Falsified (Tarnished Book 2)

41 Journey Home

I stuffed away some of the novels and the notes Zelme gave me. I slung the satchel over my shoulder and snatched up my swords. Going for the door, I found Eulis there.

"Leaving for home?" he asked softly.

I nodded and held my swords tight to my side. "I need to go back. My father's there, but I think you should come too."

Eulis smiled but shook his head. "I rule this country, I cannot leave it as easy as you. About what I told you in reference to your mark, it is the truth. You will rule this world one day whether that is now or still to come."

He had not moved away from that topic even when I told him I don't care for it. I sighed. "You should not be so confident I will because I have a feeling it will never be. No matter what I will need to travel my own road from now to the end."

"I just hope you stay safe with all that happened here. Artemis will be going with you, not sure the reason why she was insisting but knowing her it is unexpected."

I froze up. "She's coming with me?"

"As she put it, it is important."

I then remembered she said she knew me for a long time. "Right, I just thought she was stuck here with you."

"On the contrary, she has more freedom than I possess. The same could be said of another woman I know." He gave me a strange look like he missed that woman. His brow had worry lines and he appeared older than he was. "You asked me which of the season maidens I fell for, but I think you already know when I visited Erstonia."

"The Winter maiden, she is beautiful but what was it about her that made you fall in love?"

He smiled probably because he was thinking about her. His eyes glittered while he continued. "It appears you might be falling for Artemis because you cared a great deal about her. You even lost focus on your objective when you found out she was a season maiden."

I scoffed. "Right, I just happen to think she's interesting. I'm not falling for anyone, not until this whole mess is settled."

"You can fool yourself, but I know that is falling in love. It was like that between me and Natalya once upon a time. Just want you to know though they are the maidens, they are human as they come." He returned his eyes to me. "But what I did not understand was what Mesmer was hiding, he rarely hid anything. Is there something I should know about him?"

"No need to ask him, my lord, when I am right here." Mesmer snuck into my room without using the door. He stood by the window behind me. "Artemis is the youngest by the way, but she and I had the same mother. I am no season maiden but it's about time I open up to you my lord." He transformed into his more divine appearance like before with his thorny crown. "I am the brother of the maidens. My powers mirror theirs. None of them know I am here except Artemis."

"Then why were you here?" Eulis asked him.

Mesmer appeared downcast when he focused on me. "I apologize in advance, but the enemy is closer than they appear. I was here because I cannot disobey our father. He is the one you must be wary of, not me or my sisters."

I was shocked by his statement that I dropped my swords. They thumped against the ground. "Your father is evil, isn't he?"

Mesmer tensed up and nodded his head slowly.

"Then why are you listening to him? You can all be free of him if you band together."

Mesmer's face flushed, so pale like sandy white ash. "Tried that and failed, Your Highness. I attempted to defy him because of what he intended to do to this world. He wants to reshape it like he had done many times before. He starts wars, riots, plagues, you name it and he has done it."