"I don''t want it. There, that should make it easy." Corva said inly, trying to suppress the tears threatening to fall. "Now, go."


    "It isn''t that simple. We know you possess no interest in presenting a im to the throne. The reason we have decided to visit is that we want to gather your support for our sister, Lethaya." One of her other sisters said. "She is a much better candidate than Aya."


    "Why should I care?" Corva questioned. As long as she could do her own work, what did it matter who sat on the throne? All that mattered was her work and that her mother would soon be gone from this world… What did session matter…


    "Aya would turn our country into Haedda. She would have us close our borders and cease trade with other countries. Aedrider prides itself on our technology. It was at Mother''s and Lethaya''s request that we attend the tournament in Arcadios… You enjoyed that right?"


    "I did…"


    "You wish to see your inventions in the hands of others, yes? Then by supporting our sister…"


    "Leave… All of you. Get out!"


    "Corva…"


    "I said, get out!"


    Corva''s scream echoed throughout the manor and left shocked and saddened faces among her guests who quickly nodded and left the premises. She found herself alone in a beautiful room filled with fine furniture she never used and gorgeous art she never looked at.


    The very building she lived in and called home was a gift from her mother. The freedom she enjoyed was a gift as well. Everyone knew that Corva had no chance at being queen. Nor did she have any interest. It was her mother who recognized that first and opened her eyes to an alternative path… one of an artisan.


    "Mother…"


    Yue gently opened the door and was nked by another individual. Corva''s scream had awoken one of the scant few other residents in the home. Yue''s sister, who only went by ''Snow'' much as Lucius once went by ''Titan'', entered the room.


    Her skin was as white as that for which she was named. Her eyes a pale blue. The woman''s hair fell gracefully down her back, reaching almost to her butt and looked as though it was made of silver.


    "Lady Corva…" Snow whispered. "Shall I follow them?"


    "No… it was just some of my sisters…"


    "I see."


    "They informed me of Mother… she is not far from the Long Sleep…" Corva sobbed. "Snow… can you… watch over her. Report everything to me. I can''t make an appearance in the capital just yet…"


    Snow nodded and quietly hugged Yue before leaving the room. Though they were unrted, the two women treated one another like siblings. Corva often found herself jealous of their rtionship because none of her siblings cared for her as deeply as they did.


    ***** Continue reading at empire


    The pce of Aedrider sat halfway up the side of the tallest mountain in the country. The city was built in tiers below it all the way to the base. It was one of thergest and most grand cities on the entire continent.


    The reason for the city being built on and into a mountain? It was the fact that the mountain itself was the source of over half of all the magical crystals that their country relied upon and used for trade, research, and daily life.


    Unlike minerals that were finite and could be exhausted from mines. The crystals that Aedrider used regrew over time. Each type of crystal had different rates of growth and as long as the core of the crystal remained intact, it could be replenished. The process was like a blend of mining and farming.


    Snow found herself in the sprawling metropolis at the base of the mountain. She was unable to use her employer''s name and identity in order to ascend higher up the tiers of the city, so she needed to find some way to move up. She was a master at infiltration, so she would be able to do that. Though, bypassing eachyer of security would take time.


    She would need to analyze rotations, habits, and gaps in patrols at each gate before finally making it into the pce. However, Lady Corva gave her and her sister a home to belong to, so she was willing to do it.


    Snow found herself yawning again fromck of sleep. It was still daytime and was normally when she would still be asleep. However, night woulde in a few hours and she would absolutely need to stay awake through it. Deciding that a few hours was better than none, she quickly searched for an inn to rent for the next few nights.


    As a ce with many tall buildings and one with which she waspletely unfamiliar with theyout, Snow found herself lost on a few asions. She carefully avoided alley''s with little or no light, which made navigating the sprawl more difficult. Many of the ''helpful'' shortcuts she was provided by local residents included paths she refused to take.


    Without Yue with her…there was no way she could brave the darkened alleyways of the city. All of her resolve would be needed for her investigation. The whispers could wait to assault her until then.


    The sun began to set by the time she found a suitable ce. Her time with natural daylight had been wasted by herck of foresight into investigating theyout of the capital. The ce she chose seemed to be rather expensive, but it was worth it. The more expensive ces supplied light crystals instead ofmps and fireces.


    The inside of her chosen base of operations was a warm and inviting bar with a kind woman behind it. The woman greeted her with a smile and offered meals and a drink. Snow declined and requested only a room.


    "That will end up being ten gold coins a night, dear."


    "How much for extra light stones?"


    "Extra? Do you have children with you?"


    "I do not. I simply need extra light crystals."


    The proprietor looked at her strangely but offered her three extra stones for a price of one gold per crystal per night. Snow readily agreed and took the crystals to her room. She strategically ced them around the room to eliminate as many shadows as possible.


    She also made sure to purchase extra nkets for the room. One was to fold and stuff beneath the door to block the light from leaving and shadows from entering. The other blocked the single window when she draped it over the curtain rod.


    "This should help. No shadows… no whispers… no shadows… no whispers." Snow gently chanted this mantra as she tried to fall asleep. Her n to investigate security was ced on hold for a day, but she needed to sleep.