

- I don't want any objections. The decision has been made, and starting tomorrow, I will announce the names of the candidates.

Then she clapped again,

- Now, everyone go back to your work.

And everyone dispersed, leaving behind an aura of discontent.

...

In Sir Rohan's office, he sits there doing his work, assisted by his aide Maroun. Suddenly, Rohan stood up and began to ask Maroun:

- By the way, Maroun!

Maroun turned to him, arranging the books in their place, with a look of confusion on his face:

- Do you know a mute girl in the beehive cell?

Maroun appeared surprised and asked inquisitively:

- Do you mean the greenhouse, sir?

- Yes.

Then they continued their work, and Maroun said, puzzled:

- It's strange that you're asking about someone like her. Is the girl of interest to you, my lord?

- Ah! I was just wondering about her existence.

Maroun focused his attention and explained:

- Most likely, she belongs to the Laverne family. This family has a dark history, but they are the only family that restored the royal family to power in the early days of its rule. Despite the fact that its members inherit the study of herbal medicine and similar practices, they are the ones who keep the secret of the medicine they drink during times of war.

Then Maroun looked up at the ceiling and said in a deep voice:

- She has truly served the royal family for several years and has a very strong influence.

Rohan seemed distracted while busy with his papers. Maroun looked at him, surprised, as a mysterious voice came out of Rohan:

- Do you mean that medicine that gives us strength and makes us feel invincible?

- Yes, Your Highness. Thanks to it, the knight possesses multiple times his strength, making him invincible.

- I see!

Then he looked at him and asked:

- So what about their dark history? How does the royal family allow such a dangerous family by its side?

Maroun scratched his head absentmindedly and said hesitantly:

- Well, it doesn't seem like they engage in illegal activities or the like.

Then he looked at his master seriously and said in a calm and mysterious tone:

- But the family's laws are very strict internally. No one can deviate from their path.

- You mean herbal medicine!

Then Maroun's voice came out deep and terrifying:

- I've heard they feed their children a poison that bursts their throats before they learn the recipe for that magical medicine, to keep it a secret.

Rohan's eyes widened in horror, and he froze in place, feeling his hair trembling with fear.

...

*Flashback*

The moon on that night shone intensely as if defying the pitch darkness. There were no stars, just a black empty sky with dark clouds hovering around. Only that lunar light brought a little detail into that dilapidated room. A little girl lay there, with a young delicate woman beside her, holding a cup containing a strange greenish liquid. Bubbles of air emerged from it, expanding and then bursting, reflecting in the girl's eyes, which had tears welling up.

The woman handed her the cup and whispered:

- Drink it all at once, my little one!

The girl hesitated for a moment, then felt a burning sensation entering her throat. Her eyes felt like they were about to explode, her veins began to protrude, and her neck started to shrink, revealing her blue nerves. A tearing sound came from deep within her thin neck, followed by her scream, which tore through the layers of the sky. She then collapsed onto the bed like a lifeless corpse, her face pale and lifeless, drops of sweat choking her.

The woman kissed the girl's forehead, her face stinging from her tears, and whispered:

- This is for your future, my little one!

She gently caressed her head and kissed her again:

- Forgive me, my little one!

***