45 | The Rahania Empire: the Mansion of Hildegarde

(Elyse's Point of View)

Penelope's footsteps echo in the hallways as we both walk by side while she tours me inside the mansion, we both stayed in. It has been on my mind lately. How intricate and elegant the designs of the mansion are, as if every single detail in the corners of the walls – in the mansion is planned very carefully.

"I've been meaning to ask," I spoke breaking the silence between us. Penelope turned around and gazes up at me. I couldn't help but feel weird from her stare as if she was emotionless.

"Whose mansion is this?" I ask and she stared at me.

"It's from the Hildegarde." She answered and starts walking again.

"Hildegarde?" Penelope pauses and turned to look at me once more, now staring at me clearly with her piercing eyes. I stand straight and match her eyes as she stares me down right inside of my soul.

"You..." Penelope pointed her finger towards me and said, "... have two in there." She continues and I look at the clothes I am wearing. Two? What two?

"What do you mean?" I ask but she turned around again and continues her walk.

"The Hildegarde is a family of warriors. Legend says that the 1st Hildegarde was blessed by The God of War himself and so, they inherit special abilities as other people do." Penelope said as if she didn't say anything earlier. I couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. What did she mean by 'two' earlier?

"Do you know Lewis and Hethan?" She continued to talk and I came back to the present from thinking too much. "The brothers of Tina?" She nodded her head at my answer as she stopped in her tracks. It turns out we're already in front of a painting after the long and fast walk we both have earlier, we arrived at a place in the mansion where we can see the family members of Hildegarde.

I was dumbfounded to see Dain's Ancestor – Hethan in the painting because of their similar appearance. Dark hair and dark eyes yet with a small hint of purple and yellow mixing together. He looked like Dain because of the aura he was giving as if he was watching carefully every step you'll thread.

"Lewis and Hethan inherited their mother's special abilities. Lewis soon became the heir for The Hildegarde while Hethan became the heir for The Zues Family, and this is their mother." Penelope then pointed her hands towards the painting in front of me – a painting of a woman with long black hair and sunset-like golden eyes beside a whole family painting.

"Her eyes... are beautiful," I mumbled but it was enough for Penelope to hear.

"It is. Those were the eyes of The God of War, that's what the book says." She spoke.

"Then what about her? If the Hildegarde is a family warrior, is she also a warrior too?" Penelope didn't say anything and just silently gazed up at the painting.

"Lady Isabela Hildegarde was never meant to be a warrior. She became a tool for the family's greed. Lady Isabela didn't like the idea of getting married to someone she doesn't love or like. She doesn't like the idea of getting sold off to someone older than her. To solve her family's problem, she came to Duke Zues who was planning a coup d'état inside of his family. There, Lady Isabela married Duke Zues and became officially known as Duke Zues after he killed all his family members." Penelope explained while staring at the painting.

"Duke Zues? Isn't he Tina's stepfather?" I asked.

"Duke Zues is not her stepfather — it's her biological father." I looked at her shocked at the news I heard. I blink once and twice, staring at her.

"Duke Zues found it late when Tina had already gone rampage and killed everyone. No one can really stop her. There was no other person powerful enough to stop The Lady of Prophecy from wreaking havoc." She continues to speak as I watch her telling the stories of Lady Hildegarde and Duke Zues.

In the books, they said that Lady Hildegarde and Duke Zues were madly in love with each other. As a result, they have Lewis and Hethan as their children. But stories are fiction. They're always not the thing you would always expect. Truth is always covered in the lies of imagination.

"Duke Zues didn't love Lady Hildegarde," Penelope's voice made me go back to the present.

"If he's not in love with her, then who's the lucky girl he fell in love with?" I ask.

"It was Saintess Rafaela." She answered and I cringed. Saintess Rafaela was the dancer of Rahania or known as the dancer of the east. The Priests found out the missing Saintess in the East of Vermillion — a place for warriors inside the Rahania Empire. She was quickly known as The Saintess, a messenger for Goddess Aurelia and God Kadir, the God of Life when she was found.

"Is Tina's mother… Saintess Rafaela?" I asked again and Penelope nod her head without giving me her gaze, still looking at the portrait of Lady Hildegarde. Why is she looking at the painting too much?

"Their love story is... sad," I commented and Penelope sighed.

"Indeed, it is," She whispered but I heard it loud and clear because I am just right beside her.

"If only everything is still alright," She continues to speak. Finally, she turned around to look at me.

"You have two shards in your heart," she said as she pointed to something inside my heart. Because of that, I could feel something heavy and hot inside my chest as I tried to breathe normally. When she looked away, the pain also went away.

"What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything," she said.

Then why is my heart feeling heavy and hot?

I looked into her eye and suddenly, I saw flashbacks of what happened in The Hunting Contest. I saw myself getting awakened by the power of Cain's shard and becoming Lucia's Descendant. I also saw something gold inside my chest swirling alongside a thing colored bright yet dark blue swirling with the golden light inside my chest.

I gasp for air as I tried to look away.

"Who are you?" I mumbled and Penelope smirked.

"I am but a humble messenger," She answered and slowly walked away from me.

"A messenger? From who?" Penelope stayed quiet as she bows her head down to me.

"The Princess is waiting for you, My Lady. Don't disappoint her," she said and quickly disappeared right after I tried to reach out my hand to her.

"What ..." I mumble and stood straight up and slowly walk away, going back to my quarters. Penelope, from what I saw earlier she's maybe serving Louisette. I don't know her yet her gaze tells me that I might know her from the past. Who is she? I don't know, all I could feel is that when I looked at the family painting earlier it made my chest feel tight at the sight of the smiles inside the painting. Is this another reaction again? I couldn't tell that much.

Penelope feels dangerous yet is also not. She feels… familiar but also distant. Especially her gazes.

That night, I couldn't sleep very well, and when the next day came. I saw Penelope right across in front of the library of the Mansion when I was searching for books to read. I quickly went to her and grab her arms and she wailed while I do that.

"What are you doing?! You're hurting me!" She shouted and I finally let go and glares at her.

"Why did you do that yesterday?! What do you mean, Princess?!" I said, almost like a shout as I glare at her still. Penelope flinched.

"What are you talking about? Who are you anyway?" She answered and I flinch. What?

Now that I look at her clearly, she looks the same but feels different. Her gazes are not strange anymore and also not intimidating unlike yesterday, everything felt weird and different. The Penelope I have in front of me right now looked like a child who got scared of me.

"I'm sorry, I must've mistaken you for someone else..." The Penelope today glares at me pissed at what I did.

"You fool! How could you lead me into such a silent place and then got mistaken into someone else?! Are you blind? Wear your eyeglasses next time!" She shouted and quickly walked away from me.

Wow, that hurt.

But I really don't know. It's so weird. Why is Penelope acting that way when she just looked distant yesterday? What is happening? Who is she?

I sigh.

I haven't gotten a proper meeting with the Student Council because of what happened. 'I should see them after this'. I thought as I walked in the hallways alone going to the dining room of this big and elegant Mansion of Hildegarde.

*******

[Someone's POV]

"Have you delivered my message, Isabela?" A woman with pale white skin and silver-blonde hair asks the lady with silk black hair and sunset-like eyes.

"Yes, your highness," Isabela answered the lady as she nods her head while gazing outside the huge Palace Windows.

"It will be a matter of time for I to meet her once again," she said while looking at the vast and beautiful land covered with Ice and Snow. The kingdom of Chetan is known to be the land of souls or "The World of Soul". They are the allies of Lucia or "Tina" as they helped her manage the balance between worlds to make everything a better place for the humans to stay.

"Please, hang in there, My Lady." The woman said as the cold wind of Chetan brushes through her hair and skin as she closes her eyes feeling the cold air. She breathes in and out.

'I will save you.'