"The emperor is merely a soldier of the people," said replied the ten-year-old noble girl to the young man holding her up.

"What an interesting answer," the young man replied with a smile that didn't quite reach his black eyes.

Her wicked half siblings, indifferent father, and beloved brother all called him a prince. Looking at his obsidian hair and eyes, Laishka wondered at what her life would be like if she had been born with the black locks of the royals instead of her golden tresses.

Then the first fireworks lit the sky and Laishka forgot the thought as she looked on in wonder at the flashing lights that would glitter the sky for the next ten days. Normally she didn't like the 10 Ends Festival much because Naikre was always busy with their father, the knights and the mages making sure everything went as scheduled. In consequence, the rest of her half siblings made sure that she never got to really enjoy the festivities.

This year was different though. When Naikre returned from the capital, he brought the young seventeen-year-old Third Prince Maizak with him, but unlike what would be expected from such a high-profile guest, all of her siblings made it their mission to never be with him for longer than was absolutely necessary. Seeing this, Laishka made sure that she was always close by him so that for once in her young life she could see why everyone looked forward to the 10 Ends Festival.

As the fireworks died down, Laishka, looked down and saw the townspeople dance and play amidst the snowy ground. As she looked at them, she couldn't help the stab of envy she felt that they got to play and make merry while she had to go back inside and act like a proper noble to visiting nobles who didn't want to even touch her.

Feeling her companion lift her from the balcony and set her down, she looked at him with curiosity as they walked back inside amidst the crowd of nobles who had finished watching the first night's spectacle.

"Lady Laishka, is something the matter," Third Prince asked while holding Laishka's small hand so they didn't get separated in the crowd.

"Don't you find me disgusting?" Laishka asked in the blunt manner of children.

"Why would you ask a question like that?" Third Price inquired as if he was speaking about afternoon tea.

With her free hand, Laishka grabbed a piece of her fair-colored hair and looked at with annoyance.

"Lady Laishka, for three years I lived in a country where the more golden your hair, the more you were revered," Third Prince said.

"You mean the Seraktate?" Laishka asked.

Third Prince nodded as they made their way towards their reserved box. Prior to the fireworks, everyone was dancing and moving to music in the theater's ballroom. Now that the fireworks had ended, everyone who could afford it would finish the first night by watching one of the local acting troupes perform a dramatization of the first emperor's rise to power.

From eavesdropping on gossiping servants, Laishka knew that the play would be repeated every night for the entire festival, but the most expensive of those performances was on the first and last day of the festival as that was when all the nobles and wealthy merchants would be watching. The other eight days were much more affordable so that commoners could enjoy the performance too.

Before they entered, Laishka and Third Prince noticed the approaching figure of Naikre.

"Brother Naikre, are you free right now?" Laishka asked in barely contained excitement.

With relieved crimson eyes, Naikre smiled at his younger sister and said, "I was on my way to speak with the troop that Sir Sarzak assigned to guard the theater and thought I might say hello and have a word with Third Prince."

Third Prince nodded and waved his hand in response.

"Some of my people are complaining about a mice problem," Naikre began.

"Oh?" Third Prince arched a brow.

"Yes, my people are saying that they spotted some and are afraid that these mice will contaminate our precious goods. As my lord was nearby we thought to ask what Third Prince would suggest should be done about these mice?" Naikre finished.

With a gentlemanly smile, Third Prince responded, "They are only just mice. Set a trap and burn them. Only take care to keep your precious goods far from the reach of these mice. It would not do at all if you were to get rid of them, but the goods were to be touched by them."

Nodding, Naikre replied, "Third Prince speaks wisely. We shall take your words to heart," then kneeling to the eye level of a confused Laishka, Naikre said, "Don't stray from Third Prince's side. He is here to enjoy the festival so please be a good guide for him."

"Don't worry Brother Naikre and if any mice come, I'll make a cat t scare them away," Laishka responded with confident blue eyes.

"I have full faith in you. Now, I really must be off," Naikre said.

Third Prince responded, "You are free to leave."

When Naikre's crimson head had vanished, Third Prince turned to Laishka and said, "Now, shall we, Lady Laishka?"

Laishka gently nodded and climbed on top of one of one of the two seats in the box. From here, she could see the stage and the entire audience. It was strange to be so high above everyone else.

As she waited for the play to start she spotted Third Prince take out a pocket watch from the corner of her eyes.

Spotting her gaze, Third Prince smiled and said, "Only a few more minutes until the show begins."

Laishka nodded in response and went back to staring at the stage and audience until Third Prince spoke again.

"Lady Laishka, by your mention of cats, am I right to assume that you are an illusionist?"

A little taken aback at his use of "I," Laishka had to remind herself that her brother once told her that the only one above him was the emperor as an heir had not yet been decided upon among Third Prince and his brothers.

Seeing his expectant black eyes, Laishka responded, "Yes. This one has always been adapt at illusions."

"May you show me?" he asked.

Nodding, Laishka clasped her tiny hands together and when she opened them a butterfly the color of snow came out and flew around.

"Remarkable, truly remarkable," Third Prince commented as he watched it the butterfly move around the box.

When it came close to him, he reached out to touch it and Laishka made it turn into sparks that faded away so that his hand wouldn't pass through the illusion.

When the last of the sparks faded, he asked, "Are you also a Fire type like your brother?"

Hiding her sadness, Laishka responded, "I must apologize to Third Prince for this one has no talent for elemental magic."

"Lady Laishka, are you aware of the royal family's affliction?" Third Prince asked in response.

Cocking her head to the side, Laishka asked, "Affliction?"

"Yes, in return for being able to create, we cannot use manipulate any of the elements. They call us Shadow types, but I never much understood why when we cannot work with any of the five elements," Third Prince explained.

Forgetting herself, Laishka asked, "Why do they call you shadow types?"

"Right, you have not had much access with royals, have you?" Third Prince inquired.

"Truthfully, Third Prince is the first royal this one has had the pleasure of meeting."

He nodded and said, "The show is starting, but during intermission I'll show you."

I nodded and paid attention to the play. It told a story that everyone in all four corners of the Empire knew and could recount. It was the story of a man raised to be a puppet king, but showing intelligence and abilities the likes of which had never been seen. It was the story of a young man capable of topping an entire government in only ten days.

The stories say that the first emperor never showed up to his coronation and hearing the cries of the people that had long suffered under the regime of the Ten Holy Clans, he barricaded the city for ten days and in those ten days, he slaughtered one family a night. Thus, the Empire was born. For a thousand years, this man's sons had ruled and they would surely rule for a thousand more.

Though looking at the play, Laishka thought that the first act seemed to focus more on the relationship between the young prince and the woman who would be remembered as the Empire's first Lady Knight.

The first act ended on the confused nobles' empty coronation and the lights went back up. The whole auditorium stretched and chatted as they took advantage of this fifteen-minute break.

Yet, rather than get up, Laishka turned in her seat and looked at Third Prince with expectant eyes that seemed to ask, "Can you show me now?"

"You sure you won't be frightened?" he asked.

Without hesitation Laishka replied, "Why would I be scared? Magic doesn't lie. It's humans that are much scarier."

For a moment, a strange expression crossed his face, but it was quickly replaced with a smile as he gave his consent.

Then a black cloud wrapped around his hand for what seemed to be half a minute. When it faded away, in his hand was a mirror, like that which her sisters owned. It had a long silver handle and beautiful flowery craftsmanship to decorate it.

Cocking her head to the side, Laishka said, "It's a mirror. Do you do illusions too?"

"I'm afraid I never had much of a talent for illusions," Third Prince chuckled. He then handed the mirror to her and continued, "Moreover, this is no ordinary mirror."

As her response, Laishka looked at the mirror in her small hands, then stared back at Third Prince blankly.

With a ghost of a smile, he asked, "Have you ever seen the Seraktate?"

Laishka shook her head from left to right.

He then got up and crouching down so he was right next to her asked to see the mirror.

Wondering at his strange actions, Laishka ascented.

"Now watch," Third Prince said as he held the mirror in front of both their faces.

For a moment, a swirling light appeared, then a scene straight out of Laishka's deceased mother's stories appeared in front of her. Staring in wonder, she watched as these people spoke to each other in that secretive language. It was the same language that her mother had secretly taught her and remained hidden to even Naikre.

"Can you understand them?" Third Prince asked in that secretive language.

Feeling her heart beat fast in excitement that there was another person who knew this tongue, Laishka responded in that same language, "Yes, but how can you?"

"I lived in the Sarektate for three years and as I've previously stated have no talent for illusions and am thus incapable of the translation spell. It would have been quite bothersome if I had to rely on an illusionist for those entire three years," He replied.

"Then, what is your secondary talent?" Laishka asked.

With a wry smile, he replied, "The same as your noble brother: Combat."

Switching back to the common language of the Empire, Third Prince said, "Now that's enough political talk. I meant to only show you how the mirror works. You need only to think of some person or place and the mirror shall show you what you desire."

"Something so valuable, Third Prince should keep it," Laishka said.

"I made it for you. It is a gift. If I have need of another, I can always create more," he replied.

Laishka nodded and before she could ask why, a knock came to the door in which they came from.

"You are free to enter," Third Prince said as he stood up to greet the new guest.

A Lady Knight with the brown hair of a commoner entered and knelt on one knee in front of Third Prince.

"Sir Naikre requests your presence on an earlier matter," the knight said.

Third Prince glanced at the crowd of nobles below the box, then turned back to the knight and said, "Very well, please lead the way." When he reached the doorway, he glanced back at Laishka and said, "I shouldn't be long. Wait here for my return."

Laishka nodded and when she heard the door click shut, she busied herself with her new gift. First, she saw images that were close to home: her brother, her hiding spots, and so on. Then she saw the places that were closed off to her: The capital and other surrounding duchies and fiefs.

In the middle of seeing such wondrous sites, she saw the lights dim and the performance begin once more.

Right after the actor playing the would-be emperor finished his opening line, Laishka heard the door click and glanced back only to look into the pale green eyes of a stranger that quickly made everything turn black.

When next she opened her eyes, she found herself in a shed with what looked to be five commoners, if their brown hair was any indication as to their status.

A woman in her mid-twenties shouted, "Hey, she's awake!"

Realizing that she must have been kidnapped, Laishka braced herself for any strike.

Instead the same woman said, "Sorry about all this, little lady."

Laishka stared blankly at her kidnappers then at the ropes binding her hands and feet.

Finally, Laishka asked, "Aren't you people kidnappers?"

A man who looked to be in his thirties said, "Just because we are willing to kidnap people, doesn't mean we are willing to beat or kill who we kidnap."

Laishka cocked her head in confusion.

The same man responded, "Violence is wrong."

"But kidnapping is not?" Laishka asked.

Another woman who looked to be around Nairkre's age responded, "It's also wrong, but it's a lesser evil."

The mid-twenties woman smiled gently and said, "Don't worry, as soon as we get the ransom you'll be back home safe and sound."

"Why are people like you kidnappers?" Laishka asked.

A young man leaning against a wall said, "We weren't always like this."

"Then what did you used to be?" Laishka asked.

"You wouldn't know because of hoe peaceful Varlaik is. Duke Von Varkre, he is an honorable man. It's not the same in other duchies ad fiefs," a man guarding the door said.

"What do you mean?" Laishka asked.

The girl around Naikre's age answered, "We were nomads. We would travel throughout the empire selling potions and charms. All we wanted was a peaceful life."

"Then we had everything taken from us," the young man by the wall said with clenched fists.

The man by the door, said, "Quiet, I hear someone."

Paying attention, Laishka thought that it sounded like marching feet, and a lot of them.

The guy by the wall said, "Untie the kid. It's getting too dangerous."

The woman next to Laishka nodded and did as was ordered.

No sooner had they spoken then a voice outside yelled, "This is the Captain of the 4th Regiment stationed in the Duchy of Varlaik speaking. We have you surrounded, surrender quietly and release the hostage."

The five would be kidnappers began to speak to each other in worried whispers, too fast for Laishka to figure out what they were saying.

Tugging on the quiet one's pants, Laishka asked, "Could I try something?"

The younger of the two women asked, "Kid, what do you mean?"

"You guys may be kidnappers, but you aren't bad people," Laishka said.

The man who had been silent throughout everything said, "We're screwed either way so let's surrender."

The other four nodded at his words and Laishka stayed in front of them as they opened the shed's door.

When she saw the knights poised for battle, Laishka screamed, "Don't kill them!"

The soldiers were taken aback at the young girls scream so she screamed louder, "Don't kill them! Don't kill them! Don't kill them!"

The Ten Ends Festival was a time of celebration and festivities, but for the knights gathered there, it would serve as a reminder. They wouldn't recall the play nor the fireworks. Instead they would remember the little half breed noble girl who shouted at them to spare the ones who kidnapped her.