**Farewell to Memory—EpicTracks**
The crown princess turned to her slowly, "Of course. What are your questions?"
Ember swallowed, adjusting on the bed.
"How do you know my mother?" She asked the woman, a question that for no reason apparent to Ember seemed to irk her.
"My connection with Valata AshFall was but a fleeting one," she answered curtly, "she did me a favor years ago by chance, but that was about it. And now, I shall repay that favour."
It made sense after all for Ember's mother was not known to mingle with humans. In fact, their coven kept the human clans at bay and avoided mingling with them except to bear children. Which was why Ember thought it outrageous when her mother mentioned the crown princess owed her a debt.
Still Ember felt the crown princess wasn't entirely being truthful with her. But she simply nodded though, voicing none of her hesitance as she moved to the next question… the hardest one to speak in fact.
"You said you will never let go should you find out who harmed Elara. Does this mean your daughter's death was planned?" She finished awkwardly , staring down at her fingers.
The crown princess approached her, sitting back on the bed.
"You do not need to act so mature for my sake. I shall now answer all your unspoken questions," she said, tilting her cool sapphire blue eyes on Ember.
"Why do you think I've the confidence to make such a treasonous suggestion when I have just one life? That is because no one save for the people you've met in this temple actually know who Elara is."
….
What? Was that even possible? That was a princess. But it didn't seem the crown princess would lie to her about such a grave matter.
"Few weeks after she was born, I took her away in search of… help. She was sickly, although I've come to understand it wasn't any ordinary sickness. Long story short, I never took Elara back to the palace where she was born. Not even her father knows what she looks like save for the portraits of her which I was made to occasionally send back every year."
Ember's heart thudded at the revelation. The crown princess was all but telling her that save for a mere portrait, her husband didn't know what their daughter looked like.
And here she thought she had lived a terrible life. Elara seemed to have had it worsen
"Do you understand now? Talk more of you who shares the same resemblance with her, should I find someone who remotely resembles her and pass her as my daughter, no one would find out."
Alas, it was but a flawless arrangement. Yet she couldn't help but remember Viktoria's words to her earlier that night.
'You survived, but since you've survived this night of cursed prophecies, another shall die in your place."
Could there be some cursed fate that bound her to Elara? It was clear the girl had died moments ago before she arrived with the knight, so could it be?
The thought gave her chills, and her heart remained heavy at what it could possibly mean for her to meet her doppelgänger. And every single fairytale she knew about the cursed twin always foretold the death of one.
So not only did Ember survive that night's massacre, but she survived the curse of the doppelgänger.
She breathed in deeply. "I am ten years old, is Elara also the same age?"
The crown princess smiled as if she could sense that Ember was becoming more amenable to a suggestion that would change both their lives, although more of hers.
"Elara was ten too."
Ember nodded slowly. If she said yes, she'd have protection. A name. Power enough to fight the monstrosity of that night which she was unable to fight against.
But if she said yes, who would she become?
"I know I do not have the right to ask more questions since you're taking me in. But I still want to know why you're taking me in."
The crown princess tilted her head up, looking down at her like she was contemplating just how much she should tell Ember in the first place.
"Elara was poisoned at birth with death in mind." she said finally, "Should I come back with her looking healthy and very much alive, the person who poisoned her will be spooked."
Having seen so much violence that night alone, Ember shouldn't be startled anymore. Yet the idea that someone would do that to a baby still shook her to the very core.
But more than that was the lethal brilliance of the crown princesses plan. It was clear she intended to use Ember as a pawn to weed out the murderer. A plan that was as dangerous as it was alluring.
Maybe it was because Ember was too foolish and young. Maybe she simply didn't understand what was at stake. Yet despite being in the dark about the crown princess and her original connection with her mother, Ember found herself saying.
"Thank you, your highness for offering me a place of refuge."
"I shall take that as your acceptance." The crown princess said, "My handmaiden will be with you to direct you on what to do."
On cue, the sun rose signifying the start of a new day. Staring at its golden brilliance, Ember wondered if it would be the start of a new life for her. The crown princess stared at it as well for a long time with hardened eyes. Then a few seconds later, she rose from the bed to take her leave.
Probably to mourn her daughter whom she would never have a proper chance to mourn again once Ember assumed her identity.
Just like that, Ember's fate was sealed. And as she watched the receding steps of the crown princess, she didn't know if she had just sought refuge, or rather plunged herself in more danger. But what was there to think about? She had run away from being given away to the witches in order to carve a place for herself amongst the humans.
That was the same very thing the crown princess offered her, no? The chance to live with an identity where she didn't have to be judged for being an echo witch. Even if the chance came with a dangerous choice.
Lost in her thoughts, Ember didn't hear when the door opened and a handmaiden she had seen earlier approached.
To her shock, the young woman bowed at her. "Your highness, I am Syria, the head of the crown princesses' handmaidens." She said.
Ember panicked, her hands darted out. "What… what are you doing?!"
The woman rose, narrowed eyes resting on her. "You're now princess Elara Thorne. Your act must be beyond flawless at all times."
Ember had expected as much, but she still chuckled awkwardly. "Surely I do not need to pretend before the handmaidens as well…."
"You do," the woman answered sternly, "even more so than you would act before a stranger."
Ember sat upright. It was clear that Syria was here to do the tough work. To teach and mould Ember into the shoes of Elara Thorne.
"Do you understand, Princess Elara Thorne?" The woman said, her dark narrowed eyes on Ember who swallowed.
She had after all accepted to do this, she might as well do it well.
"I…I understand."
"Good. I understand you were an Echo Witch and the High Priestess hid your identity from the world. That works to our advantage… particularly as everyone in your coven have been confirmed as dead. But I must still confirm, does any other person know you or have seen your face and your person aside from your coven and the Knight of Debt who brought you?"
Before that night, Ember had never met anyone who was not a member of her coven. Even as a servant she had been demoted to work at the darkest part of the palace where even visitors wouldn't have to see her.
But she had been saved by Viktoria and—
A throbbing headache caused her to groan immediately at the direction her thoughts had taken. A headache so bad it caused tears to well in her eyes.
Why had she subconsciously added 'and' to that equation? There had been no one else save for Viktoria that night.
Ignoring the strangeness, she looked Syria in the eyes and lied in a strong voice.
"No. No one aside from my coven and the knight of debt has ever seen me."
Syria observed her as if to gauge if she lied or not. She was satisfied with whatever she saw in Ember's eyes as she moved on to her next question.
"Good. Then I must ask how a powerless girl like you managed to survive tonight?"
Ember had long prepared for that question. Although the reason she was covering up knowing Viktoria had nothing to do with protecting her saviour. But it was just a gnawing feeling that she had that Viktoria wasn't as simple as she appeared. For that reason there was no need to mention a woman she herself didn't understand.
"My mother was going to give me away to the old ones the next day, so I was allowed to leave the palace of flames for once." She answered easily because that was part true although not entirely.
She hadn't been allowed to leave. She had run away in fact despite knowing that there was no place for her in the outside world. And the guards just hadn't cared enough to stop her.
"You didn't meet any stranger on your sojourn?" Syria asked, proving that the head handmaiden was quite detail oriented.
Meet anyone? Of course she didn't meet anyone—
The blazing headache came again, causing her to groan and bury her head in her hands. "I didn't meet anyone." She gritted wondering why she was being attacked by bouts of headache.
"Healer Zak will have a look at you," Syria said, her voice softening, "and I will be in charge of teaching you as much palace etiquettes as you can manage to remember on our way back."
Way back?
Ember looked up at her. "What do you mean? Where are we going to?"
"The princess has regained her good health. How can we keep such good news from her father," the woman said with a voice dripping with sarcasm that Ember was sure wasn't targeted at her, but the crown princess's husband.
Even on that bed, she could smell what was the buildup of a bad political struggle.
Her new life certainly wasn't going to be easy. But that didn't mean she wouldn't fight just as hard for it. And she slept to that thought.