The Song That Is No Lullaby

It is waiting.

Waiting for that one last straw to undo all the rewrites. Waiting for a sign

to begin the revolution.

The world anticipated its opportunity, at the mercy of all the pins stuck

into it.

The blood painted the white walls of the corridor red. The slain lay

tragically on the ground where they fell, wearing uniform expressions of

indignation and disdain. Their deaths had clearly come too swiftly and

suddenly for their emotions to shift.

A girl stood amid the blood, gazing around at the dozen bodies.

Although she was no older than fifteen, she was fearless, with dark hair and

eyes of deepest night. Her face was as lovely as a work of art, yet it was

entirely blank.

This young queen, swarmed by assassins only a moment before,

smeared away the flecks of blood on her cheeks.

"I'm sure you wish that the lofty ideals of your mission had prevailed."

The assassins were the ones who had branded her the Usurper Queen

and sought to eliminate her. In a sense, their methods weren't wrong. After

all, this nation of mages was historically governed by the strongest of their

ranks.

But they were woefully lacking in the power to see their plan succeed.

They had attacked the girl en masse, trusting strength in numbers, but

were unable to touch a hair on her head before she dispatched them.

Recently, it had become a common occurrence. In the year since the

queen's coronation, there had been no end of those who feared her, spurned

her, and sought to dethrone her. Crowned because her fellow candidate for

ruler, Prince Lanak, had gone insane and died, she was a rarity even as she

sat at the pinnacle of the nation.

This girl was the only ruler since the founding of the country to have full

command of all twelve mystical spirits. She frowned at the piteous scene

before her.

Her dark gaze fell upon the one remaining man, an older gentleman and

magistrate who had served the court since the era of the previous ruler.

Even after the new queen's enthronement under unprecedented

circumstances, he had remained loyal, backing her up and offering

thoughtful advice.

The young queen smiled at her subject. "Did you think you could kill

me if you caught me by surprise and overwhelmed me?"

"I…"

"You spent so long pretending to be obedient and submissive, and now

you've gone and ruined it with your shortsightedness. You should know that

I never let down my guard around anyone, no matter how many years pass,"

she said.

"Y-you monster!" he shouted, his cry becoming an attack spell. But

before he could finish weaving the magic's configuration, his head split

open like a ripe fruit.

Her smile didn't falter. His body slumped backward onto the ground.

Now that everyone in the vicinity was dead, some of the tension drained

from Tinasha's shoulders as she sighed. "No one ever learns, do they?

Honestly."

As she was about to walk away, a lady-in-waiting appeared around the

next corner. "Your Majesty… Ahhhhhh!"

The lady-in-waiting shrieked at the gruesome spectacle. Tinasha cocked

her head at the woman. "Yes, what is it?"

"Er, well, you have a guest. A royal of Farsas."

"I'll be right there," the queen replied.

Not long ago, a letter from Farsas had arrived stating that the king's

brother wished to come study in Tuldarr.

No Oscar existed in Farsas at present; Tinasha had looked into that a

while back. Still, it was the country of his future birth. Curious, Tinasha had

granted permission to this one of royal lineage a few days earlier and

wished to speak directly with her guest.

Tinasha was about to rush off before she stopped and turned. "Senn,

could you clean this up?"

"Sure, but aren't you gonna track down their coconspirators? There's

bound to be some sort of group behind all this," replied the spirit in the

form of a young man, appearing in response to her summons.

The queen gave a brisk shake of her head. "That would be a neverending task. They'll keep coming anyway."

"Got it," he replied, vanishing the pile of corpses along with the blood

spatters.

Tinasha didn't stop to watch as she made for a room in which to receive

guests. Waiting for her was a mild-mannered man old enough to be her

father. Out of respect for his meeting with a queen, he was not wearing a

sword, but his muscular build indicated well-honed swordsmanship. The

older brother of the king of Farsas, born of a different mother, had

expressed a desire to study in Tuldarr so that he might bring magical culture

back to his own country.

"Your Majesty, I thank you deeply for agreeing to my humble request,"

he stated formally.

"There's no need to stand on ceremony. We will have much to learn

from you as well," Tinasha replied. Despite the hard line she took with the

domestic factions who opposed her, she could not be like that with

outsiders.

When she smiled at him, the man's polite demeanor cracked a little as he

returned the expression. "My, what a young queen you are. My brother is

young for a king, too, but he must be at least ten years your elder."

"Yes, we do have some customs that tend to surprise those not of

Tuldarr. However, Farsas has Akashia, does it not?" she countered.

Just as the ruler of Tuldarr needed to be the strongest mage, the ruler of

Farsas had to wield the royal sword. Historically, teenaged regents were not

a rare sight; Oscar had been around twenty.

Tinasha's guest gave her a placid smile. "Are you interested in Akashia,

Your Majesty? Most mages are."

"I'll admit to some curiosity. It is a national treasure," she answered,

keeping her response vague.

A sword that could neutralize all magic certainly was a mystery. Oscar

had let Tinasha touch it once, but she was unable to glean what it was made

of or what enchanted it.

The man nodded. "For Tuldarr, Akashia may certainly be an object of

vexation. No matter how sturdy of a barrier or defensive charm you cast, it

can nullify it entirely."

Tinasha said nothing, keeping a smile on her face.

Was this a mere show of force or an open provocation?

If Farsas decided to utilize Akashia to mount aggression against Tuldarr,

it would crush the Magic Empire to bits. Farsas was the one country Tuldarr

needed to remain vigilant around. This was the Dark Age, and Farsas was a

land of preeminent warriors. Time evidently did little to dull that prowess,

as Farsas was still mighty during the era of his birth.

If Tinasha let herself grow blinded by personal feelings, her country

would fall to pieces. She had to use whatever means were available to her,

no matter what they were. A ruler had to march onward for the people, even

if it meant getting dragged through the mud.

For just a moment, all sorts of thoughts rushed through Tinasha's mind.

Whether he noticed that or not, a mischievous look came over the man's

face. "To commemorate your agreeing to receive me, I would like to gift

Your Majesty with a tale from my travels. No one knows whether it's true

or not."

"A story from your journey?"

"Yes. About three hundred years ago, the man who would go on to

become the founding king of Farsas received Akashia from his future

queen. At the time, Farsas was nothing more than a ragtag bunch of castoffs and runaways from other countries. The leader of that group had a

wife. The story goes that one day, she traded her own power for a sword

that would not decay, and presented her husband with Akashia."

"Traded her own power? So she was a mage?" Tinasha questioned.

If the tale were true, that would make Akashia a mage's creation.

Noticing the queen's interest, the man gave a wan grin. "Who can say?

This is merely a fable from long ago, and no history speaks of it. It was

simply used to put the children of the royal family to sleep. But according

to this fairy tale, the loss of the queen's power meant she could no longer

return to where she was from. Perhaps she was a water spirit."

"Surely not," said Tinasha with a cynical smile upon hearing the

ludicrous myth. There were many legends of blighted love between water

spirits and humans, but that didn't mean a water spirit was capable of

producing Akashia.

"She was very mysterious, even compared to other accounts from that

time. Oh, and the legend does give her a name, although there are no

historical testimonies to support it."

"It was never recorded?"

"There was no time for record-keeping when the country was founded.

Such a young, upstart nation only wrote down the name of the first king,"

the man explained.

"That sounds very much like the founding of any other nation in the

Dark Age," Tinasha commented.

She spoke the truth. Tuldarr's own formation was a mad scramble of

people with similar aspirations coming together, and many things had been

left undone.

"I appreciate that acknowledgment, Your Majesty. According to legend,

the lady who met our first king at the lake was named Deirdre."

"Deirdre…?"

Tinasha spent time mulling over this fairy tale told only to the children

of the royal family, a story that seemed to slip through her fingers like sand.

Yet with the upheaval and strife that soon followed, she forgot all about

it.

Such was the Dark Age in the distant past.

"Shall we shorten your reign a little?"

"Huh?!" yelped Tinasha from a desk in her study, her voice a squeak.

She had long black hair that fell to her waist and eyes of darkest night.

Her skin was white as snow. Adulthood had only perfected her rare beauty,

which would undoubtedly go down in history.

She was still the queen at the zenith of the Magic Empire of Tuldarr. The

Dark Age, an era of ceaseless war within and without the country, had long

since passed. Tinasha had used a magic sleep to survive four hundred years

into the future, where Oscar was.

With no memory of meeting her centuries ago, he had remained

suspicious of the girl and treated her as a liability for a very long time.

Eventually, he either grew accustomed to her or gave up and seemed to

accept her. However, they were only that distant for a short time, because

Tinasha's announcement at her coronation that she would only reign for a

year before stepping down spurred Oscar to propose to her. She could never

understand the way his mind worked, though she was very glad of his

actions.

And so, as happily as any other young woman, Tinasha agreed to marry

Oscar. Upon her abdication, she would leave and be wed. The thought of it

made her giddy and embarrassed all at once.

Regardless, she planned to carry out her queenly duties to the end. She

threw a searching look at the man sitting across the desk from her. "Shorten

my reign? Have I done something careless again?"

Legis, son of Tuldarr's former king, smiled at Tinasha. From his lightblond hair to his fine features, he exuded both nobility and calm. His

appearance alone gave him the aura of a prince who had stepped from the

pages of a fairy tale. But at his core, he was a pragmatic and highly capable

statesman. It was only because he and Tinasha helmed Tuldarr that the

nation was taking the leap of total reform.

The two of them had devised a bold revolution plan that entailed

switching to a two-pillar system of ruler and parliament. Tinasha and her

might would dissuade any foreign powers from taking advantage of this

vulnerable moment, while Legis—deeply trusted by the people—handled

the negotiations with the biggest names in Tuldarr and the citizens'

representatives. Tinasha, someone who'd abruptly popped up after four

centuries, had almost no connections or reputation. Her only asset was her

enormously powerful magic.

During her reign during the Dark Age, she had been constantly beset by

assailants. While things today were much calmer, Tinasha was still very

conscious of her status as a temporary queen. The political landscape and

the time period were all new to her, so she didn't want to ruffle any

feathers.

Legis, who would be the next king of Tuldarr, smiled faintly. "It isn't a

question of anything you've done, Your Majesty. However, you've had no

lack of troublesome situations ever since you took the throne."

"Y-you may have a point," Tinasha admitted. In the four months since

her coronation, she had battled mysterious ruins, a forbidden curse, a child

kidnapper, and then, on top of all that, a witch and a high-ranking

demoness. She couldn't deny it had been quite chaotic.

With head hung, Tinasha heard Legis's gentle tones wash over her. "And

as there's no one in Tuldarr stronger than you, things may be a bit safer if

you go ahead and marry into Farsas now."

"Hmm…"

Yes, no mage in Tuldarr could surpass her, but it was a different story in

Farsas. Farsas had Oscar, the strongest swordsman of his generation and the

bearer of the royal sword. Loath as Tinasha was to admit it, Oscar had been

instrumental in resolving many of the recent troubles.

"To be completely honest," Legis began, "the king of Farsas has also

reached out to me about this. He's asked if it would be possible to move up

your abdication date. I believe he's worried about letting you out of his

sight."

"I see." Tinasha sighed, resting her elbows on the desk, taking care not

to bump her cup of tea, and burying her head in her hands. While the queen

wanted to protest that Oscar had no reason to be concerned, she understood

she was in no position to be making that claim. Tinasha was a spirit sorcerer

whose magic would wane upon losing her chastity, which was the reason

why they hadn't yet been fully intimate despite being engaged. Oscar had

judged it too dangerous to leave her in a weakened state when she was

separated from him.

Tinasha raised her head, raking a hand through her hair. "I really don't

know what to say… Why do all these things keep happening to me?"

"Anyone else would've died immediately, and we'd have never gotten to

the root of any of the crises," Legis remarked.

"That's terrifying in and of itself…"

The queen was a special breed, able to narrowly beat all the formidable

enemies who had come rushing at her.

Legis smiled and nodded. "Should you wish it, we can certainly move

up your abdication. You've been a great help to Tuldarr, and you're free to

make any selfish demand you'd like."

The meetings and proposals to draw up the new parliamentary system

were proceeding apace. She was currently shouldering a third of that work

as well as her regular duties. It was an awful lot to hand off to Legis.

Still, the young man was steadfast. "Don't worry about the workload.

While I've been very fortunate to have your help all this time, it's no

hardship at all if you hurry your abdication along. I wish for nothing more

than for you to be safe and to forge a bond with Farsas."

Despite Legis's somewhat droll tone, Tinasha crossed her arms and

frowned. What he was saying was entirely correct. He was capable of

handling things going forward as king.

And while Tinasha's power gave Tuldarr an advantage, it also put the

nation at risk. "You may be right. And since completely unpredictable

enemies may keep showing up as long as I'm here…I suppose I'll prepare

to abdicate once my wedding attire is ready. Is that all right?"

"Of course it is," Legis replied.

A fleet of artisans had begun crafting Tinasha's bridal attire a month

ago; it was set to be completed in three more. Should everything go

smoothly, she would vacate the throne half a year after her coronation. Her

reign would be exceedingly short, but not without precedent. About five

hundred years before, there was a king who ruled for a scant two months

before stepping down.

Legis and Tinasha went on to review several other things. While most

were resolved by immediate agreement, Legis raised an eyebrow as he

made one last inquiry. "What will you do about that magic orb? Will you

transport it to Farsas?"

He was referring to the magical item that could send the user backward

through time, an enigmatic artifact that had the power to remake the world.

Certainly, Tinasha couldn't leave the matter as it was, yet she had no

idea how best to handle it. At the very least, there was Valt to contend with,

a mage who knew much more about the orb than she did. The sphere had a

twin, and the pair were collectively known as Eleterria. It was Valt's

mission to obtain both.

"Yes, that's a good question. Valt knows that Tuldarr and Farsas each

have one. I've sealed off ours, but I also need to do the same for the Farsas

orb. Or maybe I should keep it near me at all times? I'm really not sure."

Tinasha sighed again.

While separated, both halves of Eleterria were kept in royal treasure

holds. Valt couldn't access them directly.

Unfortunately, as long as he was targeting Tinasha and she knew where

they were, he would eventually catch up to her, no matter where she hid the

powerful orbs. Eleterria were too powerful to attempt to destroy, and

Tinasha couldn't think of anywhere but the treasure vaults to keep them.

As her brow was deeply furrowed in thought, she happened to remember

the Lake of Silence underneath Farsas Castle. "A being who was not human

pulled Akashia from that lake…"

She recalled that four hundred years ago, a member of the Farsas royal

family told her about Akashia's origins. She couldn't recall the details

anymore, only remembering that it had something to do with the wife of the

first king. The details were written in her diary, however, and she needed

only to search for it. Tinasha made a mental note to do so during a spare

moment. Apart from that, she continued to ponder that mysterious

subterranean lake.

Investigating was an interesting notion, but she would need sheer

determination to carry it out.

Unable to settle on a solution, Tinasha left the question unanswered.

Legis picked up the paperwork he'd completed and stood to leave.

Tuldarr's neighboring country of Farsas was a well-known Great Nation

that boasted martial prowess.

The king's attendant, Lazar, entered the royal study with a disgruntled

expression. When Oscar glanced over at his friend and caught sight of it, he

frowned. "What? What's happened?"

"Some very suspicious business has come to light, and frankly, I don't

want you learning about it. But I've been tasked with informing you…"

"What's going on, then? Who wants me to know?" Oscar pressed.

Lazar looked unhappier by the second. Ultimately, he had no choice,

though. He'd been instructed to apprise the king of a strictly confidential

matter that had arisen. Refusing to tell Oscar simply because he didn't want

to was out of the question.

"This is coming from the nobles and wealthy merchants. There is a

certain brothel where a song is being sung that will kill anyone who listens

to it. Almost a dozen nobles and merchants have fallen victim to it, but no

one wants that made public, the location being what it is… They have made

a confidential request to have it investigated," Lazar explained reluctantly.

"A song that kills anyone who hears it? Is the singer that bad?"

"No, it's not that. Rather, the nobles suspect it's a curse song. Also, there

is apparently someone in a tavern singing a song that drives those who hear

it to suicide. These are two different singers, and while almost all who

heard the song at the brothel went on to die, only a few who heard the

tavern one have committed suicide."

"A curse song…"

Oscar frowned. A while ago, he heard Tinasha sing such a tune. He was

well acquainted with the power such a thing possessed to warp one's

perception.

It sounds like a pain, but people have died. I can't very well do nothing.

The king couldn't deny that it also sounded interesting. He grinned as he

caught a whiff of a mystery. "Guess I'm going to go hear it for myself,

then."

"Are you insane?!" Lazar yelped.

"I won't know anything until I listen to it with my own ears. And it's

happening right in town, so it's close by and everything."

"Now hold on just a moment! You should send someone else with you,"

Lazar protested.

"But what if they die? I wouldn't be able to sleep. I'll be fine going

alone. I suppose I'll hit the brothel first," Oscar said.

"Would you please learn that baseless confidence is not a good thing?!

And don't you think it's unwise to go and visit a brothel with your wedding

just around the corner?"

"It won't be an issue if I don't get caught," Oscar stated dismissively.

Just as Lazar opened his mouth to object, the door to the study gave an

ominous crack and collapsed inward. Both men turned to look.

With a terrible grating noise, the thick wooden door disintegrated into a

heap and fell to the floor like a wadded-up ball of paper. A matter of

seconds had reduced it to a pile of debris that was no longer reminiscent of

its original shape at all. It was too strange to be believed. In the doorway

stood General Als, rubbing at his temples, and a sunnily grinning Tinasha.

"Pardon the intrusion. I certainly didn't intend to eavesdrop, but I

happened to overhear quite the fascinating story," she greeted sweetly, even

as the temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees.

Lazar and Als fixed their gazes on the floor, clearly wishing to make a

swift escape.

Oscar pinched the bridge of his nose, at a loss for how to react.

Subconsciously, he checked to make sure he had Akashia near.

"May I offer to help you? Would you like me to vaporize that brothel

you were just discussing? All I have to do is boil it up. It'll be easier than

making tea. Just say the word," Tinasha said.

"Hold on now, Tinasha," Oscar placated.

"Or maybe I should vaporize you, hmm?" The queen narrowed her eyes

at him. Cold fury blazed within them. The windows behind Oscar started to

crack.

He got up and held both hands out to Tinasha in apology. "I'm sorry. I

was only joking."

"It didn't sound that way to me!" she cried.

"Calm down, please. Don't blow anything up," Oscar pleaded, opening a

desk drawer and taking out a silver bracelet. Snapping it open, he tossed it

to Tinasha. With a sour look on her face, she took it and put it on. In a flash,

the torrent of magic that was swirling around the room vanished into thin

air. Such was the power of this sealing ornament made of the same material

as Akashia.

The other two men sighed with deep relief, shaking in their boots.

Anger was still distorting Tinasha's beautiful features as she floated into

the air. She fumed like a petulant child. "I wouldn't even be here if Legis

hadn't asked me to come on business! Ugh!"

"Don't get upset. I messed up," Oscar said, beckoning her to come back

down. As she descended sulkily to a spot behind the desk, Oscar pulled her

onto his lap. He took the papers she had brought with her and flipped

through them. "You're advancing your abdication?"

"And I'm already regretting that decision," she spat tartly.

"Don't be like that. I'm really happy to hear it," Oscar replied, pressing

a kiss to her forehead.

However, she still turned away from him, pouty and huffy. "If our

positions were reversed, you'd be pinching me so hard my cheeks would

swell up."

"Of course I would. And I'd go kill whoever the guy was."

"All right, then I'm going to go vaporize her."

"I didn't do anything, though. Don't blow things out of proportion. All I

want to know is if curse songs can kill," he admitted in a blatant attempt to

change the subject.

Tinasha's eyebrows raised in shock, but then she sighed with

resignation. From her position on Oscar's lap, she crossed her legs. "It's not

possible. Even I can't do that. At most, a curse song could make a person

depressed, but only if they were already prone to despair. So I very much

doubt the veracity of these stories, both the one about the tavern and

certainly the one about the brothel."

"So you think there's something else at play here?" Oscar asked.

"Someone's just killing these people, aren't they? Plain and simple.

That's what I would do," Tinasha explained.

"Gotcha…"

"If you're going to go listen to the songs, I'm coming with you. I've

already told Legis that I'm taking today off. Oh, but in exchange, sign this."

Tinasha handed Oscar a separate set of forms from the ones pertaining to

her abdication. Oscar leafed through the sheets, which described security at

the Farsas and Tuldarr border.

There were no fortresses or walls on the boundary between the two

countries, only a high road passing through a stretch of meadow.

Watchtowers and guard stations studded the route, which had regular

patrols. The gist of the documents was that Tuldarr wanted to adjust the

scope of the magical barrier placed on the road for investigative purposes.

This would be done to utilize fewer personnel in a more effective guard

network.

Oscar checked everything over and nodded. With Tinasha still on his

lap, he signed it.

Tinasha glared at her fiancé and stuck her tongue out. "You're welcome

to let me know if you'd like to take any mistresses. That happens all the

time, doesn't it?"

"You won't vaporize them?"

"I'll curse them so they can't sleep unless they're cuddling a rabbit."

"…"

Just the idea of it was terrifying. Repressing a shiver, Oscar said, "All

right, let's go and listen together. I have a feeling you might disintegrate the

entire castle if I go without you."

"Oh, don't worry on that account. I would only disintegrate you," the

beautiful queen stated serenely, a gracious smile on her lips.

After removing the sealing bracelet, Tinasha informed Oscar she would be

leaving the paperwork with him before teleporting herself back to Tuldarr

temporarily.

All three men in the study let out deep, relieved exhales. Lazar glanced

over at Als, who was still frozen in the doorway. "General Als, you should

have told us that Queen Tinasha was there."

"I had only just run into her here in the hall… We weren't trying to be

sneaky. When I went to open the door, we heard your conversation," Als

explained.

The nature of said conversation was what was really to blame. Lazar and

Als turned cold, reproachful eyes on their king, who only played dumb.

"Jealousy is pretty entertaining, huh?" Oscar remarked.

"How? Did you miss the part where she said she would vaporize you?!"

Lazar exclaimed.

"It wasn't entertaining at all. I thought I might die," added Als.

Ignoring his advisers, who were both at their wit's end, the king

remarked, "We'll have to get the door and windows repaired."

Just about all of the king's royal council was well aware that his brideto-be was a jealous woman. However, as she had not displayed those

tendencies since Oscar proposed, everyone had let their guard down. While

Als swept up the splintered remains of the door, Lazar bemoaned the state

of the windows. "I'm afraid you'll never be able to take a mistress."

"I don't need one. As long as I have her, I have everything I could

want," said the king.

"If that's how you feel, be more considerate of your actions! And words!

And behavior! Sooner or later, you're going to exhaust her affection for

you!"

Oscar grinned. "No way."

Als and Lazar could only shake their heads in disbelief, bite their

tongues, and silently get back to work.

The sky was a soft lavender hue. As twilight fell around the alleys and

lanes, the man who owned the brothel went outside to open the shop. While

this brothel in a western back street was far from large, it was famous for its

sizable clientele. Aristocrats and wealthy merchants would disguise their

identities to visit. And thanks to the rumor buzzing around town, it had five

times as many guests as normal.

Glancing around, the man noticed that the establishments all around

were lighting their lamps as well. For a moment, he was entranced by the

almost wondrous scene before his eyes. When he looked back at his own

building, he discovered a woman standing before it.

The long black hair that fell to her waist was more lustrous than silk.

She had fine features, like a work of art crafted to perfection. Most

captivating was her aura of mystique.

Noticing him, she turned around, and the man could not help but gasp at

her beauty. She stared at him hard enough to bore holes through his skull.

"Are you the owner of this place?"

"I—I am… What business brings you here?"

She was clearly not a prostitute. One glance was enough to tell that the

woman was a high-class lady of some sort. Perhaps she was here to cause a

scene after learning of a lover's infidelity or something of that nature.

If that was the case, things could get hairy. Her red lips parted to tell him

her business, but then a man called from behind, "Tinasha, don't run ahead

of me! Are you really going to vaporize it?"

"No, I'm not!" she protested.

The man's clear, refreshing voice prompted the brothel owner to turn

around, only to be struck dumb. The one who approached the woman and

stroked her hair was none other than the king of Farsas.

Clara and Simon, ushered onto the stage in a rush, stared in horror at the

pair waiting for them. Both knew who the man was—the young ruler of

Farsas. He pointed to the somewhat sullen-looking woman next to him and

stated, "This is my fiancée," which meant she was the queen of the Magic

Empire of Tuldarr. Apart from political might, this duo possessed

unmatched power between the two of them.

Clara had at least one guess as to why they were here—the song that

invited death.

But even if word of the song had made its way to the royal castle, there

was no definitive proof. All she did was sing. The people who listened to

her tune may have perished, but no one could prove she carried any

culpability.

While Clara reassured herself of that, she was unaware that Simon, who

stood behind her, was watching Tinasha with the gaze of a man resigned to

his fate.

The queen peered right back at him.

Oscar and the brothel owner discussed something, seemingly arriving at

an agreement. Their business concluded, Oscar turned back to the

performers and his fiancée. "Well, let's hear the song, then."

"That won't be necessary," Tinasha interjected, pointing one slender

finger at Simon. "He's the one with the magic. If you've got anything to

say, we'd be glad to listen."

At her impolite gesture, Oscar and Clara both turned to look at Simon,

who bowed his head without a word.

"What? Simon, that can't be right. Tell them!" Clara said.

"Is that true, Tinasha?" asked Oscar.

"It is. Her magic is very weak, so he's the only one who could do

something… Shall I summon a spirit? High-ranking demons can tell when a

human has killed someone, you know," said Tinasha, a finger pressed to her

temple while her eyes remained fixed on Simon.

With his head still bowed, the man stated, "No, Your Majesty, there's no

need. It is as you say—I did all of it."

"Simon?!"

"Clara, I'm sorry. Go back to your room." Simon wore a gentle smile,

the sort he always did. However, there was no light in his eyes. He wasn't

looking at anyone, not even her.

In the three years Clara had known him, she'd never seen him like this.

She realized she had no idea who he really was.

"That was over fast," commented Oscar.

"Why do you sound disappointed?! Go and play to your heart's content

if that's what you want," snapped Tinasha.

"No, I'm good," Oscar said, wrapping his arms around his angry fiancée

from behind. He leaned in close to her dewy cheek. "Ooh, you've gotten

soft. Once we get back, I'm going to run you through some training."

"It's been so long. I can feel the bruises already!" she moaned.

Voice dry, the king retorted, "What are you whining about when you

wind up covered in blood practically every day?"

The brothel owner was bewildered as he watched them bicker. He

heaved a sigh and then glanced behind at Simon, who was smiling

wordlessly after soothing and sending away an utterly perplexed Clara. His

placid gaze was on Tinasha, who noticed it and raised her eyebrows at him.

Simon said blandly, "I have heard that Your Majesty the Queen of

Tuldarr is an exceptional and incomparable mage. Would you do me the

honor of answering one question?"

"What is it?"

"Is it possible to use a curse song to kill a mass of people?"

Tinasha frowned; Oscar had asked her a similar question earlier. "It

depends on the method, but it's not possible to accomplish that directly. A

curse song can incite people with latent hostility in their hearts to make war,

but it would be exceedingly difficult for an ordinary singer to escalate that

to mass murder."

"I see," was all Simon said in response.

His arms still around Tinasha from behind, Oscar put in, "Why do you

want to know?"

"Oh, I've just always been curious… Here I have Her Majesty right in

front of me, and I'll likely be put to death soon anyway, so I thought I'd

satisfy my curiosity before it's too late."

"Why were you interested in something like that?" Oscar pressed.

"My village was destroyed by a curse song," Simon replied, prompting

the king and queen to stare at him.

Oscar said sharply, "What do you mean?"

Simon gave a wan smile. "I'm afraid this isn't a very pleasant story, but

since you asked…"

He then launched into a tale of his village's demise from three years

prior.

Simon's village rested in a corner of Mensanne, a Great Nation east of

Gandona, Farsas's direct neighbor in that direction. The town had a long

history of crafting musical instruments, and many living there were

musically talented.

Simon himself specialized in the zither and in writing tunes, while his

younger sister was the finest singer in the village. She had no training, but

her sheer charm and clear singing voice had suitors lining up around the

block.

One day, she met a man in the woods. His sister never discussed him in

detail, only claiming that he taught her a song that could kill. From then on,

she began to hole herself up at home.

Concerned over her growing lack of appetite, Simon barged into his

sister's room one day only to find her an emaciated husk of herself. Her

eyes looked possessed, with a strange light in them.

The next day, he headed into the forest to find the man responsible for

transforming his sister into someone he hardly recognized. Yet after

traipsing aimlessly through the woods for half a day, he turned up nothing.

Come nightfall, when he was dragging his weary legs home, he spied a

terrifying sight.

His hometown was a red sea of flames. Even from a distance, he saw

masses of people collapsed in the streets. No one was moving.

Over this nightmarish sight floated the faint strains of a song sung by a

woman.

"And once I realized who was singing, I ran from the village.

Everything about it was terrifying. I knew that no one would survive, not

even my sister, who was reciting a tune I had never heard before." His story

concluded, Simon closed his eyes.

Tinasha shook her head, brows knit in consternation. "But…was it really

all due to your sister's curse song? I find that a little hard to imagine. Why

didn't you go and make absolutely sure?"

"I'm aware I'm a coward. Even if I could revisit that day, I still wouldn't

set foot in my village. What I saw was too horrific. I learned that day that

nightmares could turn into reality," Simon muttered, a faint smile on his

lips. Indelible terror flickered in his eyes. "After speaking with you, Your

Majesty, I feel some modicum of closure. Until now, I couldn't tell anyone

else about this. Thank you."

"Does that have some connection to you killing others?" asked Oscar, a

cynical grin on his face. Tinasha, however, still looked baffled.

Simon's weak expression grew into a sunny smile. "No, it isn't related at

all. I simply wanted to repay a bit of gratitude to Clara for saving me."

"Killing people is repaying gratitude?" Tinasha questioned.

"Yes. As word spread of a singer who could bring death, customers

flocked to her with the express goal of hearing her sing. Curiosity is a

strange beast. Once I got involved, her customers doubled," Simon

explained, making no attempt to disguise his disdain for the victims. That

made Tinasha openly uncomfortable, even as she elbowed Oscar in the

stomach warningly. Oscar maintained his composure, however.

Abruptly, Simon's face twisted. "Besides, none of her clients ever saw

her as a person. Swanning about all arrogantly, they treated her like an

insect. Someone like you wouldn't know what that's like, would you?"

After a pause, Tinasha responded. "You're right. I wouldn't."

She knew there were limits to one's imagination. No matter how she

sympathized or envisioned what it must be like, it would only come off as

trite and clichéd.

"But from Clara's view, wouldn't it make her much happier to have you

with her forever as opposed to the deaths of those she hated at the cost of

losing you to execution?"

Tinasha wished to say as much, but she held back. Instead, she looked

up at Oscar. "Well, it's up to you now."

"Thanks for the help. I'll have the soldiers take him in," he replied.

Tinasha glanced at Simon, whose expression had relaxed, looking placid

again.

The sight of it made some manner of indescribable bile rise in her throat,

and she bit her lip.

It was growing dark outside. Night would soon fall completely.

Als was making his way down a corridor in Farsas Castle when he

caught sight of Doan, Sylvia, and some other mages huddled by a

courtyard-facing window. They were staring down at a patch of ground that

was lit up bright as day for some reason.

"What are you doing?" Als asked.

"Oh, His Majesty is playing with Queen Tinasha," a mage answered.

"Playing?" Als repeated skeptically. When he looked closer, he found

that the king of Farsas and his fiancée were sparring underneath a magic

light. While Tinasha was sweaty as she thrust her sword at Oscar, the king

handled her easily.

"I told you, that's too high! Lower it!" Tinasha cried.

"Nope. You've gotta compromise," responded Oscar.

The metallic sound of swords clashing filled the air. As they kept

shouting about "high" and "normal," Als grew increasingly unable to make

sense of their conversation. "What are they talking about?"

"They're negotiating grain taxes."

"Wow…"

From an outsider's perspective, Oscar was taking a very underhanded

route. The discrepancy in their physiques and skill was clearly taking its toll

on Tinasha, and Oscar buffeted her with questions.

Still, she was not one to back down. "If you don't lower it, I'm going to

wreak some havoc around here!"

"That's a threat, you know."

"Grrrr!" Tinasha lunged forward and swept her sword up sharply.

But Oscar parried it away easily and brought his practice sword down on

her neck, stopping it just before it made contact. "I suppose we can set it at

seventy percent. In exchange, I want you to lower taxes on our textiles."

"Fine," Tinasha agreed after some quick mental calculations. Neither

proposal would put Tuldarr at a disadvantage. Good weather had blessed

her country with a bountiful grain harvest this year, so this was perfect.

Crouching, she inhaled deeply to steady her breathing. "Did you do that

on purpose? Bringing up your little proposal once I was exhausted?"

"Of course I did. Waiting until your opponent's sense of judgment is

dulled is lesson one in negotiations," Oscar stated smugly.

"I will throttle you…"

Tinasha stood, keeping her hands on her knees. She had taken hits on

both arms and her back, which were likely to bloom into bruises; she healed

them before they could.

Oscar took her sword from her. "Your moves have gotten better. Maybe

it's all the combat experience?"

"What? Do you really think so? I'm actually pretty thrilled to hear that."

Tinasha knew that all the battling had honed her magical instincts to a fine

point, but she had no clear assessment of her swordsmanship.

Praise from her very first combat instructor made her break into a happy

grin. Oscar ruffled her hair like she was a little kid. "We should get back.

I'll get a change of clothes ready for you, so go and wash off all that sweat."

"Okay," Tinasha sang, trotting off.

Oscar glanced up and met Als's gaze through the window. A devilish

smirk was visible on his face.

"What happened to Simon after his arrest?" asked Tinasha while combing

out her wet hair after using the bath in Oscar's chambers. She was freshly

changed into a white dress of light silk.

Oscar was sitting on the bed, his knee propped up and his chin resting on

it as he gazed at her. The fine silk clung to the lines of her soft curves,

sending a frisson of arousal through him.

Tinasha looked back from drying her hair. "Oscar? Are you listening?"

"Huh? Oh, he was executed after thorough interrogation. The girl got a

stern reprimand."

"I see," she said, carding her fingers through her hair. Any remaining

damp strands dried instantly at her touch. Once her hair was completely dry,

she picked up her comb again and came to sit next to Oscar as she brushed

her long tresses. "It was just such an odd story he told… I really am

suspicious of the man his sister met in the woods."

"Is that still on your mind? What if he was lying?"

"It didn't seem that way," she replied. Oscar didn't say anything, but he

felt the same.

Simon's story was likely true, and that incident had changed the course

of his life.

Tinasha went on. "Witnessing the destruction of his village and

abandoning his sister must have left deep psychological scars. As a result,

he became fascinated with the idea of a curse song. I heard the one he

made, and it was well done. Creating a melody that can be used as the base

for a curse song might be within the realm of genius."

"It was a nasty story, and he was a strange little man," Oscar remarked.

There was no way of knowing just how significantly Simon's past had

traumatized him. It hardly justified his murders, however. Tinasha vanished

her comb and stroked her jaw. "It's too disturbing to ignore. An entire

village was destroyed. Did that ever happen in Farsas? Villages left in ruins,

cause unknown?"

Briefly, Oscar cast through his memory of the past decade. "I guess

there's one case like that. I think it was two years ago… Everyone in a

settlement near the border perished."

"What did they die of?" Tinasha asked.

"All kinds of causes. Two or three days had passed by the time anyone

realized it. According to reports, some had burned to death, while there

were also signs of people fighting with one another. There were no

survivors, no one to give testimony. It was left unsolved."

"Two years ago… Simon said his village was destroyed three years ago.

I'd like to check up on records across the mainland."

"Oh? Do you have some clue what it might be?" Oscar inquired,

winding his fingers through Tinasha's still-warm hair and caressing her

nape.

Tinasha jolted a little out of ticklishness, but the pensive look on her

face remained. "Nothing specific, but something about this is jogging my

memory. After all, a curse song is capable of subliminal provocation."

"Which could make friends fight one another or drive people to arson?"

"Hmm. In theory that is possible, but only a mage of my caliber could

incite such widespread effects across an entire village all at once."

Oscar frowned. Tinasha's words suggested she was likely the only

person capable of doing something like that. And in that case, the source of

these incidents couldn't be a curse song.

Tinasha hugged her knees to her chest. "But if it were an ordinary hex

instead of a curse song, that would dramatically expand the list of possible

culprits. Still, only a very powerful mage could pull it off. And unless we're

talking about an eccentric who specializes only in hexes, a mage that good

would find it easier to simply attack a village using regular means."

"Do you think a mage destroyed those towns?" Oscar asked.

"I strongly suspect so. I believe it's all linked to the man Simon's sister

encountered in the forest, though I don't know how direct of a hand he

had." Tinasha sighed. Tilting her head to one side, she peered up at Oscar.

"So that's what we know. I'd like to do some research into this."

"You really do love poking your nose in some weird places," Oscar

commented dryly.

"Hmph. It's who I am."

"I suppose one of the ruined settlements was in Farsas. If the same

person's responsible for both tragedies, that needs to be dealt with. Ask me

for any help you want."

Tinasha grinned, dimpling like a child. "Thank you."

She was a slippery woman, mercurial and unpredictable. She could be

the perfect coolheaded queen and then morph into a pure, innocent girl.

Oscar smiled fondly as his fiancée's more childish side came out. "I

really can't take my eyes off you for one second."

"Hmph. So you asked Legis to talk to me about speeding up my

abdication?"

"I did indeed. I told him things are so dangerous that I'd like to have you

with me now. I think it was pretty effective, since I also told him about you

fighting a witch and an all-powerful demon."

"And after I did my best to hide that part from him!" she cried.

"Don't do things like that!" he retorted, even as he pulled her close to

him and pressed a kiss to her glossy black hair. "Come to me now."

Once you do, I'll protect you with everything I have. I'll drive back any

enemy that comes knocking at our door.

Tinasha had traveled from four hundred years in the past, all to meet

him. But because she was queen, she refused to abandon her country. She

was trying to have it all.

However, it was long past the age when one supreme ruler alone would

sustain a nation.

She was soft in his arms, burning like a warm lamp. The atmosphere

grew hazy and heavy, inexpressible emotions hanging thick in the air.

There was no sound at all to be heard. The only thing that told them this

moment was real was the warmth of their bodies.

Tinasha blew out a hot breath. "About what we were discussing this

afternoon…"

"Which was?" Oscar asked.

Tinasha looked guilty. "The whole mistress thing… I mean, you're not

cursed anymore, so you can do what you want. It's your right and all."

When he heard that, Oscar restrained himself from bursting into

laughter. Tinasha sounded very serious. She was probably feeling guilty

about losing her temper earlier.

However, there was no need for her to worry about that. She was the

only person Oscar had ever wanted to be with, even if it meant dealing with

the problems that came along with her.

She was the type of person who loved strongly and did not expect to

receive that same love back. He could show her the tiniest bit of affection,

and she would swoon like a maiden and feel that was enough for her.

Oscar's feelings for her ran deeper than that, though. She was his one

and only; he had decided to spend his life by her side. Not once had he

considered taking other consorts.

"I don't need mistresses. Don't worry about it," Oscar assured her.

"Are you sure?"

"Have some more confidence in yourself. It just sounds like you hate

other women."

"Well… Confidence is easier said than done."

"Personally, I find who you are as a person to be much more interesting

than your looks or your magic. Although both are a bit too conspicuous

already, more than capable of inspiring envy on their own."

"I don't know what that's supposed to mean… Most people don't get to

know me as a person, and for a good reason. I have enough power to rival a

witch, after all. It would be ludicrous of me to expect anyone to look past

that."

"I'm not looking past it. You're you because of it," Oscar said.

The overly immense power she had always lived with was a large

portion of what made Tinasha. Yet it was still only one part. So to her, she

didn't see the need to worry about it.

Oscar caught hold of Tinasha's downturned face, tilting her chin up. He

gazed searchingly into her dark eyes. "Anyway, I have a little favor to ask."

"What is it?"

"I want you to put a transportation array in here connecting my rooms to

yours."

"What? I can, of course, but why?"

"So I can come pick on you every day."

"Absolutely not!" she shouted, tumbling off his lap and onto the bed.

Her limbs splayed out from the center of the wide bed.

Oscar scooted over to sit next to Tinasha and pinched her puffed-up

cheeks. "Please?"

"Ouch! Is that the sort of attitude you have when asking someone a

favor?!" Tinasha flailed wildly for a bit before laying her head in his lap. "I

mean, all you have to do is call for me, and I'll be there. Stop trying to bully

me whenever you want."

"But there might come a time when I can't just call for you. If

something happens to me, you'll know because of the protective charm you

have on me, but I don't have anything like that to tell me when you're in

trouble," Oscar pointed out.

Tinasha had placed a barrier on Oscar that warded off all magic attacks.

If any spells made contact with it, she would know immediately. On the

other hand, a non-mage like Oscar had no way of knowing if anything had

happened to Tinasha. He'd only learned of her recent battle against a

demoness after the fact.

"It's all well and good if nothing happens, but you have a lot of enemies.

It's perfectly natural for me to fear you're tangled up in something. Let me

at least just check in on you once a day."

"Oscar…"

Tinasha looked remorseful. She was aware that she'd been worrying

Oscar. While the king understood the mindset of feeling strong enough to

take care of things alone, his fiancée tended to take herself to the brink of

death, confident she would win in the end and make it worth it. Such were

the differences in their personalities and the eras they had grown up in, but

that was no reason to let her continue that way. They were going to be

married.

Curling in on herself, Tinasha said, "I'm sorry. I guess I don't really

know how to rely on people."

"Well, I don't mind if you think of it as indulging me. I'll be very mad at

you if you die."

"I understand," the queen replied, rising and glancing around until she

found an out-of-the-way spot in a corner of his bedroom.

"Should I make it one-way? Two-way?" she asked.

"Two-way. I need to be able to get back," Oscar answered after

deciding.

"Okay, and are you the only one in the castle who needs to give

permission for this?"

"Of course," he said.

Tinasha smiled, nodded, and held up her hand. In a clear tone, she spoke

an incantation. As it ended, a transportation array appeared on the floor. She

stood on tiptoe to inspect it and then turned back to Oscar. "It's done. It will

activate once you step inside."

"Oh yeah? Thanks."

"I'm the one who should be thanking you," she corrected with a tight

smile.

Flopping back onto the bed, Tinasha rolled to her stomach and kicked

her feet back and forth in the air.

Looking at her in such an obviously good mood, Oscar remembered

something. "Don't you need to be getting back?"

"Oh! I don't have anything on my schedule tomorrow morning, so I

thought I'd stay here."

"Got it. You really are a defenseless little kid…"

Even prior to their engagement, Tinasha had never displayed much

shame around Oscar, but that was because she thought he didn't have any

interest in her as a woman. He'd assumed that his proposal would show her

that wasn't the case, and she would change her behavior. Although Tinasha

did reveal a cuter side now, blushing and growing flustered around Oscar,

she still left herself quite vulnerable. At night, she would turn up and fall

asleep next to him, then refuse to get out of bed in the morning.

While it occasionally felt as though he were being demanded to exhibit

superhuman restraint, Oscar himself had chosen to remain on the safe side.

He knew that the loss of Tinasha's chastity would weaken her powers,

which was why they lived apart. Seeing as Tinasha said she was fine with

that, he had to just resign himself to it. It was more important to give her

time to relax, away from her duties.

"Well, having our rooms connected affords us a bit more flexibility, so

maybe I'll rethink that."

"Rethink what?" Tinasha inquired.

"Just how far I can test the limits of my patience," Oscar grumbled.

"Hmm? Good luck with that," she replied, not understanding what he

meant, and Oscar burst out laughing.

He lay down next to her and cuddled her slender frame. She burrowed

her head in close to him like a cat, then abruptly peered up. "Oh right.

Oscar, do you know the story of the first queen of Farsas?"

"What? Where'd that come from? No, I don't know it."

"Really? You didn't hear about it as a fairy tale that only the royal

family gets to listen to?"

"I…don't remember that. I have no memory of a story like that," Oscar

replied. What had brought this on?

Tinasha's face turned pensive. "Maybe it's been lost in the past four

centuries, then. I heard about that story a long time ago and just happened

to remember it the other day. The first queen was the one to give Akashia to

the founding king."

"First I'm hearing of it. All I know about Akashia is that someone who

wasn't human fished it up from the Lake of Silence."

"Exactly, which I didn't know until you told me. What I originally heard

was that the first queen may have been a water spirit."

"Who told you all this?" Oscar questioned. If it was a story told only to

the royal family, then she had to have heard it from a Farsasian royal.

Farsas and Tuldarr were neighbors, providing plenty of opportunities for

such chats, but he wanted to know who would bring up such a casual topic

of conversation.

Tinasha's long eyelashes fluttered with sleepiness. "Someone who came

to study in Tuldarr. After that, the war with Tayiri happened and I forgot all

about it. I think I had to send that person home early."

"Man or woman?"

"Man. Why is that important?"

"Because we have a lot of weirdos in our family tree."

"It's been like that since the Dark Age, huh?" Tinasha remarked dryly.

Tinasha buried her face in Oscar's chest and let out a little yawn. He

would be really pushing her if he kept the conversation going. Stroking her

hair, he said, "Go to sleep. If you don't wake up tomorrow morning, I'm

dumping you over to your own room."

"I'll wake up…"

With a little sigh, Tinasha shut her eyes. Closed, they looked like two

seashells; her long eyelashes cast shadows on her porcelain cheeks, painting

an enchanting picture.

Her beauty was like a miracle. But the real marvel was that she had

appeared in this era.

Their destiny was one born of coincidence and fierce dedication all

knotted together. It was extremely precarious, which was why Oscar

wouldn't trade it for the world. He had once given up on such feelings only

to choose them of his own volition. Relinquishing them again would be

unthinkable.

He leaned close and pressed a kiss to her eyelid. She giggled. "Oscar."

"What is it?"

"I love you."

Her love was like a ray of sunlight headed straight for him. Her singleminded nature kept him upright. He was blessed to have her in his life.

He dropped a kiss onto the petals of her lips. "I know."

On his life and on his sword, the king swore he would keep anyone from

bringing her harm and would always be there to grab her hand when she

was struggling