Eleanor of the Shadow Palace

VI

Meeting the empress was on a whole other level of anxiousness.

The memories I had of the empress was a regal woman who was strict and was very particular with etiquette, most elite women in society was. Of course, I never really faced the woman a lot of times plus Katherine used to talk bad about her which didn’t really help about my views of her and her children.

Fun fact, Ed and I were currently standing in front of Empress Hilda who was scrutinizing us as she sat on her throne.

Hilda Rielta Primavera nee Aljur was a renowned mage. Her maiden family, the Aljur Family, was a ducal family of mages. The best mages in the empire came from them. She married into the imperial family due to politics.

-Well, they’re an influential family. Magic had always been one of the strongest points of the empire. A powerful family whose members could wield it is definitely dangerous. Her marriage to the emperor is just a way for the imperial family to keep them in line.

“These are Gisella’s children?” the empress questioned, her eyes trained on us.

“Yes mother.” Anastasia answered, still on her cheerful self.

The empress did not say anything further. All of a sudden, I felt something prod me but I never saw anything. I made eye contact with the empress and I could suddenly see tendrils of orange light emanating from her and was prodding me and Ed. I looked at Edmund who only looked confused but there was a thin red-silvery barrier around him. It was not just that, his irises were also glowing like molten gold.

“Your eyes are glowing.” Ed suddenly said once we made eye contact of each other.

“Yours too.” I told him.

“Seems like one of you is very compatible with magic while the other can use aura.” the empress suddenly said after the silence. “Very well Anastasia, I will be their guardian and they will live in my palace, in one condition.”

-Aura was the other force of power that exist in this world, the other being magic. Both are powered by mana, the energy that is present in the world. Aura is usually used by those who wield weapons or their bodies to fight, while magic is used by mages who use mana to perform various spells. Both can only be wielded by those who are born to do so.

-I have the capability to do magic?

I looked up and saw a sweet smile on the empress’ face. “Eleanor will become my apprentice and will train magic under my tutelage.”

I gasped in surprise.

-No way! Me? Her apprentice? Isn’t she like the strongest mage in the empire?

“Meanwhile, Edmund will train with Anastasia in the way of the sword so he can use his aura freely.”

I eyed Ed who was giving me a questioning look. I then realized that I never did tell him about the dynamics of the world we were currently in.

“I’ll explain later.” I whispered.

“Fine. Should we accept it?”

I nodded. We already talked about getting the empress on our side so we could live our lives without dying pitifully. During the first go of my life, I never trained with magic or in any form of combat. I was the perfect example of a weak woman who got etiquette drilled into my head.

-Maybe I already had the compatibility in magic but I never got to practice it. No wait, I think Lady Katherine did something so I will not realize it. Same with Edmund too.

Edmund was talented with the sword then, but since he never had the ability to wield aura, he always had a disadvantage among his peers.

-But now… we have the chance to learn and wield it. Everything really is starting to change.

“”We accept.””

The empress did not even wait after the end of the month to start my training. Three days after we moved in into her palace, she immediately had me start my magic training. The same with Edmund who was introduced to one of the empress’ imperial guards, a captain with the name of Harley who would handle his training when Anastasia was not around.

Since then, Edmund and I would only see each other in the morning during breakfast and morning training. The two of us were urged by our respective teachers-s***h-masters to strengthen our body.

-I totally agree that even mages need a sturdy body. But training for that is b****y difficult!

It went on like that for months.

Surprisingly, the empress was actually a doting mother to her children. Behind the façade of the cold and stone-faced head of the imperial harem was a warm and loving mother who wanted to see her children were healthy and alive.

Edmund and I were part of those, fortunately.

On the other hand, the empress is a Spartan teacher. She had me focus on my studies and training that I did not even care much about what was happening outside the walls of the Imperial City. Apart from doing my magical training, she also had me study etiquette fitting for a princess, history, economics and strategy.

There was a lot on my plate.

­-But I don’t mind. This is much better than living knowing nothing and be used and manipulated like some sort of puppet.

Six months after we started our training, our father finally wanted to meet us.

Edmund and I were sparring in the barracks of the imperial soldiers at the northern side of the Imperial City. We regularly went there to spar since Captain Harley and Anastasia were always there, and Empress Hilda (who liked to be called ‘Mother’ by us) wanted us to be there to have practice. Because of that the guards were used to our presence.

I evaded the swing of a sword from Edmund by ducking on the left then swiped his feet from the ground using my own foot. Afterwards, I delivered round kick to my brother’s chest. He managed to block it with both his arms but I strengthened my leg with magic so he was thrown out of the border.

I let out a smile. “I win.”

At first, everyone was worried regarding our mental state. After all, we were just saved from slave traders and a very difficult childhood, but they noticed that despite that we were able to adapt and fit in quite easily.

Perhaps it was because my memories were spotty or that Ed did not remember about our time as slaves at all, or maybe because I already lived it and that Ed and I were mentally older than we currently were. I didn’t really bother.

-But even so, we still maintain some distance. We do have our secrets after all. Not to mention there has been assassination attempts lately. It’s quite a hassle more than anything.

That afternoon, a couple of hours before the sun would set, Ed and I found ourselves at the western side of the palace. We were wearing commoner clothes, very clean commoner clothes, and a hooded dark brown cloak.

We were going to sneak out.

“Hey sis? How exactly are we going to sneak out?” Edmund asked. “There’s like a twenty foot tall in front of us.”

“Eddie, Eddie, Eddie. I trained you to be the master of escape and to always find a way out when you took over Sceptre. Use your imagination.”

“People will know if we go over the wall.”

I just sighed and shook my head in disbelief.

“Seriously, how can you be stupid and smart at the same time?”

“Haaaaaa?”

I shrugged my shoulders and motioned to the overgrown bushes that decorated below the walls. I parted it and a small hole at the bottom of the walls was revealed. The size could fit slender children, and we definitely fit the criteria.

“After you brother.”