Sure enough, Elisabeth was furious at her daughter for being twenty minutes late, but Gwen was too confused to let her chew her out. As if staring into outer space, she climbed the stairs into her house and changed into her town dress. She stuffed her musketeer weapons under her bed for later. The dress she had to wear was a gift from her mother that was designed especially for suitors. It was pinkish-purple with a design over its torso. Over her legs, she wore a translucent, white hose as well as knee-length boots that were the same color as her dress. The second the teen had her dress on, her mother came into her room, and she sat her down in front of her mirror in her room. As Gwen stared into the mirror’s soul, Elisabeth fixed her hair. She wanted her daughter to look her best for the suitors. She took her long, blonde hair out of the bun and braided it. Afterwards, she pulled her hair back so it hung over her back. The last thing Elisabeth did was put a necklace around her neck. The entire time she worked, Guinevere continued to stare into the mirror. She felt like she saw something in it. It looked like a face. Behind her, Elisabeth gave her shoulder a pat and headed over to her wardrobe where she adjusted the many dresses that hung in it. Literally the only outfit Gwen had that had pants was what she wore in the barn for musketeer training. The face she saw in the mirror looked familiar. It was the wolf...the wolf she met in the forest! Just like before, the two stared into each other’s eyes, and it did not take long for the young lady to notice that the mysterious design on its forehead gave off a faint blast of light, but that wasn’t the only thing. The back of Gwen’s right hand also started to glow, and then, the same design on the dog’s forehead suddenly appeared over it! What was this? Was her father trying to tell her something? This had never happened before. Gwen examined the design floating over her hand with awe, and as she did, the image of the wolf’s head slowly disappeared back into the mirror.
In its place was the faded image of an unusual, human-like creature.
She chuckled mystically at the young girl and said from the other world, “My dear child, the time has come for you to find the other half of the Illusion. He waits for you at Jualaline.”
“What?!” was the only word that left Gwen’s lips. After her mother finished rearranging her wardrobe, she headed back over to her daughter. Seeing this, the mysterious being in the mirror vanished from sight, and the design disappeared from above Gwen’s hand.
She snapped out of her doze when she felt Elisabeth take her hand. “Is everything all right, my dear?” she asked.
Aside from questions about the wolf, now new questions swirled around inside Gwen’s head, and she lowered it. “I’m fine,” she answered, but was she? In all her seventeen years of living, nothing quite like this has ever happened to her. Her father was trying to tell her something. However, was it he or that strange, humanoid creature in the mirror who mentioned it was time for her to find the other half of the Illusion? And was this about someplace called Jualaline? Guinevere had no idea. Whenever she and her mother made it to the village, it was time for her to hit the books at the library. Guinevere’s worst nightmare - she feared it was just around the corner.
When she and her mother headed back outside to the carriage, the footman first helped Gwen in, and Elisabeth squeezed in next to her. She set a small book down in her lap, for she knew the journey to the village was about two hours. She ordered for the driver to get a move on, and he nodded. Picking up the carriage’s reins, he flicked them, and the horses took off. They trotted down the farm’s dirt path and hopped onto the main road. Behind, Gwen’s farm grew smaller and smaller until it disappeared altogether. Even though they were thirty minutes late, she and her mother were finally on their way to the village.
The journey was relatively quiet, surprisingly. For once, Gwen and Elisabeth didn’t argue with one another. Elisabeth just casually read her book while Gwen merely stared out the carriage window. She set her arms down on its frame and rested her head on top of them.
After about an hour, her mother started up a conversation.
Without looking up from her book, she asked her daughter, “Why so quiet, Gwen?”
”Sorry, Mother. I’m just thinking.” Gwen pulled her head away from the window and glanced at her.
”About what?” her mother wanted to know. She licked her finger and flipped to the next page in her book.
“Whe-When I was in the forest...” Gwen stuttered.
”Yeah?” interrupted Elisabeth.
”I met somebody.”
”Met somebody?” Elisabeth folded back the page that she was on and shut her book, “What are you talking about?”
”Well, it was more I met an animal,” nervously spoke Gwen, and she chewed her nails.
”An animal?” Elisabeth burst out laughing and lightly punched her daughter’s arm, “Oh, you’re hilarious!”
”No, I’m serious.” Gwen did not expect her mother to believe her, but she tried her best to keep the conversation rolling, “When I looked in his eyes, I felt something.” She rubbed her sore arm as images of the wolf reentered her brain, “It was like...I knew him from somewhere.”
Elisabeth snorted and rubbed her lips, “See what all this ridiculous musketeer training has done to you daughter? You’re starting to hallucinate.”
”I’m not hallucinating! I know I saw an animal!”
”Animal or no animal,” said Elisabeth who opened her book again, “I still think you were just training in the barn the whole time. You’re around animals every day.”
”But this was different. It was like, that wolf and I were destined to meet each other.”
”Now, darling.” Elisabeth feebly smiled at her daughter and took her shoulder, “Look at me.” Guinevere did. “I know you are nervous about getting married,” continues Elisabeth, “but this is a huge stepping stone for us. For once, in fifteen years, our family will finally grow again.”
”But that’s just it.” Gwen admitted. She removed her mother’s hand from her shoulder and set it down in her lap, “I don’t know if I should get married until I find the other half of the Illusion.”
”Illusion? What are you taking about?”
“Father visited me in my room earlier. I don’t know if you saw him. He told me that I am one half of the Illusion, and I must find the other. He mentioned some place called Jualaline.” As soon as she said that, her mother cringed. The other half of the Emberblight family? Jualaline? Sweat trickled down her temples, and she removed her reading glasses. Gwen noticed her uneasiness and said in a gentle voice, “Mother, listen to me.” Here, she picked up her mother’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, “I know you just want to protect me, but I am old enough now that you can tell me what you’re not telling me. Ever since I was a little girl, I never felt like you and I are the only ones left in the family. Mo-Mother?” She took a deep breath as she tried to find the confidence in her voice, “Am-Am I a sister?”
Elisabeth’s insides turned to stone. All the color drained from her face as she tried to comprehend Gwen’s question.
Shaking the sweat off her temples, she put her book down next to her and peered in to her daughter’s beautiful, blue eyes. “I knew this day would come,” she finally said after maybe five to ten minutes, “And it looks like today is that day.”
”Am I a sister?” Gwen repeated, “Please, Mother. I need to know.”
“I know.” Elisabeth rubbed her eye and nodded, “You are a headstrong, young lady who has lived pretty much your whole life in the twilight.” She nodded feebly, “Yes. You are a sister.” Even though Guinevere expected this answer, the news still came as a total shock for her. So, she was not the only child left in the Emberblight family! If that was the case, then perhaps...the future of it did it rest in just her hands! “You have a brother.” Elisabeth continued, “Or, you did have a brother, but the war took him away from us.”
”What happened?” Guinevere asked in a gentle voice. She noticed that with every passing second, Elisabeth sweated more and more. It almost looked like she was having a slight panic attack.
However, she tried her best to explain the story without images of the all the horror she experienced in her younger years flowing through her head. “When you were born, Guinevere,” she managed to say, “the war was at its peak. The only way how I could take my mind off it and stop worrying about your father was if Incradled you. If not for you, I don’t know how long I would have survived. I knew you were the future of the family, but at the same time, I did not want you to live through these perilous times by yourself. I wanted you to have support. So therefore, I became pregnant again, even though it nearly killed me. Fifteen years ago, I had a baby boy, but only a few months later, the war came to the farm.” While the image was fuzzy, Gwen seemed to remember that day. She remembered a lot of yelling, but that was pretty much it. “Your father.” Elisabeth continued, and she started to play with her fingers, “He was in that battle. We feared for both you and your brother, so we tried to take you to safe shelters in the village, at least until things calmed down, and then we would reunite you. However, your father never made it to the shelter. He took a bullet and arrow to the chest, and I couldn’t find your brother anywhere. I failed. I failed to protect him and my husband from the war.” She sniffed and brought the back of her hand to her eyes.
Guinevere thought about this for a little bit, but then she shook her head,
”No.” She pulled her mother’s hands away from her eyes and gripped both of them, “You didn’t fail. You just never found my brother. It doesn’t mean he’s dead.”
”If he wasn’t dead,” Elisabeth sobbed, “then how come he never returned? Why do you have to live through these perilous times yourself?”
”Failure is just a word,” continued her daughter, “It is not the end of the world. If I can become a musketeer and find my brother, then there may be more hope for this family than you think.”
”Guinevere, please,” begged her mother, “I never found him, and he was just a few months old. A child that small has almost no chance for survival by himself.”
”I don’t think he’s dead.” Guinevere admitted with a shake of her head, “Daddy told me in my room. He said I will find the other half of the Illusion, my brother, at a place called Jualaline.”
”How do you know that’s not a realm in the afterlife?”
“Because as a sister living through perilous times, I’ve always known that I am not the only one left. There is someone else, and I need to find him.”
Elisabeth shook her head at her daughter’s request, “No, Guinevere. I can’t let you become a musketeer. There is too much at stake right now. Not only that, but a musketeer is a very dangerous job. You have so many responsibilities.”
”I know, but if I am going to find my brother, then I need to become one. Please, Mom. I know you’re haunted by the war, but you have to understand that there is still hope. Leave the broken mountain behind and just focus on the next one.”
Elisabeth let out a low sigh, still contemplating whether or not she should change her plans regarding the suitors, “I don’t know.”
”Think about that as we visit the village today.” Gwen elucidated, “The war may be over, but the battle never ends. We have a second chance in life. Believe me.” While Elisabeth knew Gwen was right, she still thought it was better for her to go ahead and get married instead of risking her life as a musketeer. If she lost Gwen, then that was it. There would be no more Emberblight family. Then again, what if her brother was alive? Elisabeth just didn’t know, and she wondered if she ever would.
ns216.73.216.131da2
and then Add to home screen.