Chapter 6: Behind the CurtainBefore Oswin left the library, she decided to check out another book on her past.
"The Daye Family has been advised for centuries by a long line of men and women from the Knight line, a proud and loyal family of the Ashen race. Thore Daye's right hand man and royal vizier was a man by the name of Andross Knight who, although serving loyally for decades, disappeared a year before the emperor's death. Some theorists speculate that without the advice and input from the man, the Emperor's resulting choices contributed to his own death," the book read next to a picture of the man.
"Hey now. That man looks like... Holy Doppleganger," she gasped. "He's been looking out for me like his father looked out for mine."
She shut the book and checked it out, in a hurry to get home.
"Luther, I just read the most intersting--"
"Yes, yes. Unicorns and butterfly-rainbows can wait, kid. It's time for a test of your skills."
"But--"
"Save the excuses. I know you haven't been practicing nearly enough. This will be a wake up call."
"Take your stance. Ready? Go."
"Nice block! Keep it up!"
"I think I'm getting the--oof!"
"Pay attention," he scolded, ending the spell. "I bet you'll practice more now."
"Yeah, I will," she agreed, shivering with residual cold.
"Now, what is it you wanted to tell me?" He asked her, once they had headed back inside and she had dressed into something warmer.
"Oh! I checked out this book! My history's in it. But, also yours."
Luther looked surprised. "Yeah?" He took the book from her hand to flip through the pages.
"Yeah, your father was my father's advisor."
"I know," he said idly flipping through the pages.
"You know? Why didn't you tell me?"
"No need to tell you more than you need to know at a given time. You were taking in a lot."
"Yeah, well, he protected my father. And you're protecting me. Your family's been doing it for a long time."
"We have."
"I just wanted to say, you know, thanks. I always thought you were great, and I just, now I know it."
"You think I'm great?" He asked with a smirk.
"Of course I do! Look at what you've done for me." She reached out and took her book back. She leafed through the pages, back to the one with the picture of his father. "I feel safe here. I'm sad that I have to find someone else to marry," she said with a blush, looking down at the page.
She gasped softly as she suddenly felt Luther moving quickly forward. The book dropped to the ground and his kiss took her fully by surprise.
"I wish you didn't have to either," he said after he'd pulled back, hands to her arms. "But now's not the time for selfishness. You have a responsibility for your kingdom, and I have to respect that."
"I don't want to have that responsibility."
"You'll sacrifice thousands of people so you can be happy?" He asked incredulously.
"No... no, of course not," she said, head down.
He tilted her head up and shook his. "You'll find happiness. Just a different kind."
Her brows knit and she turned on the spot to leave, the book open on the floor with Luther's father's face staring out into the room. Luther bent and scooped it up, pocketing it and heading to his own room.
"I'm working on it," he said into the receiver. "Calm down. She trusts me completely. I could get away with anything. Yes, you don't have anything to worry about, Mother."
In Oswin's excitement and hurry, she had left the last sentence of the page unread.
"Some theorists speculate that without the advice and input from the man, the Emperor's resulting choices contributed to his own death," she read.
"But most believe that the once-loyal servant had a much more heavy hand in the Emperor's death."
