Summer was too curious to stay safely away.

Nothing but a rumble carried of the men's voices, so she could not make out what they said. Summer crept closer to the light, darkness cloaking her presence.

Close enough to hear them, she stood on her tiptoes and peeked through the books. Leon faced two men. One of them was shorter and slimmer, carrying a lantern and standing slightly behind the other, who must be the king.

The king's back was to her, so she could not see him clearly. A cloak draped over his shoulders, a dark color that gleamed green when the light touched it, fastened with a golden clasp on his shoulder. He stood almost as tall as Leon, just as proud, but less broad-shouldered.

"...expect to find you here," the king was saying.

"I wanted to do some research," Leon replied. "What about you?"

The king sighed. "Pennings and I need some documentation for the assembly. But let us not change the subject. What kind of research? You're not exactly the scholarly sort, little brother."

Leon grunted. "Nothing of interest to you. As of yet."

A heavy silence swelled between the two men. "Does it have anything to do with the Artifact?"

It was Leon's turn to sigh. "I can never get anything past you, can I?"

The king chuckled, slapping Leon's shoulder. "I am your brother. You could never lie to me."

The king glanced around. "You wouldn't be here with your little friend, would you?"

Summer's heart leapt to her throat. She really hoped Leon could actually lie to his brother.

"Little friend?" Leon grumbled.

"You know of whom I speak," the king said. "You two have been inseparable lately. So I assume you might have brought her here for a little late-night escapade."

"Victor..." Leon growled.

Summer twisted her lips aside. She was getting tired of everyone assuming things about her and Leon.

"I'm only teasing, Leon. Loosen up," the king said and started walking. To Summer's horror, they started walking her way.

She retracted her steps through the dark rows of bookcases, keeping the men in hearing range.

"The lady is a master at sneaking around, or so I've heard. So it's not entirely implausible for her to be here. Don't you think?"

"So she sneaked in right past the guards outside?" Leon asked. "You think very highly of her skills. Summer would be flattered."

The king hummed. Their footsteps stopped. Summer did as well and peeked. The king stood in front of a bookcase, scanning the titles under his assistant's lantern light.

"You know her well," the king said.

"Well enough."

The king straightened and turned to face Leon. Summer had a view of their profiles now. The king's features were shadowed, but the cut of his profile seemed more refined than Leon's, less rough. While Leon was carved out of rough mountain stone, the king was a polished gemstone.

"Don't grow too fond of her, Leon. You may amuse yourself, if you wish. But do not go get attached to her. She is not a person worthy of standing by your side."

Wow. The king certainly knew how to make a woman feel flattered.

Leon's shoulders swelled as he took a deep breath. Summer knew him enough to read his rising temper.

"Don't speak of her that way. She is no less than any other lady from a noble family."

"You know that's not what I mean," the king said. "I'm sure she's an outstanding person, your fondness of her is proof enough for me. But to be a princess, being of noble birth holds very little weight. She must be more. You know how royal unions work. A Blessed Bloodline is the least of the conditions, whether you believe in the Blessed Blood Theory or not."

Ha! Summer wondered what the king would say if he found out that she was, indeed, of a Blessed Bloodline. At least, according to the artifact's reaction to her.

Apparently, the same thought crossed Leon's mind, because he chuckled. The king frowned.

"I don't find anything humorous about this, Leon," the king's tone had shifted very slightly.

Summer's survival instincts, the ones that had kept her alive so far, tightened. So the polished gemstone had some sharp edges.

This was not a man she wished to anger. He might not be as physically strong as Leon, but the sheer power those words carried made it seem he could dismiss her life as easily as he would a fly if she proved a threat to him. Now Leon's hesitation about telling his brother made sense.

Apparently Leon was more used to his brother's scary tone, because he didn't look the least repentant. He cleared his throat, rubbing a hand across his mouth in a futile attempt to wipe off his smile. "Nothing."

Victor shook his head, and when he spoke again, the note of warning left his voice. "You will give me gray hairs, Leon."

"You already have them."

Victor waved him off. "I'm serious about the girl, Leon. Don't go putting any fanciful notions into her head. For both your sakes. Even Pennings agrees, don't you, Pennings?"

The man next to the king didn't seem startled. He hesitated only a moment before saying, "I'm sure his highness' future choice of a spouse will be perfectly aligned with the kingdom's best interest, your majesty."

"So diplomatic," the king mumbled. They moved again. Their footsteps grew closer to where Summer and Leon had left the books on the ground. Summer debated putting the books back or hiding them, but they were coming closer faster than she could, so she left them there and hid.

"Ah, this is what you've been researching," the king said. He crouched down and looked through the books, humming to himself. "Hmm. Has the Artifact finally piqued your interest?"

"Something like that," Leon said. "What do you know about it, Victor?"

"About as much as you do," the king replied, flipping through pages. "I have never lent the Blessed Blood Theory much importance, you know. Much like you in that regard, I was a skeptic. But the Theory is a tradition that the older generations love, so I didn't see any harm in keeping it alive." He looked up at Leon. "You have figured out something new, haven't you?"

When Leon stayed quiet, Summer held her breath. Would Leon tell him? She trusted Leon, so if he decided to tell the king, it must be because he deemed it safe. But he just shook his head.

"Nothing I can confirm right now," Leon said.

The king rose to his feet. "Very well. I don't need the headache with the upcoming assembly anyway. But I expect a report later."

"Yes, your majesty," Leon said.

"I heard about the attack on your little friend. Do I have to worry?"

"No. We're trying to track down the people who ordered the hit. We have a few clues but nothing certain as of yet."

"I see. Oh, about the assembly..."

The king's voice droned on about the guests attending the opening ball from the neighboring allied Kingdoms, but Summer's attention was fastened on the other man. Pennings, the king had called him.

He had walked a small pace away, scanning the titles. He was reed-thin, with receding light brown hair and large eyes made even larger with his prominent forehead.

He strolled along the shelves, coming closer to where Summer hid. So she slipped around the bookcase and came to a halt. A wall blocked her path.

Her heart raced. She'd just walked herself into a dead end. Summer stood at the end of the space between a bookcase and the wall. Nowhere to go. The light from Pennings' lantern grew closer.

Summer pressed her back against the wall, froze, and blanked her mind, melting into the shadows.

The lantern's light flooded the long narrow space. Summer stared at the orange glow only steps away from her. If Pennings got any closer, the light would hit her. Summer didn't know what could happen then. Leon's brother didn't strike her as particularly lenient, especially to her. It might also put Leon in a difficult position.

Please don't come any closer. Please don't come any closer. Summer chanted in her head over and over. But Pennings kept inching closer. Leon was still chatting with his brother. Didn't he notice Pennings going away? She kept waiting for Leon to call Pennings back. To no avail. She was going to kick Leon's behind if she got out of this alive.

The light touched the tip of her boots now. Pennings was too focused on finding some book, so maybe he wouldn't notice her even if the light hit her? Maybe...

Something burned her leg through her pants. The artifact in her pocket.

The artifact! Summer slipped her hand into her pocket and squeezed the heating medallion. It was too hot to the touch, almost painful. Her heart sored. Perhaps it might work again?

Summer held her breath as Pennings came closer. The light fell fully on her now. Squinting against the glare, she stopped breathing. But Pennings didn't notice her.

Slowly, Summer took a slow breath. She looked over her shoulder at the wall where her shadow should be. Yet there was nothing, only the uniform light from the lantern. It was as if she didn't exist.

She'd done it again. She'd used the artifact. Gathering her courage, Summer took a step forward. Pennings didn't even move. Summer kept walking until she was right within touching distance. Still no reaction.

The metal of the artifact burned too hot, Summer had the absurd thought it would melt right into her skin. The earlier sketch of the artifact being carved into a person's heart flashed into her mind. Not the best thing to recall at the moment.

Summer side-stepped Pennings and escaped the dead-end. She put as much distance between her and the three men as possible. She didn't know when the artifact might decide to stop working.

It was a long while later when the king and Pennings finally left, dragging a trolley filled with scrolls and books behind them.

Summer waited for Leon next to where they had left their books on the floor. He came back, looking around with a frown. "Summer?"

Summer stood behind him. As soon as she took a step towards him, he whirled around, his eyes darting around in confusion. He had good instincts.

Summer decided to experiment.

"Leon?" she said out loud.

Leon's eyes widened. He looked around. "Summer? Where are you?"

So she could be heard, but not seen. Hmm. Summer looked at the medallion in her hand. The white gemstone glowed, but instead of its usual white, it shed off a slight pink and blue shimmer. Was it just a trick of the lantern light?

She tried to will herself to be visible again, but it didn't work, so she let go of the artifact. But not before kicking Leon's shin for not paying attention to Pennings.

He didn't even flinch. Just stared at her wide-eyed as the artifact dropped with a muted thud on the ground and she materialized.

"Heavens..." he mumbled. "You really did disappear."

Summer pointed a finger at him. "It's all because of you. Your brother's secretary almost saw me, I think the artifact reacted to my panic and activated."

Leon smiled. "You mean it's thanks to me." He crouched down to pick up the artifact, hissing when his hand touched it. "It's burning hot. Do you think you can use it to make it past the guards outside?"

"Only one way to find out."

Summer closed her hand around the artifact and willed herself to go invisible again. The medallion pulsed with heat, and just when Summer thought it wouldn't work, Leon sucked in a sharp breath.

"And you're gone."

Summer wondered if he could go invisible as well. She reached over and touched his hand. Leon looked at his hand, turning it so their palms touched.

"Do you see me?" Summer asked.

"No."

So it didn't work. Summer sighed. "Let's go before my luck runs out."

Summer picked up a couple of books, finding out she could make objects in touch with her invisible as well, and they left the Archives.

Outside, Ida threw Leon a look but didn't comment until they were well out of the guards' sight. They stopped in a shadowy alcove down a hallway.

"Where's she?" Ida asked.

"Right here," Summer replied. Ida jumped. Summer grinned. Being invisible was fun.

"I'm assuming the artifact worked?" Ida said.

"So far-"

Leon and Ida both looked right at Summer.

"You can see me again?" Summer asked. The medallion had gone luke warm in her hand.

Leon sighed. "We still have no idea how this thing works. All the theories in the books are outlandish, and clearly lacking since the artifact works well on Summer without all the fuss."

Summer hefted the books. "I guess we got some reading to do."

"Did the king see you?" Ida asked.

"No, but his secretary almost did. Someone was too busy chatting to pay attention to the man wandering around," Summer said, looking pointedly at Leon.

Leon's glance was amused. "It worked out. Besides, I have faith in your abilities. You would have figured out a way even without the artifact."

"You have too much faith in my abilities, your highness. That's not a comforting thought."

Leon took the books from her, and they made their way to Leon's study. There, Ida lit up the fireplace and they poured over the books in an attempt to glean more information.

*** **** ***

Leon's personal study was the same as his office. He didn't try to embellish his personal space with unnecessary frivolities. A dark wooden desk, a bookcase, a couch and a few chairs. The only thing she could see of personal value was a painting frame on the fireplace's mantle. It was a painting of a much younger Leon. He stood behind a woman sitting on a chair, cradling a child who could not be older than two years of age.

Ari's young face was plump and happy, and Summer could see he inherited more of his mother than his father. The delicate turn of his eyebrows, the blue eyes, the smooth pale skin. Ari's mother was a beauty, delicate and radiant, but the set of her chin and the confident gleam in her eyes proved Ida's earlier words about the woman's character. She was a rose with a stem of steel.

Sitting on the couch with her book, Summer glanced at Leon, sitting behind his desk and pouring over his own book. She wondered if he still loved her.

And where did that thought come from? Summer shook her head. She needed to focus. The late hour must be affecting her mind if she was mulling over unnecessary matters.

She shoved the odd feeling that pinched her heart aside and focused. Ida had shed her jacket and was pacing back and forth, reading a book of her own. The rhythmic sound of her footsteps helped sharpen Summer's attention.

She continued her read of the book about the Blessed Bloodlines' history.

"The six original Blessed lines each ruled over a part of the New World.

Diamond, Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Amethyst, Opal.

Each bloodline has an affinity for a corresponding gemstone. And each gemstone allowed its rightful owner to tap into his or her powers."

Summer paused. This could explain how the artifact reacted to her and not to someone else of a different blessed bloodline like Leon. Perhaps the gemstone in the artifact corresponded to her bloodline?

But what is the gemstone in her artifact? Her knowledge of gemstones was limited. But the white gem on the surface of the artifact was closer to an opal than anything else. Though opals were supposed to be more colorful and translucent, as opposed to the artifact's gem which was opaque and dull white. Except when the artifact was active.

Summer glanced up to share her findings with the others, to find them deeply focused on their books. Nothing that couldn't wait, so she continued reading.

"The Blessed rulers' progeny inherited their affinities to the gemstones, but their powers became difficult to access with every generation. To circumvent that handicap, the original rulers found a way to strengthen the connection between their progeny and their gemstone by crafting the gems into medallions using their powers. And thus the Six Medallions were born."

Summer made a face. So there were five more of these troublesome pieces of metal. Not a very comforting thought. Summer wondered where they were? Or was this book more of a historical myth than fact?

Curling in the corner of the couch with her feet warm beneath her, Summer flipped through to the next page. She stifled a yawn.

"For most of history, the artifacts have been passed down from one ruler to another, it would react to the blood of the strongest offspring and the most rightful to reign.

Amplifying the gifts of their Blessed bearers, these medallions gained the name of Gift Medallions among many bloodlines, while in others, they were called Wish Medallions.

However, after the death of the six Original Blessed Rulers who'd made them, some of the Medallions did not react as expected. Displaying oddities and failing to work in many instances, the Medallion..."

Summer's eyes grew heavy, and soon her brain could no longer make sense of the blurred words. The crackle of wood in the fireplace, the whisper of turning pages and Ida's steady pacing lulled Summer into sleep. She gave into the temptation and let her eyes drift shut.

The next thing she remembered was a soft warmth covering her and a whisper of touch on her cheek.

*** **** ***

Summer woke up in her room with no memory of how or when she'd gotten there. There should've been panic at that realization, yet all Summer felt was a slight discomfort at sleeping with the sheathed dagger in her pocket.

How in the world did she get there? A vague impression of being carried through dark hallways and floating lanterns blurred in her memories. Summer sat up with a groan. Apparently, she was feeling quite safe with Leon if she had let him carry her while asleep. And she knew he was the one who had carried her and not Ida because she remembered his smell. She didn't even want to linger on why or how she recognized his smell.

Her insides fluttered. Lily's words from the previous evening must be getting to her head if she was entertaining these thoughts about Leon. Summer sat up and shook her head.

Dawn light filtered in through the window. Outside, the castle bustled with activity so early in the morning. The opening ball was only a day away, and the staff must be feeling the weight of the approaching deadline.

A folded note sat on the bedside table. It was from Leon, a threat that she was not to escape her guards otherwise she would be tied to him.

Summer smiled and went about preparing herself for the day. Lily arrived when the sun rose firmly above the horizon, sending its golden warmth into the room.

When Lily disappeared to bring in breakfast, Summer briefly entertained the thought of sneaking out to check on Ari. She would miss him this morning, and she needed to have a few words with him. Unfortunately, Ida arrived, shattering Summer's escape plans.

So she settled down to her fate and had breakfast with Ida in her room. Lily was delighted by Ida's presence. Summer remembered the young girl gushing about Ida before. She stood by the fireplace, her lips trying hard to contain her smile as she stared at Ida in fascination.

Loud voices poured in through the open window.

"The castle is quite busy today," Summer said, taking a bite of a crunchy biscuit. She had grown accustomed to good food. She wondered how she'd deal with the changes in her diet when her eventual time to leave the castle came. She found that she truly did not want to ponder over the thought.

"Most of the activities of the yearly assembly of lords take place in the Outer West Tower, but the entire castle is in an uproar before and during those three days. Preparing quarters and checking the security of the castle guests. The Guards have a hard time as well as the staff."

"But you're stuck here with me," Summer said.

Ida grinned. "Fortunately. Babysitting you is easier than vetting every single person who will be in the vicinity of the prince."

"Babysitting..." Summer grumbled, though she read the humor in the other woman's voice.

"I'm sure the staff is busy as well," Ida told Lily.

She stood on her tiptoes. "Oh, yes, my Lady. It's an uproar. It's only my second year in the castle, but last year was quite hectic!"

"Yes. It's everyone's least favorite time, especially Leon's."

"Oh, by the way!" Lily jumped in. She skipped over to Summer's bedside table and brought the bowl Summer had grown accustomed to seeing every morning. Lily uncovered it, revealing new shapes of chocolates. These seemed to have white chunks in them. She hoped they were almonds. She rather enjoyed them last time.

"They came in while you were in your bath," Lily said, depositing the bowl on the table.

"Chocolate, huh?" Ida said. "And I keep wondering why he suddenly developed a sweet tooth and kept asking for special chocolate."

Summer chewed on one. "It's a... thing."

Summer didn't know how to explain it.

"A thing," Ida said, her smile turning secretive. Summer felt oddly vulnerable, as if she was caught doing something she shouldn't be doing. Ida sipped on her tea, looking at Summer with a smug look.

A knock on the door sounded then. Lily went over and cracked the door open. A strange man's voice filtered through, his words indiscernible.

Closing the door, Lily turned, her eyes wide. She almost tripped on her feet.

"Your presence is requested in the East wing for brunch," Lily told Summer, her eyes wide.

Ida choked on her tea.

"What? What's in the east wing?"

Ida wiped her mouth, looking more perturbed than she'd ever seen her.

"The Dowager queen's wing."

Leon's mother. How lovely.

--- ---- ---

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