ONC Shortlister 2023!
There are few rules in the Kingdom of Kadotaru, and punishment is not kind, even for the young prince who wishes he was anybody else. Tied to the crown, to his family, to his kingdom, there isn't much he can do. He isn't born t...
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When Rinley wakes, she knows what she must do.
Throughout the night, she studied everything Aramis threw at her. From the enchantments she already knew, to trying new ones altogether. Together, they formed a plan that would be the best for everyone.
She rises in his bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She'll definitely have some explaining to do when she returns to the human realm. Aramis lies on the lounge at the foot of the bed. She's never seen him look so peaceful. It makes her smile.
"Try this enchantment," he says, springing from the floor, book in hand. "Vahtera."
The word feels funny on her lips, but the gems respond. She feels no different. "Aramis?"
"It worked!"
"What worked?"
"You are invisible to the eye."
They stumbled across an enchantment that will cause great damage, but save the people she loves. Byvos removes memories, wiping things from existence. Their original idea was to wipe Rinley from the memories of Knell and Haemal, but the enchantment doesn't work on Jix. They even tested it.
"Tell me something. Anything," he says, face to face. They both sit on the lounge, books in their laps, inches apart.
"Uhhh..." Three words came to mind, ones that have been pulling at the strings of her heart. But she won't let herself say them. "You're smelly," she says instead. "Byvos."
He forgot she called him smelly for at least an hour. But the memory came right back, and he was displeased, despite the smile on his face.
But in the books they found, it says it works very well on humans. That's why no one can remember the Jix, or Natura, that used to rampage through Saffettey. Or anywhere else. Their memories were all wiped to a clear slate by Harmaa herself, apparently. While they had no way to prove it last night, it's what they both decided on doing to her family, and her village.
It means they won't miss her, or mourn her. But that doesn't change the fact that Rinley will remember them. Miss them. Mourn them.
Her heart already aches, and she hasn't done it yet. She holds a hand to her chest, looking over at Aramis. There's a huge chance it'll all backfire too. While she might be mythically chosen to be a Child of Harmaa, conquering these gems, their enchantments... she's not great enough to master it, not with such little time. She needed a week to perfect odenatis. Even then, she still can't hold illusions for long enough without collapsing from lack of air.
She knows she's a fool to choose this prince she'll never be allowed to wed over her family. But Lela is right. She has to find something to do with her life. And the only thing she wants to do is to be by his side, to protect him. The buffoon things he's protecting her, but he has no idea. Future Duahlin, captain of the royal guard, couldn't protect her from a fly.
