The kingdoms of Vasparte and Adrelem were locked in a conflict that lasted far longer than any other feuds, with generations involved in a war against each other. Other kingdoms tried for a peace talk, but it would always break down due to representatives of Adrelem antagonizing Vasparte’s court, and also due to the assassination attempts towards the kings and queens that reigned during their 50 years of conflict. The conflicts ranged from small skirmishes to big, devastating battles involving magic and magical creatures. The neutral kingdom of Ikarasi decided to act to stop both kingdoms from causing a cataclysm caused by their ever-escalating spells of destruction, which threatened the rest of the kingdoms all over the world.

            The act was subtle and was a secret for those not of Vasparte and Adrelem. Each nation would have to guard the secret from one another, or it would renew the conflict. Vasparte agreed to the terms if it was to stop a fight that claimed most of their people. Adrelem, however, refused, and denounced Ikarasi as an ally for the Vasparte, though they accepted their secret. The mage king of Ikarasi had made sure that the secrets bestowed upon both kingdoms would be trivial but would also serve as a lesson to respect the integrity of magic. However, the mage king of that time also ensured that the secrets could also be beneficial for the kingdoms provided it wasn’t to be used against one another.

            Vasparte agreed to cease their conflict, as did Adrelem, albeit reluctantly. Vasparte’s secret, however, would no longer stay a secret as time went on, for the mage king of Ikarasi could not have predicted that his ‘gift’ would lose its importance as a secret, and that the kingdoms would walk a different path.

            One towards redemption, and one towards eternal damnation.

            And it all began when the princess of Vasparte was kidnapped.

***

            The town of Ruduac would not be a town of importance if it wasn’t for its heavy industry and the imposing tower in the middle of the town. The industry caused the surrounding environment to become polluted and lifeless, much like most heavily industrialized towns and cities of the technologically-advanced kingdom of Adrelem. Like many towns in the kingdom, it stood out due to the general aura of malice.

            But Ruduac was also important for a very specific reason: the princess of Vasparte, Henrietta, was reported to be held in the tower in Ruduac. A quick scout from the air by a dragon confirmed that the princess was held there, at least before he was forced to retreat when Ruduac opened fire.

            The mission to save Henrietta fell to her personal guards, who felt responsible for failing to protect her. One of them was a young recruit who was drafted due to having an exceptional skill, and the fact that he was the commander of a different Vaspartean unit that the commander of Henrietta’s guards respected and befriended. In fact, everyone in the group were exceptional and special soldiers, all of which swore loyalty to both the king and the princess.

            That being said, the recruit, Let Avers, had never met the princess before. His unit was stationed away from the kingdom seat and the only time he had ever been to the capital was during meetings of commanders. He never stayed in the capital for more than a day; he preferred the city he was stationed in due to having more friends there. That was, of course, before he was drafted as Henrietta’s guard. Before he could swear his fealty and properly meet the princess, however, news broke that she was kidnapped. Thus, Let’s first mission ended up becoming her savior.

            He became curious of the princess when the other soldiers talked about her being ‘too difficult to move’ and her being rebellious. This gave the impression that Henrietta was a difficult person, yet independent and capable of protecting herself. This was reinforced by the fact that she was said to have ‘a particularly strong fire’, assumed by Let to be fire magic. It wasn’t out of place for her to practice self-defense, especially for a commoner like Let. In fact, he hoped she wasn’t going to be a hassle. Nobles could be problematic and Let could attest to that.

            Thus, the real problem started not during their infiltration, but during the princess’ extraction, based on the discussions he had with his comrades. At the morning of their planned infiltration, their leader, Cormier, reviewed the plan for the rescue.

            “As we have discussed last night, we will do the pincer strategy,” said Cormier. “The Vaspartean army, working towards a common goal, will engage the defenders from the west gate. Based on the weapons that attacked the scout, there is bound to be magic, so the Gryphon unit will lead the charge.”

            “That’s your former unit, wasn’t it, Let?” asked one of the guards. Let nodded.

            “Don’t worry,” said Let. “I trust the new commander. There is a reason why I chose him to be my successor.”

            “To someone even younger than you are? Damn. That unit’s full of prodigies, isn’t it?” remarked another.

            “Not going to change the fact that we’re still green in regards of the art of war, Sophie,” said Let with a smile. “The best we can do is protect the soldiers.”

            “Save the small talk after we have finished the job, people,” said Cormier while tapping the table where a crude diagram of Ruduac was on. “Now, as I said. The pincer strategy involves the soldiers and us. They will engage the defenders from the west while we enter from the east. As I am aware that it won’t be enough, I must ask each and every one of you to be ready for surprises. That also includes you, Anter.”

            A rather laidback man with hood covering his face sighed and said, “As you said, boss. Still, why am I the one doing it?”

            “Who among us can call down a rock from the sky?”

            “That…would be me.” Anter sighed again as he sat down. Let, who had barely known Anter, wondered how a mage around his age could use such magic.

            “Anter’s spell will be the signal, so be ready to rush in once there is an opening. Now, regarding the rescue, the tower will be heavily guarded and there are bound to be dangerous enemies. As the royal guard, we are entrusted to protect our leaders with our exceptional skills, but even then, do not underestimate the Adrelems and their magic. For them, the princess is a bargaining chip that can determine Vasparte’s fate, so we must not fail…even if we have to exchange our lives for that.”

            “Oh, don’t be like that,” said Sophie. “Yes, we swore our lives to them, but do you really think we can be downed by them that easily?”

            “You may be right,” said Cormier. “But that is not an excuse to underestimate our enemy.”

            “As you said, then.”

            “Now, as to who’s responsible to get to the princess, I will entrust this to you, Let.”

            Let was surprised by this. He wasn’t told about this before. He wasn’t even sure how the princess would look and could easily mistake her for someone else. The young man looked at the others, hoping they might not agree in the decision of entrusting princess Henrietta to someone who had not had the chance to even see her face.

            Even more surprising for him, they all nodded, agreeing to Cormier’s decision. One of them, a particularly friendly member of the royal guard named Hilden Caruso, even cheerfully said, “Might as well go up there and be her hero, eh, Let? Just don’t get ahead of yourself.”

            “But I don’t even know her! How am I supposed to know what her highness looks like?” said Let.

            “Even if you do, there is no guarantee you’ll believe your eyes,” said Cormier. “We all did when we met her. Unfortunately, this is not the castle, so you don’t have the chance to get accustomed to her. You just came to the capital yesterday, right?”

            “Yes, but…”

            “And of all of us, your skills as a Gryphon unit are useful in this situation, not to mention your reputation as a gifted soldier. This is also a test whether you are fit to be part of us. Skills alone do not make a royal guard. You must also swear loyalty to her.”

            “But I did, right?”

            “Not as a soldier or a knight, but for her.” Cormier sighed. “It is easier for you to see her for yourself. Let’s assume the princess is on the highest floor of the tower. When you get to her chambers and meet her, ask her this. ‘When does one must appreciate life?’ Her answer will be ‘When the midnight hour is close at hand, will the festival of life begin.’ Let’s review. Ask me the question.”

            “When does one must appreciate life?” said Let.

            “And the answer?”

            “When the midnight hour is close at hand, will the festival of life begin.”

            “Good. Keep that in mind. Only she will know the right answer. Now, let’s not delay. Sig, what is the situation with the soldiers?”

            “They are preparing for a siege,” said Sig. “Now is the time to act.”

            “Alright.” Cormier then readied his sword and said, “Shall we go?”

            Everyone nodded, including Let. He wasn’t sure what to do, but at least he could verify the princess’ identity with the phrase Cormier gave him. For the young man, it sounded too specific to be mistaken, especially since Let had never heard anyone reply with that kind of expression before.

            Guess for him, the only way to find out is to meet with the princess.

***

            The battle to save the princess would look like the usual skirmish between the armies of Vasparte and Adrelem if it wasn’t for princess Henrietta’s importance. Due to her, her royal guards were dispatched.

            And then, Duruac would never recover. In fact, the industrious, hellish town would never will when a giant meteorite fell from the sky and destroyed the Eastern gate, completely bypassing the magical barrier than the Gryphon unit on the west had trouble with. Anter’s magic was then followed by the rest of the squad, along with, who ran alongside Sophie.

            “I thought the Gryphons are the distraction!” he exclaimed. “There is nothing subtle about that spell! How the hell did he even pull that off?!”

            “Anter can be a little over the top sometimes,” said Sophie with a shrug.

            “What if that rock hits the tower?!”

            “Then it will make things easier for us. That rock is not going to down that tower that easily, but it might be able to give us an opening.”

            Meanwhile, back in Anter’s position, where one of the guards stayed behind as a lookout and Anter’s backup, he witnessed the meteorite crash and said, “Might as we risk it and hit the tower, you know.”

            “Can’t,” said Anter with a yawn. “I sensed the barrier. Tower had mirror barriers.”

            “Wait. Mirror?! Why didn’t you tell them?!”

            “Relax, Will. I told the boss about it. Let being Henri’s rescuer is part of that plan, also to prove his worth. Two birds in one stone, right?”

            Will, aware of Let’s unusual training of combat, decided to accept Anter’s reasoning.

            In Duruac, everyone was aware of the mirror barrier that protected the castle. Any magic spells would simply be reflected or deflected so it would miss their intended target. It forced the soldiers to forgo magic use and attempt to breach through, as mirror barrier did not provide protection against physical attacks.

            However, it could also be used as a trap for those unaware of it. The strategy of the mirror barrier usually prevented any form of teleportation magic to flank the defenders, while the construct also eliminated blind spots that could otherwise be used. It created a glass dome over the already heavily fortified walls to defend against catapults and delay the sapper units.

            Of course, no matter how impenetrable their defense was, it could still be infiltrated physically. All sorts of magic spells, including enchantment, would be reflected back to their users. Cormier was aware of this and knew the only person in the group who could get in easily was Let Avers.

            The Main weakness of the mirror barrier was that it did not nullify spells. The barrier only reflected spells, not nullify them. The idea was a strong offense being a good defense, but it failed the moment someone did the unthinkable: teleport themselves high in the sky and let them fall through the barrier.

            That was the plan when Cormier commanded Sophie and Let to execute the plan. Sophie threw a dagger, propelled by wind magic, high enough that it passed the wall surrounding the tower, while being close to the barrier’s edge. She then turned to Let and said, “Ready?”

            Let nodded, and he vanished in an instant, appearing a second later in the position where Sophie’s dagger was. Her dagger floated near where Let was a second ago, before she took it.

            Let knew what to do from there. He let himself freefall to the tower’s courtyard as the Adrelem defenders did not notice him at first. Once he knew he got through the barrier, he held out his hand. A shimmering blue aura surrounded his body as he landed in the courtyard, rolling as he landed. The blue aura was a personal barrier that would protect him from harm. His successful infiltration caught the Adrelems off-guard, during which he used that moment to find the gate controls and ran towards it, all while defending himself with short burst, low level magic on his free hand, and sword on his fighting hand. His agility and maneuver made the impression of him dancing around his attackers, all while confusing them with short burst spells.

            Before long, he managed to reach the gate. Let quickly deflected an arrow shot at him before he twisted his blade, then his body, for a strong horizontal slash that bisected the archer. He then accomplished his mission by pulling a lever that activated a mana-powered motor that opened the automatic gate, letting his comrades through. He quickly joined them.

            “No wonder you’re the commander of Gryphon unit,” commented Sig. “There’s no way you learn all that from military school!”

            “I got a good teacher!” replied Let back. Sig was right to assume that it wasn’t taught in military school. Let’s close combat magic was something he learned from the previous commander of the Gryphon unit, and was also the time when he learned that there was a reason the unit was considered special, not only because of their mastery of combat magic, but also because of their willingness to utilize spells in a way that was different from a mage.

            His mentor called it the Agimyst discipline. It was one of several combat disciplines that combined agility, swordsmanship, and magic. Let discarded the use of shield and focus on dodging, while using his magic spells was utility and support, including the use of shield. The variation was apparent for those using the discipline. Let focused on the use of magic to disorient and protection, focusing on his swordsmanship.

            Using a combination of short burst spells and agility, Let danced around his foes without stopping. His nimble body and quick thinking helped him get to the tower’s entrance while also disarming or killing his foes. In fact, he could kill many of the soldiers, but chose not to, knowing that he must conserve his mana and not put it all to sharpen his blade, much like what he did to bisect the gate guard.

            The tower functioned as both a prison and a barracks, meaning that it was the most heavily fortified building in the entire town. It would make a lot of sense if many of the specialized soldiers, including their commanders could be found inside. As Let had anticipated, Adrelem commanders were using dark magic, along with infernal machineries that could easily rival magic, including nullifying it. Let realized the danger when he found he could not use his short burst spell along with a gatling gun pointed at him. He was only saved by his quick reflex and agility, along with his own accuracy.

            As his enemy taunted him for being a ‘spell addict’, Let proved him wrong by pulling out a gun and shot at some of the soldiers charging at him, surprising the enemy.

            “Impossible!” exclaimed one of them. “I thought Vaspartians don’t use guns!”

            “Who told you that nonsense?” asked Let. It was true that many among the Vaspartian elites abhorred technological advancement, considering the pollution caused by the Adrelems due to a combination of dark magic and dirty industry. However, Let wasn’t an elite, and he did not feel wrong using the gun, for it was Adrelem in origin.

            He chose not to engage the soldiers as he rushed up the stairs, chased by some soldiers as the front door was blasted open by either the guards or the soldiers, possibly one from the Gryphon unit. He hoped they knew they were walking into a trap, but from Cormier’s voice, Let was glad they knew not to rush in.

            Outside, Cormier realized that there was a Silencer Field and stopped the guards and some soldiers from proceeding. He caught a glimpse of Let nodding as he continued climbing the stairs. Cormier chuckled.

            “Oh, she’s going to like that energy,” commented Cormier. “That is, if he knows who she is.”

            “You sure it’s wise to just let him meet the princess like that?” asked Sophie as she took cover beside Cormier amidst gunfire. “He is not a Capital boy. If he’s as energetic as he is, he might end up—”

            “You think Henrietta’s going to let him?” interrupted Cormier.

            “No, but would it look bad on him? He’s quite an interesting young man.”

            “I thought so, too. Still, with all that skill, he still needs to prove one important thing.”

            “Trust. And acceptance.”

            “And since he hasn’t met Henrietta yet, this will be his test.”

            Sophie sighed and said, “You see, this is the reason why no one else likes you. Try and relax once in a while.”

            “You’re telling me to relax now?”

            “I mean…. Ah, screw it. Let’s finish this and wait for her signal.”

***

            Let pushed on, going up one floor at a time. He chose not to engage most of the soldiers and elected to keep running while also causing a distraction that would delay his pursuers. The Silencer Field all over the tower would be a great disadvantage for a mage. Thus, Let was glad he decided not to focus on improving his magic and decided to train his agility instead. It gave him more stamina to push on while also avoiding his enemies. He wasn’t a bloodthirsty warrior and kill only if he deemed it necessary. Killing his enemies would only slow him down.

            He wasn’t sure how far he needed to go until he reached the end of the stairs with a door. The door was locked and quite heavy, meaning that he could not barge in. Good thing he carried a keyhole buster, which he promptly lit up and slide into the keyhole. The fuse was fast and the explosion was small, but it was enough to destroy the lock and open the door. Before the Adrelem soldiers could catch up with him, Let opened and get in while also dropping a nearby cabinet to block the door.

            Catching a breath, he ventured through another set of door that opened to a rather spacious room that was also well-lit. He also found that the room had no Silencer Field, which was a relief.

            His relief quickly turned to surprise when he realized he wasn’t alone. He heard a low, rumbling noise akin to a growl before he turned to the source of the voice. He quickly backed away and put one hand on his sword.

            There was a dragon in the tower, muzzled and chained in place. Considering Adrelem did not use dragons, Let quickly assumed that the dragon was a captive. However, there was also a chance that the dragon was wild, hence the muzzle. If he freed it, he would end up fighting it in a tight space and he preferred not to, even if an Agimyst warrior had the skills necessary to fight and slay a dragon.

            But then he realized a discrepancy. Why was there a dragon instead of the princess? Was the intel wrong? There was a possibility that the dragon was supposed to be the princess’s guard, so the princess could still be somewhere in that tower.

            “I know you desire freedom,” said Let to the wyvern. “But I’m sorry. I have a job to do.”

            The banging on the door was a reminder that Let must make haste. He could only give the dragon a sad look and tried to look around as fast as he could. Then, he felt someone tapping his shoulder and he quickly turned around. The silver-scaled dragon, with one of its claws, gently tapped Let’s shoulder and stared at him.

            “Are you trying to tell me something?” asked Let.

            The dragon made a gesture with one of its claws, pointing downward. Let looked down and saw a writing that he was sure wasn’t there before.

            “Take off the muzzle,” said Let as he read the sentence. He looked up, with the wyvern pointing at the muzzle. Let decided to indulge the wyvern’s wish and did so by unbuckling the heavy leather binding the wyvern’s maws together. He was still wary of the wyvern trying to bite him, but as the muzzle left the wyvern’s maws, it opened and closed its maws, stretching it after presumably a long time.

            “Ah, finally,” said the wyvern. It had a female voice. She looked to Let and said, “You’re new, aren’t you?”

            “New?” asked Let.

            “Royal guard uniform, good looks, and daring stunt? Haven’t seen you around the castle before, so I guess you’re new. Since you’re new, you don’t know, do you? Or they just want to keep it a surprise, just to see your face.”

            “What do you mean?”

            As the banging on the door became more frequent, the dragon said, “Okay, enough small talk. What’s the question?”

            “I—”

            “Cormier gave you a question, didn’t he? Look. Don’t try to make sense of it and just say it. What’s the code?”

            Let wasn’t sure how the dragon could know who Cormier was. His pondering became interrupted when the dragon said, “Come on, we haven’t got much time! If you want to get out of here, you need to trust me! What’s the code?”

            Thinking there was no harm in telling the dragon, Let said, “When does one must appreciate life?”

            To his surprise, the dragon replied with the right answer: “When the midnight hour is close at hand, will the festival of life begin.”

            “W-what? How do you know that? I thought he said—”

            “Isn’t it obvious? I’m princess Henrietta. I know. Surprising, isn’t it? It’s a long story. Now, new guy, get me off these chains, and fast!”

            “The princess is a dragon?! B-but—”

            “The chains, please! No, scratch that. The collar first!”

            The urgency of the matter became apparent when the door finally broke down with soldiers rushing into the room with weapons pointed at the two. One of the commanders pointed his gun at the two and said, “You are nothing but trouble, princess. All those efforts, and to capture a cursed royal with monster powered guards? I should have just kill you when I have the chance for—”

            Unknown to the commander, Let already took off the collar, which had silencing runes to stop Henrietta from using her fire. Henrietta felt a surge of magic flowing to his mouth as she breathed fire, immolating many of the soldiers who did not get to the safety behind the stone wall. This also included the commander, who was caught by surprise and screamed as he was burning, before falling to the floor, dead and charred. The soldiers, afraid and confused with the sudden death of their commander, retreated behind the door.

            “That doesn’t look very appealing for you, your highness,” commented Let as he struggled to break the chains off the wall, succeeding in breaking one by using a short burst fire magic.

            “Doesn’t help if you happen to look like this,” said Henrietta. “And Henrietta’s fine.”

            “It won’t help others see you as a princess, you know.”

            “And you think calling me ‘your highness’ will change that? Nobody’s going to believe that their princess is a dragon.”

            “So, what did you do? Anger a dragon so they cursed you?”

            “Whoa, there, new guy. Dropped the formal act, already?”

            “You don’t act so formal yourself, especially if you insist on being called by your name,” said Let. “And my name’s Let Avers. Arrived at the Capital just after you got kidnapped. I still wonder how they kidnap a dragon or even know that you’re a princess.”

            “There was an Adrelem spy who identified me. Then, there is the matter of using a portal before I ended up here.”

            “Spy’s one of the guards?”

            “One of the courtyard cleaners. Reported him to my guards, but he acted first. Gotta ask them if he’s been dealt with. Anyway, how’s the chains?”

            Let found that the chains were actually easy to remove, especially after being blown off by a controlled explosion. The hastiness of the situation, and his knowledge of a dragon’s fire resistance, helped make releasing the dragon princess faster. Just then, the soldiers, who all realized that the dragon was freed, became desperate as they rushed into the room to try and stop Henrietta and Let from escaping.

            Let quickly climbed on top of Henrietta to support her.

            “Okay, I freed you, so what’s the plan?”

            “You don’t have an escape plan?”

            “Threw it all out of the window. Didn’t expect the princess to be a dragon.”

            Henrietta sighed. “Of course, you did. Well. Good thing you got the collar off. Now hold on tight!”

            As Let saw Henrietta’s stance, he said, “Wait! Don’t ram through the wall! It’s too thick, even for a dragon!”

            “I’m not planning to break my beautiful horns just yet!”

            Contrary to Let’s initial assumption, Henrietta opened her maws. A concentrated fire formed in her mouth, different from the fire breath she used earlier. Let kept his head low as Henrietta unleashed the fireball towards a nearby wall. It hit the wall and caused a big explosion outward, which also caused part of the roof and the tower to crumble, taking some of the soldiers with it. In the confusion, Henrietta quickly ran and jumped out of the big gap she created before she opened her wings and roared in triumph, with Let struggling to hold on due to Henrietta’s smooth scales.

            The other guards saw the silver-scaled dragon flying away from the town and quickly told the guards to retreat, their mission completed. At the same time, Vaspartian soldiers joined the battle in the courtyard after finally winning their own battles outside the town, just as the royal guards followed Henrietta and Let out of the town.

            Anter and Will saw Henrietta, with Anter throwing his right hand up in the air and let out a burst of fire. Henrietta saw the fire and flew there, landing near Anter and Will. Let kept gripping on her back as best he could before he could finally let go as she landed.

            “Look who’s here,” said Anter with a bow. “Had a trip of your life?”

            “By ‘trip’, you mean ‘being chained at the top of the tower’, sure,” said Henrietta with a huff. “Always the showoff, huh? That rock wasn’t necessary, you know.”

            “Makes quite a sight, isn’t it? Oh, and you’ve met Let, too.”

            By this point, the rest of the guards arrived, all with good mood as they finally found their princess. They all gave a courteous bow, along with Let, who joined in since he did not have the time to do so. Cormier noticed his manners and chuckled.

            “I bet you can’t believe your eyes and ears, huh, Let?” said Cormier.

            “You didn’t tell me about this!” said Let. “Is that the reason for the code? So that I know she’s a dragon and not a human?”

            “And also, to let her know you’re not some impostor wearing our colors,” said Cormier. “She can easily burn you down, you know. Your short burst magic can’t protect you from her fire, especially not after personal lessons from Anter.”

            Let believed him. There was no way a dragon could learn the explosive fire magic without learning it beforehand. Dragons were intelligent, but they were also proud enough that it could end up becoming their downfall. He had experience dealing with unruly dragons.

            “So, that means…you did consider burning me to death if I didn’t ask you the question?” asked Let. Henrietta only made a sly smile out of her reptilian face. “Yet you did identify me as someone new.”

            “If you were hostile, I might.”

            “Even with that muzzle on your face? And the Silencing collar?”

            “Well….”

            “Oh. Did he say muzzle? And a collar?” said Sophie with a teasing tone. “My, my. I didn’t know you’re into that.”

            Henrietta quickly knew what she meant and let out an embarrassed growl. “It’s not my choice!” she said, snapping at Sophie. “Can’t take chances with a dragon!”

            “No? Not a little bit of interest?”

            Henrietta growled in annoyance before Cormier, with his usual professional manner, cleared his throat and said, “I will declare that the rescue operation is a resounding success, and it all thanks to all of you, though most importantly, this mission cannot be easily accomplished without Let. He has proven himself to be an exceptionally skilled combatant and also willing to accept our monarch despite her unconventional appearance. And with those merits, I formally accept Let Avers into our group.”

            The others nodded and smiled, acknowledging Let to be one of them. He could only smile and accept the honor.

            “Now, how about if we return and report our success. The king is anxious to hear from us, so let’s not keep him waiting. Anter, will it be any different if Henrietta’s joining us?”

            “Need a little more rest after this, but there’s no problem,” said Anter as he held out his mage’s staff while chanting a spell.

            Henrietta, who knew what Anter was trying to do, could only growl and said, “I don’t think I’ll move on from portals after being kidnapped through one.”

            Let, understanding why she said that, could only pat her side and said, “I hope it doesn’t mean we failed you.”

            “I might if you did not come soon enough. Well, Let Avers. Welcome to the club.”

            As she said that, the portal activated. Soon, they disappeared from where they were, leaving the victory in Duruac to be celebrated by the triumphant Vaspartean army.

            And thus, the story ended with the revelation that the princess wasn’t quite a human, partly due to a curse, or a misinterpreted gift. Her ‘curse’ as a dragon would end up becoming something that will save the kingdom of Vasparte, once she realized that she could use it to her benefit and to the kingdom’s benefit, just like how the Adrelem was once given the chance to do so with the gift of knowledge of technology.

            Yet, Henrietta’s story, along with her allies and friends, was just beginning.