The past has an effect

      "Two days of searching and nothing to show for it." Cornelia said, throwing a book on a nearby table.

      "There's still more shelves to check." Roland said.

       "No, it's pointless. The book can't be here." Cornelia said.

        "But the captain did say that it would be here." Roland said, looking around at the troops of maids and servants that searched through the shelves.

        "I doubt Rodriguez's journal would be placed among a collection of books on how to sail a ship." Cordelia said. "For beginners."

        "Ugh!" Roland exclaimed. "Where is Rodrick anyways?"

        "I believe he is in his room." Bailewick said.

        "Hmm. He must have found something interesting to read." Cornelia said. "Tell him to put the book back. We leave today."

        "But we haven't found the journal, your majesty." Bailewick said.

        "Yes, Cornelia." Roland agreed. "Why would we leave now?"

        "Because there's nothing here for us. The journal isn't here, and I'll much rather go home and put up a fight than stay here and try to find answers that don't exist."

        "Cornelia, we don't know how to stop this thing." Roland said.

        "We can stop it by being there." Cornelia said. "That prophecy where the sea dweller took the throne, we weren't present there. Which means it can't come true if we are there."

        After a second of thought, the king realised that his queen was right. The prophesy never contained them.

        Was it just destined that they aren't present? Or would cornelia's realisation just save them from that sea dweller?

        Whatever it was, he wasn't willing to wait any longer yo find out.

        "Call the captain, pack our bags. We are going back to Fantascia." Roland barked orders to Bailewick. "And we leave immediately."

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        "Why are her eyes growing?" Eric asked with terrified curiosity. Even though it was so faint that the average human eyes could notice, Cordelia saw his hands shake.

        "You made a mistake: underestimating my sister." Cordelia said.

        "What's she going to do?" Eric asked.

        "The question you should be asking is,'What is she doing?'" Cordelia smiled.

        "What?" Eric was confused and scared. He saw what Cordelia could do. He feared what Nherisa would do.

        "Cracks appeared all over the ground. They widened, and the underground dungeon was shaking.

        "Take the egg away. And hide it." Eric said to the sorcerer. After a few  seconds of hesitation, the sorcerer ran. Not just to hide the eggs but to save his life.

        Eric wanted to run, too. But before he could scramble his way to the stairs, the ground and walls crumbled, and water leaked in at a dangerous rate. Eric's eyes widened with fear. Not of drowning, but of the fire in Nherisa's eyes.

        He swam, flapped, scrambled in the water, but he seemed unable to move. Like the water was holding him in place. His gaze never shifted from Nherisa. Like she wanted him to burn in the fire that he set off in her eyes.

        The rock cracked even more, collapsing all around Eric. Was Nherisa trying to kill him? Why would she?

       Looking at Nherisa, cordelua immediately recognised that it wasn't her anymore. That look, she knew far too well.

       What exactly is that spirit? And what does it want? Cordelia thought.

        Whatever it was, Cordelia wasn't ready to let it control her sister any longer. She held her sister's arm, her gaze swiftly briefing the rope around her wrist. She didn't care. She just swam and pulled past the spot where the door used to be. While swimming past him, Cordelia's shoulder brushed a part of him. Which part, she had no idea. But she knew that she gad touched him because she could suddenly see his memory from his point of view.

        The setting was unfamiliar, but Cordelia could immediately recognise a beach when she saw one. Even before she could see the face, she recognised the voice. "His daughters are on to us."

        The next milli second, before Cordelia could see the face of the speaker, she no longer touched Eric. The memory was gone, and it was not until she had swum through the tunnels of water out to the river that she realised that the one who spoke was none other than the king Seward.

        Eric knew Seward. And Cordelia was certain that they were talking about them. About their father. She was so close to the truth. Finding out what killed her parents. Now, she was certain that what Nherisa told her was not the truth. Either they were both lied to, or Nherisa lied to her.

        "Seward."

        Nherisa's eyes shot open when they reached sea. She saw it, too.

       "I remember that in a vision I saw him. He was talking about you. Saying that you mustn't find out the truth." She said. "They fed us lies."

        "Seward has secrets. He has the truth. Our truth." Cordelia said. And we are going to find that out."

        "No, Cordelia. We have to find my child first." Nherisa said, begging, holding Cordelia's hand. "I can't let them take him away."

        "You aren't sure that it's a boy, Nherisa." Cordelia said. "You aren't even sure it would even survive in that egg."

        "My child is alive." Nherisa said. "And it's a boy. I saw it."

        "That child was a mistake." Cordelia said.

        "That child is my destiny." Nherisa said.

        "The terrible fate you were pushed to by its heartless father."

        Nherisa shed a tear. Cordelua noticed.

        "Look, Nherisa. After all these years, we finally have a chance to find out what happened to our parents." Cordelia said. "Don't you want to know the truth?"

        "I'm sorry, Nherisa, but I'm a mother. And my baby is more important to me." Nherisa said. "If you won't come, then I'll just have to go by myself."

        "Nherisa!"

        But Nherisa didn't stop. She swam on, not stopping until she was out of Cordelia's sight.

        Cordelia felt her heart drown. She never felt that way before. Even growing up without parents, her heart was never this hurt.

        What she felt, it was like, for the very first time in her entire life, she felt completely alone. Worse was that her sister's child was now coming between them, causing trouble for her.

        "That wretched thing." Cordelia said, swimming towards Encrea.

    

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        "There has to be a faster way." Roland begged.

        "I could do something, Roland." Cornelia said. "But it would drain me entirely without working entirely. And I don't think I can go very far alone. I'll need help. And we did send James back to Fantascia."

        "We have to try, Cornelia." Roland said. "Our kingdom depends on it."

        Cordelia looked up at Eric. His eyes looked different. Like they had listed the spark of life every human carried. His eyes could easily be compared to one drawn on paper: stiff, two dimensional, lifeless.

        "It's too dangerous." Cornelia said. "The spell may seem like a teleportatation spell, but it's actually a speed spell. Anything can happen. We could crash into an island and crush another ship. The dangers are numerous."

        "Do you want to be there to save your kingdom?" Roland asked. "Or do you want to regret not doing it for the rest of your life."

        Cordelia looked into those lifeless eyes again. They now gave her a dangerous stare. Like they were about to laser right through hers.

        Roland's hand was cold when Cornelia touched it - dangerously cold. Still, she held it between hers.

        "You need to heal." She said.

       "You have to do this, Cordelia." Roland said. "If not for the people, for me."

        This was no longer a request. The look in Roland's eyes sent shivers down her spine. Not fear for herself. She feared for him. He looked like he was about to burst, like his eyes were going to pop out.

        "It might not work." Cornelia said, giving up. "But I'll try."

       "That's the spirit." Roland said, standing up from his seat beside Cornelia. "Come quick. Whe haven't much time left."

       Cornelia stood up on her feet, not minding her bones, which tugged her back towards the chair. She looked at Eric. Those lifeless eyes. They now beamed with a spark of excitement.

        Perhaps reaching Fantascia at the earliest would be best, Cornelia thought. Something had to be ( about whatever had happened to Roland.

        "Yes, yes." Cornelia said, following him out the door. "I'm coming."

        They reached the deck seconds later.

        Cornelia stood at the prow while Roland talked to the captain. She couldn't make much of their conversation, but she did hear the disapproval in Rodrick's voice.

        Minutes later, the entire crew was on board with the plan. They all went inside the stern castle to seek refuge. Roland didn't. He stood there by the door, watching Cornelia.

        Cornelia braced herself. She was not prepared for such a job. But she had to do it anyway. For her husband. For her kingdom.

        She lifted her arms, casting spells. From where she was standing, a bright light blinded Roland for a second. When his sight returned, he realised that it wasn't light. It was a vortex of colours. Like they were in multiple places all at once and could see everything at once.

        Yet the ship remained still.

       

        Roland walked towards Cornelia. "It's...it's beautiful." He said.

        Cornelia wanted, so badly, to glare at him. But all her energy had left her. Her knees bent, and she fell to the ground.

        The ship came to a sudden halt. Too sudden. It shook. Roland could see Fantascia from where they were. Cornelia had just taken them through a week's journey in a few seconds.

        Waves came quick at the ship. A storm had risen.

        Zephyra looked out the window from the library. She wasn't looking at her mother. Attention had moved from her to the human silhouette that was being held up on a wave in front of the ship.

        Cordelia.