There was something wrong about Aefia. Seriously wrong.
She was never this unhinged right after facing a near-death situation. It was as if... She was trying to take revenge for something and she was too blinded by rage to think properly. So she saw Matthew as a threat right the instant he appeared.
The thorns from the rose bushes had dug quite deep into her skin, that the dormant magic inside her had only been able to cover up a fraction. Her skin had lacerations from when the sharp tips were dragging against her skin when they were tightening. It was so deep, it was impossible to think how she was still alive.
It would take her at max, an hour or two to bleed out from that injury. Right now, she was only bleeding from a scratch that seperate her skin from her muscle.
Even though, she was acting like that was nothing.
"My sovereign... You have been too silent for a while." Matthew asked while observing as the servants tried their best to hide her injuries under her stiff collar.
"What am I supposed to say, Matthew?" Aefia asked back while letting out a sigh. "I was meaning to ask why you were so silent but it seems you were just concerned for me."
"I am just recalling what I had seen at the basement. And whatever you had told me. That the Guardian of Health has been keeping allies beside her who are being bribed the wrong way."
"Is that the only thing I said?" She asked while turning her head to look at his face.
"No. You had said more."
"Oh... Cause I don't know what has been going on with my mind but I feel like... I am—you know what? Nevermind." She turned away while looking at her reflection on the mirror. Truth be told, she didn't even know what had happened.
The memory he remembered, Aefia was like a doll being controlled on strings. She stared at him with a gaze that looked like she was about to rip his heart out of him.
*
The scarier thing was... If she had eyes another colour, she would have looked less frightening. But red kept reminding him that she was a ready to spill his blood if he crossed a boundary.
"... My sovereign... What is behind your back?"
Aefia's head tilted to the side, the creepy smile stretched out. "Why does it matter? I thought I was going to ask you a question... How did you know I was down here?"
The way she spoke... Filled with suspicion, and another something he couldn't name. Something mixed with vulnerability, sadness, anger, scorching frustruation, and the need for revenge.
Thinking the opposite way... It may have sounded rather familiar.
A girl with the same black roots but maroon edges—dyed though, just a holding something she liked to do when she was bored. The eyes were always red, maybe a deeper shade.
But then, right now... The way she spoke and the way she was looking at him—way too familiar honestly.
However, it was still to less to prove that she was in fact, she.
The previous Death.
Before be could blink, she lunged forward and pushed him flat on his back while using her knees to press on his chest. Her left hand was wrapped around his throat and her right hand holding a dagger right over his heart.
"I am suspecting that since you came to find me here—in this basement—that you too were ordered to kill me along with those freaks sitting unconscious on the floor. Correct me, am I right?" She spoke rather calmly.
"My sovereign... I don't... Understand!" Matthew rasped while trying to prey her hand away form his throat.
"Don't act like that!" She shouted while adding more pressure. "I knew all of you—you all just think that just because I am still young and a girl—that you can just use me however you want! You want me to give up my throne?! Well not again... I am done playing these games."
"I don't know what you are talking about." But he did.
"Nonsense! You all turned a blind eye when I was killed!" Her eyes turned watery as she held the dagger high above her hand. Her voice dripping with deep sadness and frustruation. With how she looked, he was reminded of when a ghost possesed a human.
"I did so much! I even developed a terminal illness at such a young age due to overworking! And you all still don't appreciate what I had done!"
The entire basement went dark... Metamorphically.
A chill settled onto his bones as he shut his eyes. His mind was racing miles, thinking of a way to solve this situation without anyone getting harmed. Then it just happened...
"Aefia!" Matthew choked out. He watched as the blade came down at him, waiting to take the punishment for whatever had happened... Eighteen thousand and a hundred years ago.
Eighteen thousand and a hundred years... It was both long and short.
In the Guardian realm, it was equivalent to one hundred and eighteen years. In Nikoan, a full scale. On Earth, fifteen years and a month.
But at one point, the Guardian Realm's time setting was stopped. There was no years, days, or months. Just a frozen piece of land that aged without saying it aged.
When Seraphina died, she was just thirteen. It all happened in the blink of an eye. She took office, a third Aethalgard was chosen, war started, corruption started, guardians started to go missing and get killed. It all started with... Seraphina.
The blade never fell on Matthew. The tip of it rested just millimeters away from his chest. Her hand at his neck loosened.
Aefia's eyes were wide. A few drops of tears fell from them as she stayed completely still. She wasn't breathing and it seemed like she couldn't understand what was happening.
Slowly, she got off of Matthew and sat cross-legged on the floor.
"What... Just happened." She whispered under her breathe. "Why am I getting someone else's memories. Why did I just see myself... Being thrown from a cliff?"
Matthew instantly set up, feeling his throat which was bruised by her fingers. But he was concerned about the teenager sitting beside him, who was know grabbing her hair and threathening to rip it apart.
"My sovereign...?" He whispered, trying to pat her shoulder to ask if she was alright. He was indeed confirmed, a rather interesting event happened during Seraphina's death.
"I am so sorry. I don't know why I did that. My body just reacted on its own." She answered back while standing up. Then dusted her clothes while looking down at him. She hung her head low towards him, in respect. "I hope you understand. But it just so happened I couldn't resist it either."
"No, no. Don't worry. I completely understand." He spoke while standing back up. The rest of the journey back to her castle was almost too silent to bare. Of course her thoughts were loud, but her lack of words made him look out for her. Maybe ask her if she wanted to postpone her own coronation to first take a rest.
But the answer was straight.
***
"Victoria. I suspect that she is behind the dissapearance of the other guardians." Aefia answered smoothly at Matthew's quesiton. At her finger was a clipboard where she was signing a document.
She was wearing a set white shirt shirts and trousers, paired with white gloves too. A vest with silver buttons and over it a coat that ended at her waist, it was adorned with pearls. The coat was buttoned and the sleeves rested at her wrist. The remaining half of the fabric was flared out till the end of her torso. Behind her, the coat cascaded down her back all the way, trailing behind her. A rather very casual horse-riding outfit that was extended to become a half gown from the back.
She was honestly just questioning the style that the Guardian Realm wore if she herself was currently wearing... This. It was not like she hated it, she liked it in a strange way. It was her style and not her style.
Her hair was up, the sides braided to hold a crown she wasn't even confident to wear. Those braids wrapped around the rest of her hair folded and tucked into a bun. Her bangs were slightly waved, and a few strands from the sides were curled.
Her ears were adorned with dangling, shiny earrings. Because she was wearing a high collar with brooches already at her coat and vest, she was freed from wearing a heavy necklace. Besides, there was a bright red sash on her, that drew enough attention. Red was the colour representing Death Castle. Death was used as a default name for the castle assigned to her as an Aethalgard.
But that didn't matter. The coronation was going to come once. She wanted to enjoy it of course.
At her waist, a ceremonial sword was strapped. For the dress she wore, the sword was a nice combo. A sword made her feel protected and her clothes were mobile—in case Victoria tried anything.
Matthew took a deep breathe and snatched the clipboard from her—seeing that she was working even the day of her coronation reminded him too much about Seraphina. But Aefia had chosen to forget it, so he didn't want to remind her of it.
Besides, Aefia didn't know that she was seeing Seraphina's memories.
"My sovereign. Why are you even bothered about this paper?" He asked while placing the board towards a servant's hand. "I am certain that you are not even allowed to think about work. The first Aethalgard will be mad. Just enter through those gold-gilded doors and take the oath, then the crown, enjoy the atmosphere. I am here to help you get the work done too."
It was true. He abandoned his full-time post as an Honorary Knight to stand beside Aefia much longer. Since he was fearful of history repeating itself.
With a very light push, he shoved her towards the door and waited for her to flash a very nervous smile at the crowd.
"Matthew—! That is not how I plan on entering!" She skidded to a stop and turned around to push him forward next. "The deal was that you open the door and I will enter so it would feel less weird." She whispered through her gritted teeth.
*
He let out a heart-felt laugh. He had seen Seraphina grow since she had lost her mother. He felt like seeing an older version of her wondering around. Although he felt like she was still a waddling four-year-old toddler just wandering around this new surrounding and being adored by the guardians. He remembered seeing her smile, it was rare but pretty. That kid... Only ever received affection from her mother. Her father was always busy.
When her mother died, she lost her world. Although she had a step-mom, she felt nervous to ask for it.
To thinks she was killed... To the point that she didn't trust anyone anymore.
Nevertheless, he wanted to protect Aefia for as long as he could.
As he stepped forward to push open the door, he looked back at Aefia who was nervously stepping forward into the brightly-lit hall.
He had always wished to see this exact scene with Seraphina—since a coronation could only happen after they reached past fifteen.
*
As the light caught her face, many eyes turned to her. It felt awkward at first, however, it still felt nice to show off to Victoria that whether she liked it or not, Aefia was never going to turn out such a beautiful and powerful throne.
She strode up the red carpet towards the dias where Justice and Health stood. But midway, she stopped.
The attendants grew panicked at what was happening. And then—
"I am just curious... Do Guardians not bow to Aethalgards while they are walking up? Or is it done afterwards?" She asked with the furrow of her bows. Matthew was happy she said that. "Regardless... I have seen many bow to even low-ranking guardians."
Immediately, all of them bowed their heads. Some dropping sweat down their foreheads at her split second glare. She flashed a smirk as she walked past them.
Even when she didn't know Seraphina in detail, she knew one thing about her.
She was the unknown third Aethalgard. Her signatures were everywhere in the documents she saw, which were her last ever signed ones too. And in a small piece of paper hidden within a few ledgers, she wrote;
"The third Aethalgard doesn't show themselves for too much work. Also because they fear being blamed for arrogance."
It made sense. Aefia would have done the same too. With that, she could confirm that the mystery didn't just stop where she thought it would.
Whatever she did just now—she was trying to declare that she wasn't going to move the way Seraphina ever did. She died at thirteen, Aefia was still standing at sixteen. Even when, she nearly died so many times to was hard to saw a definetive time. Still, she made it back whether it was murder or just an accident.
Satisfied at the terrified sight of those same guardians, she continued to walk up to the crown.
Victoria was pissed off, Justice look slightly impressed. She expected that reaction from the second Aethalgard, but a little bit more on the angered range for Justice. Actually... She wanted to use Justice's anger to reveal how his own daughter died.
Anyhow, she would still take revenge in terms of Seraphina. But she needed to get rid of Victoria to get rid of the others.
By the time she knew it, she was knealing in front of Justice on one knee and bowing her head. She was on top of a rather intricate stool.
He withdrew his blade from the side and placed it on her shoulder. A coronation at the Guardian Realm happened like a knighting ceremony. Because someone needed to firstly be crowned as a Guardian before moving on to become an Aethalgard.
The flat side of the blade landed on her right shoulder first. Then over her head to land on her left. There was nothing left to swear... She was already working as the Guardian of Death.
No one needed to witness whether she truly wanted to take care of the people in her territory. They already knew whatever she had done for her territory.