My Wonderful Second Life

Chapter 9- A priest and a lady

Jennifer continued to hide in the bushes, hoping for her dear life that his call had just been a misunderstanding and that Emmanuel was joking with himself. The cough that followed killed all her hopes. She untangled her legs and raised herself in a flash. Emmanuel let out a modest laugh, and Jennifer was unsure if it was because of her predicament or because small leaves fell from her dishevelled hair.

"You knew I was listening..." she murmured in disbelief, thinking how that could be possible with the twine on her wrist.

He had his hand on his chin, to give it some support while carrying a half-smile on his lips. She approached him at the table. "Of course." he said, touching the glowing twine with his free hand. "This is dangerous and quite useless on me." a purple light danced around her wrist, making the twine glow like it was burning. Yet she felt nothing as it evaporated in smoke.

"I am sure your aunt has warned you against using such things." he said after taking his hand away.

"Yes..." replied Jennifer as she took the seat Lady Sargosa used. "She also warned us about performing alchemy and I didn't see my lord say any concerned remarks like this to my sister."

He straightened himself in his chair. "I remarked, and I am concerned. But there is a difference between using a high-powered object coming from the Lord of the Tower and what your sister is doing."

Jennifer looked at him with enlarged eyes. The lord of the Tower was the equivalent of the High Priestess, and having an object of his making was worth a small fortune. She had never realized how much Lucreatia meant to prince Cedric. They were friends, sure, but this was no ordinary gift, and that was a dangerous thing for her family and for Lucreatia. Jennifer composed herself. This was hardly a moment to think of such faraway thoughts.

"She will go bigger." Jennifer commented haughtily.

"She can't unless Lucreatia marches right through the metal doors of the Tower. And we both know it is easier to rain in the capital than to have that happen. Also, it may seem like alchemy is detached from the other forms of magic, but it is still part of the God of Darkness gifts. Without his approval, you can't go far..." he became silent, playing a melody with his fingers on the table.

"So you say..." she said.

"So I say..." he repeated.

The conversation had ended on his side, but not on hers. Jennifer still had questions, still had to figure him out. Even if that was harder than helping Lucreatia with archery. "If you knew, why didn't you say anything?"

He gave her a side glance. "Because I am sure you knew most of it already."

She gasped, stunned. He was right. But how could he be right?

"I knew your mother..." his voice grew rusty and Jennifer shifted in her place. She hadn't known that. "At first I thought of you as purely Mountnero. Prideful of her family and protective of it to a murderous rage. The authentic way of the Mountneros. However, I see what your father cannot. That you have more of your mother than what the duke would ever like to admit." His lavender eyes fixed on hers.

Jennifer pursed her lips, unhappy with such a conclusion. Not because it was untrue, but because it was way too accurate. "I thought I heard you say to Lady Sargosa that we aren't our parents."

He chuckled. "Indeed... Problem is that I knew your mother. How she operated. Her unruly nature, her powerful personality, and her stubbornness. All hidden from unsuspecting eyes. I am sure she told you many things... Things you shouldn't know."

"She didn't tell me about you, my lord." she spat with a bitter voice.

"Oh, my..." he laughed with a smidge of grief beneath. "I am surprised..."