The roaring sound of the mana engine inside the Magicar breaks the silence as it moves through the earthy roads of the countryside. The Magicar is a luxurious item made by the Dwarven engineers who live in Virtus Arce. This expensive transport vehicle can only be acquired by high-ranking nobles thanks to its high maintenance upkeep, but this machine is worth its price. Mimicking the design of a luxurious carriage, the entire vehicle is armored, with its walls crafted from the finest refined materials, such as adamantine.
The windows are made of reinforced enchanted glass that can resist normal weapon attacks without even scratching its surface, and a few attacks of enchanted weaponry or magic. In front of the carriage, a reinforced cabin protects the driver from any danger, making it difficult for bandit ambushers to stop the vehicle. At least but no less important, at the top of the carriage, there is a mana reflective device that dissipates any magic attacks for a limited period after its activation.
This precious and armored vehicle is the perfect way of transport for nobles who are constantly being targeted by rivals or bandits trying to make some extra money. Faster than any normal carriage, it makes any long journey not a chore anymore, but a pleasant experience, thanks to its suspension device connected to all four metallic wheels.
Traveling at a decent pace, this Magicar is escorted by forty soldiers on horses and carrying banners with the Felnatus coat of arms. Inside, two passengers wait for it to arrive at its destination, Amiliath, and Atillo.
"Sooooo...are you anxious to be face-to-face with Duke Boltu? I was always afraid of his stature; his voice made me lose all courage at our training sessions." With a playful tone, Atillo tried to mock his sister, hoping to ease any nervousness in Amiliath.
"No, well, I admit. It's nerve-wrecking to go without our father to meet such an acclaimed war hero. I was lucky not to have him assigned as my combat professor, but at the same time, I think if I were more familiar with him, maybe our territory would not be in such disarray." Her calm voice hides her true feelings; she is deceiving. If anything goes wrong in this diplomatic meeting, the future of the Archduchy will be jeopardized, and they could lose much more than just prestige.
"Don't worry too much, my dear sister, I know you can make him see the reason. Lord Boltu can be called many things, but he was never considered a stubborn fool. If I know him, he will welcome the trade treaties. A new city is a big investment, and any new way to gather more lirens will be welcomed." His voice is full of confidence, which brings some peace to Amiliath.
"Yes, maybe you are right, brother. I need to trust the education I received in our home." She flaps her fan in front of her face, leaving only her eyes uncovered. "Duke Boltu will understand my point, and I have something extra to sweeten the deal." The confidence in her voice brings a smile to Atillo.
"That's the sister I've always known and loved. You will restore the glory of our house, even Father will need to admit this."
"You know, Atillo..." Looking outside through the window, she sighs tiredly. "If our father didn't favor Luccio so much, nothing of this would have happened. We would still have the support of Duke Boltu; other families would not cancel their trade relations with us, and the Royal family would still hold us in high regard. This situation is all his fault, but he doesn't and can't admit it."
"I know, I was talking to Athros a day before we left the mansion. Father changed after our mother died; he stopped paying attention to us, focusing only on spoiling Luccio, which created the annoying person he became, and didn't smile as much as he used to."
"Atillo, there is something I will tell you, but you need to promise me not to say a thing to our father or Athros." Her smile faded into a serious expression. She put the fan on her lap and glared at him.
"Stop making that face, Amiliath. You are scaring me. I promise not to say anything, but please, you don't need to be so serious." In his joking manner, he tries to ease the tension, but fails.
"I'm serious, Atillo. You need to promise me this, or I will not utter any words about it."
"Okay, okay, I promise. These lips are tightly sealed, and my ears are wide open."
"Our mother is not dead, Atillo." She puts her index finger close to her lips, signaling him to be quiet after he almost interrupts her. "Let me talk. When I finish, you can say anything you want."
His face was full of horror. How could their mother be alive all these years? He remembers the day their father called everyone in the mansion to tell the news. Luccio reacted as normal; he was angry, shouting, maybe a way to hide his true feelings. Amiliath was in shock; she was so happy to have a new sibling. He was sad that day; his siblings could not help him understand what was happening, and his father was strangely silent and cold towards them. Why did his father do that? Why did he lie?
"I know what you are thinking right now, but you can just calm yourself. It's already been ten years since I discovered this secret. Since then, I've been working to discover more, and I recently found out where our mother's location is." Her calmness made Atillo stop her panic, and she then proceeded with her thoughts.
"She is in constant movement in Kharazhad-Dham, under heavy surveillance. Every two years, she changes locations; that's why it took me so much time to find out she was alive. The next location change will happen soon, and I already have some people ready to know her new location as soon as possible."
"So, what are we doing here? We need to go rescue her; we can't waste time." The desperation in his voice made Amiliath sigh angrily.
"Are you not hearing what I'm saying? They haven't moved yet, we need to wait, and this diplomatic mission is of extreme importance for the survival of our family!" Atillo was startled by his sister's anger. He tried to compose himself, but the thought of his mother took the best of him.
"Good, calm yourself and let me finish speaking. After this mission, I'll be waiting for my spies to collect all the information we need to rescue our mother and take her to a safe place, and I need to discuss with you another problem. It's about father." She waved her hand, asking him to get closer, and she whispered in his ear.
"Father is sick because I'm making him sick with a potion. It took close to one year for him to feel the effects of it, and I don't intend to stop."
"YOU DID WHAT?! ARE YOU CRA-" Before he could continue, she put a hand on his mouth and spoke with anger.
"CAN...you...be...quiet? Do you want everyone in this part of the kingdom to know what I told you? Yes, I did what I had to do, and you know our father has been out of his mind a long time ago." She removed her hand from his mouth, expecting he would calm down, but that was too much for him; first the news about his mother, and now his sister trying to kill his father.
"I...I don't..." Speechless, the only reaction he could have at that moment without losing his sanity.
"You know our father is acting differently than before, his obsession with turning Luccio into the heir, ignoring all the signs that showed he was a horrible person. His blind faith in the Children of Stars cult turned him into someone different, not the loving person we adored. So I had to take action. The fight he had with Duke Boltu made us lose almost half of our territory; his actions against that maid Manila were denounced to the Royal Family, that is now avoiding being connected to us, making many old trade partners cancel the treaties, leaving our territory in a rough shape. What did you expect me to do? Wait until we lose everything in the hopes he will turn into a reasonable person again?" He could feel the despair in her voice, even if in a subtle manner. Amiliath would never show her weak side or any distress, which made him think about it.
A red crystal attached to the passenger cabin ceiling begins to glow, and a male voice is heard.
"Lady Amiliath, Lord Atillo, the escort knights from Minarian city have arrived. Do you want to speak with them?"
"There is no need, send them our appreciation for the escort and wishes for a safe trip." Amiliath answered with her normal, graceful tone.
"Understood, my lady." The crystal slowly turns off.
"That's why I asked for your discretion, Atillo, if the message gem activated while we were talking, that poor driver would be in trouble." She sighs, exhausted, with a tender expression in her eyes towards him. "I know, it's a lot I'm dropping in your lap right now, but all this has a purpose."
"We are close to a point of no return, Atillo. If we don't improve our situation, the Royal Family will cast us away permanently, other noble houses will ignore us, and usurp our land using their political power. I cannot allow this, so I did what I had to."
"You tried to talk to Father about the situation?" Atillo asked weakly, afraid of her answer.
"I tried everything possible. At first, I was counseling him, but after Luccio's death, he quickly became irrational. He was getting angry fast, ignoring the reports and my pleas. So I messaged one of my contacts in the capital, who knew a good alchemist who would create a potion that would weaken and make it look like a disease. I paid him a lot, almost emptying my reserves to ensure this plan would go smoothly."
"So please, stay with me on this. We cannot let our father's irresponsible acts be the demise of our family. If he stays weak long enough, I can fix almost everything and let the name of our family be welcomed again in the noble society."
"That's why you are telling me all this right now? This is the only reason you invited me for this diplomatic trip?"
"No, it's not the only reason. I told you, I trust you enough to tell everything because I know, sooner or later, you would start questioning why Father doesn't get any better. You can be lazy sometimes, but I know how smart you are."
"Well...I take this as a compliment, but I'm not feeling great about knowing all this." Amillo always thought highly of Amiliath; she is the total opposite of him. Ambitious, wise, and charming enough to inspire people to follow her, but to reach this stage, to poison their father, even if it's for the well-being of the family.
"Everything will be fine, my dear brother. Everything will be fine." She tries to reassure him with a shy smile, but he knows how nervous she is at the moment.
"You don't need to treat me like a child, Amiliath. I know you normally hold the weight of all decisions on your shoulders; you could have shared with me before acting this way." In his calm voice, his words hurt her, not as an insult, but because her actions didn't show how much she appreciated his company and opinions.
"You are right, I am sorry. I should've talked to you before this decision, but time was not something I had to spare to take a more proper action. I will say again, I did what I had to do, and I don't feel sorry for that. We will return to our place in society, our territory will be a prosperous place to live again, and then I will let Father be the head of the family again. I only ask for you to trust me."
"I trust you, Ami, I always will. Next time, just remember this, so I will not almost have a heart attack when you reveal your actions to me." His mocking tone made both laugh for a while. It's good to have someone close that you can really count on. The red communication jewel starts to glow again, and the same voice as before speaks through it.
"Lady Amiliath, Lord Atillo, we have arrived at Minarian city."
The carriage passes through the north gates and is welcomed by a cheering crowd, and throwing colored paper squares. This was a pleasant surprise for them. After Duke Boltu left, they could not imagine a warm welcome, but it was good to be wrong. The streets were filled with people cheering and finalizing the final details of the festival scheduled during the visit. The siblings were impressed by the city's structure; they could learn about the city just by observing inside the carriage.
As they approached the gates of the Markash mansion, Duke Boltu was waiting for them. The knights escort positioned themselves, creating a living corridor, with their weapons pointing to the sky, leading the visitors directly to the mansion.
"Welcome, Lady Amiliath and Lord Atillo. I hope the trip was pleasant. Please come with me, we will start the negotiations after a hearty meal." Boltu was wearing luxurious clothes with a cape covering his back, with his family coat of arms, and he was smiling, which made their hearts feel less anxious.
Amiliath then approached Atillo while walking towards the mansion and whispered in his ear.
"Oh yes, I forgot to tell you one thing. That maid, Manila. She is our baby sister." He could only look at her in pure shock.