1 Chapter One

The brawling of a sparrow in the eaves,

The brilliant moon and all the milky sky,

And all that famous harmony of leaves,

Had blotted out man's image and his cry.

A girl arose that had red mournful lips

And seemed the greatness of the world in tears,

Doomed like Odysseus and the labouring ships

And proud as Priam murdered with his peers;

Arose, and on the instant clamorous eaves,

A climbing moon upon an empty sky,

And all that lamentation of the leaves,

Could but compose man's image and his cry.

- William Butler Yeats

The Sorrow of Love

"A simple thought is never quite simple. That was what I have learned from my enemy. Thought is formed by a small flame that grew to be large and overwhelming. Perhaps a spark of an idea to a blazing fire?"

He laughs softly

"Is that what you think it is? A flicker of a single idea?"

She frowns, "How would you describe it?"

He smirks, "The same way you had."

She barely remembers much from that night. Three nights ago she was running from the world she loved, the place she had never left before, her home, and her lands. However, once she discovered the truth she had to flee. Not for her sake, but the sake of the world.

Emerelda's eyes opened up to a face staring down at her. It was blurry at first until her eyesight adjusted and the unfamiliar face smiled.

Her eyes widen in surprise and they moved away quickly, "Don't be alarmed, I was simply checking up on you." They said.

She looked at the stranger with a frown. Emerelda observed them up and down, judging their choice of clothing.

It was a female, tall, and slender. She wore a button-down shirt tucked into trousers. What was odd is the fact that she wore her corset on top of the long-sleeved shirt that had a few buttons open at the top exposing her whole chest until her bosom which was thankfully covered. Her skin was of milk tea, brown and golden. Her hair, which was a tangle of curls in a bun, was purely the color of black.

She walks away from the place Emerelda was laying on, a bed she now realized. Emerelda watched how she retried rolls of bandages from a wooden table at the front, her long boots making a brass sound with each step. Emerelda looked around and saw she was in a type of infirmary. It was smaller than one, though the character of the room made it seem such. There were two other beds next to her, on the opposite wall there were two long tables that filled the whole wall, all of which were filled with hospital materials. The top of the tables were cabinets, made from wood as well. Next to each bed was a small table, Emerelda looked at hers and there was a bowl with water and a cotton cloth sitting beside it.

The room was lit by gas lamps, and a large window at the end of the room invited sunlight in. By the dim of the sunlight, it seemed to be past midday.

"How much do you remember?" the stranger asks.

She turned her attention to her; the stranger's starling hazel eyes were hard.

Emerelda tried to recover memories from before. She remembers her escape, her wonder to town, the nights long while she looked and asked around. The discovery of the difference between her world and the one she encountered, and another night filled with…blurriness.

"I-it's all blurry." She admits, "I can't remember anything after the blurriness."

The stranger tilts her head and her eyes suddenly turned to pity, "I see." She replies. She then slowly approaches her with the bandages and reaches for her.

Emerelda flinches.

The stranger pulled their hands back and the pettiness in her eyes grew into sadness, "I won't hurt you," she said tenderly than the tone she had used before, "I'm only trying to help."

She looked at where she was intentionally trying to touch, she saw her arm wrapped with a bandage, crimson with blood.

She panicked, "How-"

"It's best if you don't look at it, I'll explain while I take care of it."

Emerelda gulps and turns away. She now felt the pain the ached all over her body, especially her arm which screamed in agony.

"It was dark," the stranger starts, "The whole situation was right time and place for all of us."

Emerelda looked up at her, "Us?" she questioned.

She nods as she unwrapped the bandage, "Indeed. I wasn't alone that night, thankfully. We were walking past an ally when we heard the muffled screams and voices. When we approached the sounds you were in the hands of four men who were ready to…" she hesitates.

Emerelda tried hard to remember what she had encountered; however, there was nothing but pain.

"…they were going to harm you," she says instead as she wiped the blood away, "The boys and I got into action and when I got to you, you were barely conscious."

She realized she hadn't provided many details. As much as Emerelda wanted to know, she too felt no need to know more. She was thankful she was alive.

Emerelda nods, "Thank you," she murmurs.

And although she had no clear memory, she remembered figures fighting and yelling.  She also remembered arms cradling her, lifting her up from the ground. They held her tight, that much she knew, and she felt warm. The rest went into darkness.

The stranger finished cleaning her blood nods, "Of course."

It was quiet while she wrapped Emerelda's arm. The stranger then reaches for her simple gown and lifted it to expose her ankle wrapped with another bandage.

"Is it broken?" Emerelda warily asks.

They shook their head, "No, it is only sprained," she touches her ankle softly, "It's healing well, just as the other injuries. You're right arm, however," she nods to Emerelda's arm that was still screaming in pain, "Is giving a few issues, although, it is making progress finally."

She looked down at her body. There were patches of bandage on her thighs, her other arm, and she now felt a bandage wrapped around her head.

Emerelda felt a wave of disappointment and panic, "I do not know who you are, or where I am. I'm thankful for what you have done for me, however, I must be off. I left my humble home in order to save you, people."

The stranger raised an eyebrow, "' Save us people'? What is that supposed to mean? I do not know who you are as well, for all we know you could be a threat."

Emerelda scoffs, "I am nothing to what would come to you."

They narrowed their eyes, "And what would that be?"

"The King of Garlin, my brother, is preparing a war."

They crossed their arms, "A war for what?"

"A war to take over the world."

The stranger stared at her for a long moment until she laughed.

"Dear me," she says out of breath, "They must have hit your head too hard."

Emerelda didn't know whether she wanted to scream in annoyance or cry in fury, "I left the palace to come to warn you, people! He would come to this place first! Once he takes over this land he'll move to the rest of the next empires."

The figure smiled in amusement, "England could not be taken over, and this country is much too powerful. England in fact takes over other lands and other countries to rule under. You are looking at the most superior country in the entire world."

This time she was the one who laughed, "I admit, that my brother is aware of, in fact, he found it a wonderful challenge. My brother isn't a fool to invade a powerful land. He knows what needs to get done. You never heard of Garlin because it was meant to be kept in secret, away from other eyes. The reason our forefathers had chosen to keep our world in silence was that we had something no other lands have."

The stranger nods, "Gifts."

Emerelda was taken back, "How on earth do you know that?!" she questioned alarmed and afraid.

They shrugged calmly, "It was what our grandparents told us when we were young," she says as she cleaned the small table, "You see, they were from Garlin as well."

She felt cold all over, "No one is allowed out of Garlin, strictly only for business, and that is only for Apostles. They are the ears and eyes of Garlin, our providers, and our advisors. The only ones who managed to escape were other apostles during the days when my grandfather ruled. They were known as-"

"Traitors of Garlin," the stranger finished off, "My grandfather was amongst them."