I woke up with a start. Letting my eyes adjust to the dim light around me, I sat up straight. But my hands felt heavy and I looked frantically to my sides - my hands were cuffed - thick iron chains affixed to the walls.

Where was I?

I shut my eyes close as the events before I passed out came rushing to me.

Everyone knew.

There would be articles written about it. It was only a matter of time when every person of the Four Realms would know what I was.

I looked at my trembling hands as I realized that Amelia was going to find out too.

Despair hit me anew and I laid my back on the stony floor of the... prison? Was that why it was so cold down here?

Of course, I was in a dungeon. Where else would an evil rare Luesha be?

My stomach growled loudly. And it was freezing. I remembered Ralph's words - The cold bothers the Fire Elementals more.

I clenched my fists tight - if the circumstances were different, I might have lit up my fire. But there was a reek of dead silence all around me and inside of me. As if something had died.

I tugged onto my veins. They were silent. Murdered.

Wards. Of course.

And just like that, the tears broke loose. I slumped down hard against the stony wall and hugged myself closer.

This was not supposed to happen. I had a sister. Who would look after her?

I was supposed to have one small trip to the Winter Palace and go home. Back to doing the chores, looking at the poultry grow, nurturing my backyard garden, working at the Post and at Uncle Barak's coffeeshop.

Being locked up in a dungeon as one of the worst Abomination of the Four Realms, was not the plan.

I did not hold in the tears. I was done. Nothing could be worse than this.

I fell asleep and woke up again. I lost count of the naps I took. But every time that I opened my eyes, nothing changed around me. Just a small plate of hardened bread and cheese appeared, which I devoured to the last crumbs. No guards patrolled around a dangerous, unpredictable Luesha. There was not even a window in the cell wherein was locked up.

Looking at my clothes which were now reduced to a sorry state, I realized just how gruesome my condition was. I was still in the same white tunic and baggy brown trousers, the clothes that I had worn since the day my blood had been taken. The cut on my palm ached but I had no energy to cry over it. I was done.

Leaving me alone with my thoughts was dangerous, as I had come to realize. They now kept wandering to all the astonished faces who had been present to make a verdict on my life.

I had managed to turn the ring of the Conquest into a courtroom.

***

Everyone saw.

I froze.

Everyone knew.

Every single person in the amphitheatre. Every single person saw my Luesha powers.

The gong went off.

"Eleni, what have you done?" A panting hoarse voice spoke besides me.

I was numb. What had I done?

Everyone knew.

Somebody pulled me by my hand. "Stop, wait. There's a misunderstanding."

I blinked my eyes slowly and looked around.

People in the audience were standing up, desperate to get a closer look at me. Royals were gathering up in the ring.

"I knew something wasn't right about this girl." A breathy voice spoke loudly. I peered to my side and saw a fuming High Lady of the Virgo House looking down at me.

She didn't need to see my Mark anymore.

"Why are you defending her Ralph? She nearly killed me." I recognized the ever-so familiar voice and snapped my eyes at Prince Nova. I swore a ghost of a smirk danced on his lips.

"My goodness, lass." I turned to my other side, just to meet King Orlon's gaze. His expressions were generous in exhibiting just what he felt. Bewilderment.

But behind him stood a very stunned Prince. The Prince who had comforted me just a while ago. The Prince whose hurt and shock was evident on his face. If this was the last time that I was seeing him, I wanted to relish whatever I could get.

A few feet away I saw my team standing, their expressions, a mixture of astonishment and pity. Serena ran over to where Doran stood and they exchanged a quick blank look with each other.

"Where's Una? I had warned that girl. Now see, what's happened? These Lueshas have gotten so bold. Right in the middle of the Conquest-" Una's mother shook her head.

"Stop, I said." Ralph shouted from my side, both his arms holding mine, his body shielding me from the guards who were apparently waiting to take hold of me.

He was fine. Alive. And I knew, I'd do it all again if that meant Ralph would be safe.

"Ralph, you knew about her?" Prince Nova asked, in a mocking expression which I failed not to register. I felt Ralph's body stiffen against mine.

A nerve tingled in Ralph's face as I peered up to look at his face. He was trying to protect me. From everyone. Was it because I had saved him from falling? Or was it because he cared?

"Yes, I did know about her. Just hear us out, all of you." A drop of sweat trickled down his forehead.

Us.

"Get away from her, fireling. Don't you see, she is a Luesha?" Una's mother shouted.

"She is my sister. So just back off. I'll handle this."

A collective spell of gasp fell on my ears and I shut my eyes close. He was going down with me.

A raspy feminine voice boomed in the chaos, "And how will you handle it, Ralph?"

Ralph froze. I looked over his shoulder raising myself on my toes. An elderly woman covered in a red shawl; a silken scarlet dress hung tight on her body, her hair in a low bun. If looks could kill, we'd all be dead by now.

"Mother..." Ralph muttered. His hold still not loosening.

Mother. His mother. My father's first wife.

Her stare bore into my eyes, and I knew if I survived this ordeal, I'd still die for she had murder written all over her face.

Behind her, High King Maris walked in. Something told me that he was angrier than others. He had always sided with Lueshas and in the blink of an eye, I had proven him wrong.

Ralph puffed his chest out, trying to sound confident, "Mother, Your Grace, she was just saving me. She means no harm. I am here now because of her."

The desperation and firmness in Ralph's voice was like a soothing salve on all my wounds. He cared. But it proved what he was afraid of, what everyone was thinking -

I was their evil Luesha, who had just attacked a Defensor - in their eyes - attacked an innocent person.

"Ralph, let go." I whispered.

"No," he said not looking at me, his hold on my arms tightening and the red of his eyes sparkling in the afternoon sun, as they darted from left to right.

Prince Nova spoke again, "Umm, sorry but she just brought out lava from Heaven knows how deep inside of the earth. It's a miracle that I am alive. But you can see how my dear dragon is faring."

Everyone turned to look at the fallen white creature. Zephyr's legs were burnt and a few dozen healers surrounded its unconscious body. My heart skipped a beat at the visual. I had harmed a creature, an innocent creature!

"Your Grace, no offense, but I always knew that these people are Abomination. The absolute Evil of our world." Una's mother spoke again, her taunt directed to the High King.

"We finally seem to agree on something," Ralph's mother said to Una's, but her eyes not wavering from my face.

"I say, now that we have her, we should just..." Lady Orella, who I had not seen coming, trailed off mid-sentence and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. She linked her arm through Nova's and they both looked cosy like a... team? Did she know about Prince Nova or was she just being manipulated like everyone else?

"No." Ralph screamed, but his voice was echoed by similar screams of two other people. I looked straight ahead at Serena and Doran. The horror of their faces made me realize just how much trouble they might have been, if they had known before. I took pride in the fact that I had managed to keep them oblivious about me.

Doran took a step forward, his face shimmering with concern and I shook my head slightly at him, begging him to stay put. I unslung my satchel and dropped it to the floor. I glanced at it and then looked at him back, wishing with my whole heart that he would understand to take it.

My eyes not wavering from Doran, I finally spoke, "Yes."

Doran's eyebrows squeezed together, trying to comprehend what I was telling him.

I repeated, "Yes." Yes, I was at the Gemini Palace.

His forehead suddenly unwrinkled and I knew he understood for his eyes suddenly darted left to steal a glance at Prince Nova.

Relief surged in me - he needed to be warned. To be alerted about the devil. Wherever I would go from here, he needed to know about the danger he was in, being my friend. Maybe he would also warn Serena.

But Una... I looked around all the royals, flanked with their guards, their expressions sour and enraged. Una was nowhere to be seen. She must have left after realizing how badly I had betrayed her trust.

"Does your son know her?" Una's mother asked and I realized that the question was directed to King Orlon.

"So does your daughter," He answered not looking at her, his face stoic, an ocean of thoughts running in his mind.

"Eleni, don't worry. We will get you out of this," Ralph said, as he put his arm around my shoulder and pulled me closer to his body, supporting my weak frame.

In that moment, it felt like it was just us against the world. I was dizzy. It was happening again. The feeling of exhaustion, the fatigue. Just like countless other times, I was going to pass out. But this time not because of my powers, but because this seemed like the end. It was the end after using my Luesha powers.

"Ralph, don't disgrace yourself like that and step back," The High Lady of Aries House said in a fiery tone.

"No. What are you going to-"

I did not hear the rest as my world went black.

***

I was suddenly jolted out of my memories, as the ground beneath me whispered a warning. I wasn't alone in the dungeon.

Cautiously, I stood up and walked a little closer to the cage bars, as far as the iron chains cuffed to my hands would allow me.

A dark silhouette of a brawny man was walking towards me. The darkness settled down and my eyes adjusted to it and I realized -

Not a man. But I melted with a sensation of relief and guilt, nevertheless.

Una walked towards the bars; her face contorted with an emotion I had never been subjected to. I took a few steps back, suddenly afraid.

"Una..." I whispered.

Her jaw clenched and dark eyes shone like black onyx.

"I..."

"Oh, save it, Eleni." She screamed.

Guilt and only guilt, was all I felt. "I am..."

"You are an idiot. Always have been." She sighed loudly.

I nodded, my eyes threatening to spill out fresh tears.

"Everyone knows, Eleni," she shouted into the silence, "How hard is it to control your instincts?"

I snapped my head at her words.

"Eleni, I was teaching you to control your magic. To never let the magic, take hold of you. You need to be in charge all the time."

I blinked at her.

"For the love of the Throne, Eleni, did you think you could fool me? I was teaching you - I was there every time you elemented. It was not just the Earth element that moved with your force. I felt it all. All the time."

My chest rose up and down and I hugged myself. She had known!

"You idiot. What were you thinking exposing yourself like that? I can't believe I wasted my time after you."

Tears flew this time, but no sound came. I looked at the ground and pursed my lips to stop their trembling. She knew.

I remembered her constant words - 'You command your power - it should never be the other way around.' She knew.

"I am sorry, Una." I whispered.

"You never trusted me. Did you even consider me as a friend? You belong to my House and I wanted to give you what you never had, but you did not let me in your life. Did not trust me." She said, her voice closer than before.

I mumbled with trembling lips, "I am sorry."

"I gave you so many chances. To tell me. But you never did. Hell, you never even told Serena."

Not looking at her, I asked in a low voice, "How do you know that I never told Serena?"

"The world doesn't revolve around you alone. We... we meet even without you, like friends are supposed to. I did not befriend you alone at the royal ball."

I felt her anger, her hurt and her concern, all at the same time. She and Serena were friends while I...

Why did I trust no one?

"What made you attack Nova like that? Eleni, you attacked Nova of all people - do you know what kind of trouble you are in? Do you want to be known as some dragon slayer? Even I don't want to help you. And neither your supposed Libra House wants to take responsibility for your actions."

I deadpanned at her. She still didn't know. No one knew.

"Una, I was saving Ralph and..."

"Aah, you forgot to tell me that as well." She glared at me. Her angst towards the Summer Realmers, now converged on me.

"Please, listen, I am sorry for hiding everything but there's a reason. You'd never believe it and..."

"Yes, I would never believe you. I don't wish to."

She turned around.

My throat suddenly choked and urgency crept in, I screamed at her back, "Una, whatever you do, please do not trust him. Do not trust Prince Nova."

She craned her neck back at me, forehead wrinkled.

But Una marched out, leaving me all alone.

She would never believe me. No one would.

I cried like a child as I slept on the hard floor.

Was this how it all ends?

***

Author's note:
In India, today we celebrate a festival called 'Raksha Bandhan' which celebrates the bond between a brother and sister. Brother has to protect his sister - is the fair concept of this festival. And coincidentally this chapter where Ralph tries to fight for Eleni, is getting published today. Also, Eleni saved her brother so I guess, we know now that even brothers need protection. That's what the festival is all about! ❤️