VI | Unraveling Motives

Why?

Two ladies in the maze thinking this word.

'Why did the Princess ask for every servant's name and position? What's the purpose for it?'

Vanya had been racking her brains since the night when the other two had unveiled what their lady had tasked them to do "Gather information to anyone who works in the place, specifically the ones under the Crystal Palace. Name and work. How long they have been serving here, and many else."

The two had made their investigations in a discrete, keen way and through observations. Like detectives, always lurking in the walls, which they find exciting to do. As the two play pretend that the Princess had been acting up again, worse than she was after the 'incident', they spread among servants to catch their reactions.

But Avyanna is lost in her thoughts, as she continues to munch the macaroons on the table. Fingers continue to tap, she places her chin to her knuckles and continues being lost, as she tries to figure out reasons for their actions.

It has been three nights since the Emperor had joined the dinner with Cahill and Avyanna, everyone wonders what kind of sorcery had been placed on the three of them.

A princess who despised both her father and half-brother, Cahill who always avoided the Emperor and tried not to anger his sister, and Killian, who never, not once in years, had eaten with his daughter.

"Why? What did I do wrong?" It was the words blubber by Avyanna when she asked for just one breakfast with her father, "Why?" She continued the charades of cries and questions rained in the room, Malachi had stepped out to give the two privacy, wishing Killian would finally open up.

"I don't have time for this." Coldly empty eyes and words. Killian continued his paperwork, "You may leave-"

"No, I won't leave! Do you want to know what I dreamt last night?" Mockingly, she asked.

Killian is not curious, but his daughter's reaction, is tears, 'Just finished it already', he wished. "Alone, in the dining hall. Waiting. For you, Father."

It made everything stop, Killian finally looked at his daughter, he could finally see what he had been neglecting all this time, he had finally seen her, but still, this felt like a guilt-trap.

'Father,' even the young Avyanna never uttered these words out of respect for the Emperor. For her, it never mattered if he was her father, she just absolutely looked up to him and his power. Cruel and wise, powerful and respectable, she could not emphasize it more, that man is the Emperor and she has the blood of it within her. She yearns for that man to look at her, it doesn't matter if his gaze is for a daughter that is, but to someone worthy of his attention.

"Father, did you hate me that much? If that is the case," Avyanna thinks thoroughly the right words, she can't fail this plan of hers, she needs this, and she needs him. "I don't." He said.

'He don't?' From the memories she gained so far, it was just pieces, but it was still the truth, the man before her didn't care, so what did that man mean when he uttered those two words?

"I..."

"I don't have time, yet," Killian said, almost biting his tongue, his stiffness and awkwardness reached her, loud and clear. She wanted to let out a laugh at this hypocrisy, even though she was puzzled by the turn of events.

As if tears had not formed minutes ago, her eyes smiled and lips curved, she wasn't even aware she had a talent for acting, 'This is not that hard at all!'

"Dinner then! See you later, Father!" As if struck in the heart by an arrow of life, Killian felt that sting. 'What have I been doing all this time?'

Malachi entered the room with a grin on his face that he could not dispel nor wanted to, he was genuinely excited to hear what happened because he was sure that Avyanna left the room with a joyous face. "So, what happened?"

"I need you to tell me something." He rolled his eyes and awaited the next words, 'Nothing could really get past him, well until his daughter earlier, success was marked in her face, though this man wouldn't tell me a thing.'

"Did you know, that she,"

She, Avyanna's name or title never was heard spoken from him, or he never heard Killian use that kind of endearment, Malachi knew it meant the Princess. "She?"

Killian drops the topic as he turns his attention back to the ones on his table but Malachi does not give in easily.

"I haven't seen the Princess smile like that since that day."

Killian is genuinely not hearing a word Malachi had said, "Ever since you have given her the Crystal Palace."

"What?"

"..."

"What did you say?" Killian is confused, since he never actually listens but the word Crystal Palace was brought up that caught his attention.

"Crystal Palace?"

"..." Malachi is confused as much, so he thinks this is gonna be a good tease for the Emperor, who is always serious and grumpy. "Crystal Palace. You give her-"

"Who gives what to who?"

"To the Princess!"

"..." This man doesn't remember, I really won't blame the Princess if she hates her father.

"Never mind."

Then Killian dropped the topic, and Malachi continued their paused meeting.

Night came like a thief, Avyanna was on the left and Cahill across her. 'He won't come, he never did. But she prepared all of this.' Grand night, various dishes, he even noticed his favorites, and some he wondered were the Emperor's preferences, now he wonders what his sister's favorite food is, and Cahill feels this is a waste.

"The Emperor is entering!"

The two had exchanged looks, one at ease and filled with delight and the other, surprised and confused.

'He came!' Both of them thought.

Killian's face seems to say it all as if he was forced to dine with his children, that is how Cahill sees it, and when he stole a gaze to his sister she was grinning, 'Why Avyanna?'

Cahill felt like the silence was suffocating, so he started talking.

"How are you feeling, Avyanna?" As she cut the meat, she landed a sentiment at the blood like wine. She smiled, hiding her intentions. "I'm fine." Choosing words.

This dinner was not just for Avyanna to have dinner with these two, after all, they abandoned her and ate without her, she just wanted to experience a dinner with them and what it felt like. She was foolish to think her brother cared for her, but maybe he did, or maybe he did not, she is not sure, and this dinner is for that matter.

Her Father, she just plans to know what she will feel once he look at her, once he listens to her, and she is right, she is sure, even without memories, she doesn't need her father's affection - he was too late for that.

Avyanna filled the dinner with questions. For her brother, she feels overbearing asking her father but she is making sure she won't make him feel too left out. 'How thoughtful I am for someone who neglected me my entire life!'

"I asked the main chef to prepare foods all of us are fond of."

"Yet, I can't find what I like. I have tasted everything, but, is it just me? Or did the main chef did not follow my request, is the food not to your liking?"

'I thought she changed!' There was that time, around two years ago, when the main chef's hands were threatened by the Princess when he served her a food she did not like, and that situation continuously repeated. "Avy-"

"Father," His gaze looks back and forth between the father and his sister, "Is the food not to your liking?" Her tone was warm and welcoming, comfortable.

Their father wiped his mouth promptly, "It is."

"Brother?"

He choked his tongue and agreed to the Emperor, "Does my memory lose to blame for this? I mean-" she chuckled finding everything amusing, "How can the head chef not know what the Princess likes, right?"

"What do you want to do then?" Everything is happening at a fast pace, and Cahill finds himself left out, by the two he thought he knew the most. These two despised one another, as if two energies that when crashed everyone would fall to their knees as they tremble, yet they complimented each other words.

"Nothing, I just thought if I eat any of my supposedly favorite foods, I will feel more, at home or at least regain some memory of mine."

'Avyanna!' Maybe Cahill will be the one to dispatch the main chef's body, which is the reason why his lively sister turns gloomy and sincerely disappointed. 

"Father, I don't feel very well. Can I, go back now?" He nodded and Avyanna respectfully bowed her head as she exited.

The following nights were uneventful, but Cahill always—without fail—found himself irritated and confused as every dinner failed to meet his expectations.

Fuming anger, Cahill rushed to his chambers to meet the 'eyes' he placed in the Crystal Palace.

"We greet, His Highness." Natasha and Moira are in his room, waiting for their master's arrival.

He has sent these two to assist the Princess until her ladies-in-waiting arrive. They were both uneducated, but loyal. And they have been reporting everything for the past few days.

"Why? Why? Why are the two of you tasked with that?!" And they also knew this side of him, all he had received was that they were too busy gathering what their lady had tasked them that they weren't around her as much, "Only, Lady Vanya was allowed near her, Your Highness!" On their knees, asking to spare their lowly lives, they were used to being tasked by various of these, but they could never be too used to his temper, wavering from time to time.

'I don't want to die, not yet!' Moira wished, 'we still have a few days before we become useless, he can't kill us yet!'

Hanging on to that false hope, he hunches down and lifts up Moira's chin.

"Then, switch places with that Vanya."

...

"Her Highness, it seems like you are lost in your thoughts." Vanya finally break the icy silence but only the brushing leaves that surrounds them responded from the wind. "Princess—"

Vanya walk slowly towards her, 'What is she doing?' When she bravely went infront of her, she saw her lady half-asleep, pale in her silk silvery sleep wear. "Her Highness—!"

Avyanna is sleep walking. She's barefoot. Her hands wrapped at a plucked rose, as she grip the stem of it in her hands, she continuously bleeds. "Her Highness—!" She finally looked at Avyanna, there's nothing but hollow in her jewel eyes.

Vanya couldn't help but get tear eyed, she saw this scene before, and it pierce her that the princess still does it until now, even whe's not awake.

'Is this perhaps...'

'Has this been happening before she was poisoned?'

'Why does the princess need to do this?'

Vanya could not find answers. All she can do right now is help Her Highnes, "Pardon me, Your Highness. You need to let go of the rose... Please." She reaches out to her hand, "Please, Her Highness..."

She tries and tries to pull and open her hand, to let go. But Avyanna continues to be firm, and half-awake. "Ugh..."

The more Vanya tries, the harder Her Highness' grips get. "No! No... Her Highness, you're... bleeding!"

Like a helpless child, tears escaped her hands, 'Why won't you let go?'

"Avyanna... You have to let go." And as if Avyanna could hear her, she let the flower go, and she finally wake up.

"Her Highness?" When Avyanna open her eyes, she was puzzled with the sight. "Vanya?"

"Yes, Your Highness?"

Vanya helped Avyanna to go back to her chambers.

"I'll be outside if you need me—"

"Its been a week, more or less." Avyanna opens up.

"Her Highness?"

"I've been getting my memories each night, through what seems to be a dream... but it is nothing but horrifying nightmare. Avyanna's memories. My memories."

'I knew it, she lost her memories.'

Vanya was never the comforting one, but she was there to listen.

"I... I find myself each morning sleeping back in this bed but there will be sand and dirt. I know something was wrong, but I didn't knew I was sleepwalking. And the rose..."

Avyanna was looking closely at her hands that Vanya covered with bandage, Vanya finally reached out to her hand and soothes it.

'There were no attendants nor knights in this palace, no one to look after her at night. What if someone tries to harm her? Assasinate? Does the Emperor really do not care? It's hard to think one's father do not care for his daughter—'

'Who am I to talk? I do not have a father, like her.' As if mesmerizing, Vanya saw the young her in Avyanna. 'Lost.' In the streets of Lakifilia, with thin clothes and thinner body. 'Alone.' Day and night, fighting for surviving. Merely even living. 'Disregarded and abandoned by the ton, simply because her own father left her to fend for herself.'

'But I was lucky. I still am. Someone care enough to help me out, Madam Lilith...'

Vanya remembers the day when Madam Lilith told her that Avyanna needs attendants, "Do not listen to the mouths that run unruly. Do not listen. Instead, observe. Not only Her Highness, but also the place where you'll be working. It is for your own good."

'Did Madam Lilith purposely...'

"Vanya..."

"You have to sleep, Your Highness. I'll be by yourside until the dawnbreaks. I'll be here."