Chapter 10: The Heart Which Believes

Sadly, my prayers were not answered.

The doctor’s face was deathly pale as he exited Duchess Rosalia’s room. His voice was grave as he gave us the verdict. “It’s the Ashen Nightmare.”

I sucked in a breath. The whole room seemed to freeze over with tension. That name embodied fear itself—the Ashen Nightmare.

It began with symptoms that resembled a cold. After an incubation period that lasted anywhere from ten to twenty days, a person would develop ashen-colored flecks across their skin. All the other issues that accompanied it mirrored any other sickness: high fever, vomiting, and violent coughing. You could only distinguish it as the plague once the ashen-colored flecks began to appear, but shortly after, the person affected would lose consciousness and fall into a coma. Those flecks would spread across their entire body...and then they would die.

The reason it was also known as the Sleeping Sickness was because once those spots appeared, most never regained consciousness and instead died in their sleep. The ashen coloring that swallowed them whole was like a nightmare, and so people named it thusly. The bright red rash, which Duchess Rosalia had on her skin, was only a precursor. It would darken eventually to match the disease’s namesake.

There was an audible gulp as someone asked, “Are you certain?”

The only people present in the room to hear the doctor’s report were General Bakula, Lord Alexei, Earl and Countess Ralshen, and myself. There were a few others close to us whom we felt trustworthy enough to include as well, such as Lord Alan, Lilia, and a few of the earl’s servants, but that was it.

Despite his pallid complexion, this man was a trained doctor, and as befitting of his occupation, he relayed the facts. “It’s as Lady Elianna feared. I used the diagnostic agent to confirm whether she had the plague or not, and there’s no mistake. The test has been compulsory ever since this illness ravaged our kingdom before. It’s the only way for us to distinguish it between ordinary cold symptoms. But in recent years, doctors have been less adamant about performing it because of the costs associated.”

Another loud gulp.

It was two years after the Ashen Nightmare swept that land that we discovered a way of testing to diagnose people. Prior to that, anyone who showed symptoms of a cold was isolated with the plague victims, which resulted in those who’d only had an ordinary cold contracting the plague as well. That only furthered the spread of the devastation. Chief Herbalist Nigel, of the palace’s Pharmacy Lab, was the one who discovered and developed the diagnostic agent. Sadly, sixteen years had passed since the original outbreak and doctors had fallen lax in administering the test.

Lord Alexei shook his head, recomposing himself as he stroked his chin and contemplated how to approach the issue. He seemed less content to dwell on his frustration with the past and more focused on what move to make next. It was little wonder why he was the prince’s right hand, what with his ability to recover so quickly.

“The Diana company has a monopoly on the sale of pomelo fruit. Either way, we can’t count on them much right now. Most of it would rot before it made it here. As Lady Elianna proposed, we’ll have to rely on other highly acidic fruits to perform the test. Ralshen produces very little fruit, however. We’ll have to send an emergency missive to Azul and Gral. We also need to send someone to inform the palace of this outbreak.”

Lord Alan and the other servants immediately began scurrying about. Meanwhile, Earl Ralshen was still staring blankly forward as if in a daze. Lord Alexei seized him by the shoulders, bringing him back to reality.

“Carl, I need you to pull yourself together. You are the regional lord. Protecting the people of Ralshen is your duty.”

“Y-Yeah...” The young earl managed a hesitant nod, but his face was pale with remembered fear from his youth.

When Lord Alan returned to the room, he had a soldier following behind him. “Alex! An express messenger from the capital is here.”

Everyone’s eyes turned to the soldier. He was still gasping for air, having hurried here, when he took to his knee to pay his respects to all of us. There was an insignia on the back of his hand as well as his collar, displaying the royal family’s red falcon—a clear indication that this was an emergency correspondence. The symbol drawn on the back of his hand was done in a method similar to henna and was a secret sign used by the royal family in times of crisis.

General Bakula and Lord Alexei nodded at the man, who promptly gave his name. Afterward, Lord Alexei used the code name for the royal family in order to confirm the man’s identity. Said name was from an ancient language used only for urgent matters.

Once we were certain of his affiliation, Lord Alexei accepted the letter from him and started to pass it over toward me. The soldier interrupted us, however, with a shocking revelation.

“Pardon, but this matter is so dire I must share the most important bit before you read the rest: the king has collapsed.”

“What...?”

“The Ashen Nightmare has taken hold of him.”

“Impossible,” Lord Alexei gasped.

My heart froze in my chest as I stared at the soldier. This implied the new outbreak had started not from the northern territories this time but from the capital...?

And the prince is there, too...

Tension strained the messenger’s face. His voice was heavy as he continued, and his words snuffed out any composure we might have mustered after the earlier shock. “The military faction has also taken the Malduran delegation captive. Maldura’s army is at our border, staring down the Edea Domain. We’re within an inch of all-out war.”

“No, that can’t be! How could this happen?!” This time it was Grandpa Teddy’s turn to raise his voice in disbelief.

The soldier shrank back in fear at the intensity of the general’s gaze, but the urgency on his face remained unchanged. “The reason they decided to visit us is because an epidemic broke out in their country, and they came here hoping for a cure. And it seems...that epidemic is actually the Ashen Nightmare. The military faction claimed they purposefully brought the sickness to our lands and infected the king. They said it was equivalent to a declaration of war and arrested the delegation. General Bakula, I must ask that you return to the palace at once. We’re about to go to war with Maldura!”

We were all dumbstruck by these revelations.

The normally quiet countess stumbled, as if on the brink of fainting. Her husband rushed to her aid, holding her steady. I could empathize with her; I was squeezing my hands so tightly my knuckles had turned white.

All of us were speechless. The one who finally cut through the tension in the room was the general, his voice harsh and low. “Elianna Bernstein, renounce your engagement to Prince Christopher immediately.”

I sucked in a sharp breath and turned to face him. He wasn’t gazing at me fondly as he usually did. He wore the face of a battle-hardened general, intent on protecting his country.

“Maldura is ill suited for naval warfare. If we reinforce the number of our ships in the bay, we can ward them off from launching an invasion. That will require us to strengthen our ties with the Miseral Dukedom. Prince Christopher can take Lady Mireille as his concubine and Duke Odin’s daughter as his queen. That would be the best method of stopping the conflict before it starts.”

Queen Henrietta originally hailed from House Odin, and they had strong ties with the dukedom. The daughter in question was my good friend, Lady Pharmia.

I was at a loss for words, having completely forgotten to even breathe as I stared back at him.

“Wait a moment,” Lord Alexei cut in. “We can find other methods. We don’t need to—”

“What methods? Go on, tell me, Alexei Strasser.” The old general barked at him like an old man scolding a child for their inexperience. “Do you suggest we let Elianna marry him and go to war instead? You want a repeat of history, to subject the Bernstein house to leading us through a war once again? Is that what Prince Christopher desires?”

Lord Alexei gritted his teeth, showing more emotion on his face than I’d ever seen before.

The general continued pressing him, not letting up for a moment. “The pomelo fruit is all we have to combat the Ashen Nightmare. Miseral is the chief producer of that fruit. The Diana company is the one with exclusive rights to it, and they’re owned by Duke Odin. Our best bet to avoid the war and the plague is to strengthen ties to his house. Surely you are intelligent enough to understand this.”

Lord Alexei ground his teeth, indicating that even he could think of no better option at present.

General Bakula sneered, his expression mocking and bitter as he spat, “I’d find it pretty suspicious even if you said you had some kind of countermeasure for this situation. No matter what your opponent might come at you with, you have to think one step ahead of them. Prince Christopher wasn’t able to do that. This is his loss. It’s time to accept reality.” He was an old man reproaching the young for their naivety.

His lone eye turned toward me next. “Elianna, you know what’s best here as well. If the prince is really as wise as they say, then he should already understand the position he’s in. In fact, they may have already started taking measures in the capital and simply neglected to include it in their message to us.” He glanced briefly at the soldier, but the latter only frowned in response.

The general sighed and turned back toward me, his eye sharp and narrowed. “I can stop the military faction, Elianna, but we haven’t a moment to lose. I’ll vouch for you. Say you’ll renounce your engagement to Prince Christopher so we can stop this war.”

The situation was like a heavy weight bearing down on my shoulders. Scared, I retreated back a step.

By annulling my engagement, we could stop the war and protect Sauslind’s people. That was the best option we had at our disposal right now. Surely even the prince would agree it was a necessary sacrifice...right?

I had no idea what the prince would think if he were in my shoes. I felt like I was sinking, as if the air around me were water, swallowing me up and clogging my lungs.

This sensation was only interrupted when a new emergency messenger appeared.

Noise broke out beyond the door as someone’s strained voice bellowed, “Where is the earl?!”

The lord of the manor was already at his limit from the deluge of urgent information. His voice was like thunder as he whipped around. “What is it this time?!”

“Pardon me, my lord!” The messenger barged in through the doors, forgetting all decorum as he blurted out the news. “A revolt has broken out—in the village at the foot of Mt. Urma. The residents have taken the mayor and the other officials hostage. They’ve barricaded themselves inside the town hall!”

“What did you say?!” He took the words like a blow to the gut, standing frozen with his face devoid of all emotion.

Undaunted, the messenger continued to relay what he knew. “It’s the Ashen Nightmare! Earl, an enormous number of victims have started to appear. The residents are all terrified it’ll be just like it was sixteen years ago, that Ralshen will again be a land of the dead. They think the capital will just desert us again. That’s why they’re doing this. Please,” his shrill voice pleaded, “your orders!”

The young earl was at a complete loss for how to react.

General Bakula glanced briefly at the region’s lord before stepping forward to take command. “Send in the regional army. They should be able to suppress the uprising. We don’t have time to deal with a revolt right now.”

“That’s unacceptable!” I burst out.

Everyone turned their attention toward me as I balled my hands into painful, trembling fists. Something inside me was loudly protesting that the general’s way of handling this wasn’t correct.

“Elianna,” he started, trying to placate me.

I ignored him. “We mustn’t subjugate an uprising with military force. That will only spread despair and mistrust among the region’s subjects—and the rest of Sauslind’s people, as well. An army exists to protect its people, not to harm them. I cannot allow you to give that order!”

“Then what would you have us do? Leave them to revolt and head into battle with Maldura instead?”

“No.”

Emotion was raging inside me, and the situation was so dizzying that my thoughts were in a knotted, confused mess. We were on the brink of war with Maldura. To stop it, the best option was for me to annul my engagement to the prince. Then there was House Odin, the Ashen Nightmare, the king falling ill, Duchess Rosalia’s current condition, and now this uprising. Unease gripped the Ralshen Region as people feared being abandoned by their own country once again.

It was hard to breathe, feeling the weight of all this crushing down on me. As I struggled to pull myself together, I felt a whisper in my ear—a recollection.

Eli, take a deep breath.

I paused a moment to close my eyes and inhale. Earlier, I had taken a step back out of fear, but now I took one forward. When I next opened my eyes, they were filled with determination.

“I will go.”

“Lady Elianna!” Lord Alexei was the one who gasped out my name this time, in an unusual display of emotion. “Your suggestion is more absurd than the general’s! Your duty is to make haste back to the capital immediately. If we are to stop war with Maldura, we’ll need to consult the prince. You can leave everything in Ralshen to me.”

Despite the series of upsets this past hour, he had already composed himself and was considering how to deal with the crises we faced. I was sure that beneath all of that, he had to be concerned about his mother’s welfare as well.

Undeterred, I replied, “Everyone in the region knows that the prince’s betrothed is visiting. If I were to leave for the capital now, they would all believe the royal family had abandoned them. By heading to their village instead, I can quell their revolt. Lord Alexei, I would ask that you stay here and oversee the medical team.”

“But...” He was clearly hesitating.

We knew now there was a huge outbreak of the Ashen Nightmare around the foot of Mt. Urma. The king and Duchess Rosalia had already fallen victim. There was no guarantee I might not be infected as well.

Nonetheless, I relayed to him what I’d seen these past four years with my own eyes. “No cure has yet been found for the Ashen Nightmare, but we have developed medicine that can subdue its progression. This hasn’t been made public because we thought the plague had already subsided this past decade, and we also have yet to conduct clinical trials for it. However, we are making serious strides toward conquering this illness.”

The Ashen Nightmare wasn’t incurable. Just as we had come up with a diagnostic agent to identify those affected by it, doctors and researchers were working daily toward a solution. These people never stood at the forefront of history, but their efforts accumulated over the years. They were the ones who gave us the courage to stand up against such a lethal illness.

“I am the betrothed of Crown Prince Christopher Selkirk Ashelard, but I have no right calling myself such if I don’t protect the citizens of this kingdom. This is my duty. The royal family will not abandon Ralshen’s people again.”

I glanced over at the earl—happy to see emotion returning to his face finally—and then turned toward Grandpa Teddy. “General Bakula, I will not renounce my engagement to the prince. I’m not going to choose between this kingdom’s people and His Highness. We will stop this war without use of military force.”

“What?” someone in the room blurted out, effectively echoing the surprise of everyone present. Only the general was cool and composed.

“How do you expect to accomplish that?” he asked.

“We’ll find a cure for the Ashen Nightmare.”

Maldura was known as a warmongering country. The reason they had gone to such lengths and formed a delegation to send to their longtime enemy was because they wanted a cure for the epidemic. They were likely feeling the effects far more intensely than Sauslind right now.

“A cure hasn’t been found these past sixteen years. You really think it’s going to be that easy to come up with one?” His stare was intense.

I pressed a hand over my chest, tracing the outline of the charm His Highness had sent along with me. Then I lifted my head and met his gaze head on. “Yes, now. Precisely because sixteen years have already passed. General Bakula, do you truly think His Highness and I have learned nothing from the outbreak back then? The research facility we built in the capital doubles as a treatment center, and it was created for this express purpose. We haven’t given up hope.”

Once the Ashen Nightmare had calmed down, the Pharmacy Lab was promptly relegated to the shadows. Nonetheless, none of the researchers there had ceased their efforts to study the sickness. They’d seen the catastrophic losses our kingdom had suffered as people buried family members, and they swore to never let such a tragedy repeat itself—that they would find a cure this time, no matter what. No one had given up, and knowing that gave me strength.

“Prince Christopher isn’t the type to step into war so easily,” I said. “I would never trust a politician who gave up without a fight and jumped into a conflict, full well knowing how many lives would be lost as a result. I know His Highness wouldn’t do something like that.”

My heart was so full of love for him, and I could easily recall the affection in his eyes as he looked at me. The memories made me eager to see him again.

“General, wasn’t it you who once told me that when one is faced with the impossible, that’s when their strength is truly tested?”

His gaze wavered, as if shaken by my words.

This was way back when I lived in our family’s region. My world had been filled with books, and I had thought I didn’t need anything else. After moving to the capital and being engaged to the prince, however, my world had expanded dramatically. There were things outside of books now that I wanted to protect. People I cared for, friends and acquaintances alike. Then there was the man I loved, more precious and irreplaceable than anything. I would do anything to keep those people safe, no matter what it took.

“I choose Prince Christopher and Sauslind’s people. Grandpa Teddy, I made a promise to His Highness.”

He swallowed hard, and I knew he was hesitating.

Remembering the words I exchanged with the prince, I smiled. “We said we would fair the storm together, no matter how rough the seas. I know His Highness won’t do anything to endanger our people. I trust him.”

I had to do what I could. The prince had entrusted Ralshen to me, and I believed solving the issues here would help him back in the palace as he dealt with the other crises we were facing.

Briefly, I glanced at the general, who had fallen silent, and recomposed myself. The first order of business was to check with the messenger from the palace and see if any other victims had been reported besides His Majesty, either from the capital or the other regions.

“Several people have fallen ill within the capital. As for the other regions, there was no news of outbreaks there at the time I left the palace to come here.”

I nodded, mulling the information over in my head before giving out orders. “We need to send an emergency missive to the palace’s Pharmacy Lab and the medical treatment center. They’re the only ones with the formula for the medicine that can suppress the Ashen Nightmare. Since there are already people in the capital who are infected, the prince has probably already surmised that the illness will spread. I suspect he’ll arrange for an official announcement to have prescriptions for the medicine sent out across the kingdom. We need to get our hands on that as soon as possible!”

Lord Alexei flinched in surprise and opened his mouth to say something, but he was preempted by someone else.

“Actually about that,” a blithe voice cut in as someone raised their hand. It was Lord Alan, still dressed up like a manservant. “I think I’m probably carrying the formula with me.”

“You what?!” Lord Alexei’s exclamation came out as a rumbling, icy growl. I was similarly stunned.

Lord Alan scratched at his cheek. “Chief Herbalist Nigel slipped it to me secretly. Something like, ‘Kehehe, this is the recipe for a secret medicine.’ I thought maybe the old man drank one too many of his experimental flasks and went nuts, but I’m guessing it’s probably exactly what you were looking for.”

“Why didn’t you tell us sooner?!”

“I mean, come on, I would have never dreamed it was a drug suppressant for the Ashen Nightmare. I didn’t even know such a thing existed. Nor did I think we’d ever see a resurgence of the plague.” Lord Alan shrugged defenselessly before turning to the doctor. “Uh, doc, help me out here?”

If the intensity of Lord Alexei’s gaze had the ability to freeze, Lord Alan would have been a solid statue. Intimidated, Lord Alan scrambled over to the middle-aged doctor, ducking behind his back. He then slipped out a scrap of paper from his pocket and passed it over.

The doctor ran his eyes over the formula, confusion and skepticism written clear as day on his face. Gradually, his features relaxed and his eyes lit up. “Maybe...” he muttered, hope filling his voice. “We have to combine the trine fruit with raw smishio root... It’s still a very novel idea, but they should negate each others’ effects... No, the components of the raw root are different than we originally thought, according to the latest medical writings, but... No, wait.” The doctor had entered his own little world, mumbling to himself incoherently.

“Doctor,” Lord Alexei interrupted coldly, “this is a race against time. I need you to test the effects of that medicine immediately. Write down any ingredients you don’t have enough of, and we’ll gather them all starting with the most urgent.”

Those words were like a spear of ice that broke the doctor out of his reverie. He straightened his posture and said, “Yes, at once!” The way he promptly darted out of the room reminded me of Lord Alan a little bit ago.

Lord Alan followed the doctor out with a look of utter devastation on his face, his whole body trembling. “Oh, Gods, if this isn’t the medicine I think it is and is some kind of trick instead, I might as well start digging my own grave now...”

~.~.~.~

The carriage that had brought us to Ralshen was of a much sturdier build than the one we were in now, which was more simple and lightweight, made for speed and maneuverability. My attendant and I were huddling close together, in part to share warmth and in part because the roads were so rough we were nearly bouncing off the seats.

Said attendant’s name was Mabel Carter. She was actually a maid from House Strasser—the same one who had mentioned the topic of midwives being used as doctors before. She also had medical knowledge as well.

After a surprising series of emergencies, we spent two days scrutinizing the information that had come in. We confirmed that the formula Chief Herbalist Nigel had sent along was indeed medicine to subdue the Ashen Nightmare. There was an official proclamation, made under His Highness’s name, that stated as much. As I set off on the carriage they’d prepared for me, I was equipped with this announcement and the medicine we’d hastily prepared. I also had a doctor and three herbalists accompanying me.

Lilia clung to me in tears up until I left, saying, “Miss Eli, you don’t have to go!” At the last second, she decided, “Fine, then I’m going with you! I am your attendant, after all!” However, I stopped her.

There was something else I wanted her to do. Yes, part of it was my own ego—I didn’t want to put her in danger by bringing her with me to the source of an outbreak. But more importantly, we needed to know how the plague was spreading throughout Ralshen. Where had it come from? And what parts of the region was it affecting most now? Plus, Lord Alexei was busy helping oversee all of this and couldn’t return to the capital to see what was happening there. Lilia was someone I could trust to check things out on my behalf.

Depending on the victim count, we would need to secure provisions and supplies for treatment. There was a distinct possibility that the reserves the Ralshen earldom possessed wouldn’t be enough. I sent requests for aid to those who had attended the memorial service and lived nearby, borrowing the royal family’s influence to do so.

We had doctors and herbalists available, but there was a limit to how much manpower we could split up between all the areas affected—the earl’s manor, the cities, and the areas along the highways. I asked Lord Alexei to bring the situation under control and distribute such professionals and supplies as necessary. As for Lilia, I convinced her to stay behind by promising to have her follow me later and bring any additional provisions the neighboring lords sent.

Of course, no one approved of the prince’s betrothed going out there alone. That was where Mabel came in. She volunteered to accompany me, saying, “I have a bit of medical knowledge myself. I should be able to help out when we get there.”

Despite the fear in her eyes, the courage it took her to step forward was undeniable. She knew the danger. A revolt was taking place at our destination, and emotions would be running high. Ralshen’s people didn’t trust those from the royal family. To make matters worse, the Ashen Nightmare was infesting the region. It required conviction, even for a palace maid, to walk into a life-threatening situation.

Lord Alexei and General Bakula appointed her as my temporary attendant. Though the former was still hesitant until the very end to send me, I convinced him by saying, “I’m doing this so we don’t have a second or third uprising.” His expression was the very picture of reluctance. Lord Alexei wanted to send me straight back to the capital; that much was clear. But at last he made the arrangements to send me to the foot of Mt. Urma.

“I’ll send reinforcements soon.” His words were of great comfort, despite his icy cold expression.

As for General Bakula, he was faced with two options: rally the Black Wing Knights and head for the capital, or return to their base at the eastern border and keep their eyes peeled for any movement from our neighbors. In the end, he decided...

“I will command your escort, Lady Elianna.” He held his chin high, sounding like an obstinate old man.

And so, now I sat in a carriage, on our way to suppress the uprising. Mabel and Lord Alan were accompanying me, both with similarly odd expressions on their faces. It took me a moment to realize they were tensing their jaws so they didn’t accidentally bite their tongues. I almost laughed when I imagined myself making the same goofy face.

As the horses’ hooves clopped along the road and the carriage creaked and groaned, I peered out the window. The Black Wing Knights were riding alongside us. Since I had refused to use military power, General Bakula insisted they were only coming along for my protection. “We are only guarding the prince’s betrothed—that’s the extent of our role here,” he said.

With that excuse, I couldn’t turn him down, but I was still hesitant. General Bakula, realizing he had no other choice, compromised. “I promise we won’t aim our swords at the people. Once we get there and confirm there’s no threat, we’ll pull back. Will you accept my conditions then?”

“I’m surprised you would agree to that,” I said. It warmed my heart that he’d taken my feelings into account.

Nonetheless, his eye promptly narrowed. “But I’m only giving you twenty days.”

I nodded, though it felt like a dagger in the chest. As the Battle God of the East, he had more important things to prioritize than his personal feelings. He had experienced a number of wars when he served the previous king, and that was exactly why he didn’t want a repeat of the past. For that purpose, he had no trouble suppressing his affection for me. It came second nature as a general.

When we were waiting for confirmation of the chief herbalist’s formula and for official information to come in, we gathered together to have another meeting. And by we, I mean Lord Alexei, Earl Ralshen, General Bakula, and a few other prominent people we could trust. We decided I would head to quell the uprising at Mt. Urma. Since I was the prince’s betrothed, my presence in a place with a massive outbreak would reassure people and snuff out any anxiety or ill rumors. It would also give the people hope that even if they fell victim to the plague, the kingdom wouldn’t abandon them. We had the neighboring lords spread word of our plans in their lands as well.

The Black Wing Knights sent an urgent missive to the Edea Domain telling them not to move a muscle, but tensions were already high there with them staring down Maldura’s forces. With both sides chomping at the bit, there was no telling what might send us into open war. There was a limit to how much His Highness could contain the military faction, as well.

My deadline for reversing all of these problems was twenty days. General Bakula refused to budge on that. I needed to find some kind of cure or a medicine to deal with the Ashen Nightmare in that time—or at least some promising lead. At present, Sauslind possessed medicine to diagnose the plague and medicine to slow its progression. That wasn’t enough. Prolonging the illness would only rob people of their stamina. They would die anyway if that happened.

We needed a cure. Finding one was the number one priority right now. If I wasn’t able to accomplish that, General Bakula would use the power of his name to annul my engagement. Or perhaps war would break out between Maldura and Sauslind before it even came to that. Either outcome was ghastly. That was as far as General Bakula could concede, however.

I was anxious about a number of things as well, but I had no choice other than to accept his compromise in the end. No matter how urgent finding a cure for the Ashen Nightmare was, we also had to take into account the danger of conflict breaking out in the Edea Domain. General Bakula was right; even without his conditions, I realistically only had twenty days to do something. And perhaps even that was a stretch.

I bit down on my lip. That deadline was looming over me. I thought back to the doctors and herbalists at the treatment facility and at the Pharmacy Lab. They possessed knowledge from foreign nations, various tomes, and heaps of information. They had all worked desperately these past sixteen years to develop a cure for the Ashen Nightmare. My only option was to rely on them, since I had no specialized knowledge on the matter.

However, there had to be something I could do. And as I desperately wracked my brain for what, Chief Herbalist Nigel came to mind. He had given Lord Alan his formula for subduing the illness, which made me think he must have predicted the outbreak here in the Ralshen Region. There were more important matters to attend to, so I didn’t let my thoughts linger on that for long.

Instead, I recalled everything he’d taught me and the conversations we’d had together. They all led to one thing: Furya’s Jar. It was a legendary tome containing the formulas for medicines that could cure all the world’s ails. Chief Herbalist Nigel dismissed relying on such an item, given that we didn’t even know if it really existed. But there must have been some kind of hint in that conversation. What was he trying to tell me back then? I was sure it had to be something important.

There were some victims of the plague at the earl’s manor who’d already developed the ashen-colored flecks on their skin. Duchess Rosalia’s rash would eventually change color as well. We didn’t yet know how far His Majesty’s illness had progressed, and the fact that the king had contracted it meant others could be infected as well, such as the prince.

I squeezed Mabel’s hand. She glanced over at me, but I didn’t even have the strength to tell her it was nothing. My chest ached as soon as the anxious thoughts began.

Now that the Ashen Nightmare had infiltrated our borders, it could spread anywhere and everywhere. The only thing I could do was subdue people’s discontent and search for some kind of hint as to how we might cure this disease.

If I couldn’t, then...

I swallowed back the fears that came bubbling up. I second guessed myself numerous times, wondering if this was really the right action to take as the prince’s fiancée. But somehow, I was sure that if the prince were in my position, he would be doing the exact same thing I was. Comforted by that thought, I lifted my head, catching Mabel’s gaze.

At that exact same moment, a horse brayed and our carriage rocked, coming to a screeching stop that would have sent me flying if not for Mabel yanking me toward her.

“...Ngh.”

My head was left spinning from the impact. I blinked back the pain to find Mabel pinned beneath me on the floor. She must have slammed into it hard.

“Mabel!”

Her face contorted in anguish, but she gasped a faint, “I’m all right.”

Lord Alan was also grimacing, having been flung against the wall as well. He peeled himself up off the floor, grumbling, “What was—”

Before he could finish his sentence, the sound of steel on steel interrupted him. An urgent voice soon followed, bellowing, “We’re under attack!”

I sucked in a breath and started toward the window.

“Lady Elianna!” Lord Alan cut me off, but the combination of strained voices and clashing swords outside was illuminating enough without me having to see it for myself.

One of the Black Wing Knights shouted, “Do you realize who you’re attacking? These carriages belong to the royal family!”

“Their archers are taking aim from the top of cliffs to our right!” Grandpa Teddy warned before giving orders to someone who was riding in the carriage behind us. “Jean, the driver’s dead. You’ll need to take his place!”

Although my manservant didn’t respond, I could picture him saying, “Yeah, you don’t gotta tell me twice.”

Mabel and I both trembled as the clashing of steel echoed around us.

After a few moments, the carriage lurched forward with a groan. Lord Alan slid the small driver’s window open to confirm who was in the seat. “Jean?” His voice didn’t sound as relaxed as it usually did.

“It’s a surprise attack,” Jean answered. “They’re after the miss. Give up on the other carriage.”

“We can’t possibly...!” The doctor, the herbalists, and all of our supplies were in that carriage.

I threw open the window to peek out. If not for Mabel and Lord Alan stopping me, I would have poked my entire upper body through the opening. Even with their interference, however, I couldn’t give up—that carriage was our only hope, and we were leaving it behind.

The ground was covered in snow. Our attackers were spread about, engaging the Black Wing Knights. My heart froze over and my fingers clutched tightly at the window frame.

There were a few guards running alongside our carriage. One of them was Grandpa Teddy. He steered his horse closer when he noticed me sticking my head out.

“Elianna, these men were likely lying in wait for us. There’s a good chance someone leaked our information.”

“Impossible...” That revelation left me dumbfounded.

His gaze burrowed into me, trying to impress the grim reality of our situation. “The country was far too well prepared for war to break out. There are far too many suspicious coincidences. Elianna, focus not on the enemy you can see but the shadow that lurks in the darkness. Knowing you, I’m sure you’ll be able to defeat it.”

“I don’t know what to say...”

Ever since our conversation several days ago, I got the impression that Grandpa Teddy had grand expectations of the Bernstein family. His words tugged at my heart, bringing me to tears as I gazed back at him.

His eye softened for a moment, despite the gravity of our situation. He looked at me with the same affection he had before, like he was seeing his granddaughter for the first time after being separated for years.

“Eli girl, you’ve grown a lot in the four years since I last saw you. You’ve developed much differently than I feared. Maybe you can rewrite the history of your family and become a queen worthy of this country. If these old bones of mine can protect you in the meantime, then it was worth living to this ripe old age.”

As he spoke, he turned to deflect a vicious, oncoming attack.

“Grandpa Teddy!”

“Go, Elianna! I believe in you, so you better believe in yourself! Do what you need to do!”

I opened my mouth to call his name again, but at the same instant, an arrow came whizzing from the opposite direction and pierced right through Grandpa Teddy’s back. The scene was so graphic it burned itself into my eyes.

Before I knew what was happening, I was screaming uncontrollably.

“No, no! No... Grandpa Teddy!”

The guards who had been riding alongside us engaged our attackers. Dark, ugly red stained the snow, and gradually, the sight of the carnage receded, taking my strangled cries with it.

Mabel and Lord Alan pried me from the window and tried to comfort me, but I only slapped my hands over my face and continued to sob.

Unfortunately, the tragedy wasn’t over.

Our sprinting carriage again slowed to a full stop.

Lord Alan peeked out the window to see what was going on. There was a tremor in his voice as he murmured, “We’re surrounded.”

A few days later, an emergency message arrived at the capital of Saura. It was an urgent report for Prince Christopher, sent by Lord Alexei Strasser in the Ralshen Region. The note read:

General Theoden Bakula of the Black Wing Knights was killed by an unknown assailant. We haven’t been able to confirm whether Lady Elianna Bernstein survived the attack or not.