Tangled By Fate

Just as Arthur promised, he dropped Veronica, Catherine, and Sebastian in front of the main gate. "Guard them properly. Don't leave them for a moment," he instructed Sebastian before leaving.

"Isn't he too guarded?" Catherine remarked.

"Master has his reasons. I hope the Mistress understands," Sebastian politely stated.

"Yes, I know. He has too many enemies. I decided to marry him despite knowing all of these facts." Veronica looked at Sebastian and asked him, "Do you know where he is headed?"

"Yes," answered Sebastian, "he is going to visit the Royal Palace. Master and Mistress were invited to the palace by the Queen."

"Ver, did you choose me over the royal palace? You are the best!" Catherine was the happiest among them.

Veronica's expression suddenly dulled. "I didn't have to choose. I didn't even know that I was invited."

Catherine was astonished. "Huh? He hid it from you! ...But why?"

"He must have had a reason for not telling me," Veronica uttered. "I will talk to him about this later." She then looked at Sebastian. "Sebastian, do you know something?"

Sebastian hesitated before responding. "Umm… I do not want to be rude, but, Master and the Queen of Tybu do not have the best of relationships. The Queen is very traditional. As you know, my Master is an orphan and has no blue blood. Unfortunately, the Queen finds that disgusting. She was opposed to Master becoming the head of the Magic Tower, so sent her second son -  the Second Prince who was a maze - for a duel."

Catherine mentioned, "I heard about the Royal family. The King and Queen do not have a good relationship. They have two sons and a daughter. The first prince is the Crown Prince, and the Queen wants her second son to be the Master of the Magic Tower. This way, all power will be in their hands. What a sly queen Tybu has!"

Veronica remarked, "I don't want to imagine what happened next… but Arthur killed the Second Prince, didn't he?"

"Yes, he did. He tortured the Prince to the point that, after his death, we couldn't recognize him. And for those who watched their duel - most of them couldn't stand it." Sebastian shivered thinking about that horrifying day.

Veronica was shocked to hear this. "Why did he torture the Prince like that? Wasn't he worried that he might be killed for treason?"

Sebastian shook his head. "No one can interfere with a duel between two magicians. It is their duty and privilege to bear the consequences – this is the rule of the Magic Tower. Not even the Royal family can interfere."

"Is there any reason for the Royal family to comply with such a rule?" Catherine asked.

Veronica remembered something and shared her thoughts with her friend. "Oh, now that I think about it, I was reading a history book Arthur gave me today. The Tybu royals didn't have enough force to win the Great War. They needed help from the Magic Tower. At that time, the Master of the Magic Tower and the King of Tybu signed an alliance. It said that anyone who were to break the rules would be wiped out completely. So, if the Magic Tower were to break the rules first, all magicians would die, leaving behind no knowledge for mankind. As for the Royal family, they would be entirely wiped out." 

Catherine frowned. "It sounds more like a curse than an alliance."

Sebastian agreed. "It is a curse. This is why the Magic Tower cannot interfere with politics and the Royal family cannot interfere with anything that has something to do with magic."

"But it doesn't make sense for Arthur to kill the Second Prince so brutally," Veronica commented. "Did something happen between them?"

Sebastian's eyes wavered before quickly smiling. "Mistress is very observant. Yes, something did happen. The Second Prince always bullied the weak and the commoners. He used to bully Master when he was only an apprentice. However, Master didn't brutally kill him for the bullying. He took revenge for Ovior."

"Ovior?" Veronica was surprised. "Did he get bullied too? I thought he was an aristocrat."

"He is, but his family history is... depressing. Since it's about him, please ask him or Master. I'm not in any position to talk about his private life. Nonetheless, I can say this much: after Master took authority, this kingdom had become peaceful. No aristocrat would even dare bully the weak. Master will save them - that's why I follow him. Despite his bloody history, he is a true hero." As Sebastian talked about Arthur, his voice was coated in pride.

The corner of Veronica's lips lifted; her heart, too, swelling with pride. She could understand Sebastian's feelings. The man who worked hard for justice became a bad guy in others' eyes. The man being her man, her husband, her Arthur.

"Fine, fine, I understand your sentiment. Now, let's go!" Catherine pulled Veronica to the gate, ruining the sweet atmosphere.

'This woman is not very sentimental,' Sebastian thought.

They passed the huge stone gate that was being guarded by soldiers. One soldier asked for their pass. Sebastian showed the pass of the Magic Tower and they were able to enter. The guards couldn't help but check out Veronica, gazing at her silver hair and green eyes. The brown colored gown and hat she wore perfectly complemented her fair skin and braided hair.

The city didn't look like anything they had seen before: all the buildings were tall and there were only small stores at the front. The buildings were made of dark grey stones, and most of the stores were glittering with golden and silver dust. Decorative items hung on the ceilings, giving the whole city a magical air.

"Am I in Wonderland?" Catherine commented.

Veronica had the same impression. She replied, "It seems so!"

There were many street shops selling magical artifacts. Some people were even showing off their magic skills, making the children around amazed and joyous. Even older people were impressed by the street magicians' skills.

"Ver, look! That guy is so cute. He is just my type!" Catherine excitedly pointed at one of the street magicians.

'Seriously! Of all things,' Sebastian grunted inwardly.

"Did you have a type?" Veronica was confused.

"I didn't but I have now." Catherine's eyes were sparkling like a teenager falling in love for the first time.

"Ahh!" Catherine bumped into someone and hurt her arm. She held her arm and turned around to glare at the culprit; however, before she could say something, she cringed.

  The person she bumped into was a huge, bulky man who seemed to be glaring at her.

Trouble?