Morning came and outside the window, the colourful birds hopped around on the tree branch nearby, bathed in the sunlight they sang their morning tune to welcome Samuel to a new day. With a sigh, Samuel answered their greeting.

The discussion yesterday didn't give him much answer and rose more questions to be ask, the mystery of he and his sister's circumstance sent chill down his spine whenever he pondering upon it. Many "why" had plagued his mind since yesterday, why them? Why brought them here? Samuel felt like he and his sister were like kidnapped victims, kidnapped by some unknow entities with unknown intention, then threw into a strange new world. If had not for some luck of the draw and had they not ended up with kind peoples like Kranwolf and Elesil, what would become of him and most especially his sister? the thought gave Samuel a shiver.

After a quick breakfast, Samuel headed out to visit Emma. The vibrant forest's flora drifted passed Samuel's gaze as the carriage rolled on a winding trail fascinated his eyes, flowers and plants that he never saw elsewhere in places he had been on Varlaurea continent. When the carriage came into a wide turn, from afar a structure peeked out of the forest's foliage, Samuel curious and asked the custodian about the building and was informed that, what he saw was the residential area assigned for the Celgealia's envoys. Samuel's eyes watched the rooftop peeked out of the tree's canopy and something, followed the passing wind, something came into his ears, a voice, a voice of a woman carried by the wind to his attention from somewhere behind the shrubs in front of his eyes. First there was just humming, melodic and beautiful, her voice vibrated like the strings of a harp. And then the maiden's voice started to sing, such lovely voice, it dipped then raised, high it rose, to the sky above her pitch soared and joined the orchestral of the songbirds nearby, sweet like honey it poured into Samuel's ears and serenaded his soul. What was the maiden singing? Samuel wondered for a second short then realized, understood not a word the maiden sang but he did recognize the language, a language he had heard from the companion that he was on his way to visit.

When the trail winded its way and led the carriage through a magnificent meadow blooming with yellow flowers. Came to Samuel's eyes, a herd of deer stood amidst that carpet of yellow blooms, although they look quite similar to their counterpart in Samuel's world, but deer in Varlaurea continent had some differences, most noticeably was their silhouette seemed slenderer and taller than deer in Samuel's world, and their fur have a slight greenish tin. The deer stolidly munched on the yellow flowers and seemed had no fear of human, for there was a young lady accompanying them, the lady that who was the owner of the voice Samuel just heard moment before.

Beautiful was her oblong face, full and ripe were her cherry lips, sparkled like brilliant emerald were her green eyes, the maiden blue dress contracted with the green meadow and especially her fiery wavy locks dancing in the wind. Stroked the deer head with her gentle hand, the maiden sang to it and seemed to notice not Samuel's carriage passing by. And to that lovely face Samuel's eyes couldn't let go off, his gaze locked and admire her beauty, until...

"Stop!" Samuel exclaimed out loud to the custodian.

His voice startled the heard of deer and the maiden alike, quickly on their slender legs the deer scattered through the meadow disappeared into the forest's flora, leaved behind the maiden, full of surprise in her eyes. Samuel quickly jumped off the carriage and hasted his stride toward the red hair maiden, heart full of surprise and delight, Samuel hurried his foots, as he got closer and closer and the contour on the maiden's face came clearer and clearer, his step got quicker and quicker for it seemed his eyes didn't make a mistake.

"E... Emma?" Samuel called the lady stood in front of him, his lips bloomed a great smile of delight, "Bloody hell, it's really you, how do you feel? Feeling well? Damn, I'm so glad that you're ok," Samuel spoke with a slight emotional voice, relief that his friend seemed well after the plight she'd been through.

Seconds of silence passed; the red hair maiden returned his word not with the happiness of reunite with a friend but with a look of great confusion in her eyes.

"Sir... do... do I know you?" The red hair lady finally broke her silent.

"What..." -Samuel stumped as her question- "wh... it's me, Samuel, Samuel Challenger, are you sure you ok? Should you be out of bed right now?"

"Um... Sir, I'm afraid... you'd mistaken me with someone," The red hair lady said, "Oh, so sorry, where's my manner" -the red hair lady smiled, then politely she bowed.

"My name is Emmanuelle Agrippa Blanchardlette, daughter of Luis III of Cealgelia, it's a pleasure to make you acquaintance, sir Challenger" -with a friendly smile, princess Emmanuelle continued- "I not so sure of what just happened, it's true that my name could be shortened into 'Emma' but I'm sure that this is the first time we met each other, my sir."

And so, that was what she said, the Celgealian princess's words rang in Samuel's ears and made Samuel's mind spun in a whirlwind of confusion, the man just stood there stared at princess Emmanuelle to her awkwardness and tried to comprehend what did she just said. How could she not recognize her friend after the hardship they had been through? But somehow Samuel felt her words were genuine, somehow, he felt this was not an act or some kind prank she was trying to pull on him. And finally, it had dawned on Samuel, the only reason to explain Emma's behaviour was the ordeal she'd been through had traumatized her so much that she had lost her memory.

From confusion, Samuel face turned into sadness and sympathy to his friend.

"Sir, are you alright?" -Princess Emmanuelle's words snapped Samuel back to reality and the conversation at hand.

"Oh, hah, hah, sorry" -Samuel grinned- "yah... yah, yah, sorry, I did mistake you with someone I know, well, that was awkward, sorry about that" -Samuel scratched his head.

"Oh, it alright, my sir" -Princess Emmanuelle smiled- "By your accent then I guess you're Bricatian then, so are you with the Bricatia's delegation?"

"Uh... yeah, yeah, I'm with them, uhm... I'm with... their knights" -Samuel awkwardly flailed his hands.

"Oh, so you're a knight? May I ask from which house you come from?" Princess Emmanuelle curious.

"Oh no, I was just with them, I'm not a knight" -Samuel smiled- "well, anyway, I got to go now, you take care of yourself alright, and... apology for earlier."

"Thank you, my sir, you too, have a nice trip," Princess Emmanuelle said.

Shortly after, Samuel got back to the carriage and with sadness he watched his friend trolled along the meadow and headed back to where she be.

"Sir, shall I resume your ride?" the custodian asked.

"Huh, well... it's no need, let just go back," Samuel said.

"As your wish, sir," the custodian replied and turned the carriage back.

"Well, that was quick" -Jessica commented as she saw Samuel stepped through the mansion gate- "have you met her? How is she?"

"Well..." -Samuel sighed after a pause, his face dropped into a sadden frown- "she fine I think?"

"But...?" -Jess raised an eyebrow.

"She... she didn't recognize me" -Samuel shook his head- "I think she'd lost her memory."

"What?!? Oh, poor thing," Jessica said, "Is anything we can help her? Or maybe Elesil could help?"

"Well, maybe, where is he? I'll ask him" Samuel said.

"At the greenhouse behind the mansion," Jessica replied.

As Samuel made his way to the greenhouse, a beautiful building of glass and shiny metal frame gleaming under the sun came to his view behind the mansion back gate, and put a wide-eye look of amazement on Samuel face, filled the greenhouse were pots of bonsai tree of all sizes, from fitted inside a person palm to as large as a frying pan, some pot sat neatly on intricately carved wooden shelves and stands, while other floating in mid-air by some sort of magic, Samuel quickly caught sight of the Elvas tending to his bonsai trees and quickly stepped through the greenhouse door.

"Welcome my friend, I thought you went to visit lady Blanchardlette?" Elesil asked.

"Yeah, I did... but..." Samuel said.

"Is something happened?" Elesil inquired.

"Yah... I did meet Emma haft way on ride, and... she seems to had recovered well, but I think she had lost her memory, so I wonder if you could help?" Samuel sighed.

"Lost her memory?" -Elesil eyebrows curled into a confusing look- "What do you mean she had lost her memory?"

"Uh... she didn't recognize me" -Samuel shrugged- "and seemingly had no recollection of what had happened for the past few weeks."

"My friend, as deadly as 'Inner Fire' is, it cannot cause a memory lost and neither lady Blanchardlette had suffered any head trauma to have such condition" -Elesil continued after a short pause- "did you saw her at the sanctuary? Where did you meet her?"

"Uh... haft way on my ride... uh... near the embassy of the Cealgealia's delegate." Samuel answered.

"Challenger, I am assuring you, that lady Blanchardlette is still resting at the sanctuary, and had yet regain her consciousness, even if she did, she is in no condition to return to the Celgealian's delegate, you had seen her condition when she departed us at Kienov, are you sure you are not mistaken someone else with her," Elesil assertively claimed.

"What do you mean? It's her, I not joking and neither do I mistaken, I did meet her there, mate" -Samuel affirmed- "there can't be two of her."

"And yet, there they were," a women voice her thought.

Through the mansion's door, came a Elvas woman, followed right behind her was Jessica. Elegantly the Elvas woman's hip swayed with each step she took, her long silky green hair joined her blue dress dancing with the passing wind, tall, slender, an ageless beauty perfect in any sense. Quickly, Samuel recognized her as one of the women from the paintings in the living room.

"Eventir, hui ithiion! Ir garavien ravak!" -Elesil bowed to the Elvas women with a warm smile.

"Danthe, vir ives" -the Elvas women gave ELesil a loving smile- "ir kalai muenti wues pui kelan wu kalain."

"Let me introduce" -Elesil then turned to Samuel- "this is my mother, Elorente Ithilorn."

"It's my pleasure to meet you, lady Ithilorn, your son had help me a lot and thank you from the bottom of my heart for sheltered my sister" -Samuel bowed.

"My pleasure, guest from afar, by the stars I welcome you here at Ithilorn estate! Please, feel free to make yourself at home." -Lady Elorente smiled.

"Mother, was you just imply earlier, that, there are two ladies Blanchardlette?" Elesil queried his mother.

"Indeed, my child," Lady Elorente answered.

"What? how?" -Samuel confused- "imposter? Then which one is which? The one I just met near the embassy of Celgealia's delegate? but that woman look exactly like Emma, magic?"

"But that impossible" -Jessica voiced her thought- "to disguise as someone else, a mage usually will create an illusion around themselves, or do that on the imposter, and if that's the latter case then the mage must remain in the close vicinity of the imposter to supply the Quasum energy for the spell or gave her an energy storage magic device, and even that, how could she get into the Eternal Forest? the forest's wardens had the ability to see through illusion spell, wasn't it, Elesil?"

"There is another method," lady Elorente spoke.

"Mother? You mean..." Elesil said.

"Indeed," lady Elorente nodded.

"What? What method?" Samuel impatiently asked.

"A painful one" -Elesil sighed and shook his head- "unlike the usual method of disguise via illusion magic, this method literally uses magic to tear down one's facial structure, rip apart every bone and every muscle fibre on once's face, then twisting, moulding and rearrange them, an extremely painful process, it shudders me to think someone would submit themselves to such method."

"So now there's an imposter of the Celgealian princess? But why would someone impersonate her? And does the Celgealian delegate aware of this?" Jessica wondered out loud.

"Maybe her father's political rival? She'd said she was suspecting something fishy going on in her kingdom, and wasn't the Celgealian kidnapers had took her jade ring? that must be for this imposter to get into the Eternal Forest," Samuel said and then quickly got Jessica in the loop, of what had happening with the Celgealian princess's situation.

"Hum... either way, all we could do now is observe and discreetly investigate the situation for more information," Lady Elorente spoke, "with her jade ring gone, even if lady Blanchardlette had regained her consciousness, she still cannot prove her true identity and would only make her enemy attempt again on her life."

"I guess... that the best we could do now, huh..." -Samuel sighed- "Please lady Elorente, if I could be any of help, be sure to let me know."

"I will, mister Challenger" -lady Elorente gave him a reassuring smiled- "But at the moment, we still have much matter to attend to regarding to you and your sister's circumstance, now if you excuse me lady, gentleman" -Lady Elorente slightly bowed her head- "I must return to my current immediate duty, we shall talk again in the near future."