Prologue

Queen Ette sat on her throne as she considered what it would take to make her people thrive again. They were so lost in bitterness and pain they did not even have the strength to hope. She looked to her side out of instinct hoping to find some of her counsellors but of course they were not there.

They had all succumbed to the epidemic, the greed blight as they called it. It started with

a rash and a sore throat, sores, then fevers and headaches ,shortness of breath and loss of energy and before you knew it you were vomiting blood and collapsing. There had never been such a terrible thing to ever strike the people of Kaanafri in their entire history. It had come out of nowhere and it spread quickly and killed without discrimination and if you were kind enough to help your ailing neighbour it took you too.

Because of that, her kindhearted people had stopped helping each other and were henceforth always led by fear. Fear of disease, fear of disaster or in other words ,fear of death.

In true elder fashion, they had seen what would happen before it did and they implored the gods to bless them with gifts that would propel them to prosperity from the ruin they would surely fall into.

They told her that it was not something new but it was definitely the worst version of their nightmares.

The blessed ones would be just enough to bring people from the brink of despair. Kind of like an anti - depressant of some sort. The queen sighed, she never expected to even need such a solution but it's not like she had anymore cards under her sleeve. The blight had been conquered by a team of blessed who died saving the people. They had the gifts of healing mostly and a unique gift of banishment to rid any entity from their land but it came at the cost of their lives.

And it might very well be at the cost of everyone else's life since they did not bless a new generation of ,well blessed.

Or did they?

In the corridors of the castle, the servants were rushing all over the place. They could not find the queen. Her younger brother was crying for her to no end and it was driving the already uexhausted servants raving mad.

They searched the gardens and the courts, the hall, the chambers, kitchens, gatehouses, store rooms but they could not find her.

When the little prince stopped crying and went to the oratory to pray to the gods to bring his sister back. It was a delight when he found her there kneeling with a smile on her face. She was dressed as a common guard and had camouflaged herself with the benches.

"Sizzy!" The prince went, flinging himself into her arms.

She held him silently as she brushed his hair and gradually, he began to smell her tears. He knew her sister better than anyone and he knew she only cried when she was scared.

He wanted to comfort her and he knew she would not tell him anyway so as not to worry him so he simply rubbed her back hoping it would make her better.

After a moment of this. The queen pulled back and lifted her hand to touch his cheek. He leaned into it as he asked the question telepathically.

"What's wrong, sizzy?"

He didn't expect her to actually reply and was thus surprised as she looked deep into his eyes and told him that she was leaving.

She never gave him a chance to ask why, she just told him that he would have to be strong and do what he can to make their people happy.

And that she might be back.

Before his eyes, she began to fade away. And panicking he grabbed her hands and held them tight.

"Where are you going?" he asked, teary eyed again.

She shook her head, indicating that she could not tell him, she told him that when the time was right, he would remember.

"Remember what?" He asked.

"That the blessed are alive," She said in a soft voice so unlike her.

"Sizzy!" He shouted. Grasping at her leather cloak and hunter' s garb.

His sister's mouth pursed and he knew she was struggling to hold back her tears.Taking one of her hands from his, she unclipped her necklace and gave it to him.

"It may give you guidance in your time of need," she said to him even though she knew he wouldn't remember.

She opened her arms to him for one last hug and he threw himself at her crying and saying he would miss her.

The doors burst open as a maid and to guard barged into the room.

"Where is her highness?" they asked the little prince.

He looked up at them with teary, soulless eyes and with a dead cracked voice, stated with finality that she was gone.

Elsewhere a boy around the same age as the prince helped a woman stand up.

"Thank you so much, if I may ask, what is your name?"

"I am Allen Sohina, pleased to make your acquaintance, miss, "he said politely.

"Well, Allen, thank you for helping me ,would you like some sweets?"

"I am not supposed to accept sweets from strangers, " he said politely.

"That's understandable, I can take it from here, I live in the ruby house right around the corner if you ever need anything okay," she said in farewell.

Allen waved at her as she left and continued on his way to Josh and Emily's home to play.

"Young master, ah there you are, I was afraid I lost you, do not go wandering about like that, "

"I won't have to if you just let me go out more often,there are so many interesting things to look at, like..." he continued jabbering away about what he had seen until they arrived.

"Allen!"Emily threw herself at him and he got a face full of blonde hair.

He awkwardly patted her back as he was not used to much affection. Emily pulled back and told James who was standing behind him that he can leave now as she could take care of him.

Used to their antics, he went to reacquaint himself with the other servants in the house and she and Allen started catching up on each other.

Allen informed her that his parents didn't like him coming over and they both knew she would not be allowed to hers being second class citizen and all and it was all just very annoying to the two of them because they did not really care but regardless they had to plan just in case.

Before they could plan anything though, Emily's mother came to bring them cookies and and milk. They were soft ginger and chocolate flavoured and absolutely delicious.

The plan was simple. They would meet in the town square every Saturday at 9:00pm after their bed times. Emily's mother had already woven them sweaters thinking it was just a normal gift.

Their plan discussed, they bid farewell to her mother and went to visit Josh who was up in his room. Josh was a weak child. But that was only physical strength, he had an excellent brain that he utilised in miraculous ways.

For example he had used his telepathy which most adults are not able to develop, to contact the queen and they had a conversation which he refused to tell them about.

And he had even started training them on how to develop theirs. They always snuck in because they weren't allowed lest they catch his disease.

"You came," He said excited.

"Of course we did, you are our friend, "

They did not touch each other usually but that day they decided to hug him and he was so happy, having not gotten any human contact for the longest time.

When he let go of them he started coughing. He held his breath and tried to stop them then his eyes became teary.

"Please, leave, "he said.

Allen was about to argue but they had footsteps and Emily dragged him out but the last thing he saw was blood.

He was silent on the carriage home. James tried asking him what was wrong but he was not budging.

That night his parents told him not to go see his friends ever again because he was going to a boarding school and they had somehow heard about Josh's demise and did not want him to get the disease as that would rid the family of its next heir.

That was all they cared about. The business, society's opinion and perfection in general, really, anything but him and his feelings.

He curled into himself on his bed and closed his eyes feeling somehow cold inside more than outside.

The next Saturday he did not make it to the square because he was in his new school where he was going to be cultured into a proper young man. Apparently.