DEVIANT

Growth

At the start of the 500 laps around the keep, Emmy began at the end of the group, but slowly with time, she moved her way to the head of the group.  Everyone stared at her with a confused face. Why was she here? Isn't she the Lady of Ceco? Isn't she supposed to be inside the castle being pampered?  Wasn't the last couple of months just a lie? Didn't she complain about training with them and cursed at them? Didn't she just come up with dividing the army into parts and assigning them roles a way for her to get Lord Seoas's attention?  Didn't she steal the ideas from Gengrick and call it her own?

They all questioned her motive, however none of them spoke.  They were saving all their energy not to fail Sir Gengricks orders. 

Everyone watched as Emmy lead the group around the keep.  She was the first one to start swinging her sword by the time sun set and and the first one to draw her bow and arrow when the moon rose high into the sky.  She was also first to jump into the lake and began to swim 100 laps around the lake.

They all stared at Emmy as if she was a monster.  How could they let a woman beat them! How could they let a woman who is not worthy of Master Seoras beat them?  A woman who lies and deceives to get what she wants?

Slowly, but surely they begin to realize that maybe, just maybe they were wrong to think the Lady Emmy was not the kind of person the rumors said she was. 

The rumors started the day Lord Edie entered Ceco.  From the time he and this entourage entered Ceco, they spread rumors about Emmy.  They made it seem as if they came to Ceco to save their daughter, who was only trying to save the people of Ceco and Lord Seoras by assassinating the Witch Emmy.  She had everyone under her spell, as she won over soldiers and citizens. But with Lord Edie's righteous tones and words, everyone began to sway towards his words. 

Who is this Lady Emmy that they could easily be swayed by her.  She just showed up one day by Lord Seoras side and all of a sudden she was announced to be the next Lady Tomas.  What about Lady Avina who only has Lord Seoras and the people of Ceco in her heart? What Lady Avina did was not an act against the people of Ceco and Lord Seoras, but a rescue! 

Lord Edie was able to turn black to white and white into black before everyone's eyes.  Those that believed him, did so wholeheartedly. How could a Lord lie to them? Who was Lord Edie and who was Lady Emmy?  At least they knew who Lord Edie is and where he came from. But with Lady Emmy, no one knew her background and where she came from.  No one knew her, so they distrusted her and feared her. She is a witch who bespelled them.

That is how she received her position.  By casting her spell over everyone in Ceco, so everyone could only see her as good.  She had tricked everyone into believing that she would not harm them and Lord Seoras.  And she almost had them too! If not for Lady Avina seeing through the spell and bringing assassins to kill her, maybe some of them would never have woken up from her enchantment.

The soldiers grumbled at first, not believing it, however General Alex convinced them that Lady Emmy had no knowledge of warfare to be able to come up with any ideas for the army.  She must have bespelled Sir Gengrick and once he told her his plans, she took it and claimed it as her own.

Lady Hanna and Lady Donna, told them that Lady Emmy used her magic and womanly ways to win over Lord Seoras and that is how she came into his life.  And the reason why he won't make Lady Avina or anybody else his wife.

Slowly they began to believe what they heard.  How did Lady Emmy come up with the idea to recruit the best out of the best and divide them up by their strengths? It could only be Sir Gengricks idea that Lady Emmy stole.  So they began to believe the many rumors that swirled around their ears and mouth.

When Emmy swam her last lap around the lake, the night's sky was just beginning to brighten up.  Beside the lake, Seoras stood with a robe and towel. He had waited for her by the lake the whole night, watching her struggle and swim the whole 100 laps.  He knew she was tired, but she was too stubborn to quit.

Emmy barely pulled herself out of the lake and fell into Seoras's arms.  He quickly covered her with a robe and wrapped the towel around her, giving her more warmth.

"You did it."  Seoras told her. 

"Em."  Emmy agreed as a wave of relief and exhaustion overwhelmed her.  Her eyes closed as her body lost strength. Seoras scooped her up and stared at his soldiers, he knew that by Emmy's one act of going through the punishment with them and coming out first, she had won the hearts and respect of the soldiers.  They saw with their own eyes, that no one helped her. And she never once asked for help. Not only that, but she came out first. Which let them know that she was stronger than they were. She was more stubborn and more determined. More ambitious and more talented. 

Seoras carried her away as Gengrick stared at the men who came to shore afterwards, the moment they laid down on the ground, they too, fell into exhaustion.

The next day was quiet as everyone recuperated.  Who would have thought that Emmy's powers would grow exponentially. By tiring out her body and mind she was able to absorb more magic, causing her to become stronger and faster. Her body immediately started cultivating each magic particle from around her and store them within the Souls of Amaratu.  When she fainted, her mind and body immediately began to work the magic inside of her. Causing her body to cleanse itself from impurity and remaking her bones, veins, and muscle with embedded magic.