It did not make sense.

  Why had she not been informed? In all the years of attending the graduation ceremony in her previous years, most already knew where they were going. Scratch that, all of the past Fourth Years had paraded their proposal around like a trophy. Probably in the same way Cindy had, which only brought more concerning ideas to fill the maiden’s head.

  If she became a Widow, then all of her effort was for naught, and the blood, sweat, and tears would be lost to the past. She zoned back in on reality, realizing her fist was clenched tightly, her knuckles a ghostly white from the pressure. Rosemary let them fall away, looking back toward the small window.

  The Tower of Ascension loomed closer, it’s massive size making her swallow her thoughts and right herself. Trivial thoughts were necessary for thought, but in the end they were just that, trivial. Soon she was going to walk across the stage in front of everyone, and she was going to do that with pride. As Nora had said, she earned this moment. So setting her dread aside, she looked toward the crowd of her underclassmen that huddled together as they walked. The right side of the path was for the carriages so they could travel without traffic. Amongst the crowd, Rosemary found her eyes locking with irises of blue. They were as cold as ice, but within them a cunning sense of worry could be picked apart. They were familiar, and Rosemary came to realize who it was.

  Elise looked back, her heart skipping a beat as she met the forest green eyes of Rosemary. Quickly, the two found themselves finding interest elsewhere. The white haired girl frowned, but could not be too disappointed in why her gaze was avoided. They shared a small and brief history, and a depressing one at that.

  Publicly humiliated in front of one of your idols was not ideal, and the thought made Elise lose her footing. A small stubby arm caught her, a few girls throwing her glances as she righted herself.

  Yanin stared at her friend, raising an eyebrow, “You alright?”

  Elise smiled weakly, “Totally.”

  The plump girl simply nodded and kept her pace along with the crowd. Many of the Second Years were pointing toward the carriages, the vehicles pulled by seemingly nothing. There was obviously a small glow of Fey emitting from the snow white wood. A few people were able to pick out Rosemary’s ginger hair, a rare feature that had made her even easier to find. A wave of chatter washed over the dozen of students, giddy screams and claps finding their way to the forefront.

  Rosemary simply waved, before disappearing further down the line of carriages. Yanin and Elise did not wave back like their classmates, instead finding themselves more interested in the tower that edged toward the night sky.

  “This is the second time we get to see the Fourth Years graduate, it seems crazy how fast the last year went.”

  Elise agreed, “Yeah, second year went by so quickly.”

  The two walked in silence again, letting the flow of the crowd carry them the rest of the way toward the Tower of Ascension. In unison, they breathed two words that marinated in their minds.

  “Third year.”

  They exchanged side glances, which then led to a few giggles that made the blanket of depression lift off them. Today had not been their best, and the show at the ceremony had thoroughly stained Elise’s mind. She would remember the humiliation, but she would also remember how she was saved by Rosemary. The power to be able to act at a moments notice was alluring for her.

  She looked down at her open hand, bawling it into a fist. The familiar flow of Fey encased her skin, the glow of white casting shadows across her face. She could only stare, her mind drifting back to when the boulder was racing toward her.

  Why had she not thrown the punch, and why did she hesitate for so long?

  Maybe because she was still a little distracted by the battle, or maybe she just knew Rosemary would save her. Elise’s facial features darkened.

  Maybe she was fine with being crushed, snuffed out like blowing out a candle. It would make all the insults quiet, and instead they would forget about her. Yanin would have survived most likely, as her Fey had been cycling through her body before the boulder was about to hit. Elise had made the mistake of concentrating on attacking, which if she failed would have killed her.

  Would that have been better?

  Yanin flicked Elise on the forehead, which made her Fey waver and disperse into the air.

  “You better not be doing what I think you are doing.”

  Elise rubbed her forehead and glared at her, “And what is that?”

  “Overthinking the obvious.”

  The girl hesitated, only able to mouth a single response. “Oh.”

  Yanin pulled out a bag of biscuits, opening it and stuffing one of the brown lumps in her mouth. She grinned despite the mouthful. Elise rolled her eyes and laughed, her thoughts about the boulder vanishing. With a smirk she fell back into pace, the tower gates now only a stone toss away. She had not even realized how close they had gotten. Yanin hooked their arms together and pulled them past the gaingaintic iron doors. A maid approached them, her face young and beautiful,

  “I assume you are the Second Years?”

  The plump girl nodded in response, which merited them to be guided fully into the Tower of Ascension.

  “Only First Years have to stay toward the back so feel free to find your own spot.” The maid waved them off as they went.

  Even though this was their second time within the ceremonial tower, it did not dappen the elegance of the place. The floor was white marble, polished to the point that Elise could see her reflection perfectly. The room itself was a circle that had walls which stretched at least a hundred feet. They were painted in brass with intricate designs of garden silhouettes etched with golden lining. Golden pillars loomed like giant trees, arching to connect amongst the golden roof that was decorated with hundreds of hanging crystals. It was breathtaking to look at, and the entire place was filled with students of Grace Garden. Toward the far end, an elevated slab of marble held five thrones that were empty. Each one granted a different style. One was old, wooden swirls of architecture making the armrest and the back, which was cushioned by poles of gold and velvet pillows. One was simply stone, nothing much except a circular fractal carved into the back to resemble a mountain range. The middle one was by far the most normal, made of wood and stone. Although, the armrests were suspended in air, as if frozen in time. The next one was wider, having more of a circular design than the rest, but of course outfitted in the most gold Elise had ever seen. The last one looked horrendous, doused in black liquid that dripped to the floor, sizzling into steam as it touched. Spikes of black that resembled swords rose from the back, casting an eerie aura around it.

  She had seen the thrones before, and each matched their respective Kings quite well. She would not comment on the way King Nue liked this throne however, as it probably had a just reason for looking so menacing. Yanin swallowed hard as she saw them, faltering as they entered. Shaking her head clear, she pulled Elsie into the crowd. They slipped past dozens of people trying to get closer, but were met by a wall of Third Years that looked back at them with irritation. Yanin gave up with their glares, at the very least glad they were somewhat toward the front.

  “This place never gets dull.” She said, taking another survey of the beautiful architecture around her.

  Elise nodded her head in agreement, the crystals that hung from the ceiling in gold thread catching her fancy. They shone rainbows amongst the marble, which made even the shadows the students cast vibrant and a lighter shade. She held up her hand to touch the light, a ray of baby blue making her hand change color. She smiled with awe.

  “Yeah, this place never gets old, I am already missing it and we haven’t even left yet.”

  Yanin snorted, “I wonder if they serve food here?”

  Elise scoffed, “Really, I hope you are joking.”

  The girl put her hands up in defense, “Hey the biscuits did not really fill me up, I was just curious.”

  “Didn’t we go stall by stall so you could try everything, I am sure the festival food was plenty enough.”

  Yanin waved her off, “Yeah yeah, anyways when do they start th-”

  The entire world shook. Not physically no, Elise’s mind was shaking, and her gut dropped like a rock in a lake. She almost collapsed, but as soon as she felt the immense pressure hit her it was gone. Yanin and Elise swirled around, her eyes going wide as she saw the cause of such pressure.

  Behind the body of students, four men stood above them. They were tall, easily reaching seven feet with bulging muscles held by armor or cloth. Garnet’s eyes were stern, his beard long and his arms behind his back as he opened his mouth to speak.

  “Hello lovely ladies of Grace Garden, I, King Garnet, am very happy to see such young and spry faces.” He raised a hand to his heart. “As the war rages on with the Beast King, I thank you for putting forth your best effort for all of our Kingdoms.”

  Everyone was speechless, and Elise actually fell on her rear. She was not the only one, as many could not take in their presence quite well. The thrones were meant for the Kings, yes, but rarely did more than two show up. Usually it was King Garnet and King Nue that attended the graduation ceremony, and for the past three years it had been just that. Now though, four Kings were within the Tower of Ascension, and it seemed even the air was unfit for there to be so many. Elise could not bear to look away, and she quickly got to her feet. She could not contain her excitement, and realized many of her classmates were clapping. She joined without hesitation, her eyes drifting between each of them like a predator watching prey.

  King Garnet stalked forward, and the three men behind him followed. As they walked, he lifted a single finger and the massive iron doors slowly began to shut with no resistance. If there was a simple way to show you were all powerful, then closing such doors with the mere lift of a finger was enough.

  Plenty enough, as Elise just stared. She was flabbergasted, trying to think how much effort she would have to exert to even push one of the doors a foot. She could hear Yanin swallow hard to her left, seemingly realizing the same thing.

  A path formed with haste, and Garnet smiled as he strode past the students. Behind him, A lengthy man had his head almost literally buried into a book. The parchment was stained yellow with age, and the leather was almost falling apart if he did not hold it with both hands. King Mattets had a bowl cut of blonde hair, pale skin as white as snow, and a cream colored suit that was accented with black. His face was hidden however, and he did not look away as they sauntered forward. One could see he wore glasses, made of gold of course, but still a little detail she had not noticed before. The King of String was a mystery, but his accomplishments were far from it. He was the one dealing with the King of Beasts’ attacks the most, as their land bordered one another.

  Stolen story; please report.

  To his right, a completely different story played out. King Nue was the shortest of the four, and his entire body was caressed by a maroon tuxedo that flared with dark tendrils. The tentacles licked the ground as he walked, causing steam to rise as they touched. His skin was grey, and his veins pulsed with black. It was grotesque, but was quickly overshadowed by his perfectly cut chin and slicked back silver hair. His eyes were exotic, the white replaced with vanta black and irises of blood red. The same eyes scanning the crowd of women. He licked his lips, a grin of sharpened teeth visible as he did.

  To King Nue’s left, A giant walked with his hands patting his belly. King Tate was tall and round, his features caressed by a tight array of silver and gold robes that threatened to tear with each step. His double chin held small stubble, and his beady black eyes darted to random girls throughout the crowd. He switched between disappointment and a greedy grin that sent chills down spines. His belly was round and huge, bouncing up and down as he waddled toward the thrones.

  Garnet took a seat in the middle throne, the floating armrests bouncing as he plopped down. His unamusing face blank as he looked forward. King Tate struggled, but he got himself on the circular throne that now with him in it resembled more of a bed than anything else. King Nue slithered to his ominous seat, grinning wildly as he did. Elise did not like the way he looked in her direction.

  Yanin leaned over and confirmed her feelings, “That grin is something else, I feel like he is about to swallow me whole.”

  Elise simply nodded, her eyes watching as King Mattes did not falter from his book as he sat on his intricate wooden throne. Now, they were only missing King Aren, the King of Mountains. There had been a rumor that he hated showing his face, which the empty stone throne led Elise to believe was true. King Aren governed the land that surrounded the Terra Mountains, so his name was very fitting.

  Her thoughts were cut off as Garnet’s voice boomed through the tower,

  “Today we are gathered to announce the futures of the fifty-two Fourth Year students that will soon graduate. We will congratulate all of them, no matter if they become Burdens. They will still work for their share, so no ill intent shall be cast upon them.” He shifted in his throne. “We will begin with them first, and they will be praised for their skills.”

  Elise swallowed hard, his words resonating within her soul. Not everyone became Advisors, most being Burdens that work labor for Kings. And much was present with the first girl that stalked through an open archway that was embedded in the wall. She looked young, and her brown hair was pulled up into twin ponytails. Her dress was a simple dark blue, but was still elegant with edges. She was nervous, as anyone would be if they were the first to be called.

  It was obvious she was going to be a Burden, and it showed on her face as well. Being an Advisor for the major kings was no easy feat, and not everyone was qualified. Only the top students like Rosemary were.

  Luckily, the girl seemed happy with at the very least being able to work under a king, and not becoming a Widow. Those were people that no King found worthy of their rule, and they were left to fend for themselves in the Wild Lands. That place was a place no one wanted to find themselves in, as the King of Beasts had devastated it. Elise would take her chances with even a Stone King than being a Widow.

  Mattets spoke this time, his soft voice and muffled by the book that covered his face. Despite that, everyone could hear it as clear as day.

  “Remery Elk.”

  Everyone applauded, and Remery smiled as she heard her name. It was not everyday you got to hear a King say it, so at the very least she could be content with just that.

  After the room quieted by the raise of Garnet’s hand, he rose from his throne and bowed toward the girl that was now kneeling beneath him.

  “Remery Elk has been awarded the gift to be my maid, and I bless her with my power.”

  In unison, the students of Grace Garden spoke, “May she find happiness.”

  Garnet remained standing, and Remery exited through another arched doorway. Elise could imagine all the prep work the girl went through to look her best, only to be seen for maybe half a minute. She was exhausted just thinking about it, even if she needed two more years before she had too anyways.

  With that thought, the graduation ceremony carried on, and one by one a variety of girls were called. Some were announced to be simple house maids, others were granted the title of warrior, which meant they would see battle, just not empowered by the King himself. Others became seamstresses, stone builders, chefs, farmers, architects, and some just given the right to live within the territory of a King. The latter was as close as someone could get to being a Widow, which the few girls almost passed out when they were announced.

  Elise found it somewhat unsettling, as Grace Garden was meant for the daughters of Advisors, to well, become Advisors. Although, it was simply impossible for all fifty-two Fourth Years to be granted the title, as apparently there were too many factors to become one. Besides the ten left, only two had been selected as Advisors so far, but it was well known the rest would be.

  Yanin yawned beside her, not enjoying having to stand for the whole ceremony.

  “Finally, we get to the juicy bit.”

  Elise elbowed her in the side, “You would say juicy.”

  Yanin put a hand on her chest, “How dare you! Now I am hungry.”

  Elise rolled her eyes, “Really, never would've guessed.”

  The two threw a few more quips and jabs back and forth, waiting as the last girl exited through the archway. They stopped as they heard a familiar name.

  “Cindy Everglare.”

  Elise tapped her chin, surfacing all the information she could about Cindy. The girl walked out in an amber dress that was too great to look at for Elise’s taste. So instead, she focused on her thoughts. Cindy Everglare was Rosemary’s older sister, and the rumors about her were somewhat of a mystery. Some said she was a benevolent girl with confidence, while others said she was a snake that would strike the second you looked away. From the way her chin was held, Elise maybe guessed it was the first, but something about her smirk made her think otherwise. She could guess no one wanted to be in the shadow of their younger sister. She was just glad all of her siblings never attended the academy. They seemed a little more worried about their Father. He was sick, and they had made sure Elise understood how much they hated her for coming to Grace Garden.

  Elise shuddered at old memories, opting instead to watch as Cindy kneeled before the Kings. Garnet nodded and spoke,

  “Rise, for you have been granted the highest of honors. Cindy Everglare has been gifted the opportunity to be my Advisor.”

  Shocked expressions raced across many faces, Elise among them as Cindy rose with a smile. She expected her to be an Advisor, but Garnet was no push over. He was the most powerful in the room, only rivaled by King Mattets. Cindy being picked by him was the highest of honors, and also there was the fact she was a Jewel. Out of the six academies across Layla, she was selected as the tenth best. Although, Rosemary was picked eighth.

  Elise applauded on instinct, her mind wandering back to a familiar ginger. Rosemary was likely to be picked by Garnet as well, as no one would pass up on her power and skill. She was a force to be reckoned with, and any King would use her wisely. The white haired girl found herself spacing out as name after name was called. Deep down she only wanted to know where Rosemary would go and her trance grew deeper as she waited. Only, she was drawn back by the motion on the thrones.

  All of the Kings stood, and in unison they bowed. Elise blinked, not sure what they were doing. They usually did that when the ceremony was over, and Rosemary had clearly not been called. Confusion littered her face, and glancing around it was the same with many others.

  “That concludes the ceremony for the graduating Fourth Years. We are proud of the work you ladies have done, and we cannot await next year's batch of promising students.”

  The Kings looked as if they were about to leave, and Elise realized she was panicking. There was no way they were not going to call Rosemary, they had too. Right? What was going on? Had she missed her name? No, that was impossible.

  “But, we have an announcement to make before we leave.” Garnet motioned to the plump man to his left. King Tate cleared his throat and stepped forward.

  “Under agreement of all five King’s governing the land around Bellsworth, we have come to form an alliance to thwart the onslaught the King of Beasts wishes to plague our lands with. With this alliance, I am sure you all must understand the implications.”

  Elise froze, her mind racing as she soaked in his words. There was no way he was about to say what she was thinking.

  Garnet finally smiled, which may have been the first time since he was born.

  “We have appointed King Garnet as an Emperor, and given our lands to him to govern. The land under his rule will be known as..”

  He paused for dramatic effect, “The Empire of the Puppets, Murin.”

  The entire place was taken by a wave of cheers, and Elise had to actually cover her ears not to go deaf. Despite the roar of her classmates she was still stuck on why Rosemary had yet to be announced. Yanin was too busy screaming her head off to be of help, so Elise started to move, pushing toward the front.

  “Thank you, thank you.” King Garnet stalked forward with a wave to quiet the room. “And now, we must discuss a different issue.”

  Everyone went deadly silent, which the King approved of as he cleared his throat.

  “Now we have a special student who has exceeded our expectations greatly. Not only has she made herself a Jewel, she has also carried herself with the intent to be more than that. And so, all of the four Kings under my rule, including King Aren, have all proposed to her. In the event that all Kings in the immediate area have proposed, a different method of choosing will be used.” King Garnet seemed to be waiting.

  King Mattets let out a sigh and let go of the book his head was thoroughly buried in. Instead of the ancient thing falling, it simply floated where he had left it. That granted a few surprised faces, but they were shunned with more awe as the man snapped his fingers. A pearl of white appeared, almost the same size of his own palm.

  King Garnet continued, “This pearl will take a glimpse into her future, and tell us who would best be suited to take her hand. Of course, we must introduce the lady in question first.”

  King Nue grinned and spoke in the familiar hiss he usually did,

  “Rosemary Everglare.”

  Elise’s heart calmed, and she let go of the breath she was holding. The weight on her shoulder lifted and she suddenly got a wave of dizziness. She could not believe how worried she was. It was Rosemary after all, one of the most promising students to appear in the last decade.

  Elise joined in on the applause that had overcome her fellow classmates, gawking toward the figure that strode through the archway. Her presence alone granted the air to grow vibrant. A bright smile of white making the student body grow louder. Rosemary was just that beautiful, and her grace was clear as day. They way she wasted no movements, her heels not faltering in the slightest. Despite her overbearing presence, her modesty showed with a shy wave, which made Elise grin. She would do great things, that was for sure.

  The room grew quiet quickly as King Mattets snapped his fingers again, and the pearl appeared in King Garnet’s hand. Rosemary stood before him, slowly descending into a knee. He leaned in and whispered to her, which was low enough that nobody but her could hear. Rosemary’s cheeks turned pink, and Garnet was thoroughly amused with the sight. Shutting out the smirk he had, the familiar deadpan glare resurfaced. He raised his hand that held the pearl, and with ease he crushed it.

  The pearl burst into rainbow light that spread across the room with a pulse. Then, a red twine of thread appeared, snaking through the air slowly and circling Rosemary. As if she knew, she lifted a single finger, which the red string wrapped around. The other end began to slowly make its way toward King Nue, which only made his nasty grin grow wider. It was short lived however, the sting suddenly finding more interest in King Tate who nodded as if knowing it would do just that.

  He then frowned as it wiggled toward Garnet, then reversing to go toward Mattets. The air was silent as the red string lingered there for a moment, as if studying the man who paid it no mind. He was still reading, a page flipping on its own. The string seemed to shake its head, returning back to the center and surveying each king one last time.

  The air in front of it warped, and a bright white orb blinked into existence. King Garnet took a step back, followed by most people in the room. The light spiraled and grew, becoming an oval that tore through reality itself. For the first time, Matters retracted his face from his book, his intelligent blue eyes studying the portal that formed. He nodded and turned his attention back to reading. King Tate was in complete shock, and King Nue lost his smile completely.

  The string entered the portal, and for a while everyone just watched in silence. Elise was at a loss, the air shuttering as the string became taut. Then Rosemary collapsed to the floor, the portal shone light a sun, bursting with flares that scotched the ground. Screams echoed off the walls as students rushed to get away. Yanin grabbed Elise’s arm to tug her along, but she caught the glimpse in her friend’s eyes.

  “Elise, not again we need to-.”Yanin nervously looked at the portal. “Whatever this is, It does not look good. We need to go.”

  Elise opened her mouth, only for nothing to come out. She was at a loss for words, just idly staring at the portal. A single tear raced down her cheek, causing Yanin to freeze on the spot.

  “Father?” Elise said aloud.

  The entire room was engulfed in blinding white. For a minute, all was quiet, and the world slowly fell back into balance, the air calm as if nothing happened. However, all eyes were plastered to the figure who was sitting on the floor next to Rosemary. Locks of blonde hair shone in the tower light, brown eyes littered with confusion.

  The boy groaned in pain as he began to stand, his gaze slowly scouring the world before him. He weakly smiled, noticing Rosemary's limp body next to him. The hair on his back stood, and he swirled around to face King Garnet, who had a face no one had seen before.

  A face of fear.

  His hands shook as he pointed a single finger toward the boy standing before him.

  “Who are you?” he managed to eek out.

  The boy raised an eyebrow, glancing at the droves of girls behind him. For a moment he just stared. Finally he turned to face Garnet, his once confused face gone.

  “Warren Buckley.”