Chapter 50 - The Resolution (Part 1)

Faustina stared into the king's eyes, her gaze a blur and tears streaming across her cheeks. Her lips trembled as she felt like she saw the pain behind the King's smiles—the magic showed her how he met Sheila, how he bonded with his family—and then, the murder.

"My king…" Faustina says, voice silent.

"I am sorry," the king says. "I did not want to show you these ugly memories, Faustina." He then wiped the beads of tears on the corner of her eye with his thumb. The king was smiling sadly, gaze fixated on Faustina's trembling lips, and then his gaze shifted to her chocolate-brown eyes. "Why are you crying, my fair lady?"

"No… It's…" Faustina says, "I…"

"Hush now," the king says. "That is all in the past. I showed it to you for a purpose,"

"A purpose?"

"Yes. You did see the murder committed by the Forsaken sixteen years ago, did you not?" The king exclaims, eyes glistening. Suddenly his warm gaze was now as sharp as a dagger, piercing deliberately as if he knew the depths of Faustina's thoughts.

"Yes…"

"The Forsaken also murdered Eulalia Fortunatorum, the prodigy of Magierstadt—that is what the general public knows, and what we know as well. But seeing her by my own eyes, being carried by the Forsaken when we went to the deep forests of Feuersturm, THAT night told us the stories tell otherwise… He did not murder her. She lived. With you, a Heilen."

Faustina thinned her lips.

"So she was spared?"

"Perhaps," the king answers. "But there are inconsistencies. It is by far too confusing. Why did he spare her? Pardon me if I may tell you this: either he has compassion left for her, or they are in allegiance…"

"Or she escaped!" Faustina exclaims. "M-maybe she escaped and then she found me."

"That is also a probability." The king answers. "But as far as the slave market goes, Heilens are faked and you are, by far, the most real among all of them."

Faustina nodded, staring intently.

"I am still confused, my king. Your memories…"

"Yes. I want to address my memories as your guide in the Forsaken's actions. It is evident that he is somehow different from Sheila's memories. Jonathan Unsterblich—from the memories of the Priestess, is a calm man and also a prodigy in league with Eulalia. They are best friends and are considered as the duo of Magierstadt. They described him as a composed, calm man by those who knew him and are with the class as he was. The Ianua I; the strongest students with the most mana—which are only fewer in numbers as compared to II, III, and IV."

Faustina bit her lip. "They seemed happy in the memory. I have never seen Eula smile like that,"

"They are good friends, after all." The king says. "And maybe for compassion, he desired to resurrect her from the dead… as I witnessed how he, in his power, secured the body of Eulalia."

Faustina felt her heartbeat speeding up from the rush of blood on her head. Memories from the night she lost Eula were replaying I her mind—her final breath, Jonathan stealing her corpse—

"H-he… he probably used necromancy on Eu-Eul—" Faustina choked on her own words. She couldn't say it.

"No," the king says. "Necromancy is a complicated matter, even from a Warlock such as the Forsaken. He needs to combine different spells… and sacrifice a life that matches the mana of Eulalia, someone from her bloodline—I do not know how necromancy works since it belongs to a branch of the blood oath spells, but it is too dark to even be used. The Council forbids it, and all books and spells in regards to resurrecting a human are either locked down to the deepest dungeon of the Ancient city, Alte Stadt, or burnt."

"Do not worry, Faustina," the king says. "The Fortunatorum family are guarded and there are, by far, no deaths that occurred yet. We are alert. Not only will we get the body of your master back, but we will also bring him to justice."