The Princess'choice II

Elidi

Elidi's story told by Maya

They closed the doors of the library and sat around Maya listening eagerly.

- Queen Saralee got pregnant being the second wife of the Emperor.

The first wife gave birth to Damien only two years earlier. The Emperor wasn't really happy since he didn't love his second wife, but married her to make the Empire richer. Clarissa the Empress hated Saralee to the guts. She was more gentle, elegant, intelligent and beautiful than her. When she started to show signs of being even more powerful than her, she couldn't stand it anymore. Saralee has been exiled to the outer castle with her baby girl, just after giving birth to Elidi. I went with them and we raised the little girl, basically just the two of us.

-This is very different from how I was living. - Conrad added and Maya sighed.

- I told you young Master, she had it way worse.

- Please continue. - Sébastien said and Maya continued.

- She didn't manifest her powers at all in the beginning.

- When she was eight, the Emperor witnessed that his daughter was better, faster, smarter than his son. His anger hurt Damien's pride and also Clarissa's. She started to sweet talk to the Emperor to get rid of Saralee. But the Emperor didn't allow, that was when Clarissa took the matter into her own hands and started secretly poisoning Saralee. She first felt simply weak, and tired but her health quickly deteriorated. They moved back Elidi and Saralee to the main castle to avoid rumors. I only found out of the poison when it was too late. Elidi drank the tea prepared for Saralee and her heart stopped. I could remember as clear as if it happened yesterday. The Queen ran to her daughter, who was already cold. She held her little body and did what she promised herself she'll never do. She called for her own power. The whole room was on pink fire and I watched as the poison evaporated from Elidi's body and she slowly came back to life. When Elidi opened her eyes, they looked like a cat's, her skin was covered in darker patches where her skin burned slightly, and her dark red hair turned lighter. . With this, the Queen awakened Elidi's powers. Saralee knew that her daughter was a unique person, and way stronger than anyone she knew before. So she tried to hide Elidi's powers. Teaching the little girl to mask her feelings and control them. However, Elidi's sense of justice was enormous and she hated to pretend that she was weak. - I looked at them, who knew Elidi when she was still Berke. The Princess smiled and whispered.

- That's our Berke. - The Prince nodded and held his sister's hand. They really missed their friend.

- When she found out her mother had been poisoned she refused to leave her side. Elidi's power grew day by day and Clarissa noticed that her closeness cured Saralee. Elidi secretly healed her mother every night.

When she beat Damien in swordfight, without practicing properly before the Emperor also started to act hostile towards her instead of acting like she didn't exist. Damien paid for a few guards to get rid of his sister. The Emperor didn't try to stop them.

- How could they treat a little girl like this?! - Princess Annalise asked and she trembled in her whole body. She looked at Conrad woth teary eyes and said.

- I'm so sorry you had to live like this. - Conrad kneeled in front of her and held her hands in his. With a sweet smile he looked up at the Princess and said.

- This isn't how I grew up. I'll one day tell you everything if you want. - she sniffed and smiled.

- That would be really nice! - Sébastien coughed.

- Excuse me, I'm still here and she is only fourteen. Calm down boy. - Conrad lifted his hands in surrender and sat back on hsi chair. This little display of love melt my heart knowing that my beloved Master finally found where he belonged.

- So when the guards tried to murder her and her mother while they were asleep. Elidi woke up and burned them alive when they tried to touch her. That was when the Emperor had the reason to get rid of Elidi, but as long as the Queen was alive he couldn't. So he went to kill the Queen himself. That horrible night I wasn't allowed to guard my Lady's room. The Emperor walked in and I saw from the door begin held back by two guards as he beat the life out of her little body. Saralee tried ro save her daughter jumping on the Emperor's back and trying to kill him with magic. But she was too sick due to the constant poisoning. When Elidi didn't move anymore, that monster turned to Saralee. He grabbed her throat and screamed at her.

- You f*****g witch! Why couldn't you just live in peace and quiet?! - Saralee laughed.

- Who forced you to f**k me?! To marry me?! Nobody! And you knew from the beginning, you knew who I'm! I'll never surrender! - she gathered all her remaining strength and burned the Emperor's face. He shouted in pain and snapped her neck.

-MOM! - Elidi shouted. She woke up, and saw her mother being murdered. The Emperor threw Saralee's body on the floor and walked to Elidi. He pulled her up from the floor by her gorgeous hair and when he saw her eyes he screamed in fear.

-Monster! - Elidi smiled.

- I'LL GET REVENGE FOR MY MOTHER! - with that she set the Emperor on fire. The guards were fast enough to save him but, he wasn't able to bear any children anymore. After that they let us stay for a few more years, Elidi was closed in a tower and forcefully used for the protection of the castle. She was twelve when we escaped. Ever since then, they have been trying to hunt her down as if she was a mad dog. With each failed attempt, her power grew. Only she knows for certain the limits of her power. What I know is that she can heal, change her appearance for long times, create illusions and she plays with fire, literally. I didn't know her when she was still Berke, neither have any ide of how she lived before. But this little girl changed when her mother brought her back from the dead. She was silly and cheerful before, after that she became a fighter, a survivor. Elidi swore on her mother's name, that she'll get the throne and make her brother and father suffer.

- Wow... Emmett better be careful around her. - Sébastien said and we all laughed a little. The Princess was the first to change the conversation back to track.

- So, she has fragments of her memory as Sébastien said.

- Maybe Emmett has his memories as well. Why don't we tell them the truth? - Sébastien asked and Conrad shook his head.

-There must be a reason why they don't remember and I think it's for the better.

- I agree, also their dynamics are very different from before. - Annalise said.

- How so?- I asked.

- Well, Emmett liked her when she was Berke but kept his distance until she saved him from the darkness.

- That's true. In this life they just met technically and he is head over heels for her.

- I must admit that she saved his life. Emmett had a tiny accident but don't worry!- Conrad said and Annalise frowned at him.

- We'll get back to this later.

- Lizzy, Emmett almost killed me for joking with Elidi. His eyes were almost black and I could feel his anger. He almost looked like when he lost her.

- Could it be that their feelings are still there even after being reborn? - I asked and suddenly three pairs of eyes stared at me and said together.

- Oh s**t.