Genevieve was by Zevlin's side as he slept still on the bed. Olivia hovered over the older of the twins, her hands smoothly gliding over his body with a glow of green light being emitted from her palms. Gen watched her actions carefully, taking in the movement of her body and hands.

"Um . . ." Genevieve mumbled. "I'm sorry. How is he?"

"I do not think he'll regain consciousness anytime soon. His body was not injured too much, yet the state of his mind is not something I'm really certain of." Olivia trailed off. "He seems to be in a death-like state of sleep. The longer this goes on, the harder it will be to have him wake up."

Tamara burst into the room, a strange look in her eyes. Genevieve gazed at her in utter confusion with a hint of sadness and worry creasing her face. She stared up at the red-headed girl, waiting for her to speak up. The third-ranker had that expression on that said she was about to faint.

"CORVAN AND VALERIANA ARE FREAKING GIRLFRIEND AND BOYFRIEND AND I DO NOT KNOW WHAT AND HOW THAT HAPPENED BUT OH, LARKOV!" She exclaimed, hardly breathing in between. Her arms were flapping around like a penguin.

It was quite a comical sight. Her blue eyes were stark wide and her hair jumped with her every movement.

Genevieve felt puzzled at the news. "Girlfriend and boyfriend? I've heard of that but what does that mean again?"

"LOVERS! FREAKING LOVERS, GENEVIEVE!" She yelled.

The younger of the twin jumped at the news and started squealing. "I knew it! I knew it! They liked each other so bad! CorVal for life! Yieeeee!"

Genevieve did not even know how on Valemnia she was able to create such a strange sound, but perhaps that was what set aside the esteemed shipper nation from all other creatures--human or Valemnian. Accompanying her words were enthusiastic jumps on the balls of her feet and her hands clapping like a child who won some sort of prize.

"I didn't know how it happened." Tamara rolled her eyes. "I mean, seriously. One moment they were fighting and next thing is that they're engaged."

Olivia listened silently with a smile.

"Engaged? Really? Not just this girl and boyfriend subject?"

"Well, I'll be asking the two later."

"It's better than no progress." Genevieve nodded, a huge smile on her face. "Yeah, yeah."

"How's Zev?" She asked, nodding towards the bed-ridden pair of the two.

Reminded of her brother's condition, the girl felt her mood plummet down as fast as it skyrocketed. She slumped and crashed on the chair she had been sitting on since a while ago and looked over to her brother.

"He's still not fine . . . the headmaster and Lord Lienhard said strange things I could not quite understand. They said they're going to check on him later, and I'm still waiting."

Tamara looked up to see Olivia, the official healer and Head Academy Doctor, gazing at Genevieve with sympathy. Dragging her gaze back to the poor girl, she felt herself shaking her head. It made her jealous how much the twins cared for each other as siblings. With her and Charles's situation, it was quite impossible for that kind of relationship to be established.

"I'm sure he'll be able to win over whatever he's going through." Said Tamara. "He's a strong guy, after all."

"I never even knew he was going through something. Did you even know he was struggling with his element?"

"What?" Tamara was surprised. "He was?"

"He hid it very well. No one even noticed until now." Genevieve sadly commented.

"True." The third-ranker stared at Zevlin, pondering about whatever ordeal he had been through. How still he slept was a bit unnerving. "No wonder he's like that when it came towards you."

"I should've been more open-minded and understood him more. I realized I have been very selfish and immature all along, thinking I've been the only one suffering all this time when in fact, I wasn't." She reached for her brother's hand and gave it a tight squeeze. "I'm really sorry, Zev. I was stupid acting like a brat. I'm not good enough on my own without you so please wake up. I love you so much."

Her tears were on the verge of falling. They made her eyes shine. She whispered her apologies continuously, her voice breaking until she could do nothing but mouth the same words over and over again.

She wiped her eyes and sniffed once or twice before giving the healer a look akin to desperation. "Please." Gen muttered. "Is there anything . . . anything, I could do at all?"

Olivia sadly shook her head. "His physical form is alright. I can only do so much . . . but that doesn't mean you cannot." She sighed. "There is a healing technique that aids the soul, but it is taxing. Compared to normal healing practice when mending physical wounds, spiritual healing requires more energy. I have adequate knowledge of the matter as a healer, but I am personally better in healing physical injuries. You, however, are a healer yourself, are you not?"

She nodded. "Yes. I inherited it from our mother."

"Yes. Genoa Sabian was one of the greatest healers in the area of spirits, you may have gotten this talent." Olivia nodded, her voice bore respect and adoration when the name was mentioned.

"You knew our mother?" Genevieve was wonderstruck.

"Your mother has a reputation, of course I do. Are you willing to learn?"

"I . . . well, I've never actually concerned myself too much with learning about my ability." She shamefully gazed at her lap and fiddled with a button of her top. "I didn't think I had the talent for it since I can only do so much for injuries. I could not heal big wounds as great as you do."

"Healing concerns all forms and it is not only physical." Olivia made her way around the bed and grabbed both of Genevieve's hands. "Wounds come in all shapes, forms, and sizes, and they affect not only the body but the mind and soul. Have you ever tried to help heal a soul?"

"I've never . . ."

"Open yourself to what you can really do, Genevieve. I am aware you wish to stay with your brother and continue your training as a knight, and you are doing a good job at it. Even so, make use of what you were given and find out more about your gift. It is not something that should be feared."

She bit down on her lip, swayed by the woman's words. She rationalized about the situation and deducted reasons of all sorts, her mind reeling faster than it has ever gone.

"What do I need to do?" Genevieve asked.

Olivia smiled. "That's the spirit."

Tamara smiled as she watched the two talk. "Anyway, if you're going to be busy, I might not be able to have you help in what we're about to do."

Genevieve gave Tamara a questioning stare. "What are you guys up to?"

"Well, we do not know what exactly is going on between the two but we're going to help, anyway." She shrugged. "Seems to me it has something to do with Corvan's family and status business."

"I see." She nodded. "Sorry Zev and I won't be there."

"Nope! Handle your problems, you guys." She made her way towards the door while waving. "Kee, Bri, and I will do something about this."

"You guys please do." She said, watching the third-ranker leave before looking up at Olivia and giving her the most determined look she could muster. "I beg you. Can we start now?"

Olivia nodded. "This is what you must do."

-*-

Valeriana wanted answers, she knew that. The box with engraved roses that sat in front of her reminded her of that very fact. Silver in color and cold to the touch, she calmly traced the markings on its surface and wondered quietly to herself what sort of answers this small container held. Why did she have to wait for her eighteenth birthday which was practically just two weeks away to know?

July 20. Good lords!

And to think Corvan even dared put her through this kind of ordeal, forcing her to pretend as his fiancee for what reason? She wasn't even eighteen and she was sure as hell she wasn't some sort of disney princess who marries at seventeen. Like, seriously. What the hell?

Val sat frowning and muttering to herself as the thoughts chased around her head. Out of frustration, she glared at the pile of books she had gone through for the past few months just to catch up with the lessons in the academy and couldn't believe how high it had gotten--thick books with ancient, old paper kind of smell, tough jackets of various colors, and silver or gold embossed letterings marked on the spine and on the front cover.

She didn't strike herself as a reading nazi of some sort and yet she had managed to go through all of this for some surprising reason she couldn't wrap her mind around. Really, since when had she become so studious?

The downside to it, though? She probably could not recall anything she had read from those. Heck, she wasn't that smart. She doubted about Charles, though. He seemed to be the bookish sort of person full of witty plans all the time.

She wasn't about to start on Lord Aeron. That man was the devil himself.

"Aghhhhh! Kill me now!" She groaned out, rubbing her palms against her face that twisted it to all sort of directions.

As she was moaning and complaining to herself about how life was such a cruel thing, Keelan burst through her doors which practically scared the lights out of her. In fact, she could swear she had a mini heart attack just then as she jumped off her seat like a startled cat.

"Valerianaaa!" He had bits of food around his mouth he obviously hadn't bothered wiping off.

"For the love of god, Keelan!" She shrieked. "Knock before you freaking enter, gosh . . ." She calmed her erratic heart rate and turned to meet the eleventh-ranker's apologetic but mischievous eyes.

"Are you ready to leave?"

She eyed him with one brow cocked. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, it's already eleven!"

Valeriana frowned. "I don't get your point. So what if it's eleven already? Don't you usually sleep early?"

"I couldn't sleep because Tamara--"

A hand snatched to grab the knob and close it with Keelan on the way. The eleventh howled in pain as his shoulder hit the thing and moaned his way inside the room, twisting around to see Tamara with a gritted teeth.

"Sorry, I was going to close the door. Didn't know you were there."

"How could you not?" Keelan exclaimed at her. "You were standing behind me!"

"Maybe because you're as tall as the door, you giant."

"I'm no giant. I'm of average height!"

"No. You are!"

Valeriana frowned at the sight of the two bickering. Well, true that Keelan was tall. He could as well pass off as a basketball player, though he wasn't that much of a giant.

Tamara was being unreasonable.

"Why are you guys here?" She asked. "We still have to prepare for the festival tomorrow, don't we?"

Tamara walked to Valeriana's side and threw an arm around her shoulder. "No, my dear. We--us--without you will prepare for the festival. On the other hand, you and Lord Corvan are going to Arlandia. Okay?"

"Wait--hey." She slipped off Tamara's hold on her and whirled to look at them both in the eyes. "Why are you guys butting in on this? I didn't even agree to go with Corvan."

"You freaking gotta, Valeriana Kerrigan!" Tamara exclaimed, throwing back her red hair behind her. "I mean . . . Corvan's problem with his family is really tough to deal with and I doubt he would be able to succeed without you helping him. You know the guy would rather die than ask somebody to help him in this."

"Then what does that have to do with me? This is his crap to deal with, I don't get why he as to pull me into it!"

"Oh, in the name of Larkov!" Tamara grabbed a bunch of her hair and pulled. "I thought you would know the Corvan language by now!"

She felt her eyebrows knitting together at the last phrase. "Corvan language?"

"It goes like this." The third-ranker prepared herself to explain. "Your cooperation is appreciated or whatever along those lines means I need your help. You get the gist, anyway. He's aggressive with everything because his ego will not let him beg."

Valeriana paused for a moment to consider what she was feeding her muddled brain.

"Corvan likes to hide behind his mask of an arrogant and cold lord crap of his because it's really hard for him to actually say what he feels, but when we overheard you guys talking a while ago, it was obvious he was a bit desperate."

How could Valeriana not have known if that was the case?

"And you're an idiot. For the gods' sake! How are you so dumb and slow when it comes to these things?"

The fifth held both sides of her head and felt that guilt welling up. "I didn't know! I was so shocked and . . . and, well . . . I don't know how to explain it."

"I know this is very impersonal of me to talk about another person when he isn't here but what the hell? I do it all the time." The redhead rolled her eyes and cocked her hips.

Keelan's eyes bulged. "You talk about me too?"

She threw a punch his way, hitting him on the chest. "Shut up. I didn't say anything like that. But yes."

"Oh god." Valeriana sighed. "I don't know what to say about that."

"Corvan's out to prove himself worthy for the position as Lord of Arlandia. That's the main reason why he's here and why he's the first-ranker." Tamara started. "When he was little, he lost something very important. He has no memory at all how he lost it, but he's tirelessly searching for it until now."

"What did he lost, exactly?"

"See here, the successors of each family bear an heirloom in the form of a ring. Charles and Rowe have one. These rings hold the emblem for each family ruling the continents, all given to the first-borns. It's also the proof of nobility."

Valeriana was awed. "Oh. I saw Charles's before, I think." She stated.

"These rings are also given to the woman the successor is supposed to marry. Charles's ring is called the Vernados Firmament, and Rowe's . . ." She trailed off in deep thought.

"The Nevan Ether!" Keelan quipped.

"Right."

"And Eres has the Kaiven Terra Firma . . ." The eleventh smartly added. "And the Evereeshas have the Evereesha Current."

"Huh." She stood stupidly as she heard the last one. "Wait. What's the name of the Corvan's ring?"

Tamara's face scrunched up as she tried to remember. "Wil . . . wild fire? Crap. No. Wild . . . ca . . . gah."

"The Wylden Cosmos!" Keelan blurted behind her.

The third snapped her finger. "Aha! The Wylden Cosmos!"

"Holy crap." Her eyes were drawn to the ring around her finger, drawing the attention of both the two standing before her.

"So he found it?" Tamara tilted her head to the side in wonder. "And he gave it to you?" She flashed a knowing smirk.

"Please don't." Valeriana closed her eyes, trying to stop herself from flushing at the thought. "Heck, I have never been kissed and now I find myself engaged. This is unreal and it isn't true."

"Alright. Alright. Fine. Whatever you say. If Corvan's . . . asking for your help, then give it to him. He rarely does. The way he talked to you a while ago is something, trust me. He probably really needs it."

Keelan inched slowly between the two. "Hey, I wanted to ask a question."

"What?"

"By the way . . . I saw Alovia a while ago." He muttered.

"Oh that lady. Wasn't she Corvan's fiancee?" Valeriana thought back to the fair lady who obviously had the hots for Corvan. "Why didn't he ask her?"

"Wannabe." Tamara interjected.

"Huh?"

"The wannabe fiancee, of course." She said it in a 'duh' tone. "Corvan doesn't like her. That girl is desperate she makes women look so weak! I mean, who chases after a guy? She obviously has screws loose."

"I thought that was supposed be a screw loose. Was I wrong?" Keelan innocently pointed puf.

"No. No. When I said screws then I didn't mean just one. If there's a standard of crazy, she's first-class!"

Valeriana was already used to Tamara's offensive rants and trashtalking but this girl was going nuts!

"You know, I trashtalk people in my head and that's only sometimes--or maybe a lot more frequently than sometimes--but you do it all the time and you do it out loud. Do you have a death wish?"

"Why would I have a death wish when I'm talking about a person who can't even lay a finger on me?" She arrogantly turned up her nose and cocked a brow.

"Ooh." Valeriana and Keelan chorused.

"But, seriously . . ."

"Enough with this. I am saying you go there and find out more about the person you call an idiot devil and an arrogant jack-ass all the time. Besides, I think he offered you his help with your identity so grab the chance."

"But--"

"No, buts! The guy's waiting at the portals, so we go there right now!" Tamara snatched her arm and started dragging her away.

"What?" She blanched. "I haven't even--"

"No one cares about how you look. So let's go."

"I wasn't--"

Valeriana stumbled and tried to plant her feet when Keelan gave her a slight push from behind and guided her forward. This gave her no choice.

Ah, god forgive her.

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