Summer Jams 4: Moss Hill - Part II

“Yes, I know,” Tori said as she stood on the balcony, watching the light crystals slowly fade into the fog below.  “We’re keeping an eye on them.”

“They did not sound scared for ghost hunters when she called,” Piers replied from the comcry.

“Considering what they called you about, I doubt they'd sound scared.  Ah...it looks like Cousin Eili is taking the knights out.”

“Does she know that Marquess O’Tuagh knows?”

Tori let out a small scoff.  “I don’t think they do.  Cousin Eili had knights stationed around dangerous parts of the area to ensure that they don’t wander off the cliffs.  She’d been so focused on pranking the children and the others that she didn’t seem to notice Cousin Siobhan watching her like a hawk.  To be honest, I expected this from Eili, but not from Kasey.”

“I expected this from Senior Kasen.”

“To his own children?”

“He gave them fair warning and they went out.  If he didn’t suspect that they’d still try to go, he would not have gotten involved.  Senior Kasen does not like his words being ignored.”

Tori wrinkled her nose.  Sometimes, Piers knew her brothers better than she did, but he did technically know them for longer, and studied and worked directly with them.  She, as Tori, popped into their lives just four or so years earlier.  And once more, only saw the best version of her brother.

A movement of light in the distance could be seen.  In contrast to the fading dead light crystals the children and her friends had, there were others held outside the area of fog Siobhan had set up.  O’Tuagh knights were waiting, some weapons ready in order to give the full effect of O’Tuagh warlords approaching.

Fog wasn’t common this time of year, but in order to scare the children, Siobhan had personally used crystals to stimulate fog.  Siobhan had assured Tori that Eili would not notice the strangeness of fog that time of the year, nor would Eili realize that Siobhan had used crystals as Siobhan rarely used them.  Siobhan was right: Eili...was not the brightest of the former Marquis’ children.

However, Kasen was, to Tori, without a doubt ,the brightest of her father’s children.  It was just that Kasen wasn’t familiar enough with Siobhan’s energy to be able to identify her use of crystals. He also wasn’t familiar with the climate enough to realize that there should not be fog that night.  His inexperience was a disadvantage.

“I don’t approve of him having to teach his children this way,” Tori said.

“Are you not doing something similar?”

“I am helping Cousin Siobhan to teach Cousin Eili,” Tori replied.  Eili and Kasen were scaring the children, but they didn’t know that Siobhan was watching them carefully and was setting up a trap to mess with their heads.  It was why Eili’s preparations to organize knights and give the kids a clear way to the east grounds had gone so smoothly.

When Tori had come to Siobhan’s office that afternoon, it wasn’t just to discuss dance. Siobhan wanted to know if she wanted in on the plan to scare her sister.  The other party involved was the former Marquis O’Tuagh.  And since her friends and the children did not seem to listen, and Eili was far too excited, Tori wanted in.

Because she thought it would be fun.

Her job had been to gather some charms Kasen set out to drain the energy from the light crystals that were used as flashlights and kept in the informal dining hall for when meals were happening on the terrace.

There was also a chance that the children, and her cousin and brother, would suspect her, so she had to come downstairs later to show that they ‘interrupted’ her while she was sleeping.  However, she’d already changed out of her sleepwear and just wore the robe she wore at night over more suitable clothing.

“Nyaow!” Alexander sat on the stone balcony railing, his tail swaying behind him as they looked out towards the east grounds with her, admiring the view of the chaos unfolding like watching a movie.  They were standing in the dark so as not to be noticed, though with the thick fog surrounding the children and her friends, she doubted they’d see her standing on her balcony all the way back at the castle.

“Alexander didn’t go with the children?” Piers asked from the comcry.

“Fifi tried to call him, but he didn’t go.”

“Perhaps he was conspiring, too.”

“Alexander, were you conspiring?” Tori asked her cat with a slight grin.

“Nyaow!”  He swished his tail and nudged her head.

“I guess so.”  She chuckled and leaned over the railing, watching as Eili’s group of knights surrounded the area where the children were located.  The fog cover around them had thinned out significantly, with an area clear around a tall figure.  She was sure that it was Kasen, and he was likely using a charm to disperse the fog.

Torches were lit around the area, and she shook her head.  Drums filled the air along with the clanging of weapons and Piers let out a thoughtful sound.

“Tell me how it goes later.”

“I will.  Get some rest.”

“I miss you.”

“I miss you, too.  Good night.”  She slid her finger across the crystal and watched as the circle of torches closed in around the children.   Faint screaming from the distance filled the air as Eili and Kasen’s group made contact with the teenagers and children.  It was loud enough a ruckus to awaken everyone in the castle.

As the screaming died down, Tori waited to see the last player emerge from the castle.  It was about another minute or two before the fog really began to clear and Siobhan marched out from the direction of the terrace, surrounded by a half dozen O’Tuagh knights along with Bridget and Diedre.

Tori drew her lips inward.  She couldn’t see their expressions, but she could guess.  Siobhan likely looked stern and irritated, Bridget a bit amused, and Diedre either exhausted or embarrassed.  Perhaps both.

The entourage went directly to the east grounds with the fog parting like the Red Sea and them almost immediately dissipating.

Siobhan’s firm, irritated voice filled the air, though Tori couldn’t make out the exact words outside of ‘what are you doing’.

She stepped back into her room.  “Come on, Alexander.  They’ll be back soon.”

Her cat swished his tail once and then hopped off the railing.  Tori had heard Fiona trying to convince Alexander to join earlier that night and thought he was going to go, but it seemed that no matter what, he was loyal to her.  Tori felt a bit satisfied.  Alexander was her cat, after all.

Unless otherwise instructed, he wouldn’t play anti-ghost charm to anyone but her.

Tori adjusted the clothes she wore under her robe and put on a pair of simple flats.  She stopped by her desk, where one of her bags was placed, and rummaged through to take out a neat stack of charms with Kasen’s handwriting.

Did she feel a little bad for conspiring against her brother?  No.  She wanted to see if he was surprised.  Or terrified.

She crept through the halls as quietly as she could with her cat at her heels.  When she reached the hall that led to the informal dining room, she waited outside the doors and listened.  Siobhan was supposed to lead the group of would-be ghost hunters back to the informal dining room after she ‘caught’ them.

It wasn’t long before she heard the shuffle of footsteps and the voices of complaint.

“You can’t say it wasn’t the least bit funny.” Eili was saying as she followed behind her eldest sister while her wife walked in beside her with a tired expression.

“Eili, you are a grown woman.  What are you doing playing tricks on teenagers and children?” Siobhan snapped as she stormed in.

Tori craned her neck just a little to peek inside the dimly lit hall.  Eili didn’t seem at all bothered that her sister was scolding her.  Bridget followed up the rear, carrying Ava on her hip.  Ava’s face was red, and she was frowning.

The younger boys were pale and quiet, with Robert walking in front of Kasen, who carried Fiona like a sack of pine cones over one shoulder.  The little girl didn’t complain, just hung there, defeated.

The knights placed the confiscated light crystals on the edge of the dining room table as Siobhan turned around and faced the group.

Surprisingly, Gideon stepped forward.  “Marquess O’Tuagh, if we’ve caused any problems, I sincerely apologize.  It was not my intention.”

Siobhan lifted her hand to her head and rubbed her forehead.  “Your Highness, this is hardly your fault.  It was my sister who not only instigated this entire situation, but also the one who brought you here.  If anything, I apologize for irresponsibility.”

“I wasn’t irresponsible!  I made sure knights were lined along the cliff in case they wandered off track,” Eili said in her defense.  Her sister only gave her a dull and somewhat annoyed look.

The former Marquis O’Tuagh had been seated in a chair and shaking his head.  “Eili, your family stipend is suspended for the rest of the summer.”

“What?  No!”  Eili looked more horrified than if she’d seen a real ghost.  “I was saving up to get a crystal steam engine for my ship!”

“You should’ve thought of that before you lured the children outside in the fog,” Bridget said in a smooth voice.  Ava nodded her head, clearly angry for having been deceived.

“I expected this from you, Eili, but not from Kasen.”  Siobhan mirrored Tori’s words and Tori tried not to snicker in the hallway.

“To be honest, I’m also surprised Lord Kasen would scare us like this,” JP said with some confusion in his voice.  Tori nodded to herself.

“I knew that these two wouldn’t listen to me and want to go out with their cousins and friends,” Kasen replied.

“Daddy, where is your sense of adventure?” Fiona’s little voice piped up behind him.

“Where did my little princess who listened to me go?” Kasen replied in a cool voice.   Tori could almost see her niece slump further.

“I’m sorry, Daddy....”

“Daddy, I’m sorry, too....”

“I also apologize, Lord Kasen.  I was excited to go and Robi didn’t want to disappoint me,” Vivi added responsibly.

“It’s all right, Vivi.  As the host family, we are supposed to be the ones responsible for you.  Just know that we wouldn’t prohibit you from an activity if we didn’t think it wasn’t dangerous,” Kasen replied.

“Fifi, Robi, and even Vivi apologized....what about you?” Bridget said to Ava on her hip.

“I should not have listened to Auntie Eili, Cousin Aiden, and Cousin Maeve.  That was my biggest mistake.”

Tori ran a hand down her face.  That was far from an apology.  That was just a notice of regret.

“Aiden, you are the oldest of your cousins,” Siobhan chided.  “And Maeve, stop goading everyone on.”

Tori sighed.  If she was being fair, there were older participants and that should’ve also known better.  Maybe not Albert and Ewan, but JP and Constantine.

“But no one ever wants to come with me!” Maeve replied.

“Oh...are you too scared to go alone?”  This time, Aiden seemed to sneer.

“No!”

“All right, that’s enough!”  Siobhan said in a loud voice.  “It’s getting late!”

“But, Ma, there were ghosts out there!” Maeve insisted, pointing out the doors to the terrace.

“Maeve, there were no ghosts.  It was just your aunt and cousin Kasen who were playing tricks on you all,” Siobhan told her.

“But...but what about the light crystals?” Maeve frowned.  “They all got dark before we got to the east grounds.”

Eili’s face filled with a wide smirk and she looked towards Kasen.  The rest of the group followed her gaze and the corner of Kasen’s lips curled up.  “It was me.”

Tori heard some audible gasps and ducked back into the hall.  Piers was right about her brother.  She knew Kasen was intelligent and clever, but to use his powers for evil....?  She peeked back into the dining hall.

“But...how did you get the light crystals to turn off at once?  They were charged when we left!” Maeve choked out and looked at the adults standing around them.

Eili smirked and looked towards Kasen, who was grinning a bit.  “I used charms to use up the energy so after a few paces, they’d fade out and would not be able to turn back on.”

“Daddy!” Fiona pouted.

“Daddy....”  Robert looked at him with betrayal.  “I thought we were going to be possessed.”

Kasen chuckled.  “I had to work quickly and find the light crystals Eili prepared.  It’s good that none of you thought to bring light crystals of your own, as I wouldn’t have gotten to them.”

“I knew we should’ve done that!” Mateo groaned and grasped his head.  “Stupid....”

“This was our fault.  We should have depended on ourselves for important individual supplies, like when we’re camping,” Marco replied with a slight frown.

“We should’ve been more prepared for ghost hunting,” Maeve agreed.   “We’ll do better next time.”

“What next time?  Didn’t I say no going outside to ghost hunt in the middle of the night?” Siobhan glowered at the group, and they shrank back.  Even Kasen and Eili looked a bit embarrassed.  “Eili, Kasen, take everyone back to their rooms!  Honestly, you two are grown adults.  What are you doing scaring children?”

“It was just for fun,” Eili said.  “No one was hurt.”

“What if they ran through the fog and over the cliffs?  You didn’t have knights standing as a wall.  There were gaps.”

“There’s an actual low stone wall....”

“Go to your room!”

“What is with the yelling?” Tori slipped out from where she had been standing with a robe on and yawned.  She looked around, tired, as Alexander followed at her heels.  Her eyes settled on her friends and Eili.  “I told you Cousin Siobhan would find out.”

“Did you tell her?” Maeve gasped.

“No, she’s your mother.  Give her more credit,” Tori replied lazily.  “It’s late and it’s weirdly cold.  You’re going to be too tired to explore the city tomorrow.”

“We can sleep in!” Fiona piped.  Tori gave her an unimpressed look and she looked away, still draped over her father’s shoulder.  She lifted her hand to her mouth and seemed to force a yawn.  “Suddenly, I am very sleepy....”

Tori sighed and watched them head back to the hall.  Kasen put Fiona down and Robert took his sister’s hand to lead her back to the guest rooms.

“Bring her to my room,” Kasen said in a serious voice.  “I want to make sure she doesn’t run away again.” Fiona shrank her head down against her neck and scurried along next to her brother.

Tori looked at her friends, who avoided her eyes, a bit embarrassed.

“Sorry, Tori...” Ewan said with a lowered head.

“It was your choice to go.  I just said I wouldn’t take part,” Tori replied as she raised a brow.  “I could hear your screaming through my balcony window.”

“We didn’t scream,” Gideon said in a stern voice after he passed.

Tori rolled her eyes.  She paused and looked at his hand rubbing his stomach. “What’s wrong with your stomach?”

“Agafonova hit me!”  As if excited that someone would listen, he outed Ilyana at once.  Ilyana gasped and drew her head back, as if offended.

Tori raised a brow.  “What did you do?”

Gideon almost seemed to choke.  “Why do you assume it’s my fault?”

“Ilyana doesn’t go around hitting people at random,” Tori told him.  “You must’ve deserved it.”

Fabian dragged him away as he gaped, affronted.  Tori looked at Ilyana, who smiled weakly.

“I thought he was a ghost....”

“I’m sure.”

Sonia pulled Ilyana forward and her friends disappeared into the hall, leaving her with her brother and cousins.  Bridget had brought Aiden, Maeve, and Ava back to the wing where the family resided.

Tori looked towards Kasen.  “Did you lose some charms?”

Her brother cocked his head to the side.  “No, why?”

Tori reached into her pocket and took out a small stack of charms.  “Alexander and I found these in the hallway.  They’re all still charged and unused, and it’s your handwriting.”

Kasen furrowed his brows and stepped closer.  His eyes shrank.  “Where did you find these?”

“Out in the hallway,” Tori said.  “They were in a pile with a rock on them.  I thought maybe you put them down to find the kids.”

Kasen tensed and his lips were pale.  “I...I put these on each of the light crystals that the children were taking tonight.”  He looked towards Eili who was staring at the charms.  “These were supposed to drain the power of the light crystals so they wouldn't turn on.”

“Did you forget to do that?” Tori said.  “Also, that’s a bit unsafe, Kasey.  They could’ve tripped.”

“No...no, I remember putting these on the light crystals.  They were in the drawer in the cabinet by the door, right, Eili?”

“Yes, I saw them when I checked before the children came down,” Eili said with a nod.  “Are you sure they’re unused?”

Kasen handed her a charm.  “It’s still fully charged.”

Eili swallowed hard.  “Then...how did they turn off like we planned?”

Siobhan rolled her eyes.  “Clearly, they simply were not fully charged.”

“But all of them were dead!” Eili exclaimed with wide eyes.  “One or two, I could understand, but not all of them at once!”

“Calm down, I’m sure there is a reasonable explanation,” Tori said.  The reasonable explanation being Bridget forged copies of Kasen’s charms and Tori replaced them, gathering the original ones and letting Bridget’s take their place just long enough for Eili to see them before Tori snatched them back.  “If they were all charged at once, then it would make sense that their energy would be low at the same time.  It’s a coincidence.”

“It’s not a coincidence!”

“Forget it, Eili.  It’s late.  You start a new training session tomorrow,” Siobhan said as she crossed her arms.  “Go to sleep.”

Eili looked shaken and Diedre took her arm and led her upstairs.

“It’s too close to be a coincidence....” she murmured, almost in a daze as Diedre gave Siobhan and the former Marquis an embarrassed nod.

Kasen scratched his head as he followed.  “Tori, are you sure-”

“I found them in the hall.  You can ask one of the knights,” she told him.  Her brother looked confused, but headed down the hall to get to his guest room.

The remaining three, Siobhan, her father, and Tori, along with Alexander, watched them disappear.

Siobhan uncrossed her arms.  “Are you ready to go?”

“Yes, I’m ready.  What about the bells, mirror, and torches?” Tori asked.

“I’ve had the knights bring them out to the grounds,” Marquis O’Tuagh said.  Tori nodded and picked up Alexander. She slung her cat over her shoulder and followed the two out into the garden, taking the same way through the terrace around to the east grounds as the children and her friends had.

The thick fog had returned, covering the grounds outside Moss Hill, but Siobhan used a charm to clear the area in front of them.  She was familiar with the path and Tori followed closely, so as not to lose her way.

About two hundred steps from the edge of the terrace, where the old castle wall was, they stopped and a half dozen O’Tuagh knights were stationed around, lighting eight torches in a wide circle.

“My lady, your bells,” one of them said as she approached and handed Tori a velvet drawstring pouch as Tori put Alexander down.

“Thank you.”  Tori pulled it open and removed the metal bells attached to wrist bands and ankle bands, similar to the bells she wore for her Saphira blessing dance.  She shrugged off her robe to reveal a loose white robe with black sashes and lifted the black veil that had been resting on her shoulders over her head to cover her face.

The knight held her robe and helped pin her veil in place so it wouldn’t fly off during the dance.

Siobhan helped her tie the bells on securely, and Tori gave her wrist a little shake to hear the jingling.  She looked towards the center of the circle, where an eight-sided mirror about the size of her face was on the ground.

The fog in that area, where the children had run around screaming their heads off earlier,  had almost dissipated completely; however, the rest of the fog would shield them from view of anyone at the castle.  Tori’s room wasn’t the only one that had a view of the grounds.

“Thank you for doing this, Tori,” the old Marquis said with a gentle smile filled with gratitude.  “It has been a long time since there was a blessing dance honoring our ancestors.”

Tori shook her head as slipped out of her shoes and walked on to the moist grass barefooted.  “Not at all.  We are family and they are my ancestors, as well.  Alexander, be careful not to be stepped on when I dance”

“Nyaow!”  The cat was circling the area the torches surrounded.  He looked puffier than normal and Tori briefly wondered if his hair was on end.  His tail was up and his ears were a bit back, his large eyes fixed on the open space.

Tori pretended she didn’t think her cat was reacting to ghosts.  She walked to the center of the circle and picked up the mirror in both hands.   She held the mirror with both hands in front of her, like she was shoving it forward with the reflective portion facing outwards.

She took a deep breath.  Okay, Victoria, let’s do this.  She lifted her right foot and stomped on the ground.  The jingling of bells sounded, and she twisted her body.

There was no musical accompaniment, just the bells jingling with each step.  Tori closed her eyes and let her body move on its own.  She turned and spun, keeping the mirror pushed out as her feet hit the ground one by one.

She could feel a beat going through her body like a drum was being hit nearby.

The blessing dance for the dead was meant to reassure any restless souls that their lives were over and there was no need to continue clawing at life.  That they could rest in peace.  This was especially useful for the dead who died in battle or were warriors.

Her heart slammed against her chest, becoming faster as with each rotation.  The beating was pounding in her ears, keeping time with her footsteps and the bells on her ankles.  The mirror was raised and moved in a particular pattern.  First around in a circle, then raised over her head.  She’d do a rotation, then bring the mirror back to its starting position and repeat it.

She couldn’t see where she was going, only followed the path her body told her to go.

The cool air around her never got warmer as she moved.  She didn’t feel the usual flush or heat from physical exertion.  She didn’t overthink it and concentrated on keeping the beat steady, though with each step, the beat going through her body grew stronger and stronger, to the point that she didn’t know if she was moving or if the ground was.

She lost track of how many times she must’ve gone in a circle, but when she opened her eyes, she was back in the center, at her starting position.

“You’re sweating.”  Siobhan stepped forward after Tori had stood in place for a few seconds, unmoving.  “You were circling for a while,” she said with a slightly worried frown.  “Are you all right?”

“A bit out of breath, but I’m fine,” Tori said.  She lowered her arms, surprised they weren’t aching after holding a mirror out for so long.  Her chest rose and fell with deep breaths.  Perhaps it was the sweat that reacted to the air, but she felt cold all over.

Siobhan patted her face with a small handkerchief and froze as her eyes  fell on the mirror.  Tori followed her gaze.

The mirror was cracked.

And it was cracked from the center, not from where she was holding it.

“Tori, give the glass to the knights,” the old Marquis said as he reached her.  “Quickly before it shatters, and you cut yourself.”

A knight was standing by and holding a large, dark piece of cloth.  As Tori placed it on the cloth, Alexander, who’d rushed towards her, hissed at it.  The knight quickly covered it up.

“Constantine.” Tori called out and the young man who had to be led back from the castle rushed forward and put a blessing charm on top of the cloth.

He closed his eyes and said a prayer, drawing symbols in the air as he concentrated.  Tori and her relatives watched as the paper charm seemed to brown, rapidly aging before it fell apart into near ashes.   Constantine opened his eyes.

“The prayer is complete.  The mirror should be brought to the tomb below.” He let out a heavy sigh and furrowed his brows.  “There is a lot of energy here.”

“It is a very old burial area,” the old Marquis replied.  “Thank you, Mr. Zisos.”

“It is an honor, my lord,” Constantine replied.  He looked at Tori.  “You were dancing for fifteen minutes straight.”

“That may be my record,” Tori said with a thoughtful nod.  “Did anything strange happen when I was dancing?”

Constantine was quiet for a moment and looked at Siobhan and the old Marquis, as if uncertain if he should answer.

Siobhan looked towards the mirror that was being taken away.  “It is likely a trick of the light and our minds playing tricks on us.”

Tori tilted her head to the side.  “What did you see?”

“Faces in the mirror,” Constantine said.  “It is said that the mirror is supposed to reflect the faces of the souls nearby when the energy is suitable.”

“Have you seen something like this before?” Tori asked.

“Yes, there is a Declyan shrine at Temple Mountain.  Temple Mountain is a holy place and there are many burial sites in the area.  Every century, there is a blessing dance performed by a priest and priestess,” he said.  He furrowed his brows.  “I was only a child when they last held a blessing dance, but I remember seeing faces in the mirrors they held.  They were blurry and I can’t be certain.  The mirror was moved around during the dance, so I only saw it for a split second, so the Marquess is right.  It could just be a trick of the light.”

Tori scrunched her face as her cousin put her robe back over her shoulders.  “Well...that’s not remotely creepy.”

“Mr. Zisos, did you feel the beat in your body?” Siobhan asked.

Constantine shook his head.  Tori looked over her shoulder as she slipped her shoes back on.  “You felt the beat?

“The longer you danced, the stronger the beat,” Siobhan replied.  “Did you feel it?”

“Of course, she felt it.  She has O’Tuagh in her,” the old Marquis said with a bit of pride.

“Did they try to possess you, like in the story?” Constantine asked as several knights escorted them back to the castle.

The fog had completely lifted, as if it hadn’t been there at all a few minutes ago.  The air was warmer now, as well, similar to how it had been at dinner, when it was pleasant enough for them to eat outside.

The old Marquis chuckled.  “Honestly, that is just a story to scare children.  In particular, Eili, who was quite a handful when she was a child.  My grandfather told me that if I feel a beat in my body, it is an acknowledgment from our ancestors that we are carrying on our legacies.”

“It is to remind us that we have a duty to the people we have sworn to protect,” Siobhan said.  “And the stronger the beat, the more we are acknowledged.  And you don’t need to be O’Tuagh...it is our ancestors simply acknowledging you.”

★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★

“I told you to sleep well last night, and instead you ran off in the middle of the night to go play in the fog,” Tori said as she looked at the table with firm eyes.  Several sets of eyes avoided hers.  “And you all are adults; you should know better.”  She looked at Ewan and the others in particular.

Henrik casually bit into his toast, not having any part in last night, therefore, not part of the scolding.  Since Siobhan got her scolding done the night before, now it was Tori’s turn.

“I won’t do it again, Auntie,” Fiona said in a quiet voice.  “It’s too dangerous.”

“I told you,” Tori frowned.  “You could’ve tripped and gotten hurt.”

Henrik looked at the group and smirked.  “Well, did you see any ghosts?”

“No....”  Several disappointed voices spoke up and Tori wanted to snort.

“But we felt them!” Maeve perked up and slapped her hand on the table.  “They were there!”

“You felt them, but didn’t see them?” Henrik raised a brow, full of disbelief.

“It was cold,” JP said.  “That was strange in itself considering how warm it had been earlier.”

“Temperatures can drop later in the night,” Henrik replied.  It was a logical and reasonable answer.  Tori nodded.

“What about the fog?” Albert asked as he looked around.  “There wasn’t any fog when we left the terrace.”

“We’re by the ocean, Albert,” Tori said, motioning past the terrace where they were eating breakfast and towards the sea that was right there.  “And it got cold despite the warm air; therefore, fog.  Running out in the fog is dangerous.”

“We got back safely,” Ava said, picking at her food with disinterest.  It was very unlike Ava.  “It would’ve been nice if we’d stayed longer.”

“You were the first to start screaming,” Marco said with a roll of his eyes.

“And you almost punched me in the stomach with how scared you were,” Aiden said, glaring at his little cousin.

“You’re my big cousin, you’re supposed to protect me!” Ava said, returning his glare.  “Instead, you screamed, too.”

“I screamed because you screamed!”

“We all screamed,” Albert said with a tired sigh.

“I didn’t scream,” Fiona piped.  Robert wiped some jam off her face.  “I was very brave.”

“Yes, Fifi was very brave,” Ilyana nodded.  “She didn’t scream or freeze up when the light crystals didn’t go on or when it suddenly got colder.”

“Like you did?” Sonia grinned.

“You were gripping my arm, I couldn’t move!” Ilyana retorted.

“What does it matter?  You were all just scared at that moment.  Didn’t Lord Kasen and Commander Eili set up the entire thing?” JP reminded them.  “There are no ghosts.  Lord Kasen also created the fog.”

Robert froze in his seat and shook his head. “It wasn’t my dad.”

Several eyes turned towards him.  “What do you mean?” Aiden asked.

Robert looked around the table and bit his lower lip.  “When a charm is used, people who are sensitive to charm energies can identify who charged the charm if they are familiar enough.  I know my dad’s energy...he didn’t create the fog.”

Several eyes looked back at Tori, and she shook her head.  “I have grounding and energy limitations right now.  I can’t use crystals for simple things for at least another month according to Master Ramos.”

Aiden frowned.  “This time of the year, we don’t get fog.”

“Nature is mysterious!” Vivi said despite the tension in his voice and the slight glint of worry in his eyes.  Robert nodded rapidly in agreement.

Maeve’s eyes had the opposite reaction and glistened with excitement.  “We did run into ghosts.”

Tori swore most of the table shuddered.

Fiona nodded. “Yes, I could feel the beating in my heart.”  Tori looked over at Fiona and furrowed her brows just a bit.

“You felt the beating in your heart?  Your heartbeat?” Tori asked.

Fiona shook her head. “No, like a drum was being hit nearby and I could feel it through my body, through my heart.”  She tilted her head to the side.  “But it wasn’t scary.”  She bit into the sausage she’d wrapped in a slice of bread.

Her brother looked at her as if she’d said something incredible.  “You...you felt a beat?”

Fiona nodded, chewing.  After she swallowed her food, she looked at him.  “Yes, it felt nice.  Like when Auntie pats my back to put me to sleep.”

“Comforting?” Ilyana asked.  Fiona thought for a moment and then nodded.

“Yes!”

“Are you sure?” Aiden asked.  “I didn’t feel anything.”

“Neither did we,” Marco and Mateo chorused.

“I felt my heart racing, but that’s kind of all I paid attention to,” Maeve admitted.  She looked at Ava.  “What about you?”

Ava furrowed her brows for a moment.  “Did it feel...like it went through your whole body...like a wave?”

“Yes!” Fiona nodded.  “Did you feel it too?”

Ava’s eyes were wide, and she nodded.  “I thought I was just excited...”

“How come you two felt it, but we didn’t?” Marco frowned.

“We don’t know if Fifi has the bloodline, either,” Albert said.  “Perhaps whatever is there favors small children?”

All eyes fell on the two little girls.  Tori looked across the table at Constantine, who seemed to pretend he was completely entranced with his morning coffee.  She cracked a small smile.

“All right, finish eating.  We’re going to look at the Naval Academy today and I’m looking forward to it.”

“Why are we going to the Naval Academy?” Ava asked with a wrinkled face.  “I’ve been there a lot already.”

“Yes, but we haven’t.  Also, Ewan will cycle through the marches during his first-tier knight training.  It would be good for him to get a look at where he’ll be training for maritime defense,” Tori replied.

“But we won’t be getting on a ship.  All we’ll see are recruits doing their stamina and swim training,” Aiden told her.  “It’s difficult, but very repetitive and boring to watch.”

Tori nodded.  “Yes.  I know.  I want to watch them suffer-I mean train.”

Several pairs of eyes looked at her and JP squinted.  “Do you just want to watch His Highness and von Dorn suffer?”

“Yes.”

“Guevera, we are still here.”  At the far end of the table, Gideon looked up at her with narrowed eyes.

“I know, that’s why I said it.”

“You-”

“Your Highness, von Dorn!  Hurry up!  You need to get back to the naval barracks!  The morning swim starts in an hour!” Eili walked out, holding a fried bread stick in one hand while wearing her naval training uniform.  “Finish eating!  We’re leaving now!”

Both Gideon and Fabian stuffed the remaining food into their mouths and shot out of their chairs.  They cut through the informal dining hall and vanished before Eili could follow.

“To think they could move that fast when being given an order,” Sonia said.

“It’s different when they’re training,” Ewan replied.  “I’m excited to see.  Do you think I can join?”

Tori thought for a moment.  She turned around.  “Cousin Eili!”

Her cousin was almost exiting the dining hall when she heard Tori.  “What is it?”  She shouted back and a second later, Siobhan shouted at her.

“Stop yelling!  Just go outside!”

Eili reappeared, unperturbed.  “What is it?” she repeated as she looked at them on the terrace.

“Is there any way Ewan can join a training session while we’re he-”

“Let’s go, Ewan!  The carriage leaves now!”  Tori didn’t even finish her sentence before her cousin’s face lit up with excitement and she clapped her hands together.  “Don’t worry about training clothes, I’ll have them provide you a set when we get to the academy!  Let’s go!  Let’s go!”

Ewan stuffed his food into his mouth and then downed the rest of his drink as he stood up.  “Yes, Training Commander!  I’ll see everyone later!”

He dashed out of the terrace.  “I applaud Sir Ewan’s enthusiasm,” Aiden replied.  “The training camps are not easy.”

“Have you tried it before?” Albert asked.

“Yes.  All of us O’Tuagh learn to swim and sail before we’re ten, and then participate in training similar to the naval academy at age twelve,” Aiden replied.

“I can sail a small vessel now!” Ava said with a proud look.

Fiona looked rightly impressed and gazed at her cousin with awe.  “Cousin Ava is so amazing....”

Ava rubbed her nose.  “I know.”

“I wonder if we can arrange for Ewan to try training in the other two marches, as well,” Tori said with a thoughtful look.

“It can be arranged,” former Marquis O’Tuagh stepped forward.  “I can call Salka and let her know.”

Marquess Salka Nordursin was the current Marquess of the Nord March and the eldest of the March leaders.  She was just a few years older than Tori’s father and Idunn was her niece; her younger brother’s eldest daughter.

“If you can, that would be great.  It doesn’t have to be a long training session.  Even if he can observe, that’s enough,” Tori said.

“The boy may one day take care of one of our own.  Experience is important,” the former Marquis said with a nod before he turned around to go back inside.

“I like the idea of following Tori around for free food, but I don’t know if it’s worth all that training.”  Albert let out a heavy sigh.

Tori smirked.  “Have you considered working at the imperial palace?”

Albert stiffened in his seat.  His eyes slowly crinkled up and his hand tightened around his fork.  Wary eyes looked at Tori.  “What have you heard?”

“A lot of the palace administrative staff spoke highly of you after your internship.  It’s nothing bad,” Tori replied with a slight smile.  “Isn’t it good that you had such good reviews?”

“It is exhausting working at the palace,” Albert said with a haunted expression.  “There is so much paperwork...so much....”  He shuddered and Ilyana patted his shoulder sympathetically.

“Wait...aren’t you studying imperial policy and law?” JP asked as he crinkled his eyes and looked at Albert. “Wouldn’t working as a palace aide fit perfectly with that?”

“Half my family studied it.  It was sort of a default for choice,” Albert told them.  He looked back at Tori with suspicion.  “His Imperial Highness hasn’t said anything about it, has he?”

Tori lifted up some coffee.  “Let’s hurry up and finish so we can go watch the second prince suffer.”

“Answer my question, Tori!”

“You’ll be fine,” Tori assured him.  “The pay is good.”

★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★

“The pay isgood, isn’t it?” Tori asked warily.  Fiona was not allowed to sleep in her room after her foray into the fog, so Piers looked forward to having a long conversation with Tori without distraction.  Not that he didn’t like Fiona, but he wanted to talk to Tori.

It was the only thing relaxing him after dealing with both domestic and international issues that had been thrust upon him while his father nested in Viclya with his mother.  A ‘long-deserved’ vacation, they said.  He called it abandonment.

“It is highly competitive and there are yearly bonuses with good year-end reviews,” Piers replied.  He frowned a bit.  “Is he still resistant to the position?”

“Yes, you really traumatized him last time.”

“It was standard personal aide work and he handled it exceptionally well.”

“How does Axton stand you?” Tori laughed a bit and despite her question, he smiled.

“He is surprisingly good at office work,” Piers replied.  “This is a must, as he needs to run the Alvere Duchy.”

Tori sighed.  “He works so hard.  Don’t overwork him.”

Piers narrowed his eyes and stared at the comcry.  Did Tori not know that Axton was constantly late and always complained about his work?  Did Axton complain to Tori?  Axton was the type to complain to Tori.

“He is...sufficient.”

“He’s also running the businesses his mother left him and has a hand in the duchy,” Tori said in Axton’s defense.  “Not to mention was your personal knight for years, so there is all that training he needs to go through.”

Piers frowned a bit.  “I do more work.”

He heard her let out a small chuckle.  “I didn’t say you didn’t.  You do a lot of work.  More than you should considering you’ve been helping your father for years now.”

“It is manageable.”  It’s just that he wanted to go on vacation, too.  It would’ve been nice to join Tori and the others at the Naval Academy to watch his brother suffer - train.  Train.

“I just want to make sure you're getting plenty of rest and eating properly.  This sort of stress, even if you’re just sitting at a desk the entire day, is very draining and can wear on your body.”  He wondered if Tori was going through the same stresses as he was, as she sounded so experienced.

“I am.  I am resting well and making sure to eat proper meals,” he replied.  “Are you resting?”

“I just got a massage this evening, Piers.  I’m resting verywell,” Tori said, almost as if she were bragging.  “I can’t say the same for the children though.  After the whole excursion into the fog to feel the O’Tuagh warlords, Ava and Aiden have been jumpy.  Marco and Mateo still want to go back and try again, but Auntie Lucia threatened to keep them from going to Viclya at the end of the summer.”

“I read that children are very sensitive to things like spirits,” Piers said as he leaned back on his chair and looked at the comcry on his desk.

“I felt it, though,” Tori replied.

“You were doing a blessing dance,” Piers told her.  “They were acknowledging your efforts.”

Tori let out a tired sigh.  “Do you think ghosts really exist?”

“I believe that a person has a soul and energy,” Piers told her.  He could feel it in his bones, but didn’t exactly know why.  “A corporal body is easier to explain than such things as a spirit.”

“Hmm....” Tori hummed.  “Oh, Kasey was upset when he found out that I knew that Cousin Siobhan set them up.  He said he thought something strange was happening, but didn’t expect it to be me.”

“You only did the blessing dance.  You did not plan what Marquess O’Tuagh plotted.”  While not known for it, Marquess O’Tuagh was very proficient with charms and above average ability in using crystals.  Master once told him that Marquess O’Tuagh could easily become a crystal master if she tried, but it wasn’t her focus.

Piers wasn’t surprised that she summoned the out-of-season fog for the sole purpose of scaring her misbehaving children and younger sister, as well as had her sister drain the energy from light crystals herself in order to shake Senior Kasen.  If anything, his respect for Marquess O’Tuagh increased.

“How did Training Commander O’Tuagh take it?”

“She swore that she’d get Cousin Siobhan back and then complained to her wife,” Tori replied in a dull voice.

“Are you going to tell the children?”

Tori snorted.  “No.  I’m not going to tell the others either.  I made Constantine swear to secrecy.  Don’t tell them, either.”

“I won’t.”  He smiled a bit.  Perhaps he could use this one day.  “When are you leaving for Enda?”

“The end of the week,” Tori said.  “The old Marquis contacted Marquess Nordursin to arrange for Ewan to try some training.  Everyone seems to be optimistic for him.”

“Ewan will be an excellent knight for you,” Piers replied.

“Oh, so you’re going to assign Ewan to me?” Tori chuckled.  “I was going to request him.”

“He has made his goal well known. In addition, you trust Ewan.  I also trust Ewan.”

“He knows when to step in.  He pulled Ilyana back from kicking your brother.”  She paused for a moment.  “By the way, are you all right with that?  Ilyana won’t get into any trouble for punching him, will she?”

“My brother caught them by surprise.  It is natural that Lady Ilyana would react to protect Fifi,” Piers replied, unbothered.  He knew that eventually, Gideon would have to face Lady Ilyana’s fury.  It was good that it was in a situation that could easily be thought of as an accident.  “Lady Ilyana still harbors a lot of anger and frustration because of my brother’s ignorance.”

“We all harbor a lot of anger and frustration because of your brother’s refusal to listen,” Tori grumbled.  “It was enjoyable watching him be left behind by all the other recruits.  I don’t know how he’s going to handle the Blue Crescent.”

“He will be fine.”  At least he should. The infamous Blue Crescent was the brutal month-long initial training for naval recruits.  It was said that half the people who joined did not complete it and would either have to try again or give up completely.

“Are you not worried about your brother at all?”

“I am not.”  Gideon was not particularly greatly skilled at anything, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t learn.  “Aunt Celine was able to complete her Blue Crescent.”

“Didn’t your Aunt Celine also end her tour early?”

Piers’ lips were in a line.  “It was not for her.”

Tori sighed.  “So, she decided to travel to Soleil instead?”

“Yes,” Piers replied.  “Right now, she is in Viclya.”  He could almost feel Tori narrow her eyes.

“Still?”

“She hasn’t left.”

“She’s been there for months.  It can’t possibly be that interesting after she’d traveled for so long.”

Piers took a deep breath.  “She would like to purchase land to build a residence.  She asked me to urge you to approve her residency application.”

There was silence on the other end of the comcry.  “Can I reject it?”

The corner of his lip curled up.  “Yes.  Father also wants you to reject it.”  His father was insistent that if Celine was going to settle down, it should be in Horizon.  There were a few imperial properties where she could stay with her husband and wife.  There was no need for Celine to settle in Viclya.

Of course, his father would not tell his aunt this in person.  He only contacted Piers and told him to urge Tori to reject his sister’s application, using some excuse of Viclya only accepting workers at the moment, which technically wasn’t a lie.

Piers had been keeping an eye on the residency applications.  Priority was given to refugees, extended families of existing villagers, workers and their immediate families, and imperial knights who had strong connections to the delta.  There were many farmers applying and the administration Tori had put in place was following her land allocation plans he’d helped her with.

Roads were being built to connect the planned villages and towns.  Tori wanted her county residents to be able to move about the county with ease, as well as be proud of where they lived.  It was small enough for her to be able to plan in such a manner, as well as budget for.  The tax money saved from paying to the empire was poured back into the county’s infrastructure.

Soon, they’d have to pay the empire their share of taxes, but until then, every coin went to the county and Tori was very transparent about where the money went.  In addition, Tori’s share of profits from various businesses went to public services and buildings, including homes that could be bought by residents.

She said that she had some money, and her family would support her personally if needed, so she could afford to throw any profit she made at her delta.  She just wanted to make sure that it was spent responsibly and with a general consensus from her citizens.

“I’ll reject it on those grounds.  At the moment, we are not allocating property for non-permanent residents,” Tori said.  “But don’t worry too much about that.  I and Cosora’s administration can deal with it.”

He felt warm.  Tori always wanted to take good care of him.

“I received a call through Ambassador Wu’s son from Crown Prince Hong Li in the Hong Empire.  They have also collapsed several tunnels and paths that were found crossing over their north western ranges.  Varsha has also found unmarked roads,” Piers told her.  “They did not think they would have so many.”

“Their borders with the central area are longer than ours,” Tori said.  “Any news on the Duraga Federation?”

“Internal unrest,” Piers said.  “We do not know the extent of it, but the tribes have retreated to the inner areas of their territory.  Hong and Varsha are threatening to invade.”

He heard her gasp.  “It’s gotten that bad?”

“The breach of their borders have made them defensive.  We will issue a decree with them.  If the Duraga Federation does not agree and continues, three empires will sweep through the central plains,” Piers told her.  “I doubt it will come to that.  Many smaller tribes are pulling away from the federation and the two largest, including Rosiek’s tribe, are caught in a power struggle.  Many of the soldiers who died under the village were from those tribes.  They had been away for years and Rosiek’s tribe is being blamed.”

Tori took a deep breath.  “I would think they’d have animosity towards us.”

“The details of the situation are still coming in, but it seems that Rosiek’s plan was not well known, and the losses suffered because he was discovered have fractured the relationships within the Federation.  This will work in our favor,” he told her.

“That’s good.”

“Not only that, but you have been invited to both Varsha and the Hong Empire to exchange crystal ideas.  They have meeting with advanced and master crystal users every few years and one will be due soon.  Master Ramos had gone before.  You may want to speak to him about it.  Such an opportunity doesn’t come often.”

“Are you serious?” Tori’s voice rose with excitement.  “They want to have a crystal symposium of sorts?”  Hearing her excitement made him smile.

“Yes.”

“To be invited....”  Tori trailed off.  “This is great!  I was considering the field studies program at Université.  I wonder if they’ll let me come in conjunction with it.”

His smile faltered.  “Field studies program?” That was the program where Université students were allowed to do practical research on the field or attend classes in sister schools in allied countries.  Axton and Axton’s brother had been discussing such a program for more experience.

He did not think Tori would consider it, at least not before she actually started at the school.  His stomach dropped and his grip on the edge of his desk tightened.

“I’ll have to hold off until my second year, at the earliest, but I wanted to visit other places ahead of time for the purposes of crystal research.  Master du Monde mentioned it before, and he found the program invaluable.”

Piers was remarkably close to revoking Master du Monde’s status as imperial jeweler.

“I see.”

“I’d love to meet other crystal users from other countries, too.  This is a great opportunity; I’ll talk to Master Ramos about it.  Thanks, Piers!”

His eyes crinkled up as he suddenly felt drained of energy.  “You are welcome.”

Tori chatted a bit more about their plans before ending the call.  Piers stared at the dim comcry after the call ended.

He made a mental note: bringing up crystals with Tori was a dangerous thing.

★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★

A.N. -

All right, and this is were we end for about a month.  I'll be back sometime in early May.  I'll also pause billing for a month when this chapter is posted, but you all should still have access to all the content.  

If you need to contact me, you know how to reach me.  Get some rest and take care of yourselves!  As always, thank you for taking time to read! 💗