Chapter 11

Cressida POV—The day of the uprising

The weather outside was dreary and bleak, with dark clouds looming overhead and a light rain tapping against the library’s windows. The library itself was a musty, old room with towering bookcases lining the walls, filled with ancient tomes and dusty volumes. My magic professor, Otis, had brought me here to practice some spells, but I couldn’t help feeling bored and restless.

I had been practicing the same spell for hours, creating a small, round sphere of light between my hands. Otis had explained that this simple spell could be transformed into anything I needed it to be: a source of light to guide my way, a source of warmth to protect me from the cold, or a protective shield to defend against danger. Despite having perfected this spell years ago, Otis was insisting that I keep practicing it, and I couldn’t understand why.

As I stood there, my hands still cupped around the glowing sphere of light, I daydreamed about more exciting spells and magical adventures. But for now, I had to focus on this simple spell and trust that Otis knew what he was doing.

“Princess, you need to master basic energy spells before trying more advanced techniques. You know this! So, stop pouting and throw that damn ball at me!” Otis taunted.

I groaned with annoyance.

“Fine!” I’d give him precisely what he wanted if he wanted to practice attack and defence.

I held the energy ball tightly with both hands and spun it faster, creating a crackling sound as electricity surged around it. I focused my gaze on Otis, and decided to launch an attack, hoping to catch him off guard and incapacitate him for a few seconds.

My heart raced as I jumped forward, adding more thrust to my movement, and hurled the energy ball toward him. Otis’s body moved swiftly as he dodged the attack with ease, but he caught the ball with his hands and redirected it back at me. To my surprise, the ball had changed colour from a soft light to a bright red, leaving a blazing trail behind it.

He had charged it with a different power: Fire.

A sudden wave of fear and excitement washed over me as Otis started hurling more projectiles at me, and I had to dodge them while trying to find a way to counterattack.

I was enjoying this.

I quickly created another energy ball, this time reshaping it into an oval shield to protect myself from the incoming attacks.

As the blazing sphere touched the shield, I pushed it back toward Otis, hoping it would ricochet, hit him and give me an opportunity to finish him off. My eyes darted to his face, and I could see the sweat pouring down his forehead as he raised his hands to defend himself.

I was now grinning. Otis was making things interesting—finally.

“Oh, it’s on, old man!” I shouted as I jumped from desk to shelf.

I stood facing my opponent, and I could feel the electrifying tension in the air. Each time he launched an attack, I swiftly ducked or used my energy shield to deflect the blow. But I knew that I had a secret weapon that could catch him off-guard.

As Otis came at me again, I dropped my shield and quickly placed my hands on the cold, hard stone floor. I closed my eyes and concentrated, feeling the rough texture of the stone beneath my fingers. I waited for the vibrations to guide me, sensing every movement that Otis made.

And then, as his feet landed on the spot I had envisioned, I channelled all my energy into the stone, creating a dazzling blue light that shot up beneath him with incredible force, lifting him up. I could hear the sound of his body hitting the ground, and I winced, realizing that I may have unleashed too much power.

Otis rolled on his back, trying to regain his breath. His eyes were shut, and I heard him cough a little through the grimace he was making on his face.

I casually walked over and extended my hand to help him up. “Do you give?”

He reached for my hand and said, “Aye, I give…”

“Yes!” I shouted, lifting my arms victoriously. “He ceded! I finally beat you, you old prune.”

He bumped his shoulder into mine, and we both laughed at the awkward moment. I was proud of myself for besting him in the last attack, and it showed on Otis’s face how impressed he was with me.

“You’ve been practicing without me, I see.”

“I learned from the very best. I do listen to you, Otis. Sometimes, at least.” I wiped a laughing tear from my cheek and thought about how much I loved that man.

Otis was, by far, my favourite teacher. He always let me do what I wanted, even if it wasn’t princess-like.

“You best remove those riding pants and shirt and put your dress back on before you go to your next lesson, my princess.”

I stuck out my tongue. “And here I thought we were having so much fun. You always ruin it, Otis.” But he was right. I needed to put that darn corseted dress back on. Oh, how I loathed it.

As I was making my way to retrieve my clothes, the floor beneath me began to shake, and a strange vibration coursed through my body. Suddenly, the shelves of the library started to rattle, and a cloud of ceiling dust rained down on us. After a few seconds, a loud explosion echoed from the courtyard, and the castle shook once more, causing me to lose my balance.

“Otis?” My eyes searched for him.

What was going on?

Without a word, I saw him rushing toward me and grabbing my arm, pulling me toward a bookshelf. He deftly ran his fingers behind several books, and I heard a “click” before the wooden shelf suddenly moved, revealing a hidden entrance to a dark tunnel.

“You must go, Princess. You must flee!” Otis urged me.

But I hesitated, catching his robe sleeve and shaking my head, “No, Otis. What is happening?”

“The uprising is happening; your father foretold that this would come. He gave me specific instructions for you. Make it out of the castle, now!” He pressed me toward the entrance and pushed on the bookshelf to close it. I moved back, not wanting to leave him alone in this chaos.

The sound of shouting and the clanking of swords filled the hallway, and I heard someone scream in the distance. My heart raced, and I paled; they were coming this way.

“Please, Otis, I don’t understand! I—”

“Listen to me! You are Cressida Cardinal, and you are a magic wielder. The people invading Cardinal City are not your allies. If they find you here, you will die! Now run!”

I could feel hot tears streaming down my face, as the explosion shattered the library wall. The sound was deafening, and I could see huge chunks of stone flying in every direction, hitting the shelves and the books, making them fall. The pages of books floated down and burned as the broken oil lamps fed the fire, filling the air with smoke, and making it difficult to breathe. I had to cover my mouth and nose with a piece of clothing to avoid coughing.

“Run!” Shouted Otis a second time over the rumble of another explosion.

The library doors burst open, and I caught a glimpse of a group of knights pouring through the smashed doors. They were not wearing the Cardinal sigil, and Otis was running toward them with a blinding light.

“OTIS!” I screamed.

 When the hidden passage door closed before me, I turned around and ran as fast as I could, stumbling and falling many times, my vision blurry from the tears that wet my face. They mixed with sweat and burned my eyes each time I wiped them away, but I kept going.

The tunnel was narrow and dark, but it was the only way to get to the other side of the castle. I hit a wall and searched for the exact mechanism Otis used to open the library wall. My fingers were numb from the adrenaline, but I managed to find it after fumbling a few times. I heard the familiar “click,” and the wall gave way.

I ran out and saw the southern forest up ahead. I had to make for its cover. The trees were my only hope of escaping the knights, who were now searching for me. I knew I had to keep moving, no matter what.

Shrieks of castle residents being slaughtered rang in my ears as I went to the dark, dense forest. I knew somewhere I could go for help in there. There was a cabin used for hunting, and Gideon—the game hunter, would hopefully be nearby.

Three branches slapped my face and stung me as I passed through them, not wanting to slow down.

When I finally reached the cabin, I knocked on the door viciously, pleading for help. My voice was hoarse, and my lungs burned from the run. I could taste the metallic tang of blood every time I tried to swallow.

The lights in the cabin were not lit, and I panicked. Had they already taken Gideon?

Out of nowhere, an enormous hand wrapped itself over my mouth while a thick hairy forearm held me from the front. Someone had just grabbed me and was leading me further into the forest.

I kicked and wiggled, hoping to slip from my captor’s grip. When I bit his thick fingers, I heard a grave yelp and recognized the voice of the game hunter.

“Shush, Princess, or they will find us.” He removed his hand from my mouth, and I turned to him, burying my head in his thick chest. I was relieved he had found me.

“I’ve got you now, Princess. Don’t fret.” Gideon pulled me next to him while he continued walking into the forest. “I’ll bring you to a house loyal to King Cardinal. Once there, you must lie low until it’s safe to come out. You will need to go as far as you can from Cardinal City,” he whispered close to my ears.

He scrunched his nose when he looked at my head and grabbed my long braid that fell onto my back. “We’ll need to do something about your red hair; it’s a dead giveaway.” Gideon pulled out his hunting knife. “I’m sorry.”

 My eyes were closed and wet with tears when I felt him slice my hair with his blade. The long braid fell to the ground, and the game hunter continued slashing pieces off my head.

I passed my hand through whatever was left of my once long, fiery mane. It was choppy and short, shorter than a man’s hair. I choked on a sob, understanding that it was necessary for now.

“You’ll need a new name, Princess. But don’t tell me, so I can’t expose you if I’m captured,” said Gideon gruffly.

I moved cautiously through the dense forest, taking care not to make any noise. The logs were slippery due to the recent rain, and I had to be careful not to slip and fall. I swatted away the tree branches that blocked my way and pulled a thick shawl tightly around my shoulders. The shawl belonged to my mother and had a distinctive smell of smoke, reminding me of the fire that had consumed the castle library. The fire had been too intense, and the smoke had made it difficult to breathe.

What about my parents? If the library and Otis were destroyed, what would happen to them? Otis was a skilled wielder, but not even he could survive such an attack.

My father was strong; perhaps he would be able to make it out. But my mother…

I closed my eyes tightly and shook my head, refusing to think of the possibilities.

My mother had always used an abbreviated version of my name when we were alone. And now, in my time of need, I thought it would help me remember who I was while I went into hiding, and I could be reunited with her. If she heard the name, she would know it was me.

Ida, I thought. My name will be Ida.