Lewis stayed silent for an agonizingly long time. Cedric stayed frozen in silence. He could only hope that Aefia didn't suddenly appear out of nowhere and stumble upon this scene.
"Congratulations Prince Cedric."
"Thanks Prince Lewis."
This amount of conversation was the most that was normal between them. Until...
"Though I suppose my sister helped you." Lewis suddenly brought up while tilting his head to the side by a bit. The entire atmosphere around them turned sullen.
"Before that... Let us get a more covered place to have this conversation. I suppose we don't want the other nobles to spread unwanted rumors, right?" He held out a hand to gesture at him to follow along towards the exit.
Cedric was slightly older than him, and therefore, almost the same height. It isn't like Aefia was any short either—she is only to ear's length of their height. That is, not on heels of course.
Once inside the library, he locked the door and stepped forward.
"About your question ealier..." He breathed out silently. "I can't lie when I said I got absolutely no help from her. But I am not sure if what you mean is whether she planned on putting me on the throne from the start or whether I used her.
"And how you heard of her, I don't know either."
Lewis frowned, clenched his fists at his sides before glaring at the new prince. "I think I would like to ask if she is alive and walking around in this palace right now."
"Yes. She is. But not the way you might remember her."
"How?"
"She has changed a lot. The last time, she spend two days straight without a speck of sleep in the forest and when she came out, her attitude had changed."
For a brief moment, he felt like tearing up st the note of permanently losing his sister. That was just a flicker of emotions he showed before changing the question.
"You did say she helped you. Exactly how much?"
"I am afraid I can't say a specific amount that I recall of. Apparantly, her plan was what I depended on to get my revenge. She had provided me the idea first, then I followed the orders. So she did everything." Cedric explained while clasping his hands behind him. "Judging by your expressions, you are worried about her. Aren't you?"
Lewis let out a sigh. "Since you were a close friend to my sister back at the palace, you must know how much as a brother I am afraid. Imagine you were the one facing me in my situation, how would you feel?"
Cedric pursed his lips into a single line. He shrugged while speaking. "Well... My siblings betrayed me... So I don't know."
Immediately, an awkward silence flowed between them. Lewis used his hand to cover his eyes for a brief moment before looking up again.
"Sorry about that. That is all I wanted to say. Just ensuring she was alright." He added while bowing his head slightly. "I will take my leave then. Good luck with your future reign." He nodded while unlocking the library and walking away.
"Just a moment Prince Lewis." Cedric spun on his heels to face him one last time. At the other end of the room, he stopped near the half-opened door.
"Stop drying the earth behind you just because your sister died and changed completely. You don't know her properly to understand she had been trying to escape the palace for the trauma inflicted on her." He stepped forward, explaining. "Even if she were alive with her old personality and spoke to you, she would be doing so with her fingers trembling while that would make you feel more guilty over it.
"If you know your sister well enough... She has a reason or two as to why she does a particular thing. She knows she had every right to go back to the Imperial family and try living a good life. But sometimes, it is better for the trauma to heal fully before attempting at it again. For her... The damage was so bold... She has difficulty speaking about it even now.
"Do you think you can face her when she just stays silent and stares shocked at you?"
Lewis turned his gaze back at Cedric, his brighter blue eyes staring deep into the new prince's until a moment of total hostility was left behind. He turned around to face Cedric properly.
"How am I leaving the soil dry in your terms?"
"With your attitude... And the way you are treating others with such harsh behaivours. Because of one person, you are leaving everyone struggling." He answered back while narrowing his eyes down. "You know Aefia will one day want to meet you again. So stop doing whatever you are doing."
"I know..." He smiled while walking backwards and shutting the door. His footsteps carried away, drowning the entire room in a moment of total silence.
Only after her brother had left did Cedric let out a deep sigh. I don't know about that... But he did seem irritated before leaving. Well I should stop. He is a concerned brother who is not good to provoke at a time like this. However... As a friend, I do care for Aefia's well-being.
Suddenly, he recalled a crucial detail. Oh right... I need to go find her. Where is she?
***
Aefia found herself standing in the grand suite of the Empress. The scent of antiseptic and iron was now replaced by the remarkable lily and lavendar. Her eyes scammed across the room, looking for someone or something. However, she didn't need to look for long.
Sitting behind the mahogany desk, was a now healthy Emily. Her face was restored to her striking thirties features. Her limps looked fuller and she looked powerful again.
"I see the cure worked on you." Aefia managed out while staying where she was. It was still early evening, when she had planned an immediate visit to the palace—while Lewis was away in the Mides kingdom, speaking with Cedric.
"It did." The Empress stood up while letting out a sigh. She walked over to where Aefia stood, placing a hand on her shoulder and looking down at the ground between them. "And because it did, I am truly grateful for your hardwork. Honestly, I couldn't express in terms of words just how much I appreciated it."
"Don't worry. I get it." Aefia stepped back while dusting off the hand, preserving the distance that stood among them.
The Empress looked hurt, and took a step back too. Her eyes lifted to her face, which looked hollow of any emotions. There was no words that could be spoken that would easily make them forget about the past and solve any mistakes back to the way they were.
Their actions were... Irreversible.
Like salt placed on the soil as she raised her hand on Aefia's younger body back at her room. That right now, the land they were standing on couldn't be healed for new plants to grow. So it would take a very long time until the salt washes off with rain before they can sit down and have a proper, non-political conversation.
"Aefia... I am sorry. About whatever I had done to you." The Empress muttered under her breathe.
On the other side, she hung her head low while gritting her teeth. Then scoffing at the apology.
"Sorry? Really? After all those nights that I had to stay awake and take your beating just because you were in a bad mood?" It felt good to fight back with at least one parent.
The silence was louder, to the point of deafening.
"You pierced me with needles! All across my arms, and I still have those scars to prove it! You think a simple sorry is going to fix whatever happened between us?!" Aefia lifted her gaze, which came away watery. "Maybe because I was someone else's child... But also because of you, I had lost whatever hope of life I had that drove me to my own death! I took my life! And you weren't even concerned! Then now you are apologizing... For what?!"
The Empress looked surprised at such a display of vulnerability that she never saw in her life.
"Do you know how painful death is?" She asked clearly this time. "I jumped from the bridge, and I clearly remember how much I suffered before I died. It still traumatizes me to this date, that even when I saw Lewis standing at one corner of the banquet hall, my fingers were trembling.
"And guess who was behind it... You!
"I wished for a loving elder brother, I got two! But you ruined everything with your... Petty little display of motherly affection to the society... Just to stabalize your standings! You called me your daughter outside and on the inside, you dismantled me piece by piece to forge a tool that you could forever control. Then one day, you come to me and tell me you loved me as your own child...
"Are you just born this way or did you become this pathetic at some point of your life?!
"My life was harsh as it was until you made it worse! I was suffering from my own problems regarding how I got unwillingly transported out of my own world, my own family, to come to this world! I was dreathing myself for my wrong decisions and you just had to make things worse!
"And if that wasn't enough... You wanted me killed too! I clearly remember the word, 'executed'. Don't even think about lying that you still think about killing me just because I know a lot about you. You know very well that you have a very unstable standing in the society which will collapse whenever you take a misstep... You are standing right in front of me... Looking me in the eye and acting all motherly. When in reality, you are looking for ways to slaughter me to silence my voice from the outer world!"
Aefia gasped for air, hanging her shoulders low, grabbing her knees for support. Tears fell from her eyes uncontrollably.
"Because of you... I will never be able to face Lewis as 'Aefia' anymore... You have damaged my mind so much... Even with an alter ego, that would be impossible." She weeped into her hands while sinking onto the ground. "I will end up showing signs of my past trauma one way or another. That will give away my true identity. I want to talk to him... But I can't do that anymore."
The Empress looked down with guilt, finding no word to answer back to her. The silence was only broken with Aefia's sobs. Maybe it was the first time she managed to cry out freely while in the palace. However, this will also be the last one.
Emily hesitantly crouched down, running a hand through Aefia's hair. Her lips trembled, but she couldn't force out a word. Until she finally hugged her, tucking the black roots of her hair underneath her own chin and patting Aefia's back.
"Look, I know what I did will never change it back to you... But I am not expecting you to forgive me. I have done some wrong which I deserve to get punished for." She whispered into her ears.
"I already had a messed up life... Why did you need to crumble it?"
The reason she had come here for was long since forgotten... Overshadowed by Aefia's gruesome memories. But she felt slightly better now, the trauma barely making an effect on her. Maybe she needed to spit out the truth.
However, as long as she was aware of her recovery, that was all she needed to keep her head above water. Just the realization that she had finally made progression.
***
The atmosphere back at the Mides Kingdom was quite heavy. Aefia sat at a sofa, her head hanging low as she received scoldings from Cedric.
She had broken a rule. Leaving the banquet during the most important time—just to end up crying in another place.
"You really are a hyperactive teenager. I thought I clearly reminded you not to go without my permission! Now look what has happened!"
She stayed silent, her brows frowning as she silently scolded him back. Well you were speaking to Lewis... Weren't you?
"I don't even know what that woman told you to hurt your feelings like that..." He folded his arms and sat at the opposite armchair to her. "Why were you so upset when I found you?"
Aefia's eyes widened at the sudden concern of his voice. Her hand fell to her face, recalling the memory she had collected back there. Of course she wasn't embarrased... The feeling from the memories that flooded into her mind was covering up for the minutes lost over shouting out freely in front of that woman's face about her struggles.
"I—I can't explain anything p—precisely..." She stuttered, letting out a deep breathe. "I was just over there easing out my anger, after I saw that Lewis was also attending the banquet. I was mad... That I can't ever talk to him properly."
Cedric felt guilty about something. Was it because just this evening, he had told Lewis to leave Aefia alone so that she could navigate her own life and find out more about herself? Or that he had the oppurtunity for both siblings to share a talk under his supervision, but he just didn't do so?
Apparently, Lewis was still here as a foreign guest. He still had an option to meet them two up—however—he won't be able to prevent any sort of conflict between them if it happens and that too will be his fault... That the siblings turned even more separated.
He leaned forward.
"Do you still want to meet Lewis?" Cedric asked with a soft voice, although he didn't reach out to pry the hands out of her face. She stayed that way for much longer, completely quiet without a sound.
Aefia held her breathe in her throat, standing up while dropping her hands to the side. Her gaze travelled to the windows, staring into the distinct trees that swayed gently among the breeze.
"No... I will meet him later. By myself."
With that, she bowed and walked out of that room to take a walk out in the gardens to calm her mind.