{•Lynette•}

I looked at the pocket watch as it sat open on the desk.

This was completely waterlogged.... Frozen in time and left to rust on a shoreline  for many years.... Up until I took it off the shipwreck and bought it here....

How is that possible....?

I looked over to see Remington was asleep in bed, since it was daylight...

I smiled softly at how peaceful he looked, softly touching the mark on my cheek, showing everyone I'm his, and he's mine......

The past week, Remington and I have had to regain our energy after mating, which apparently had us both feeling a bit lethargic and drowsy for a while.

It was supposed to be like about 3 days, but Sebastian practically grounded us for a week and kept us in our room, along with a lot of chores and extra training.....

Apparently, someone doesn't exactly like it when his subjects play hooky.....

I took a deep breath as I then looked up at the ceiling in boredom, playing with the skirt of my dress.

(Picture: what Lynette is currently wearing)

I listened to the steady ticking of the watch as it counted the seconds.

As I listened, all I could hear in my head is Alexander's words from the beach.

"Your whole life you are left with answers  on why you were left to such a miserable life....."

".... Thinking why any of that ever happened to you..."

"Hell, you even look just like her, her damned twin..... Only difference is you got stuck with your bastard father's eyes!!!"

I sighed, closing my eyes and rubbing my temples as I continued to try and think, the tick-tock of the watch still going.

It makes no sense.... How could my parents have any connection to this place??

They were most likely drug addicts, runaways, or kidnappers.... Who left a newborn baby in a dumpster for dead.....

The chances of them being from Obsidian or any other realm aside from Earth is impossible...

Could Alexander really know something about my biological parents that no one else knows??

"Think like your damn father did!!"

"Come on, Lynette! You're a smart little princess!! Think!!"

Princess... God, what a lunatic.... How the hell could I ever be a princess!? Especially in a place like this!?

Sebastian and Larisa are the ones who are needed on the throne.

"Hand me your crown.... Come with me.... In return.... I release my prisoners...."

"Somewhat right.... They just didn't have a choice..... They had to protect their little princess-"

I grunted quietly as I then leaned over and slammed the pocket watch closed, trying to remain calm.

I can't stay here.... Not while the people of Obsidian are at risk.....

Nearly all of them, minus some volunteers, were evacuated to a nearby island ran by a close acquaintance, now heavily guarded.

The now busy streets of Obsidian were now quiet and barren, aside from some soldiers and guards, and a small handful of nurses attending to people in the hospital who are too sick to move. Shy made sure the hospital is heavily guarded and is sometimes even there to volunteer.

Meanwhile, I'm locked in my room like some child, and it annoys me....

I've trained enough to fight, at the very least at the sides.... People are in danger and I can't stand the idea of having to hide and do nothing.

There's got to be something I can be able to do......

I picked up the pocket watch and examined it in my hands.

Ugh.... So many questions.... So many things that don't make any sense.....

The aristocrat woman in the portrait.

The bassinet in my dream.

The mark on my hip.

E.B. Warhol.

Queen Marguerite's lady-in-waiting.

The true successor to Obsidian.

The fallen angel.

The connections between the families.....

Alexander's ramblings.

This pocket watch.

Everything is just a puzzle with no pieces to match.

I sighed and fiddled a bit with the watch before my finger nicked something and I dropped it in surprise.

"Aaah-!" I gasped in pain, seeing the tiny drop of blood pool at my fingertip.

"Damn it," I grumbled in annoyance, sucking on my fingertip, then looking at Remington, who stirred a bit and sat up, rubbing his eyes.

"Sorry... I didn't mean to wake you," I sighed, feeling guilty now, seeing the small scratch on my finger.

"Are you alright? What happened?" He yawned as he looked over.

"I'm fine, its just I..... I pricked my finger on the side of the watch," I sighed, looking over before I reached to get the pocket watch and stopped. "Wait....."

The pocket watch laid open, and the bottom part of it was popped out, like the make up inside a compact mirror, and alongside it laid...

I furrowed my brows and picked it up.

"A.... A key?" I asked as Remington walked over.

(Picture: Palaye Royale Blackwell Drum Key, Example of key found)

I examined the strange looking key, then seeing the familiar insignia on it.

"The Blackwell moniker....." I said, confused.

"I've seen these before.... Father had one.... I-Its for secret compartments around the castle...." Remington said. "To hide secret weapons or documents or anything to defend ourselves.... They're usually under portraits."

"Then.... What was it doing in here?" I asked, getting the pocket watch.

"I.... I don't know...." he said. "More importantly, why was it in the shipwreck....?"

I tried to think of something, but then had an idea.

"That ship wouldn't happened to have had a manifest, would it?"

He furrowed his brows curiously.

***

"All the records from that were lost, but we did find parts of the manifest, and put it on display here under its portrait," Emerson said as we entered the library.

"If its a partial, it might not give us much," Remington said as we walked over.

"Here," Emerson said as we approached the portrait of the ship. "Tried my best to do it out of memory... I deserve a pat on the back...."

(Picture: Ship to Obsidian (sketch) by Emerson Barrett)

I quickly looked through the manifest list. "Let's see.... You guys are on here....... Wait.... Look," I said, motioning to them and pointing at the one name listed on there.

"H. Warhol... Hermes was on that ship?" Remington asked in surprise.

"It all comes back to them....." I said. "How are they in so deep?"

"Hermes must have survived, but.... There's no record of it at all....." Emerson said. "Well have to hope they find him, bring him, and we get all the answers we need."

"So.... You don't remember ever seeing him?" I asked.

Emerson and Remington looked at each other. "There's... There's a lot of that trip we can't remember...." Remington sighed. "I remember someone, but.... Vaguely...."

"Wait.... That name..... It feels familiar...." Emerson said.

We look and see another name.

"Amadeus," Remington read.

I furrowed my brows as I read the name as well when suddenly...

"Traitor..."

I gasped and turned, looking around.

"Lynette... What's wrong?" Remington asked.

"I... T-That voice..... The one I mentioned..... It says that Amadeus was a traitor....." I said.

"Are you sure?" Remington asked.

"It said so...." I said.

"We'll look into him...." Emerson said in an assuring tone.

I sighed softly as I tried to think of something, and then looked down at the key in my hands.

"You said this was for hidden compartments in portraits, right?" I asked Remington.

"Well, they're universal, so they work for different things, but yeah.... Father usually used them just for that...." Remington asked.

I looked back down at the key, and then suddenly got a feeling in my gut before looking back up at the portrait of Alister.

"I wonder....." I said, walking over and examining the portrait of Alister.

I looked around, before noticing the keys engraved onto the wall just under the frame.

It looked like a small metal flap and I moved it aside, seeing a keyhole.

I looked down before inserting the key, and then twisting it.

Just then a whole drawer popped out of the wall, making us jump.

The three of us looked at each other before I slowly looked back and then opened it, revealing a familiar file.

I pulled it out and skimmed through it. 

"Its similar paperwork that we saw for the work being done at the Wastelands.... This time its for... Something called..... Dream's Tower....." I said, reading through it.

"According to these schematics, it looks like a school that is a branch of Lieseil Academy for astrology and physics..... Lieseil and both Warhol's signed it, even our mother and father signed it, but.... Not E.B. Warhol this time...."

"He didn't?" I asked.

"The form seems incomplete, E.B. probably didn't have a chance to sign it yet...." Emerson said. 

"Emerson, were you or Leda able to find something on this E.B. Warhol?" Remington asked.

"No... Nothing came up with our records..." Emerson said. "We'd have to assume any records would be at the Warhol manor if anything, or its most likely an alias...."

I sighed and tried to think.

"However, we made some leeway with the mysterious blonde woman by thinking of something..." Emerson said.

"How so?" Remington asked.

"What if she didn't die from the fires?" Emerson asked.

We looked at each other before back at Emerson. "Elaborate..." I said.

"We've been looking at death records where people died of the fires.... However, Leda thought of something, and that's if this woman even died in the fires at all.... What if she died from, say, crushed rubble, or some accident... Maybe she was directly murdered by some weapon...... Many tragic events unfolded that night, what if we looked into deaths not associated with the fire?"

"Well.... It could work..... So, we look into any nobles who didn't burn to death, then.... Or I guess died of smoke inhalation at least, too....." I said. "After all, the room she was in didn't look burnt or destroyed in my dreams..... There was blood, however, so her death must have been violent somehow....."

"Then we look at deaths not associated in any way with fire," Remington said. "It could narrow things down...."

"Any news on that search from Hermes?" I asked.

"No news yet.... Its only been about 3 days since Samuel and the scouts left though.... Despite the small population, the Wastelands is still a lot of land to cover," Emerson said.

I took a deep breath and nodded in understanding. 

"Fret not, dear duchess.... We do have something, however. In regards to the blessed silver bullet that Alexander shot Remington with," Emerson added.

"Which is?" Remington asked.

"Two weeks ago, a high priestess was reported missing from a local sanctuary near Lieseil Academy," Emerson said, opening his binder and holding up a missing person poster. "Her name is Genevieve,  and she's also a known empath and medium."

(Picture: Priestess Genevieve, portrayed by Jennie Vee)

"She was probably kidnapped by the rebellion, and is being forced to bless weapons against us," Remington said.

"Its a possibility. I doubt it must have been easy to persuade her," Emerson said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Oh, priestesses are among the very few who are immune to a fallen angel's compulsion," Emerson explained. "Unless she's doing this voluntarily, they must have some leverage on her since using Prophet would have been useless."

"I remember Priestess Genevieve occasionally visiting Mother..... They were friends, and she was heartbroken when our parents were murdered....." Remington said. "I don't see how she could betray us for the Visigoths...."

"They must have her husband, too. A close acquaintance of her's was the one who reported her missing after all," Emerson said.

"We have to save the prisoners, and quick. With that fallen angel dead, many have probably broken from their trance by now, who knows what will happen to them," I said.

"We're working hard on that, Shy is figuring out the strategy for it," Remington said.

I took a deep breath. "I just... I hate taking sidelines...."

"I know...." he replied. "I promise, we are making it top priority to save them."

I took a deep breath, rubbing my arms.

"Oh, before I forget, Shy's also going to try and get your necklace back," Emerson said. "She wanted me to tell you."

"I appreciate it, but that can wait. I rather the empire be safe and the villagers be back in their homes safe and sound before focusing on an old piece of jewelry that's in the back of some police station," I said.

He nodded. "If that's what you wish."

I took a deep breath and then as then Remington spoke.

"Alright... I'll be focusing on a plan with Shy to see what we can do to find the prisoners," Remington said. 

"Let me and the girls do that.... You two are still grounded, remember?" Emerson said, raising an eyebrow.

Remington and I looked at Emerson in confusion.

"Seriously?" I asked.

"Hey, don't look at me. King-in-Training's orders, since you two lovebirds decided to sneak out on a school night," Emerson shrugged.

I grunted and pinched the bridge of my nose. "Geez.... Alright, fine... Just keep us updated, okay?"

"Will do," he smiled innocently.

"Come on," Remington said, placing his hand on the small of my back as we walked out of the library and headed back to his room.

"I know you're upset, Lynette.... Believe me, I want to do more for the prisoners and save the city.... However, its things like this where we need a good plan to avoid any casualties...." he said as we walked.

"I know.... It just... It feels like our hands are tied and..... Like the Visigoths are laughing at us....." I said. "We could do more, bait them or something."

"I know how it looks, my love...." he said, stopping and looking into my eyes. "I promise, we will succeed somehow, I promise...."

I frowned as I kept thinking....

"Lynette.... This voice.... Does it scare you?" he asked.

"N-No.... It...." I mumbled, deep in thought. "It feels.... Familiar....."

He furrowed his brows.

"I-I can't place that voice anywhere, ever, but..... I.... I feel like I've heard it before....." I told him. "I just don't know how it knows more than I know.... How would it know this Amadeus guy is some traitor, or even how I should defend myself? This has to be more than a conscience, right?"

He seemed confused, but sighed. "I... I don't know....."

I sighed as he pulled me into a hug.

"Promise me something, Remington...." I said, looking up at him.

"Anything...." he said, softly stroking my cheek.

I looked up at him. "Don't... Don't leave me alone....." I said.

His eyes widen.

"I can't lose you..." I said. "You mean everything to me.... Losing you would kill me, and...."

"Lynette..." he said, cutting me off as he pulled me close, pressing our foreheads together as I tried to calm down. 

"I love you.... Remington, I can't imagine my life from now on without you...." I said.

"I will never, ever leave you.... I will always be with you, Lynette.... No matter what....." he said. 

I looked up at him, letting out a shaky breath. "Make a vow..... Promise me.... Just like you did the first time....."

He looked into my eyes before softly kissing my lips, and then taking one step back before kneeling down, his hand over his heart.

"I vow to you, my beloved Lynette, that I will be with you forever and always..... You are in my heart just like I am in your's....." he said. "I vow that nothing will ever tear us apart, and even if they tried, I will always come back to you......" 

I took a deep breath and knelt down, pulling him into my arms and kissing him passionately as I knelt down to his level.

He wrapped his arms and me as we held onto each other, his hold on me tight and desperate, as if I were to disappear if he let me go.

We pulled back for air and I looked into his hazel eyes.

"I love you, Lynette.... I will always love you...." he said.

I smiled as I held his face in my hands. "I love you, too, Remington.... Always...."

He smiled and kissed me one last time before we stood up and he held me close.

"Come on.... Back to our dungeon, before a certain king comes for our heads...." he joked, making me laugh a little as he also laughed and held my hand while we walked back to his room.

{•Larisa•}

"I do think punishing them like children was unnecessary," I told my mate as I adjusted the medals on his coat.

"They snuck off like foolish teenagers and came back as mates, and you don't  think I need to put my foot down," He said sternly.

"Oh please, Sebastian," I scoffed, looking up at him. "You and I have had more rebellious incidents than they did.... Remember when we became mates?"

I showed him the mark on my collarbone, symbolizing our connection.

(Picture: Example of Larisa & Sebastian's mark)

He sighed with a slight eye roll pursing his lips as a slight tint of pink splashed across his face. "I don't need to be reminded of how we were caught in the library... Which need I remind you was your idea...."

I giggled at his bashfulness before kissing his cheek. "You stress yourself over them, my love," I said, then walked over . "Remington and Lynette may be stubborn, but they know what is right and how to take care of themselves.... Same goes for Emerson and Shy...."

He sighed. "I only want what's best for my brothers, and their mates as well..... You know Remington can be impulsive at times...."

"However, that impulsiveness has been helpful, because his instinct is well intact, and tends to overpower the impulsiveness," I assured him.

He looked over. "Why must you always be right?"

She smiled. "Its part of my charm."

He scoffed and smiled as he walked over, holding my hands in his.

"I know things have been complicated.... We've been trusted with an entire empire, and trying to protect the same people who at first hated my family but then revered us for saving them from Alexander's tyranny...." I said.

"This is our home..... These are our people.... What kind of successors are we if we don't do anything for the safety of all?" I asked.

He smiled as he reached up, softly stroking my cheek.

"Which is why I feel you've waited long enough for this question...." he said, pulling out a small box from his pocket and then getting down on one knee and opening the box to reveal......

(Picture: Limited Edition Royal Council Ring from 2017 in Blood Red, representing the engagement ring Sebastian gives Larisa)

My eyes widen as I cover my mouth in surprise.

"It was our mother's ring, when our father proposed to her.... Its only right that Obsidian's next future queen wears it...." Sebastian said. "Both for when they crown her.... As well as when she says her wedding vows....."

I looked at him in awe.

"Larisa..... Will you marry me?" he asked.

I laughed happily and nodded. "Yes.... Yes, of course, my king, yes!!"

He chuckled as he pulled each other into a passionate kiss.

We then pulled back and he slipped the ring onto my finger and kissed the back of my hand as I admired it.

"This is really happening...." I said in disbelief, but still smiling.

"We will make something good and safe of this land.... In name of my mother and father, and our home," he assured me.

I smiled as I hugged him tightly.

I really do hope he's right....

~~~~~

First update of 2022! ✨

Going to be catching up with the graphic novel and study for this story a little more, so next chapter might be soon and then I'm taking a short break on this story just to edit whatever parts I have saved up, and then draft up some more stuff. 🌻

🎹 Currently in Sapph's playlist:

Cults "Bad Things"

♡~ sapphire.