The flickering candlelight cast long shadows across the room, illuminating Angelina's face as she gazed out the window. Her eyes, usually sharp and alert, now seed distant, lost in the mists of mory.
Jaegar watched her intently, sensing the weight of untold stories in the air between them.
"The Spire took in," Angelina began, her voice barely above a whisper. She turned to face Jaegar, her grandson, the living bridge between her past and present. "But as a mber, we weren't supposed to have families. So I lied about my husband and child."
Jaegar leaned forward; his curiosity piqued. It was a side he never knew about his master. h
"I thought it was necessary to protect them," Angelina continued, her voice gaining strength. "I changed my na to my mother's maiden na and imrsed myself in the study of magic. I wanted to grow stronger, to rise through the ranks. I hoped that one day, I would be powerful enough to protect my daughter."
She paused, a shadow of regret crossing her face. "Many years passed. Then one day, I saw Augusta."
Jaegar's breath caught in his throat. His mother's na hung in the air, charged with emotion.
"She had co searching for , having seen my photo in the newspaper. My husband had kept a picture of , and I think it helped her find ." Angelina's eyes misted over, the mory clearly still vivid. "We decided to keep our relationship hidden from the others, as I was the Matriarch of the coven at that ti."
"Even your aunt doesn't know the truth about us."
Jaegar listened, transfixed. The pieces of his family history were falling into place, revealing a tapestry more complex than he had ever imagined.
"Augusta's father had moved far away and remarried. He had another daughter, Diana—Augusta's half-sister," Angelina explained. "I was just happy to see my daughter again. She was more than I could have hoped for—strong, powerful, even admitted to the academy."
She was not bothered by her husband's actions. She thought it was necessary; he did what he had to do. Marrying another woman, well, she wouldn't bat an eye about it.
Her expression darkened suddenly. "But then ca that damned prince. I warned her to be careful, but she was so blinded by love." Angelina's voice trailed off, heavy with the weight of past regrets.
"Won are so fragile when it cos to certain things."
Jaegar felt a surge of emotion. "Why didn't you do anything about him?" he asked, his voice tight with suppressed anger. "I don't know much about that man or what exactly happened after my birth. But I can tell that my mother is still alive. There's this feeling, whenever I think of her, I feel strong emotions inside ."
Angelina's eyes softened as she looked at him. She approached his bed, raising a hand to caress his cheek. "My dear grandson, you really do share a great bond with your mother. Perhaps it's because you both share the power of chaos," she mused.
Leaning closer, she looked him in the eyes. "And yes, Jaegar, you're right. She is alive."
Jaegar's eyes widened in shock. "Really?! Where is she?"
Angelina moved back to the window, pausing before she spoke. "At the mont, it's unknown exactly where she is, but I'm getting closer."
Ignoring the pain in his abdon, Jaegar struggled to sit up. "Then let's go find that man," he said, determination evident in his voice.
Angelina turned to him, her expression grave. "Your father, he isn't a simple man. Do you think I haven't tried asking him? He may seem like a normal person, but behind that princely mask, he is... different." Her voice lowered ominously.
"You have to be careful around him."
Jaegar was stunned. His master was a powerhouse in the empire; no one would dare raise their voice or look her in the eye. She could turn the tables of a conflict with just her word alone.
"Even you can't do anything to him?" he asked, incredulous.
"I can't act on irrational thoughts alone," Angelina replied, frustration evident in her tone. "He is a prince, and I had my position as the Matriarch to consider. I couldn't act recklessly."
"Even if I am stronger than anyone else, I couldn't do anything to him. After all, he is from the imperial family. You still have to learn about the capability and dominance of the imperial family."
Jaegar's fists clenched at his sides. "Don't worry, mas—" He clicked his tongue, frustrated with the slip. He had been used to calling her master. "I will find him and get the answers from him," he declared, his eyes blazing with foolish determination. Jaegar's mind was all over the place as he learnt a lot about his mother and his family's past. His anger overshadowed his rational thinking.
"Are you stupid?" a voice cut through the tension.
Jaegar turned to see Yasmine entering the room, her face a mask of concern and irritation. She approached Angelina and said, "Don't act recklessly and cause more trouble for her."
"But—" Jaegar tried to interject, but Yasmine cut him off.
"Do you know why they are so angry at you? If she hadn't co, they would have actually killed you," Yasmine said, her voice sharp with barely contained anger.
She was referring to the won of the council. They had been so angry with Jaegar and he still doesn't know the exact reason.
Angelina tried to stop her, but Yasmine pressed on, revealing a shocking truth: "She was poisoned, by going after the ones who ca for you."
Jaegar's world seed to tilt on its axis as Yasmine explained further. "Bande de Serpents, they've been after you for years, haven't they? They had co looking for you, and that's when she encountered them and fought them.
She battled two of them and was poisoned in the process. No one knows about this right now, except for us three. And it shall remain so."
The weight of this revelation crashed down on Jaegar. Jaegar sat back on the bed, processing the information dump.
'What in the actual fucking life is this? Trouble seems to keep coming after ,'
Jaegar thought to himself.
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