Ella tilted her head at her mother, who was staring at her with curious eyes.
She spoke in a cheerful voice, "Why would I be jealous, Mama? I want Arch to be happy, and he's a very handsome boy who will attract loads of girls."
As she spoke, she sat on the chair near her mother.
"I don't mind how many girls he has, as long as I still hold a place in his heart. After all, he didn't leave me here; he went missing, Mama."
Sheira just smiled at her kind-hearted daughter and cupped her cheek while speaking.
"My lovely, as long as he treats you right, I have no issue with you being with him. Now, can you please go get some water from the well? Nimmia didn't fill up the water tub with her magic."
With a smile, Ella nodded and grabbed the bucket her mother handed her before making her way out of the back door.
Ella descended the stairs and entered the courtyard, she noticed that the mana lights didn't cover the whole area.
Without a second thought, she headed towards the well and started filling up the bucket. She repeated the process a few more times before returning to her mother.
After helping her mother, she was asked to take something to Mavena, the maid who was working in the castle garden.
"Ella, could you take Mavena a drink and something to eat? She hasn't stopped working in the garden all day," her mother requested.
She nodded and grabbed the plate and glass before making her way to the garden.
As Ella walked by the side of the castle, the darkness enveloped her. The only light came from the mana lights that lined the walls.
She started to feel uneasy as if someone was watching her from the shadows.
Despite her growing sense of unease, she tried to push the feeling aside and continued on her way to the garden.
Ella knew that Mavena was waiting for her, and she didn't want to keep her waiting.
As she walked, the feeling of being watched grew stronger. She quickened her pace, her heart racing with fear.
But no matter how fast she walked, she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was following her.
Finally, she reached the garden and found Mavena hard at work. She handed her the drink and food and tried to calm her racing heart.
But as she turned to leave, she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was still watching her from the darkness.
She looked around the massive garden that was shrouded in darkness, with only the faintest glimmers of light filtering through the dense foliage.
The trees towered overhead, their branches stretching out like skeletal fingers, casting eerie shadows on the ground below.
The flowers and plants that normally filled the garden with color and life were now hidden in the darkness, their vibrant hues muted by the lack of light.
Ella could hear the rustling of leaves and the occasional hoot of an owl. She thought she heard footsteps but wasn't too sure.
She made her way through the garden, she trod carefully, mindful of the uneven ground and hidden obstacles that could cause her to trip or stumble.
The darkness made it impossible to see more than a few feet in front of her, and she had to rely on her other senses to get back to the maid's quarters.
Ella cautiously made her way through the garden, her senses on high alert. Suddenly, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her from behind, pulling her into the darkness.
Disoriented and struggling to see who had attacked her, she hit the ground hard.
The figure emerged from the shadows, Ella recognized Pallius, his cocky grin sending shivers down her spine.
He approached her with a menacing walk, his words dripping with malice.
"Listen carefully, Ella. You belong to me now, and there's no escaping my grasp. I've been patient, but now that he's returned, I can't afford to waste any more time."
Ella's heart raced as she watched Pallius undo his tunic, her mind racing with fear and panic. She raised her hand, casting the spell that Archer gave her in a desperate attempt to defend herself.
"Earth Blast!" she shouted, unleashing a powerful blast of earth that sent Pallius flying.
As she turned to run towards the castle, a brown-haired man appeared out of nowhere, grabbing her roughly and holding her in place.
Ella struggled against his grip, her heart pounding as she realized she was trapped.
It was Aldwulf, Archer's second-oldest brother, who at 19 years old, made his presence known.
Ella attempted to cast another spell, but before she could, he covered her mouth with a menacing grip.
She struggled against him, but it was futile. He threw her to the ground with force and unleashed a powerful wind blast that sent her crashing along the ground.
Struggling to lift her aching body, she felt the rough grip of someone tearing off the robe that covered her maid's uniform.
It was Pallius, standing above her with a look of pure rage in his eyes. He struck her cheek with a cruel slap that made tears well up in her eyes, but she refused to cry.
With a voice filled with unwavering faith, she spoke.
"You dare touch me! Know this, he will hunt you both down and burn this castle to the ground when he finds out what you've done. There's no hiding from him, he will butcher you like the animals you are."
Pallius's anger only intensified, and he struck Ella again with a force that made her head spin. But his assault was abruptly interrupted by Aldwulf, who spoke with a sickening grin on his face.
"Brother, take it easy on her. We still need to have our fun with her," he said, his voice laced with excitement.
Pallius nodded his head in agreement and reached down to tear the front of Ella's uniform off, revealing a white undershirt.
Ella's panic was palpable as she tried to cast a spell, but it was futile. Aldwulf unleashed another Wind Blast that sent her flying through the air, crashing hard onto the ground.
Ella lay motionless on the ground, her body battered from the savage assault. As the two men approached her, she mustered the strength to speak, her voice trembling with fear and pain.
"I'm sorry, Archer. I won't be able to see you after this," she whispered, her eyes filled with terror.
She knew all too well what was coming next, and the thought made her heart race with dread.
They stopped next to her and Aldwulf reached down but before he could touch her, a massive storm appeared above the castle as an enraged voice shook the whole castle.
''How dare you touch my woman!''
Ella's eyes shone as she heard his voice. A small smile crept onto her face, and without fear, she stood her ground as Pallius scoffed and went to strike her again.
But as his foot dropped down a girl appeared out of nowhere and struck his foot, sending him stumbling backward.
Ella saw a muscular girl standing in front of her, not letting the two of them get near her. That's when she heard the girl speak in a pleasant and shooting accent.
"You both have made a grave mistake by touching her. You have enraged him, and there will be no forgiveness."
The storm worsened as violet lightning struck the garden over and over again, sending the two brothers scrambling for cover.
But before they could something dropped from the sky.
[Back to Archer]
Just moments before Ella was brutally attacked, Archer soared through the city with unparalleled speed.
Teuila unsheathed her sword and braced herself as they approached the castle. Suddenly, Archer halted in mid-air and scanned the area with his dragon-like vision.
In the darkness, he spotted Aldwulf and Pallius assaulting Ella. A surge of fury coursed through him, and he turned to Teuila with a steely determination.
"I'll drop you off so you can help Ella. I'll take care of those two," he declared.
Teuila was taken aback by the intensity in his eyes. His entire demeanor had changed, and it frightened her but knew she would be fine.
Archer swooped down and deposited her on the ground before ascending once more. With a fierce roar, he raised his hands and prepared to unleash his anger upon his brothers.
'Call Lightning.'
A storm suddenly appeared above the castle, with violet lightning bolts striking the castle, the grounds, and all over the garden.
It didn't go anywhere near the girls, but it sent Aldwulf and Pallius scrambling for cover. Archer wouldn't allow that and quickly dropped from the sky.
When he got closer to the ground he cast Blink and appeared in front of Aldwulf. He quickly lashed out by punching him in the face.
[A/N - Leave some comments, power stones, and gifts. It all helps support the book. Artwork in the comments or discord]
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