The Rose That Blooms In North
Chapter 16: Malediction du Stylo Grimoire

As soon as Anna sent the letter, she re-entered the Castle because Xavier called her.

It was almost night. Everyone gathered in the hall room of Montreux Castle. There were about a hundred Montreux soldiers, most of whom were women, including the Welsh Honey and dozens of Nordhalbinsel soldiers under the direct leadership of the Crown Prince who took part in their journey. Prince Jeffrey was not there because Crown Prince Xavier sent him to go to the residence of Duke Montreux since this afternoon to inform his plans and distribute masks for local residents.

"We'll be patrolling alternately all night. Make five groups of soldiers. Each group must stand guard outside the castle for three hours starting from 6 o'clock where the sun begins to fully set until eight o'clock in the morning when the sun begins to rise. General Arianne will lead the first and second groups. I will lead the third and fourth group. And Prince Jeffrey will lead the fifth group." Xavier's orders.

Next they were busy to divide around two hundred people into five groups. General Arianne prepares to take the first group out of the castle to begin patrols. Xavier explains that this is necessary to ensure that no Montreux resident is outside at night and to review the conditions in Montreux at night. Meanwhile, Prince Jeffrey arrives at the castle just before the sun completely sets. Prince Jeffrey meets Xavier and Anna at General Arianne's office.

"Greetings to Your Highness the Crown Prince" Prince Jeffrey said as he entered the office.

Xavier nodded at him. "Hows it? Did you make it to Duke Montreux?" Ask Xavier directly.

"Yes, Your Majesty. I've told Duke Montreux everything you've ordered to me."

"And how did it respond?"

"Composed as you think, Your Majesty. Duke Montreux did not believe it at first. But I managed to convince him in the way you said."

Xavier smiled sinisterly hearing that. "Frederick, after all, is a greedy man. He would believe in nothing but gold. But that gold will soon turn to stone at sunrise tomorrow because of course, I cannot give real gold to the cunning man who made the husband of his stepbrother die in the war. All this thanks to Lady Eleanor's magical abilities."

"So that wasn't real gold?" Ask Anna.

"Of course not. I've guessed it would be very difficult to talk to a guy like Duke Montreux. Therefore, while at Villa I asked Eleanor to make a chest full of gold from pebbles." Xavier looked at Anna, "Eleanor is one of the most talented witches in Nordhalbinsel. He could do anything to protect hers or to destroy anything she hated."

Anna felt as if the last two sentences were addressed to her. It was as if Xavier was warning him to be careful of Eleanor. But then Xavier switched from him and went back to talking to Prince Jeffrey.

"You may rest, Prince."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

In the hours that followed Anna spent simply observing the circumstances outside the castle through the large window in the room. While Xavier was busy writing something down in his notebook. Several times Anna noticed Xavier stopped writing and closed his eyes, but Anna knew the Crown Prince was not asleep because a few minutes later Anna again saw him writing other things on the notebook.

"May I ask what you've been working on since, Your Majesty?" Anna asked finally after a long time there was no conversation between the two.

"I'm just trying to write a letter to Eleanor." Answer Xavier.

"Love letter?" Anna asked, hesitating.

"Love letter..." Xavier was silent for a moment. "not too. But maybe some kind of. If I die, I want Elle to remain Queen. So I made these letters."

Anna thought she shouldn't ask about this further. It was impolite for him to interfere in other people's relationships. Although Anna saw Xavier several times thinking hard just to write down the next words. Xavier didn't even look like such a difficulty when it came to thinking about the Montreux problem.

"I know what you're thinking. You must think it's very strange that I really have trouble writing letters to my fiancee." Xavier.

"I'm sorry sa—“

"No, don't apologize. Because I really had a hard time writing letters to Eleanor. This is much more difficult than any state affairs. Because what I wrote was a lie." Xavier. He sighed. "Actually I thought it would be easier to sleep if I made my own mind tired. But I'm getting more trouble sleeping. If you're not sleepy, will you help me?"

"By pleasure, Your Majesty."

Xavier hints at Anna to come closer and read what she has written in her notebook. Xavier's handwriting is much more beautiful than his handwriting. The language used is also very beautiful as poetry even though Xavier just wrote one short paragraph.

But something was troubling Anna's mind. For some reason, Anna felt the Crown Prince's handwriting looked familiar to her. Anna sure had read the exact same handwriting, but she herself had forgotten where she had read it. The handwriting is also not the kind of handwriting that others can follow because it looks so beautiful.

"Your Majesty, may I ask you a question?" Anna asked as she began to recall where she had seen the writing.

"Please, Anna. What do you want to ask?"

"Is there a pen or paper in Nordhalbinsel that, if written, would not be visible to anyone other than the intended person?"

Xavier was silent for a moment. Her emerald eyes looked at Anna suspiciously. Anna took a few steps back from him but Xavier stood up from his seat and walked over to Anna.

"Why do you ask that? Have you ever seen anything like that?"

"No." Answer Anna directly. Somehow Anna felt that gaze was so threatening that she felt nervous. "Sa-I just asked out of curiosity. Because ordinary people from Schiereiland like me are not used to magic which is a common thing for people in Nordhalbinsel.”

Hearing that answer, Xavier smiled. His eyes no longer shone with threats. He stood by the large window and observed the circumstances outside the castle.

"I don't know about paper. But I know a pen that can do something exactly as you say.” Said. Then turned his gaze back to Anna who was still standing in front of the worktable. “There is only one in the world because the pen is a hereditary relic belonging to the Grimoire family which is the oldest witch family in the World. Lilithier Grimoire recently passed it down to her daughter, Eleanor Winterthur. So now the owner of the pen is Lady Eleanor."

"So that pen is now on Lady Eleanor?"

"No. The owner is Elle. But the pen is on me now. The pen that is right in front of you right now is the Grimoire Pen."

Anna stared at the pen on Xavier's desk before her. The pen looks like a regular ink pen. But just looking at it, Anna could confirm that the pen was over hundreds of years old. The pen is made of metal that does not rust. But the carvings around it look very old. No more people making carvings that complex in pens now. At first Anna thought the carving was only a tendril that surrounded the pen beautifully. But after he went back, it was not a tendril but an old rhyme-like writing that used the ancient Halbinsel language, a language that existed since the time of Great Queen Zhenra. Anna was grateful to have never passed the ancient Halbinsel language class back in the Palace, so she knew the meaning of the writing.

'Fear the sins of your ancestors. Tortured to the memories of your past life. This pen will tell you everything just.'

Anna felt something strange when she saw the pen. It was as if he wanted to touch her but at the same time he felt he had to get away from the pen because he knew what the words meant.

“Your Highness, why are you doing that?”

“I told you, didn't I? I want to help her. So I'll do whatever.”

“I mean why did you steal from your fiancee? I'm sure Lady Eleanor will give it to you if you ask.”

“Elle? Giving the Grimoire family treasure?” Xavier laughed cynically. “That's the same as him betraying his own family. The Grimoire Clan had already lost one of their family treasures, an hourglass that could turn back time. Lilacier Grimoire, the twin sister of Lilithier who held the Sand Clock back when she was very young. Then a Prince from Schiereiland seduced him and stole the hourglass from Lilacier. When the Grimoire Clan found out that Lilacier had allowed the Sand Clock to be stolen, they considered him a traitor and gave him a very cruel death sentence. So they won't let the other treasures be taken out of their hands."

Anna remained silent. He had heard about the treasures of the Grimoire family which were magical items filled with magic power. Anna used to think it was just a children's fairy tale. But now that Xavier is talking about it, he knows that it's not just a fairy tale. And one of the proofs, the true treasure of the Grimoire family, the Grimoire Pen, was before him.

"But didn't Lady Eleanor also get punished—“

"I'm not gonna let that happen. I intend to return it as soon as our business in Montreux is done."

Anna thinks why Xavier would steal the Grimoire family's treasure that would put her fiance in danger if the Grimoire Clan knew and put herself under a curse from the Pen just to help others. And Anna doesn't understand because she seems to know who she's referring to.

It was himself. Looking at Xavier's writing, and knowing what the Grimoire Pen can do, Anna is convinced that it was Xavier who sent the secret letter while he was still following the election of the crown prince's personal bodyguard. But Anna doesn't know why Xavier did it.

"Why do you see me like that? Have you never stolen from your fiancee?” Xavier said as he saw Anna was looking at him unusually.

Anna instantly recalled the moment she barged into Duke Francis' armory a few weeks ago. Somehow Xavier seemed to know what he had done so insinuating him like that. Perhaps Xavier did not mean to insinuate her, but then Anna remembered Eleanor's saying that Xavier and Nicholas Francis were close friends. Xavier could have known who he really was. But then Anna thinks Xavier shouldn't have helped her all this time to be chosen as her personal bodyguard if she really knew that Anna was Princess Anastasia. Xavier should have reported it to King Vlad in the first place or maybe he could have been killed.

Not yet had time to ask further, suddenly the door opened featuring a Welsh Honey who looked covered in blood while holding the seepage of blood that continued to come out of his left waist wound which seemed to be due to a sharp object puncture.

“Your Majesty! General Arianne is missing! We are—“ Excited Honey from the door.

Without waiting for Honey to continue her sentence, Xavier immediately ran out carrying his sword and put on his mask. Anna soon catches up with Xavier and does the same.

"What's going on?" Xavier asked as he and Anna had already arrived outside the castle.

Something that looked like a thick fog covered their view. But Anna knew it wasn't fog. It was the fine dust in the air that formed a thick fog so as to block the view. Anna could see no further than a meter in front of her. Xavier was right next to her right and someone Anna could not see clearly was on Xavier's left wearing a warrior outfit complete with a head covering.

“I don't know, Your Grace. Suddenly, a thick fog of dust came from the direction of the Forettire river bridge that connects Montreux and Fiore in Westeria. Then General Arianne tried to find out by riding towards Westeria across the bridge. He advised that after one hour he had not returned, we should inform His Majesty immediately. But when we were about to tell you this, suddenly they came attacking.” A person standing before them who appeared to be one of the Montreux soldiers explained to them.

“They are who?” ask Anna.

The two Montreux Soldiers in front of Anna raised the torch she was holding towards their sight, then everything was clearly visible. About two meters from where they were standing today, the iron gate of Montreux Castle was sealed shut. And on the other side of the gate, just outside the castle there are dozens of people—or at least that's what they used to be, some wearing ordinary folk clothes, some of them, the other half wore the uniform of Nordhalbinsel warriors unsheathing their respective swords as if to fight whoever was in front of them. But their skin was pale bluish, their lips blackened and their faces were full of wounds. The bluish-green blood vessels were clearly visible on their pale thin skin. Their eyes looked like they were covered in a thick membrane. And they all did not stop moving forward trying to break through that sturdy iron fence. They all looked like starving undead.

“What... Are they..”<TAG1> Anna could not continue her words.

“The people of Montreux and the soldiers who inhale dust from Westeria.” Xavier continued Anna's words. “Let your swords down! Don't kill them!” Xavier gave the order.

“What? You don't see them looking like they're gonna eat us all anytime? They all no longer looked like humans, Xavier.” Someone to Xavier's left whom Anna did not know seemed to disagree with the plan.

“They are still human. Look at the thick membrane that covers their eyes. They did not know what or who was in front of them and only attacked around them brutally. It proves their nerves are already damaged.”

“Is there any chance that they can go back to being human? I mean, back to normal?” ask Anna.

“I'm not sure. But I've read about medicinal plants that restore the work of human nerves back to normal or calm the nerves. Although a few years ago the King banned the use of the herb because many abused it, but I believe the plant actually still exists. If we had an herbalist in Montreux, we could ask him to find the plant and make it into medicine.”

“Madam Lucielle, Your Grace. Famous herbalist in Montreux. He lives on top of the mountain Reux.” said a soldier.

"Lucielle? You mean the famous Herbalist who was driven out of the Palace by King Vlad?" ask the person on Xavier's left.

"Yes, Sir."

"I think it's gonna be hard. Lucielle will definitely not want to help you because you are her son. Let me see Lady Lucielle."

"No. That is precisely why I have to meet him directly and apologize for my father's actions. Can you go find General Arianne, Elias?" Xavier asks the man to his left who turns out to be Elias Winterthur.

"of course. You can count on me."

"good. Well then, Anna, you're coming with Elias to find General Arianne." Xavier's orders to Anna.

"But my job is—“

"Your job is to always obey what I say. I'll be fine."

Anna hesitates whether she should insist on following Xavier or let him go on his own. But looking at Xavier who looked solemn, Anna finally nodded in agreement.

"Prepare my horse!" Xavier's orders, then he went to Reux Mountain.

"He'll be fine, calm down." Elias said to Anna. "We must quickly find General Arianne. If we've managed to find it, we can immediately follow it to Reux Mountain. Come on, get ready. We're going out the back door."

***