It was routine for the Count to head to his study after breakfast. However, he hovered in the dining hall after his sons excused themselves, off to the courtyard for morning practice. Evanthe knew he wanted to talk to her and stayed behind for a while. She drank the last of her warm milk and waited for him to speak.
"Are you sure you're feeling better?" He cleared his throat and asked.
Evanthe nodded her head, but the Count did not look convinced.
"I've cancelled your lessons for today. You should continue to rest until you're well,"
Evanthe turned to her father in shock when she heard that. She was already planning a ton of things in her head, but now they were all ruined. Rest? Who needed rest? She needed to learn. He was not making it easier by giving her more time to recuperate. Evanthe could feel the panic rising in her chest. Even one day made a difference.
"I'm fine, Father. I can go back to my studies but I'll take it easy," She tried.
The Count looked visibly stung when he heard her response, which confused Evanthe more. Shouldn't he be pleased to see her motivated to study? In the past, she was always grumbling about her busy schedule.
"I've already arranged it to be so. You can continue your lessons when you're feeling better,"
With that, he left the dining hall leaving Evanthe unable to refute her father's words. What just happened? She shrunk in her seat in despair as the servants started streaming in to clear the plates and cutlery on the table. Thinking of her next move, she absently watched them stacked the plates, polished the cutlery, her expression transfixed to their actions. The servants, conscious of the young mistress' gaze, hurried on with their duties, the scrutiny unbearable to handle.
For some reason, their lady gave off a different vibe today. She stayed silent the whole time they went about their work, when before she would curiously ask them questions to which they would promptly reply, a common habit for a child. Now, she didn't seem fazed, her eyes were not shining as brightly as before, and she had a quality of subtle composure in her manner. It was almost as if she took on her older brother, Eomer's disposition.
The servants of Cernat were afraid of their Master and the eldest son, partly because of their masked nature. Deciphering them was so hard to do. They much preferred the younger Cernat brother and sister. It was so easy to talk to them. There was no anxiety, no invisible tension. But who knew the youngest would soon follow in their footsteps!
Evanthe suddenly felt very aware of herself. It had been a week to come into terms of what happened. If she was to consider it, realistically speaking, how was it that she was able to discern such events as a dream? She remembered staring at her reflection the night she vowed revenge on the people who opposed the Cernat family. How was she capable of such thoughts when she was merely a 5-year-old? A normal 5-year-old is barely able to comprehend layman speech, and while the Cernat family had started the children's education from young, it was nearly impossible to fathom deep hatred and revenge. Perhaps anger. Perhaps fear. But vengeance?
The cloud of uncertainty suddenly faded and it hit her. Did she return to the past? Was she back in her body of her younger years? But why was she unable to recall any events from her past life other than the one in the nightmare?
Nanny Pagna came into the dining hall just as Evanthe was in deep thought. She strode in with an air of friendliness, her face brimming with smiles. She had on a different uniform from the other maids in the Cernat Household, a sign of her family's status and her rank among the servants of Cernat. She placed her hand on Evanthe's shoulder when the young lady made no move to acknowledge her presence.
"Lady Evanthe, I've been waiting for you in your room but you didn't appear. I didn't think you'd still be stuck here," She playfully clasped Evanthe's tiny hands in hers as she squatted to meet the lady's eyes.
Evanthe stared back.
"... You were waiting for me?"
"My dear child, of course I was! Your father told me he cancelled your lessons so I was expecting you to find me after breakfast. Didn't you say you wanted to spend more time with me if it weren't for your schedule?"
Evanthe didn't know how to respond. Before the dream, she was really close to Nanny Pagna. And it was true that after her mother died, the two were inseparable. But now, she wasn't sure. Was Nanny Pagna genuine? Did she really have no part in the fall of the Cernat family? What was she doing at the capital when Evanthe shut herself in her bedroom?
Evanthe smiled sweetly as she wriggled her hands out of her nanny's grasp.
"Nanny, I don't feel very well today so I'd like to spend my time alone. I'll find you again if I want some company," Evanthe leapt off the chair and briskly walked out of the hall before Nanny Pagna could have a chance to speak.
The nanny huffed as she watched the child's retreating figure out into the hallway.
"She sure takes after her father," Nanny Pagna muttered under her breath.
Evanthe walked down the empty corridor of the estate. It was quiet, safe for the few maids she passed along the way who were busy wiping down the nook and crannies of the old mansion. Evanthe lingered in front of a huge painting encased within a golden frame on the wall. There were two maids polishing the embellishments engraved onto the frame, which was understandable as the image was really large.
It was a portrait of the Cernat family.
Evanthe gazed at the work of the painter she did not remember. She stared at the members of the Cernat family. Her mother was seated next to her standing father, her eyes a viridian green, her hair cascading around her shoulders, a brunette. She had on a small smile as if she had a secret that was only shared with the painter. And then her father. Tall and towering. His dark hair neatly trimmed, his facial expression unsmiling, his golden eyes giving an air of inscrutable superiority. Her two brothers were also standing, in between their parents. Evanthe was still a toddler, perhaps only 3 when this was painted. She was sat on her mother's lap, while Eomer and Eugen stood in the middle. None of the children had a smile on their faces, too young to understand. Maybe Eomer did but resisted the urge to turn the corners of his mouth upwards to mimic his father.
Evanthe stared at her mother trying to recall the memories she had of her.
She sighed.
Evanthe moved on and finally found herself in front of the Cernat library. She grasped the bronze handles of the double doors and pushed open with all her might. The doors groaned and slowly inched themselves apart due to the force. Evanthe squeezed in through the gap.
"I need to grow stronger. Even opening doors are too heavy for me," She thought to herself as she slid in.
Evanthe was suddenly hit with the musky scent of old paper. The library was chilly; someone had left the window open and a cold breeze wafted in. She shuddered. The room was filled with rows of bookshelves from floor to ceiling, all of them packed to the brim with all kinds of books. In the middle of the room stood a mahogany table with a few chairs and a lamp for the occupant to read.
Evanthe rarely visited the library. Most of the books she needed for her lessons were already in her study and she never thought of doing extra readings to grow her knowledge. Today though, since her father had temporarily halted her lessons, she would use it.
She went through the shelves, browsing the books for any information that might help her grow stronger. She picked out books she felt she could digest: Politics in Arodia, History of the Arodian Kingdom, The Somneri: A biography, The Qaiyaron Empire, War: The Tale of Two Nations etc.
She spent the day absorbing as much information as possible. She knew the books she took out were by no means something a child like her could comprehend but for some reason, she found a startling clarity as she read through the texts. If anything, they were so colourful in her mind. She had no idea she missed out on so much knowledge.
Evanthe flipped through the pages of History of the Arodian Kingdom. The history of Arodia was built under the leadership of the three founding families, the Astafei, the Cernat, and the Eliade-- that she knew. The Somneri was an extended family of the Astafei, but came into power when there were feuds among the brothers of the Astafei household. This caused a split in the family's name. The Cernat and Eliade agreed that while the Astafei was significant in the foundation of the kingdom, they had to neutralise the feud between the brothers as both were two powerful entities to ignore. Thus, the Somneri was included in their plans and the running of the kingdom. At the time, the Astafei was supposedly meant to rule Arodia. But they were suspicious of the Somneri's intentions.
They were right, of course.
The Somneri had wanted the throne.
War started between the two households.
The clan of Cernat and Eliade had to pick a side. One was strong in militant strength, and the other with great connections. Pragmatically, they chose the Somneri, due to the spread of power and influence they had over other families in the Arodian Kingdom. Having a dominant family in might may have repercussions than one who was influential with ties.
They betrayed a close ally. And the Astafei, they were blindsided. They thought the two founding families would continue to stay loyal. However, they picked the kingdom over an old friend.
Astafei surrendered before the battle and pledged loyalty to the Somneri but because of their sour relationship and with the possibility of a coup in the future, they were ordered to swear an oath-- to serve the Somneri as retainers, reduced to disposable soldiers, barred from ever joining the seat at the table of Arodian aristocracy.
The Cernat family, still reminiscent of their friendship and merciful to the Astafei pleaded on their behalf.
The Somneri was worried about this.
They were concerned the Cernat family may switch factions. They were second in military force compared to the Astafei. The only reason why the Somneri was able to withstand the Astafei was, combined with their own forces, they also had the Cernat on their side.
Thus, while complimenting the Cernat's gracious heart, the Somneri did not change their stand. Instead, they separated the three families: the Astafei to the North, the Eliade to the West, and the Cernat to the East. All of them were able to rule their own lands within the Arodian Kingdom. However, they were isolated from each other and were unable to make contact without the royal family knowing. Additionally, the Somneri made a change in noble ranking-- the Cernat and the Eliade to forever retain their Count statuses, a reminder of who was in absolute power.
Evanthe looked up to see someone watching her.
"Eomer! You startled me," She gasped when she saw her brother's figure leaning on the door frame, arms crossed, silently watching.
He grinned and came towards her. She quickly flipped the pages to the illustrations of the kingdom.
"What are you reading?" He asked but before she could reply, he turned the book over to the cover and saw the title.
He gave her a puzzled look. You understand this? his facial expression seemed to say.
"I pulled this out because I saw the illustrations. It looked so lovely, don't you think?" Evanthe feigned excitement and pointed to the sketches of buildings and landscapes that were illustrated on the pages.
He tilted his head to the side as he stared at the drawings.
"Hm, I guess... Why are you here?"
"Father temporarily halted my lessons, but I felt like studying so I came over to the library,"
Evanthe thought she would tell the truth if he asked. She didn't feel the need to lie. But what she was worried about was of Eomer's keen eye. He knew something was amiss the moment he saw Evanthe in the library. He knew she never comes here.
How long was he standing there? She didn't notice him at all. Even though she flipped to the illustrations, the other books she picked out from the shelves still lay beside her, stacked. What would he think when he saw them?
Eomer eyed the other books by Evanthe's side and went over them, looking through the content.
"I haven't even read most of these," He muttered as if he was talking to himself.
"Me too! I just picked them out because the covers looked beautiful,"
"Hmmm," Eomer seemed less interested in what Evanthe had to say for herself.
He took the book Evanthe was reading and pointed to a page. It was a map of the Arodian Kingdom.
"Why do you think the Somneri gave the Cernat the Eastern territory?"
Evanthe wasn't sure. She knew that all three of the founding families have gotten more land than other aristocratic families of Arodia. It was a gift for their loyalty and a compromise due to the permanent retainment of their noble rank. She opened her mouth but then closed it. She thought of the neighbouring nation.
"Because of the Qaiyaron Empire?" She ventured.
"Explain,"
"House Cernat is second in military, and a great asset to the Somneri. However, we are much more equipped with the calvary and soldiers should Qaiyaron launch an attack,"
"That's right. We'll be the first one to get hit," Eomer bluntly said.
"What?"
"Listen, even though we're one of the founding families, even though the Somneri gave us plots of land-- they gave us territory to rule, you need to understand the implications behind it. You need to understand the power we wield, and the dangers we may run into,"
"We're a sacrifice?"
"That's one way to put it. The Somneri knows our strength. They know we'll be able to fight against an incoming Qaiyan battalion and that we'll win,"
Evanthe wasn't sure what her brother was trying to get at. He stared intently at her, his eyes the same flaxen gold, waiting for Evanthe to continue.
"... But we'll suffer the consequences after the war. We'll have casualties. We'll win but with devastating results. With our numbers and supplies depleted, the royal family can reign us," She murmured, remembering what happened in her dream.
He nodded, smiling.
"And if we lose, all the better. The Somneri has one less family to get rid of," He shrugged.
"One less family...?"
"Interesting isn't it? This is all hypothetical though. Father always taught me to see two sides of the coin. One that is idealistic, the other fatalistic. I'm sure the royal family would never hurt us but it's always good to see the other side. What happens if we grow too strong, what happens if we become a threat,"
Evanthe eyes widened. She realised her brother was taught the dynamics between the founding families and the Somneri. He was aware of the entanglements House Cernat could get into should the family become too powerful. But what if this wasn't hypothetical? What if this could happen in the future?
The siblings continued to go back and forth about Arodian politics and history. Each time they argue, they would pull out evidence from the text they were reading and the other would refute with another proof. Eomer made special arrangements and they ate lunch in the library among the dusty books. They continued to pour over the tomes of information after their meal, entranced by the abundance of knowledge held within the pages. Evanthe realised whenever she was up against her brother on a particular incident or view, there was never two sides. There were multiple. She had always thought there was the good side and the bad side. Quite straightforward, and now she realised, quite naive.
When faced with Arodian politics and its messy history, it was never about that. It was about winning. It was about gains. It was about ideology.
And it was about power.
Eomer closed the book he had been reading and looked out of the window. The light was beginning to dim and the table lamp had been lighted, casting eerie shadows of their figures on the bookshelves. They had been there the whole day. Evanthe perhaps longer. He glanced at his sister who was scrutinising the contents of War: The Tale of Two Nations.
When did Evanthe become so fervent in her quest for knowledge?
He remembered her constant complains whenever she was dragged into her study by her tutor. And now, she was willingly reading a book by herself no less! Well, that was one thing. The other thing that amazed Eomer more was her adaptability.
She didn't know a lot of things, that was understandable. But she picked up fast, and suddenly they were head-to-head in almost every debate they had. She had valid points that some Eomer found were actually difficult to dispute. He didn't know what came over his younger sister.
For so long, he always thought he had to know these things because he was the eldest. He had to because he was the oldest son. He carried the weight of Cernat. These were the words he often heard.
So many times he wanted to run away.
He didn't ask to be eldest.
Why couldn't Father be more strict with Eugen?
At the time, he hated his role, hated his father, hated Eugen.
But it slowly dawned upon him the importance of the burden he carried. What would happen if he failed? What would happen if he couldn't meet the expectations of Arodian nobility? It wouldn't be on him. It would be on the entire Cernat family.
One wrong move and they could be killed.
Gradually, Eomer took on his responsibility. He resigned to his fate as the eldest son. He surrendered himself to the role of the oldest; to the future head of Cernat-- all for his family. When confronted with such facts, it seemed noble.
Heroic even.
But it was terribly lonely.
He was constantly alone.
The things he studied were nowhere near what Eugen actually learnt. Evanthe was still too young to understand such matters. He could talk to his Father but he wanted a companion his age. He wanted comfortable company. He wanted to laugh and speak easily. Even for a bit, he wanted to play. He wanted a brief moment of fun during his lessons.
He looked at Evanthe again. She was nearing the end of her book. Studying with Evanthe was so enjoyable. Despite the gap of knowledge between the two siblings, she knew how to counter Eomer. She could be so assertive in her stance, so unwavering, which made Eomer doubt his. Sometimes when she got it wrong, Eomer felt exhilaration. When he lost, however, he felt a pang of defeat. He never felt like this when he studied alone.
The weight of Cernat suddenly became less heavy.
It now seemed shared.
Evanthe caught Eomer staring and stopped her reading.
"What are you smiling so creepily about?"
"It's nothing," He grinned.
"We should go, it's almost dinner,"
He placed his book on the desk and stood up. Evanthe followed suit and closed the book she had been reading. Eomer opened the door for his sister and they walked out, side by side towards the dining hall.
As they approached the hall, Eomer suddenly lit up.
"You should tell Father what you learnt today. He will surely praise you,"
Evanthe looked panicked.
"I don't think that's a good idea. He didn't want me studying today," She nervously laughed.
"Will you be in the library tomorrow?"
"If I don't have any lessons,"
Eomer grinned.
"Then I'll come visit again,"
