In Another Life- Chapter 3

It had been days since Count Marzen Stellae’s passing. Lissana hadn’t left her family's home until his funeral. Today she sat in the front. His father sat on her left and her mother on her right. She stared mindlessly at his casket. They had just put it under ground. A priest reading a blessing over his grave.

The people closest to him must put flowers over the casket. Yuzeno his father set down a sunflower. A remembrance that his son was always a ray of sunshine to him. Lissana's mother had put down a tulip. She believed in his way of life and hoped he would be reincarnated somehow and somewhere. Lastly, Lissana had set down a rose. Her ever dying love for him and her desire to prove that he was the only one for her.

After the ceremony she stayed back. Marzen’s father had brushed back her hair. “You should go rest.”

She crumbled a piece of her dress in her hands.

“I can’t.” She said quietly.

“You will tire yourself out. I know how you feel, please don’t hold yourself back you are young and-”

“Are you implying that I put myself back on the market because your son passed?”

The elderly man sighed. He took his pendant off. Showing her a photo of his late wife and Marzen as a toddler.

“I was thirty when she passed. I did not look at any woman not solely because of Marzen but because I held onto her too tight. Before I knew it my son had grown up and even then I did not feel the need to remarry.”

“Because you had a child?”

“I had a child that resembled her. Kind and selfless.”

Lissana smiled.

“Father, I don’t have any children and even if I did I still would not remarry. Marzen is my one true love in this lifetime.”

The older man smiled.

“Then I suppose there is no helping it. However, if that’s going to be the case you will still continue to be my daughter, correct?”

‘Why, of course father!”

Yuzeno wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. At the very least he was glad he did not lose both of them.

*** “How’s the spell coming along?’ Lissana asked.

Lady Penny looked through her crystal ball. She jotted down whatever she saw, as she said, “Based on what I see, it’s someone of noble status.”

“I can see how? But no face?”

“In the last few days this person has been frequenting the palace of chaos wearing a black robe. It’s as if they know how to keep their face hidden from any surveillance.”

“You mean…the lost prince?”

“This has to be royal affairs. He was talking with the third prince.”

“Then I suppose we have ourselves a trip to the palace of chaos.”

“I suppose we do.” Lady Penny smiled.

***

At nightfall they arrive at the palace of chaos. Lady Penny held Lissana’s arm. “Are you sure we should enter? What if we get caught and hung!”

“What choice do I have? I will not rest until I know who that person was.”

Lady Penny sighed. She rested her head on Lissana’s shoulder.

“Then let’s go together.”

Lady Penny took a step forward before her guard, holding his arm out.

“Vince?” She asked.

The man shook his head.

“Traps ahead. If we go, we must go from the right.”

“Wait…right?” Lady Penny whispered.

She gasped before she pointed.

“If we lie in wait, perhaps we can catch this suspicious person.”

“From the angle you’ve been seeing?”

“Correct.”

All three head over, making themselves hidden behind some trees and bushes. Minutes go by, nothing.

“Perhaps there is no meeting today?” Vince asked.

“No it should happen…they wait a little after nightfall.”

On cue people approach into view. Speaking through a balcony up high and two people down below. A young man comes into view. His ankles shackled as he leaned over the railings.

“How was the funeral today?” The man asked.

The man in the hooded cloak scoffed.

“You should ask when it’ll be your turn, trash.”

The man beside him points his sword at him.

“Always so fussy, Clawd. You don’t serve him anymore, you serve me.”

"Doesn't mean I tolerate disrespect.”

“What’s disrespectful was that performance. ‘Don’t you all dare to die at the hands of someone else!’” He laughed.

“You killed her lover. It’s normal for her to react that way.” The man above said.

“For a woman to say that was displeasing. I’ll send my people over to her soon. If she wishes to come see me so much, she can simply join him in the afterlife.”

“What do you want this time?” The prince asked.

“The code to the royal archives. I cannot ascend without them.”

“No.”

“You trash, you think I won’t get you from up there?”

“You can’t and you won’t. I may be trapped in this palace but ultimately you or anyone else cannot come in and take my life. Your ruse of obtaining immortality by assassinating anyone with a drop of royal blood will come to light.”

The man glared at him from below, he turned on his heels.

“No one will come in between me and what is my fate.”

Lissana blinked as everyone dispersed. It was short and quick. Like every conversation Lady Penny watched.

“Penny, are you able to listen through conversations?”

“I have not reached that level yet. It is quite difficult but I can try.”

“No, I was thinking we should go inside the palace of chaos.”

“And speak to that prince? We don’t even know his name!”

“We could find out.” Lissana said.

Lady Penny chewed on her lower lip before sighing.

“I suppose we can try to communicate with him.”

She looked at Vince and he nodded.

“After you, my lady.”