TGS - Chapter 11
Chapter 11: Assassination
Alyuin walked back to her room alone, her expression seemingly no different than usual, but a shadow of gloom had settled in the depths of her eyes.
After discovering that Rhea had also experienced a god entering her dreams, it was a simple matter to subtly extract all the details. Rhea was quite naive; even after Alyuin had gotten everything out of her, she was still nervously trying to cover it up.
Even a little priestess like her, who understood nothing, could meet Lotus in a dream, be gently encouraged and comforted, and even hear the words "I believe in you" spoken from the goddess's own lips, albeit only once.
Something constricted her chest, and her heart felt as if it were beating inside a ball of cotton, so muffled she could hardly breathe.
She had thought she was special.
Alyuin suddenly stopped in her tracks. She was still holding the reed pen she had used for the test, clutching it tightly as if trying to grasp something. The protruding knots on the pen dug painfully into her palm, yet she squeezed even tighter, hoping the subtle pain would clear her head.
It's time to wake up. What are you fantasizing about, Alyuin? Do you truly wish to monopolize a god's favor?
This was the scene Lotus saw when she floated back from outside.
She hadn't actually heard the conversation between the two girls.
Lotus had left the temple halfway through the test. A rumor she'd heard on her way back at noon had concerned her, and she needed to hear the full story to put her mind at ease.
But as soon as she returned to the young princess's side, she found her standing motionless by the path, lost in thought.
She seems rather unhappy... Was the test unexpected, or has she also heard the news from Akhet?
Lotus floated around the young princess twice before Alyuin finally started walking again, the gloom she had been exuding completely concealed.
Back in her room, Alyuin practiced her calligraphy with the reed pen for a long time. She didn't stop even as the light faded, instead lighting an oil lamp to continue.
At that moment, she had no desire to face the mountain of scrolls in her dreams; it would only make her more agitated.
Before long, however, reason overcame emotion. The young princess rose with a blank expression, tidied up, extinguished the lamp, and climbed into bed.
Just before falling completely asleep, she raised a hand to cup the amulet hanging around her neck, her fingertips brushing against the blue chalcedony bead Lotus had given her.
It was late at night, the moon bright and the stars sparse.
Bright moonlight spilled onto the clearing in front of the room, as clear as a pool of water. Suddenly, a dark figure appeared in the moonlight, shattering the harmony of the night.
The figure silently opened the window, lifted the curtain, and slipped inside without a sound. As he moved, moonlight briefly flooded the room, illuminating the young princess's peaceful, sleeping face.
The intruder approached slowly, pausing by the bed for a few seconds. He raised a short sword high, its blade flashing brightly in the darkness, and then plunged it downward—
It missed its target.
The moment before the blade fell, the young princess suddenly rolled aside, and the short sword plunged deep into the wooden bed frame.
Seizing the intruder's moment of shock, she swung backhanded with a dagger she had produced from under her pillow. With a single, ruthless slash that seemed rehearsed a thousand times, she slit his throat.
The entire exchange took no more than two seconds. The intruder let out a hoarse gurgle, instinctively raising a hand to futilely clutch at the wound. He struggled for a moment before collapsing backward.
Alyuin lit an oil lamp and calmly waited for her opponent to breathe his last. Then, she leisurely picked up the assassin's own short sword and stabbed him a few more times for good measure before moving to inspect the body.
She ripped the cloth from the assassin's face, revealing an ordinary, pale countenance in the lamplight. He wore nothing that could identify him, but Alyuin knew which faction had sent him.
"Like a persistent ghost. Why now?"
Alyuin lowered her eyes, muttering with a hint of irritation.
Lotus was pondering the same question.
The young princess had been at the temple for three years. There had been no assassination attempts when she first arrived, so why would they suddenly strike today?
Could it be because of that major event in the royal city? But there's no connection. If anything, that event should have put them at ease. Why attack now?
Lotus frowned, deciding to ponder it further later. Her gaze fell upon the young princess, filled with hidden concern.
Lotus, of course, had been the first to spot the assassin. The moment she noticed the disturbance outside, she had immediately shattered Alyuin's dream to wake her. And the girl was clever enough not to let even her breathing falter, patiently waiting for the assassin to draw near before launching her fatal counterattack.
The process had been swift and clean, but it was, after all, the young princess's first time killing someone.
It was also, of course, the first time Lotus had seen someone die before her very eyes. She felt no emotional fluctuation—a result of merging with her divinity, she supposed. It was unexpected, yet it made sense.
More than that, she was concerned about the young princess's psychological state.
And so, Lotus watched as Alyuin gave a soft scoff, calmly wiped the splattered blood from her face, and dragged the assassin's corpse to the wall. She tapped her chin, clearly contemplating how to handle the situation.
Lotus was speechless.
She was so used to seeing the young princess act spoiled that she had nearly forgotten her true nature was that of a ferocious wolf cub. Still, it was better for her to be ferocious toward others than for others to be ferocious toward her.
Meanwhile, the young princess had devised a plan.
She hid her dagger, mussed her already sleep-tousled hair, took a deep breath, and let out a bloodcurdling scream. It was so shrill that her voice cracked at the end.
The scream woke nearly everyone in the temple. The vicinity immediately erupted in noise as lights flickered on in one courtyard after another. Adults carrying oil lamps began to converge on her location, wanting to see what was wrong.
"Did that sound come from Her Highness the Princess's quarters?"
"Gasp, I think it did!"
"Let's go have a look, quickly..."
The people gathered outside the small courtyard, craning their necks to peer inside, but no one dared to be the first to enter. It wasn't until the priestess, dressed in her nightclothes, rushed to the scene that they all swarmed into the courtyard behind her.
Pushing open the door, the crowd saw the young princess standing by her bed, covering her face and weeping. Seeing that she was unharmed, the priestess's heart, which had been lodged in her throat, finally dropped back into place.
She hurried forward, asking, "What is it, Your Highness? Why did you suddenly—"
The priestess's voice died in her throat. The sight of the assassin's corpse slumped in the corner made her pupils contract. Without a moment's hesitation, she spun around and barked, "Everyone out! No one is to enter without my permission!"
The priestess held absolute authority in the Kadera temple. The people who had been about to follow her in exchanged glances but ultimately obeyed her command and retreated from the courtyard.
The priestess shut the door and rushed to Alyuin's side, gripping her shoulders and looking her over. The large, dried patches of blood on the young princess's clothes were alarming, but thankfully, she found no wounds.
"Your Highness, are you all right?"
"I'm fine." With no one else present, Alyuin lowered the hand covering her eyes. There wasn't a single tear to be seen; she had clearly been feigning her sobs.
Her tone was composed and calm. "That was an assassin. I was so frightened I lost control of my emotions. Please, take me away from here and have someone come dispose of the body."
The priestess immediately understood the situation. "Of course," she said without hesitation. "Where would you like to go? I will arrange a new room for you."
The young princess paused. "That won't be necessary... Take me to the ritual chamber."
The priestess complied.
In the ritual chamber, Alyuin gazed up at the statue, seemingly noticing the bloodstains on her clothes for the first time. She pursed her lips and said to the priestess, "Please bring me a clean change of clothes."
"Of course." The priestess nodded and left quickly, returning shortly with the young princess's clothes and a thick, plush cushion. Before she left, she asked worriedly, "Is there anything else you need?"
Alyuin shook her head gently. "Lock the door, and please don't come in until I emerge. Can you do that?"
"But tomorrow's morning ritual..."
"This is the will conveyed to me by the great Goddess Lotus."
The priestess immediately swallowed the rest of her sentence. She bowed and said, "I will act according to the goddess's will."
The doors and windows were locked and the curtains drawn. The gold-inscribed candles on the altar cast a soft glow, transforming the sacred ritual chamber into a safe, private space.
Alyuin held the clothes, a conflicted expression flickering across her face. She ran behind the statue to change, then emerged as if nothing had happened and placed her blood-soaked old clothes in the corner farthest from the statue.
She took off her amulet and cupped it in her palm. In a low voice that sounded almost like she was tattling, she said, "Someone tried to assassinate your most loyal believer. Therefore, even though it is not the Day of Water, I ask that you meet with me."
With that, the young princess spread the plush cushion at the foot of the statue, curled up on it, and closed her eyes, trying to fall asleep. It was the first time she had actively requested a god to enter her dream, and her heart beat a little faster in her chest.
However—
Five minutes passed.
A quarter of an hour passed.
Half an hour passed.
Alyuin's eyes snapped open. "..."
She usually fell asleep quickly, but today, of all days, when she needed to enter a dream, sleep would not come.
This won't do. I have to fall asleep quickly. I can't keep Goddess Lotus waiting.
Lotus, for her part, didn't mind the wait. Watching the young princess toss and turn was not at all boring. But when she thought about what the child had experienced that night, she couldn't help but sigh.
...Killing someone with her own hands... Even if she appeared calm at the time, she must have been affected. Insomnia is inevitable.
Besides, this was the first time in three years the young princess had made a request on a day other than the Day of Water.
Lotus raised her hand, her translucent palm gently patting the young princess on the head.
The ancient Solancians believed that flowing water possessed a power to soothe the soul, and this, too, had become one of her abilities. Alyuin's expression soon softened, and her breathing grew deep and even.
Unless she was deliberately playing the part of a naive child, the young princess always seemed more mature and composed than others her age. Only in sleep did she unconsciously reveal an innocence befitting her years.
Lotus smiled, tapped the tip of the young princess's nose, and smoothly sank into the dreamscape that was now as familiar to her as her own garden.
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