The young girl fell to her knees. Even though she was dressed in numerous layers of satin and muslin, pain coursed through her frail body.

But this pain was insignificant, like a delicate snowflake lost in a violent snowstorm, compared to the shock brought by the horrific vision of the corpse.

The identity of the body was impossible to discern. The skin had been cut in hundreds of places, covered in dried, coagulated blood whose metallic and nauseous smell still couldn't completely overtake the roses incense, and as a result the combination of those both smells, filled the room with an unbreathable parfum. 

Ivory bones and scarlet red organs were revealed under the torn baby blue uniform and the silver buttons. The slender neck was twisted at an impossible angle, hiding the face of the victim.

But the strands of hair, similar to melted gold, were recognizable among a thousand, even though they were now dipped in a maroon liquid.

"Sorin," she whispered.

Her dear twin, her beloved brother, lying in this pool of blood, his body completely ripped apart.

She was unable to utter a sound. Her throat was closed. And her heart was crushed by sharp, invisible claws.

Behind her, a high-pitched scream followed by rushing metal and the heavy sounds of footsteps.

A few moments later, the little parlor was invaded by dozens of knights. They circled around the body like vultures. It was as if the deadly pale princess was invisible.

But suddenly, she felt the warm embrace of a familiar touch. Gloved hands gently shielded the horrific scenery. Even blinded, she recognized the pine scent of her fiancé.

Her face buried into his chest, she cried all the tears of her body, staining his pure white vest. Arien firmly held her in his arms.

"Sorin," she cried over and over again.

The violent image of his body kept appearing before her eyes.

"It is going to be alright, Aideen. It is going to be alright."

But the soothing voice of her beloved didn't ease her trembling body.

"Someone call His Majesty immediately!" yelled a rough voice. "The Crown Prince of Svenja has been murdered."

Aideen's body suddenly collapsed. The young Duke tried to wake her up, but the princess had lost consciousness.

He lifted her as gently as if he were carrying a newborn.

"I am bringing Her Highness back to her room."

No one responded to him as they were too occupied circling around the profaned body. An outraged feeling bloomed in his heart at the indifference towards his beloved. His hands trembled, but he didn't relish his anger, prioritizing Aideen's condition.

Fortunately or not, the apartment of his fiancée was close to the crime scene. The princess's head maid, Marietta, dropped the bouquet of lilies she was holding in her hands when she saw her master motionless.

"Dear gods! What in the world happened?" she cried, rushing as fast as she could.

Her black uniform floated around her as she grabbed the princess's hand.

"I will tell you what happened later; for now, we have to lay her down."

Marietta nodded vigorously and led the young Northern Duke towards her master's bed.

"Her temperature is higher than usual; we must call for the physician."

"I will go at once!" proposed a young maid standing near the door.

She didn't wait for her superior's approval and rushed to fetch the royal physician.

Arien looked anxiously at the sweat forming on the princess's skin. She was trembling and making short movements.

The young Duke didn't know what to do. He was conflicted between waking up his betrothed or leaving her to drown in her nightmares.

He took off one of his gloves and started brushing the long white strands of hair away from her wet face. She grunted and turned away.

Deep down, he knew that leaving her in the clutches of imaginary demons was better than making her face the reality of the preceding events.

"Your Grace, the physician is here."

"Where is the Princess?" interrupted a panting voice.

"She is in her bed."

A middle-aged man with chestnut hair and a long nose ran to Aideen's side. He quickly examined her.

"Her Highness collapsed due to an intense shock. She will wake up in a few hours. There is nothing alarming about her condition," reassured the physician.

"Are you sure? Her Highness is sweating profusely," interrupted Marietta.

"I can take a vial of blood and examine it if that makes you less anxious," he proposed kindly.

"Please do," accepted the young Duke.

He flinched when he saw the needle piercing the delicate skin of Aideen.

🦢🦢🦢

When Aideen woke up, her Head maid was sitting beside her.

"Your Highness! You are finally awake!"

"Marietta? W-Where is A-Arien? Where i-is brother?"

"Hush! You must not move too much. I am going to bring a glass of water for you."

The Princess watched her loyal maid trot away. She pushed a lock of hair blinding her left eye. A strand of pure white, with golden reflection. Like melted gold.

"Argh!"

An intense pain flashed through her head as the terrible images surfaced from the dark lake that seemed to compose her mind.

"Your Royal Highness," a familiar voice brought her out of her dark reminiscence.

She lifted her chin and met the old eyes of the Chamberlain.

"I am sorry to interrupt your rest, but your family has ordered that every resident of the castle must go to the throne room."

He looked away, embarrassed to force an ill maiden to get out of her bed.

"I will ask to be prepared the fastest possible," she smiled weakly.

He bowed and excused himself. The castle needed his services more than ever.

"I cannot believe that our Majesties are being so inconsiderate!" cursed Marietta while braiding the soft hair of her protégée.

Aideen stayed silent during the whole process, watching her gloomy reflection, her complexion as dark as the dress that she wore. Her beautiful silver eyes were missing their usual glint, maybe caused by the puffiness of her eyelids, or the dark purple circles that painted the shape of her eyes.

When she walked towards the meeting place, a servant wearing a grey and midnight blue uniform announced her presence, she couldn't take two steps into the throne room before a storm of lilac satin threw itself into her arms.

"Aideen!" cried her sister. "I was so scared! I-I thought you too..."

Her voice faded. Aideen buried her face into the curly chocolate hair of Loreiley. Her floral perfume enveloped her. She embraced her sister even tighter to feel her familiar scent, even if it was heavier than usual.

They walked hand in hand towards their respective seats. The absence of the owner of the nearest seat towards the throne plunged the room into a gloomy atmosphere.

Aideen lips trembled seeing the pitiful sight of her mother who seemed to have aged of a decade in less than a few hours. The silver hair that made the pride of the Queen fell straightly on her shoulders making her ill emotionless pale face look like it belonged to a ghost.

The King's face was marked by the anger and the grief of his son, but his white knuckle tightened grip and the twitch of his eyebrow let the entire room see a glimpse of his rage.

"Today, we are gathered to find the culprit of the death of my son," their father attacked immediately after they took a seat. "Sir Walter, please take the floor."

Aideen watched the royal physician detach from the crowd and take his place at the center of the room, uneasy.

"The Crown Prince was discovered only minutes after his death. Since the castle is locked down, the killer is still among us. But—but..."

"Speak."

"Well, the death of the Crown Prince was committed by—by dark magic."

Whispers traveled the room, turning the wide room into a loud cacophony.

"Dark magic? Didn't you study it, Aideen?" whisper Loreiley

The words, seemingly directed only at her, but by a strange circumstance every nobles seem to have heard her questions as they went silent. Aideen blushed, feeling the weight of hundreds of wary eyes scrutinizing her.

"W-Well, I participated in the same lessons as my brother. There were several classes on black magic."

"Why would Her Highness take classes only allowed for the sole heir to the throne?" an anonymous voice asked in the middle of the sea of courtiers.

The rulers didn't react and nodded slightly, urging her to continue. The young girl hand clutches a pant of her dress and took a breath.

"Dark magic appeared thousands of years ago when a mage tried to break the first law of nature: 'Never go against your mortal condition.' After he tried to achieve immortality, his soul was stained, and he wasn't able to perform any holy magic. He was banished from his coven. But he soon discovered that his mana mutated into a darker form. He was able to perform the opposite of holy magic. Many people were blinded by his power and became his followers. They still exist today."

Loreiley, who had been deep in thought throughout her sister's long explanation, suddenly stood up, her eyes shining.

"That is right! There is a way to recognize a Dark Mage! The purity of blood test!"

Sensing the perplexed gaze, she elaborated, "It is quite simple; we have to collect a small vial of blood. Then, a Holy Mage will infuse it with his power. If it is common blood, nothing will happen. If it is Holy Mage blood, it will become a different shade of white, depending on the skill of the mage in question. But if it is a Dark Mage, a cloud of shadow will form, since those two types of magic are incompatible. It is like two sides of a coin; you cannot see both sides at the same time. You have to choose one; it is the same with different families of mana."

The soft voice of Aideen's older sister calmed the entire audience. There was a way to find the evil that was hiding among them.

"I have a vial of blood; why don't we test it out?" proposed Sir Walter. "The Marquess of Chany happens to possess Holy magic."

"Only a small amount," corrected the noble.

Still, he advanced towards the physician and took a glance at the King and the Queen. "If you permit."

"You may," authorized Queen of Svenja.

Aideen observed the expression of her mother. She was tense, and her eyes were still red and swollen.

The Marquess took the glass vial and mumbled a prayer. His hand started to glow golden. The shimmering veil of light floated around the red liquid. For a moment, nothing happened. But suddenly, a dark fog erupted from the vial and devoured the Holy magic. The Marquess gasped, and the entire room was plunged into black ink darkness. Cries of terror echoed through the mist before it disappeared as fast as it appeared.

The King stood up from his golden throne. The nobles went silent, dreading his reaction.

"Whose blood was it?"

His voice was calm but filled with an indescribable rage. The physician was as white as winter's snow.

"WHOSE BLOOD WAS IT?!"

"It-it."

He glanced to the side of the throne before whispering, "It was Her Highness Aideen's blood."