Breaking the Spell: A Diamond Castle Fanfiction

Chapter 9: Hidden Secrets

Lydia and Lyra continued on their way the next morning, both with similar thoughts swimming throughout their minds. They walked in comfortable silence, Silver trotting obediently alongside Lyra. Quite unusual for a cat, but also convenient for Lyra, as this meant she didn't have to constantly track down her feline companion.

They were both thinking once again of their current predicament, and each was thinking about the other, both trying to figure out why they felt so drawn to one another. Lydia hadn't felt this way toward anyone except for...no, she couldn't think about that right now. At least not yet. Her feelings toward that particular individual had faded, but the fact remained that her heart had been broken, and then figuratively turned to ice. It seemed, however, as if that ice was slowly beginning to melt.

As for Lyra, she had had feelings for someone once before as well, yet it had been three years ago, so the feeling of love had become more or less foreign to her, having never fully experienced it. She had been about to confess her feelings, when something terrible happened to the person. While Lyra's heart may not have frozen over, she had still been hurt by this tragic incident. Now, thinking about it, she felt her feelings may not have been truly real then...more of a crush, really. But being with Lydia made her heart race in a way she couldn't describe. Still...

Both Lydia and Lyra chose to deny the possibility that what they were feeling was love for each other. That they both may have been falling in love again.

"We're almost there," Lyra said suddenly, breaking the silence between them. "Maybe two more hours, tops."

"Good," Lydia replied. "If I may ask...why did the Muses send you to find me?"

"What makes you think they did?" asked Lyra.

"I don't think they would have let you do so of your own accord," Lydia answered. "I'm guessing they wanted to confirm that I wasn't a threat?"

"Well, yes," admitted Lyra. "But I didn't tell them why I wanted to look for you. Which you already know."

"Yes, we have covered that," Lydia agreed. "I don't think they'll like seeing me enter with you."

"They'll get over it," Lyra said. "I'm sorry, but they need to hear your side of the story."

"I couldn't agree more," said Lydia. As they continued walking, she felt as if someone were following them. Highly likely, considering people wanted her dead, and Lydia had no way to defend herself. She was not very good at hand-to-hand combat, and she doubted it would be an option even if she was. She looked behind her to see if anyone was there, and as she did, the man Lyra had encountered yesterday came forward, an arrow aimed at Lydia.

"Halt!"

Lyra turned around as soon as she heard his voice. She saw what he was planning to do and she raised her left arm, readying her fire spell.

The man suddenly looked slightly confused. "Hold on - are you working alongside this witch, girl?"

"Of course not, she's just holding up a gauntlet and aiming it in your direction for the fun of it," Lydia replied sarcastically.

"Yes, I am working alongside her," Lyra added. "She's changed."

"Yeah, sure she has," the man said skeptically.

"It's the truth!" Lyra protested again. "As I told you, she can no longer hurt anyone! And she doesn't intend to even if she could!"

"Did she give you that gauntlet?"

"No."

"Then who did?"

"Phaedra did," said Lyra.

"Wait, you're their new apprentice?"

"I am." Lyra nodded.

"Well, then, I can imagine how disappointed they'll be with you when they hear of this," the man stated. He then turned back to Lydia, bow still raised, and fired his arrow at her. Instinctively, Lyra pushed her aside, accidentally causing Lydia to fall into a snow bank, and used her gauntlet to deflect the oncoming arrow. It fell to the ground and the man glared at me. "You don't know who you're up against, apprentice."

"Then why don't you tell me?" Lyra asked. "What's your name?"

"Gideon," he replied, still glaring. He reached for another arrow, and by this time Lydia had gotten up and was standing behind Lyra. Lyra raised her arm again and cast the spell she'd prepared before at Gideon, and when she was sure he wouldn't be able to follow them for awhile, she and Lydia began running, and ran until they were sure they were far enough away.

Lyra stopped running, breathless and tired. Lydia was tired as well, so they sat down for a moment to rest. "We can't rest long," she said. "Gideon should awake soon."

"Okay," Lyra replied, still breathing heavily from all that running. The only upside was that they had cut a half hour off their journey. "Fair enough."

"I really need one of my own," Lydia says, gesturing to Lyra's gauntlet. "I feel weak without my flute."

"You can buy them, can't you?"

"Yes, but they're expensive," Lydia explained. "I imagine the muses will have another one. It's just a matter of convincing them to provide me with it." She stood up. "Come on, we need to keep going."

Lyra followed her and they began walking again. Lyra stayed on her guard this time, in case Gideon managed to catch up to them. When they finally got to the Diamond Castle, Lydia was nervous, but she wasn't about to show it. They walked up to the music room, where Phaedra, Melody and Dori were waiting, playing their instruments. They stopped when they heard the door open.

"Oh, good, you're back. Was--?" Dori stopped when she spotted Lydia, and stood up immediately. "You brought her here, Lyra?"

"She's changed," Lyra explained, for the second time that day. "She came here with me to explain why she did the things she did, and because someone is after her. Someone named Gideon."

"Serves her right," Dori muttered.

"Dori, maybe we should at least listen to what she has to say," melody suggests. "Maybe it was a good reason."

"It was, at the time," Lydia said. "But now I'm not so sure."

"Well, let's hear it," Dori said, sitting back down. Lyra sat down on the piano bench, which was near the chairs the Muses were sitting on. Lydia went on to explain how when she was a Muse, she realized she was in love with someone. and since they didn't return her love, she grew heartbroken, and jealous, thinking the one she loved had found another. That was why she had left. it turns out, the one she had been in love with....was Phaedra.