Chronicles of the Forbidden Jewels

The marquess stepped out of the conservatory, his lips pressed together, his hands shaking beside him. He noticed me waiting from the outside and forced himself to smile half-heartedly.

“You don’t look so good, is there something I can do to help you or anything?” I offered, and he shook his head, while his expression became rigid and composed just like how he first looked when I saw him.

“Thank you for your generosity, but I’m fine. The princess is a poisonous flower, so just keep that idea in mind, Your Highness. My words are short but will be helpful later on. Well then, if you’ll excuse me, I have to take my leave.”

Before I could react, he walked past me, leaving his profound words echoing in my mind. I knew that despite Thyra's lady-like beauty and manners, she could be quite intimidating. I would be lying if I claimed to be entirely comfortable around her, as I was still trying to understand her tendencies, having only seen a few aspects of her personality.

However, the notion of her being a poisonous flower suggested there was more to her than I had initially perceived.

The real question is, how deadly is this 'poisonous flower'? She chose me over Hervouet, even though there seems to be little benefit for her. I'm uncertain about what she expects from me in return for her assistance.

Whatever the case, I shouldn't stress about tomorrow. Whether I'll win or lose, making it out alive is the only thing that matters. But I can tell that Thyra doesn't see things this way since she seemed to have bigger plans than I do.

I straightened my posture as I entered the conservatory. Thyra, lost in her thoughts, didn't seem to notice me at first. The shock was evident on her face as she stared blankly into space. When she finally noticed me, she smiled in disbelief and let out a laugh. However, her laughter was tinged with sarcasm. I maintained a neutral expression, for I am unsure of how to respond to her unusual demeanor.

"What did he say? You're unhappy. If there's anything I can do to cheer you up, just ask." She chuckled at my words, which is the opposite of what I'm expecting.

“How can a laughing person be unhappy? Don’t joke around. To put it simply, he’s my friend but I no longer trust him. I don’t want to talk about it since it’s a waste of time. We should go.” She stood up to leave without telling me her reason, and I didn't insist on asking. Maybe I should wait for her to be ready to open up.

Having previously instructed Ruford to arrange for a carriage, it was ready and waiting for us as we exited the conservatory. I offered my assistance to Thyra as she gracefully entered the carriage. Once inside, I noticed her hands tightly clenched into fists on her lap, her gaze fixed upon them.

However, it looked like she’ll crush anyone if someone tries to pick on her in any way. Though Ruford took my horse on our travel back, I’m beginning to see the need to sit a little far away from her to give her space.

Should I leave her alone thinking about what happened or should I comfort her? If I’ll comfort her, what should I say? It’s not like I tried to tame a monster before which can be her.

But she did say that she’s willing to be friends with me since I asked for it. Therefore, I’ll do my role as a friend to check on her. But how can I make a lady happy? We just ate, so she can't be hungry. I don't think she'll appreciate expensive gifts either since she's not in the mood to go shopping. What can work? The silence full of tension is killing me.

"Thyra?" I called out, and she turned to look at me with a frown and a piercing gaze. I anticipated her reaction, knowing that it would be sharp. If looks could be lethal, I would have died on the spot.

“I was just thinking … maybe you need some fresh air? Just to breathe and loosen up a little. I can tell you’re stressed and I’m worried. Tell me anything I can do to help you out. It’s not because of my curiosity but I think –”

“Stop. I understand your intention. Maybe we should stop somewhere near the sea or river, whatever is nearest. I normally find peace when I'm facing the water," she suggested, and now it's something I learned about her. I’ll take note of that.

We stopped in front of the nearest seaside we passed through. Not only will it provide us with a peaceful environment, but also give the coachman and Ruford a chance to rest. After traveling for four hours non-stop, taking a break to hydrate, stretch, and relax would be beneficial for all of us.

Ruford and the coachman left us alone, and we found an ideal spot for a private conversation. We settled ourselves at the edge of a boardwalk overlooking the sea, providing a serene backdrop for our discussion.

Respecting Thyra's need for space, I chose to wait for her to initiate the conversation. I understood that pressuring her to share her thoughts could only add to her stress and burdens, which was the last thing I wanted to do.

“Jarvis is … I can say one of the few trusted friends I have since I don't trust all my friends. But he sees me as his master because his family had a name in the kingdom out of my support, and I don’t have to spell that out to you since you witnessed how he reacts when I’m around. His loyalty is extreme, to the point that he’ll do anything I’ll say as long as it’s for my sake. If I’ll tell him to leave his duties as a marquess, he will. If I tell him to kill himself, he will. That’s what Jarvis is like. But earlier I discussed my plans and he refused, telling me that he’s not supporting me on that. He even rebuked me. It felt like he was a different person. His words felt like he was throwing our friendship out of the window. He should've known that he won’t have any face to show to me because of what he did,” she explained, her expression seeming like she was a world away, lost in thoughts.

“I see. Since you said that he’s your only trusted friend, you must have high expectations of him to go with the flow. You felt like you were betrayed, didn’t you?” I asked, and she let out a sigh.

“Yes. Before he left me, I wanted to say that he should kill me, or I’ll kill him instead. But he didn’t let me talk, so I let it slide.” She added, her voice serious.

“You wanted to kill him and you want him to kill you? You shouldn’t be taking death lightly. It sounded easy for you. I think the marquess loves you, and if you said that he’ll kill himself instead of killing you.” I assumed.

“You’re not wrong. He will kill himself if I’ll say that so I didn’t want to be that harsh. Knowing him, he’ll regret it for the rest of his life if he’ll kill me and he’ll end up killing himself to silence his thoughts. Jarvis and I have similar personalities, except that he automatically softens when it comes to me. I’m his comfort zone. He once told me that he’ll die for me, and that would be the best kind of death he’ll ever ask for.”

Does he want to die for her as a death wish? That’s insane. HE'S INSANE. I knew from the beginning that he was head over heels to Thyra, but his ‘love’ had gone too far. It's not loving, but an obsession.

“Which is why …” Thyra let out a sigh as she looked up into the sky. “… I’m disappointed, and I think I shouldn’t see him as a friend anymore.”

So, this is how she defines trust – when someone is willing to die for her without question and even idolize her? Can’t she see that she’s seeing the marquess as a servant, not a friend? If that’s the case … is she expecting me to be like that for her to fully trust me? To become someone who’ll follow her without question? True or not, they sure are close, knowing that they have ideas on how the other person thinks or how the other will decide.

"I mentioned before that I want us to be friends. Are you expecting me to behave like him?" I caught her off guard with my question, and she looked at me with a puzzled expression, her eyebrows furrowed.

“Don’t be stupid. If you’re thinking that’s how I see friendships, then you’re wrong. You don’t have to kneel before me as he did. It was him who decided to act like that. Do you think I'll offer to help you and choose you over Hervouet because I don't consider you a friend? Friends are supposed to help each other unconditionally. Isn't that the definition of friendship?" she retorted, but I can tell that she wasn’t happy to hear that question.

While there may be some truth in her definition, it seems that she fails to recognize that being a friend does not grant her control over the other person. It is also a friend's responsibility to provide guidance and correction when necessary, rather than blindly supporting actions that could potentially put her in harm's way. If she struggles to grasp the concept of friendship, it raises questions about her understanding of love, which can also exist within a friendship.

She rolled her eyes as she noticed that I didn’t give the slightest response. But as the silence between us fell, and suddenly, I felt a wet and slippery sensation wrapping around my leg, forcefully pulling me away from her.

"Your Highness! Azriel! Azriel!" Her voice filled with panic as she called out my name. Before I could react, I found myself sinking into the water, unable to catch even a glimpse of her reaction.

The frigid seawater crashes into my mouth and nostrils, engulfing me in its icy embrace. As the sunset's reflection on the surface grows distant, I struggle to maintain consciousness in the chilling depths of the sea. In this moment, I feel like the sole remaining Izavene in the world, surrounded by the deafening silence of the water. As a red diamond Izavene, with fire as my primary power and now being drowned into the depths of the water, I can conclude – this is the last day of my life.

──•~❉᯽❉~•──

“Oh dear, you’re finally awake,” a soft and unfamiliar voice filled the cold air. As I opened my eyes, I found myself face to face with a peculiar woman. Her long, wavy, mahogany hair cascaded down to her waist, and as I observed her more closely, I noticed something unusual. Instead of feet, she had suckers resembling those of an octopus, despite wearing a dress.

What’s going on? Am I dreaming?

“I’m Callista Chafelon,” she extended her human-like hand for me to see and revealed an aquamarine ring. “I’m an Izavene too, like you.” Her lips curved into a friendly grin, but to my dismay, I found myself unable to speak. It felt as though my mouth had been sealed shut, even though there was no physical obstruction preventing me from opening it.

“Your facial expression says it all. You find me looking strange, don’t you? Aquamarine Izavenes have suckers as our feet instead of like yours, so we’re not capable to live with you in the empire. This place,” she extended her hand and turned around, her octopus suckers followed her movement gracefully, and bubbles were formed that flew upwards. “This place is Lyrrea. You have the Ruivenfiere empire, isn’t it? This is the underwater kingdom, and my husband, Augustus Cal Chafelon lives here as well, together with other aquamarine Izavenes. He’s the king, and I’m his queen. A typical Izavene can’t survive falling into this place because you need oxygen to breathe, but it’s the advantage of a red diamond Izavene. You monsters are flexible.”

Did she just call me and my people … monster? If I can freely move, I would’ve taught her a lesson that she’s not in the position to mock me.

“Oh, don’t give me that look, Your Highness. How can you not know? Your mother knows about us, but most only thought that aquamarine Izavenes don’t exist because they haven’t seen one. There’s a punishment where the criminal will be ‘fed to the beasts’ by being thrown underwater, right? That’s us. The criminals that the empress punishes become our food here. But just like you, we can live without food. I miss having a feast though. Where did all the criminals go? Was the empire that peaceful recently? How disappointing,” her voice was gentle, but her words made my stomach turn.

If she’s human, I’d call her a cannibal. It's frustrating that I can't even express any words at all.

If only I possessed the same freedom of movement as she did, things wouldn't be so difficult. Unfortunately, swimming is not within my capabilities. Spending an extended period of time in the water weakens me due to my fiery powers. At this moment, it feels as though my body is gradually deteriorating with each passing minute.

As I was being pulled down, I distinctly remember hearing Thyra's voice. Could it be that she is searching for me?

"Let's cut to the chase," a deep-toned voice resonated, and my gaze fell upon a man with shoulder-length hair and octopus suckers in place of feet. I presumed this to be Augustus Cal Chafelon, the individual Callista had mentioned earlier. Half of his body resembled that of a regular man, similar to myself, with the exception of our differing feet.

I want to hide my facial expressions because I’m sure that it’s nothing pleasant. They sure know that I won’t last here for too long and if I’ll give a bad impression, they might kill me. After all, this is their territory they have the advantage.

“You’re the crown prince. His Imperial Highness, Azriel Ven Liev Ruivenfiere,” He offered a slight bow, which caught me off guard, but I could sense that it lacked sincerity. Throughout this entire ordeal, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was more of a prisoner than a welcomed guest.

“It’s good to meet you in person. I hope you’ll forgive us for grabbing you that way, but it was a rare situation, and we wanted to talk to you for a long time, given the chance. You can go back to the land soon, but I want to show you something. Please follow me,” he said, but I can hardly move my feet.

Upon realizing that I couldn't keep up, he flashed an awkward smile, as if he had just become aware of the situation.

“Ah, if you don’t mind, I’ll take you there. I know you can’t speak here, but we’re going to tell you everything you need to know, so that you may see things as clear as the waters below.”

He firmly grasped my wrist and pulled me along, and to my surprise, my body effortlessly glided through the water, akin to the graceful movements of a fish.

Despite being submerged, an intense pressure built up in my head, accompanied by haunting singing voices echoing all around me. Could this be the song of the aquamarine Izavenes? Were they intentionally subjecting me to this torment? I recalled reading in books that their melodic voices had the power to torture and even kill, except for their own kind.

Augustus led me into an underwater cave, where a captivating sight awaited us. In the center of the cave, on a platform, stood a large crown adorned with a variety of precious gems, specifically Izavene gems. However, one gem was noticeably missing, preventing the collection from being complete, representing the entirety of the Izavene race.

"This is the Crown of Ezrania, belonging to the first king of Marrossi, who reigned about 700 years ago. He was a human who, driven by greed, stole the forbidden jewels believed to possess powers that could grant him eternal life. These gems originated from an unidentified meteorite that struck a lake, causing it to boil upon impact. The forbidden jewels emerged from beneath the boiling lake, transforming it into a vibrant and mesmerizing spectacle. Many lives were sacrificed to gather these seven jewels," Augustus explained. His story seemed so fantastical that it felt more like a legend crafted by a highly imaginative mind.

"You won't survive much longer if I were to recount the entire tale. It would be best if you asked the empress about her knowledge. However, one thing is certain – our race will cease to exist once the missing stone is placed here. I eagerly anticipate that day, as we Izavenes were never meant to exist in the first place. Aren't we Izavenes inherently evil?" Augustus shared his intentions with a sense of pride, yet I could detect a hint of desperation in his voice. His words suggested a single, chilling concept – the eradication of all Izavenes, including both of us.

He wants every Izavene to die because as he calls us, we’re the forbidden jewels who ruined the lives of humans. Though it’s true that the king had his faults, it is the Izavenes – specifically my family – who caused kingdoms to fall and caused fear against the human race because of our destructive powers.

At this point, I’m not sure if I should see Augustus as someone selfless or foolish. How can someone desire to end his race? Did he ever consider the innocent? What about those who aren’t abusing their powers? Is destruction the key to freedom?

No. It sure isn't. I have to know how to stop him at all costs to save lives.

"However, my plans are currently stalled due to the absence of one gem – an alexandrite. Once acquired, it will mark the end of all chaos and corruption, and our existence will be forgotten. It's what you call peace and justice for the weaklings we call humans. It appears that the alexandrite Izavenes have vanished, but I believe that some, or perhaps one, still exist," he elaborated. His concluding words sent a chill down my spine as I began to grasp the full scope of his intentions.

THYRA!