Eve
Eve never doubted that she was loved. Growing up, she was showered with affection from the elf she believed to be her father. Amatus had told her stories of grand adventures and she dreamed of becoming someone who could serve the kingdom as he had. People often looked down on her, so she became determined to prove herself. She heard people talking about her cowardly father. They said he was a disgrace and she was one of the reasons they called him that. To her, he looked brave and strong. She wanted to show that having her wasn’t a mistake. She wanted to be worthy of being his daughter.
She trained day in and day out, thinking she could become a knight. Latiala respected warriors above all and she was sure she could be one of them. She thought she might also win the favor of the king if she did well enough. She realized early that Cadeyrn wanted little to do with her or her father. She thought she might change that when she proved her worth.
The day of the trials to become a knight-in-training, Eve thought she was ready for anything. She’d prepared for every challenge and was doing well in the obstacle course through the forest. She really thought she might have a chance but then she saw the rabbit.
It was small and she almost overlooked it but the creature squeaked in distress as it was tangled in some briars. She couldn’t leave it there. The briars were twisted together. She scratched up her hands and arms as she pulled them apart to reach it. Several times, she was tempted to give up. She was taking too long and why should she care for this rabbit? Even so, she kept going. The rabbit was in distress and she couldn’t just leave it.
When she finally got it free, the rabbit hopped off without another glance in her direction an she exited the forest, knowing she’d failed the trial. She did her best to put on a brave face but wound up crying in her room for most of the night.
Once she was calm, she found she couldn’t sleep for thinking about her failure. Eventually, she climbed out of bed and snuck down the stairs. Technically, she didn’t have to sneak as she was free to go where she wished but she didn’t want to face anyone after her humiliation. She knew where the guards would be and how to avoid their notice. She made her way outside and into the palace garden. It was where her father went to clear his head and she’d picked up the habit.
As she was walking through the garden, taking in the floral scents, Eve suddenly became aware of another presence. She whirled, preparing for a fight.
“Good reflexes,” Leilani commented from her seat on a bench. “Senses could use some work. I’ve been following you for ten minutes and I wasn’t trying especially hard to be sneaky. We can work on that, though.”
Eve relaxed only slightly as she saw who it was. “I suppose I was lost in my thoughts.”
“A dangerous place to lose yourself.” Leilani stood and folded her hands behind her back. “Minds can be chaotic mazes, after all, especially for one so young.”
Eve bristled at the comment. “I’m old enough to have competed in the trials. I’m not a child.”
“But you are,” Leilani replied without malice. “You speak well and try to carry yourself like and adult, but you’re still very much a child. That’s a good thing. I much prefer to train children. Adults are often too set in their ways.”
Eve was about to argue but she understood the implication of her words and said, “You want to train me?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“A few reasons,” Leilani said. “I’ve been watching you for a while. You certainly have some skills but I had the concern about your mind and your heart. That was why I decided to test you.”
“Test me?”
Leilani held up her hand with the palm up. She spoke a word and a small, brown rabbit appeared in her palm. At Eve’s confused expression, she said, “You demonstrated patience and intelligence in rescuing my illusion today. I twisted those vines myself and not just anyone could have undone it. You could have abandoned the task but you didn’t. You saw a problem that needed to be solved and took care of it without letting the consequences deter you.”
As the fake rabbit vanished, Eve balled her hands into fists, face burning with rage. “You made me fail the trial!”
“I didn’t make you do anything.” Leilani’s tone was calm and reasonable. “I presented you with a choice and you made the one I preferred. That being the case, I’ve decided I would like to train you as my agent. Of course, that’s if you’re willing. Otherwise, you can have another go at the trial next year. I won’t interfere again and I’m sure you’ll succeed.”
“I should have succeeded this year!” Eve’s eyes stung with frustrated tears. She’d lost the trial and she hadn’t even saved a real rabbit.
Leilani dropped her hand, face remaining passive. “You should learn to control your emotions better. Otherwise, you may find yourself at a disadvantage.”
“I have a reason to be angry,” Eve informed her.
Leilani shrugged a shoulder. “Perhaps, but how does that anger serve you? What is your plan for the anger? Will it change what happened? Will it help you become a knight? If an emotion doesn’t serve a purpose, you should cast it aside.”
“Emotions don’t work like that,” Eve replied through gritted teeth.
“But you can learn to master them rather than letting them master you,” Leilani said. “I can teach you. I see potential in you and would like to make you one of my agents. I expect the job would suit you better than being a knight. You could learn to blend into any crowd and gain information. I’ll teach you to take down enemies without ever letting them know they were in danger. Typically, I’m not allowed to train members of the royal family, but you could be an exception. You could be the first of your line to become an agent of the spymaster. Wouldn’t that be more interesting than becoming a knight?”
Eve’s hands were still balled but she’d managed to loosen the fists. “What would the king say about me becoming a spy?”
“You would be serving the kingdom,” Leilani said. “Do you think he’d be displeased with that?”
Eve had dreamed of becoming a knight and working her way up through the ranks until the king acknowledged her. In her heart, she knew how unlikely that was, though. No matter how hard she worked, a half-elf wouldn’t be promoted often, if at all. Leilani reported only to the king and her agents reported directly to her. Eve would have more chances for her deeds to be noticed as a spy than she would as a knight. She could likely serve the kingdom in more meaningful ways, as well. “The king approves of your agents himself, right?”
“Yes, but we don’t have to bring it to him just yet. Let me train you in secret for a few years. Once I’m certain you have what it takes, I can bring you to him and discuss formal training.”
“So I might agree to this, train for years and still not get anything?”
“You might train for years as a knight and never see battle if you’re not considered good enough,” she pointed out. “At least you know I’m less likely to give up on you as I’ve already decided you have potential.”
Eve hesitated but decided it was worth the risk. She spent the next few years training before being presented to the king as a potential agent. She had to keep it a secret from everyone during that time. She thought she might never tell Amatus about it. She was as surprised as anyone when Cadeyrn insisted his brother make the decision. Eve didn’t think the king cared for his opinion much. She was less surprised when Amatus refused.
It was Leilani’s idea that Eve follow him on his mission to prove herself. Of course, none of them could have guessed what they’d encounter. The most terrifying moment of Eve’s life was when she saw Jasper’s blade against her father’s throat. After she killed the man, she was sick for days, but she managed to hide it. She’d done what she had to do.
“Master your emotions,” Leilani told her when Eve struggled with the memories while training. “The first kill is always the most difficult, but you can push through it. You will become strong enough not to let such things overwhelm you. You must learn to disconnect from those feelings when in training or on a mission.”
It was easy for her to say but difficult for Eve to hear. Even so, she tried. She followed every instruction Leilani gave. With Honoko and Mayumi at her side, it became easier. She grew close to them. Eve had always wanted a sibling but realized years before Amatus and Arabella wouldn’t provide one. Gradually, she came to think of her half-blood companions as sisters.
That was why they were the ones she went to see after learning the horrible truth of her parentage. She was hurt and felt betrayed but she knew they were innocent.
“Your father loves you more than anything,” Mayumi told her. “We all know that.”
“Which father?” Eve demanded, unable to accept her words. The elf who sired her had never shown her affection. The elf who raised her had lied to her since she was born. He’d hidden so much from her. She might have been able to understand but her anger burned too hot for reason. She knew she had to leave. She had to clear her head far away from the lies.
In the end, she decided to leave through the forest to make it easier to cover her tracks. She was deep within it when she heard, “And where do you think you’re going?”
Eve sighed as she turned to face Leilani, who was leaning against a tree. “I don’t have a destination in mind, but I need to get away from here.”
“Why?”
Eve narrowed her eyes. “You rarely fail to gather information that passes through the palace. I expect you know what transpired yesterday.”
“Yes but that doesn’t explain why you’re running away,” Leilani said. “Learning who sired you is hardly a reason to go off without a destination in mind.”
“I am the king’s daughter and he’s treated me like a stranger my whole life!” Her hands balled into fists. “Meanwhile, I’m raised by his younger brother who pretends to be my father and lies to me every day. He keeps so many secrets but he didn’t have the right to keep this one from me.”
“You’re emotional,” Leilani told her coolly. “Master it.”
“No!” Eve stamped her foot, not caring how childish that looked. “They lied and lied and lied. I have a right to be angry. I am angry and I’m leaving.”
Leilani’s face betrayed no emotion and her tone was flat as she said, “You held so much potential.”
Eve didn’t bother to respond before turning away and disappearing into the forest.
The next few days passed in a blur. She walked until it was dark, then made camp. She passed through some towns and got supplies, but she didn’t know how long she’d be gone and her savings wouldn’t last forever. It was better not to waste money on an inn.
She started picking up odd jobs in places she passed through. Often, she could find a day’s work helping with construction or weeding a farm. She continued that way for a while and kept walking.
The weeks passed in a blur that way. Stopping to work slowed her progress but she reached the shore on the other side of the continent within a few months. It was there, as she looked out over the ocean, that Eve realized not having a destination was rather inconvenient.
She could turn around and head back the way she came or follow the shore in a different direction. She could board a ship, but where would she go? She’d left the country of Latiala behind some time ago so it was unlikely anyone would come looking for her there. She was in a strange place, surrounded by strange people. She had dozens of options and found herself paralyzed by them.
Up to that point, her whole life had been pretty well planned out. She’d trained with the goal of becoming a knight, then to become a spy. She’d followed every order Leilani gave for years. Everything had been mapped out neatly with clear goals ahead of her. Now, she only had what was behind to guide her and some of that had gotten pretty murky.
Eventually, she picked up a job on a merchant ship, loading and unloading goods. She didn’t care much where it was going and wound up travelling from one place to the next. Months passed that way, but she didn’t track how many. It was easier to just focus on the work. She didn’t have to think about how many lies she’d believed her whole life or what the truth might mean for her. She didn’t have to examine her feelings and determine whether they were right. She just pushed down anything that was difficult to focus on and continued working.
Eve knew she’d have to return to Latiala eventually. She’d have to face what had happened and figure out what it meant. However, every time she thought of returning, a pit formed in her stomach. She kept telling herself she just needed some time. She would calm down and face them properly when she was ready. She occasionally sent letters to Honoko and Mayumi to let them know she was safe, but that was the only communication she had back home. She never stayed anywhere long enough to wait for a response.
At one point, there was a delay and she was told the merchant ship she’d signed on with would have a delay in leaving. She debated trying to get work with someone else but decided she’d already agreed to this one and would honor that. It meant she had a few days to rest. She’d spent so much time on boats the past few months that some time on dry land sounded nice. They’d landed at a lively port town that smelled strongly of fish, which people at stalls loudly advertised.
She booked a room at the local inn and prepared to settle down for a few days. The nearby restaurants served mostly fish, but she didn’t mind much. She reminded herself it wouldn’t be for more than a few days. However, those few days turned into a few weeks as the shipping issue became more complicated than expected. Eve looked at joining another ship, but none were hiring. She picked up a few odd jobs in town, instead.
A week into her stay, she decided it might be best to just travel on land for a while. She still hadn’t figured out where she wanted to go, so wandering by foot was likely as good as doing so by boat. She left the town and travelled through the forest beyond, setting up camp each night. She’d gotten a map before leaving town, so she knew there was a larger city just a few days out. She figured that might be worth seeing. There would definitely be work there so she could replenish supplies.
She was studying her map one night when she heard footsteps and leapt to her feet. The sounds weren’t animal and she grabbed her dagger, defensively. “Who’s there?”
“I didn’t mean to startle you.” A voice came from behind a nearby tree. “I’ve been looking for you for a while, though. You’re not an easy person to track down. Couldn’t you have stayed in town a little longer to let me catch up?”
The voice was familiar, but Eve couldn’t place it. She raised her dagger, preparing for a fight. “Who are you and why are you looking for me?”
“Those are both complicated questions,” the voice replied. “Well, the answers are complicated. Answer, really. It’s just the one.”
“Stop speaking in riddles,” Eve commanded. “Show yourself.”
“I will,” the voice promised. “I just don’t want you to panic and stab me when you see my face. Could you possibly sheath your weapon?”
Her words didn’t make Eve want to do such a thing. “I can promise not to stab you as long as you’re not a threat.”
“I’m not a threat,” the voice promised. “Well, not to you. I would never hurt you. You’re everything.”
Eve furrowed her brow. “Everything? What does that mean?”
“I’ve felt incomplete my whole life but then I found out about you and understood why. We’re one soul in two bodies. I can’t exist without you. That’s why I’ve searched for so long. I found out you left Latiala and have been tracking you ever since.”
“Come out and explain yourself.”
“Okay,” she said. “Just promise not to freak out, okay? I’m struggling to remain calm and I hope you’ll do the same.”
“I’m calm,” Eve lied as her heart pounded.
There came soft laughter before she said, “I’m coming out.”
Eve tensed, preparing for some horrifying image. However, the person that stepped out was more shocking than she could have expected. Eve’s eyes widened and she tightened her grip on the dagger even as the person raised her hands in a peaceful gesture. “What is this?”
The person smiled and it was a terrifyingly familiar smile. Of course, it was. Eve had seen it in the mirror so many times. From her blonde hair to her blue eyes, this stranger looked just like her. “Hi, Eve. I’m Dawn. It seems….I’m your sister.”
