It took a moment for me to realize what was going on. My mind felt clearer now, more connected, although I was still exhausted. I felt like I’d been ill for a while and only just cleared it, although I doubted it had been more than a few hours.

Like usual, I remembered my dreams, although they were vague. Probably because they’d been fever-dreams, blurry and disjointed, interspersed with periods of semi-wakefulness. I knew I’d been moved, but I hadn’t been able to pay much attention to my surroundings.

I sat up, noting the weakness in my arms as I pushed. It was dark around me, the night sky sprinkled with stars. The almost full moon shone down on me, giving me more light to see. I recognized this as the terrace at the top of one of the palace’s towers. It was quiet.

Mother moved closer. “Inaris, how do you feel?”

I paused before answering and took stock of my situation. The doctor from before, and a group of others, waited nearby. Guards surrounded us, although it seemed they were all senior members of the Imperial Guard, assigned to Mother. Kariva stood further away, almost blending into the night. Apart from that, we were alone.

“I’m fine,” I said. “Still weak. Am I healed?”

Her expression darkened, and she turned to the doctor. “Doctor Chang?”

He came forward, bowed, and cleared his throat. “You are out of danger for now, Your Highness. However, the effects of the poison have not abated completely. We are still searching for a cure, but the Sky Shattering Energy Drain poison is legendary for its lethality and insidiousness. Although you have not succumbed to the initial effects, there are others to worry about, with less immediate but no less real dangers.”

I frowned. “So, I’ve gotten over the acute phase, but there are chronic effects?”

“In essence, yes, Your Highness.”

Mother took a step away, her face hardening. “Well, at least you’re awake now. I’ll deal with a few things.”

I scrambled up, swaying a little as I got down from the hospital bed and on my feet. But it passed quickly. I still didn’t feel healthy, but far better than before. The only thing that worried me was my qi. It was still agitated. And I had more trouble piercing the darkness of the night than I should.

“Wait,” I said, just as Mother had turned away. “Take me with you, whatever you’re going to do. I need to be involved with the consequences of this.”

She paused and looked at me for a moment, then nodded. “We’ll be quick. In the meantime, continue looking, physicians.”

Then the world around me seemed to warp. I felt myself traveling quickly, the only anchor her hand on my arm. After a few moments, she let go, and I opened the eyes I’d involuntarily closed. We were now standing in a large, open room at the top of another tower. There was a group of guards here, too.

But my attention was focused on the man pacing in the middle of the room. Kei Yating looked less put-together than the last time I’d seen him, with his hair in disarray and dried blood on his cheek. He whirled around when we entered.

But before he could say anything, black lines shot out from Mother’s hand. They wrapped around his arms and legs and lifted him a few centimeters into the air. I shivered as I felt the weight of her aura press down on me.

“What were you doing?” she asked, her voice cracking like ice.

He shook his head. “I didn’t do anything!”

Mother clenched a fist, and the ropes wrapped tighter around her lover. If I concentrated, I could sense the way her qi smothered his aura. “My daughter was poisoned!” she yelled. “By your relative. You vouched for him to join the guard!”

Kei closed his eyes and bowed his head. “I didn’t know. I swear it. I have no idea what happened. My nephew was always dutiful, a good man. Loyal to the Empire, or so I thought.”

My Mother was still breathing hard, staring at him. I stood by her side, arms crossed and silent, while I thought about the situation. This didn’t look good for Kei Yating. I could see his family doing this for power games. Perhaps trying to eliminate me in favor Xiaodan becoming heir. But that didn’t quite ring true.

Mother flicker her hand, and the ropes dissolved. Her aura retreated a little, presumably allowing Kei Yating some breathing room.

He fell to his knees, then bowed down further. “Acura … Your Majesty … I am deeply ashamed. It grieves me that someone from my family could do something like this.”

Mother sighed. I realized she probably had the means to see if he was telling the truth. There had to be light affinity techniques for that.

“I believe you didn’t know,” she said. “But that doesn’t mean I can forget this happened.” She turned to me. “Inaris, do you want him punished?”

I blinked, then shook my head. “I’ll leave this to you.”

Kei Yating raised his head. “My Empress, you know I would never harm you or your family, and I will do my best to atone for my oversight. Even if you can’t see my sincere emotions … you know I’m speaking honestly, as you know me.”

What’s he implying? I wondered.

Mother shook her head. “I know. I expect your full cooperation with our investigation, your help in finding out everything we need to know about the traitor and who he was involved with.”

She took a step back, and Kei Yating slowly stood up. He kept his head bowed. “Of course. I’ll do whatever I can.”

Mother sighed and glanced towards me. “Nari, are you okay?” she asked in English, concern in her tone.

I grimaced. I’d been feeling off. Not just in the sense that I was a little sick, but a deeper-seated problem. But I couldn’t really put my finger on it.

“I don’t know, but let’s see what the doctors say,” I answered. “What happened with my guards?”

Mother raised an eyebrow. “I’m taking you back. Come on.”

She started walking and I followed. We left the room. Outside, in the corridor, Mother spoke again. “The traitor sent some of your guards away on a fabricated emergency, a supposed threat against you from a few nobles at the party. Of those who remained, one is missing, one was found killed in a closet, and the other was knocked out. We’re not sure if any of them were involved with him or just in the way. Hopefully, Kariva will have some answers soon.”

I winced at the thought that people had died so he could get to me. “What about Aston?”

“He was with other guards guarding the perimeter and mingling. At the moment, Kariva’s people are working with him.”

I continued following her in silence. There were guards around us again, but I didn’t recognize any of them.

Soon, we wound up in a meeting room close to the family suites. Servants had set up some refreshments, and I got myself a glass of juice. All of Mother’s guards waited outside. Mother sat down and started sending messages and listening to responses.

After a few minutes, Alaster entered the room. He looked unusually somber, his eyes a little red. Maybe he’d been crying. I hugged him tightly, trying to reassure him.

No one said much. Even if I hadn’t spoken to the doctor, I’d know from the sober atmosphere that I wasn’t out of danger. Besides, I could feel it. A feeling of weakness, like a bad cold, but coupled with a distance from my own qi.

Mother continued working, but she never left. Occasionally she’d look over to me and muster a smile. I wouldn’t have expected her to put the situation before all of her other duties like this, but I appreciated her support more than I could say.

I took a look at some of the reports that found its way into the room, and asked a few questions. It appeared the search for Kei Weriga’s support structure wasn’t going well. The other guards were still in interrogation, and it would probably take a while to clear all of them. The same went for the rest of the Kei family. Kei Yating was helping with that, apparently.

After Mother had stopped sending her latest message, I cleared my throat hesitantly. I was sitting slouched over, my head on my hand, but no one seemed to care. “What about Xiaodan?”

Mother looked a little awkward. “I told her you were sick and needed rest. Do you want to see her?”

I thought for a moment, then shook my head. I had missed her, but I wasn’t really feeling up to dealing with an energetic eight-year-old. And I wanted to focus on dealing with this situation. It was probably best if she didn’t have to deal with any of this.

After maybe half an hour, Kariva slipped into the room. She gave me a concerned look, then started talking to Mother in low voices. I tried to listen in, but quickly got lost once they started using unfamiliar names and terms.

I considered sending for a book on toxicology, surely the servants and guards could get me something. But this was probably something rare, and the doctors were already on it. And I wasn’t feeling much energy or even motivation to do anything.

“Your Highness,” Kariva turned to me after a few minutes. “Could you recount what exactly happened in that bathroom? What did he say?”

I sighed and told them what happened, narrating the conversation between us. I noticed Mother clenching her fist again, but her expression could have been carved from stone for all the reaction she showed.

Kariva gave me a nod, then started sending out a few messages of her own. There were a lot of unfamiliar names again, and I found my attention wandering.

After a pause, something Kariva said picked my interest again. “Acura, it may be time to reconsider our approach to ensuring loyalty and obedience.”

I frowned. I knew there were extensive checks and vetting before someone could join the guard, including what may as well be chemical interrogation. Their training probably included some indoctrination.

Mother shook her head. “It’s always been our family’s policy that people who are loyal, who are invested in their service and can take the initiative, work better than forced obedience. My mother’s especially. And I agree with her. It’s not like other methods couldn’t be subverted.”

She probably has a point. Not to mention ethical issues.

After that, their conversation turned to details again. The only important thing I got was that we still had no clue where the poison had come from.

I thought back to our conversation. Clearly, Kei Weriga couldn’t have done it all on his own. I still didn’t know why he had done this. Was this because of my behavior during the war, that he thought I was a danger to the Empire or something? But it didn’t sound like that was his reason, and he acted against me before that. I’m definitely missing something. And it didn’t sound like Kariva or Mother had a theory.

I frowned and shifted in my chair, stretching. There were other things we should talk about, but this attack had overshadowed everything. Though, Kiyanu would have definitely told Mother what we found out about the Zarian Dominion’s connection to the war.

I focused and tried to pull up some qi to form a technique. It was harder than I expected, like trying to grasp something slippery with thick gloves on. But I finally managed to get some light qi and beat it into shape for what I wanted. A window opened in front of me, showing an aerial view of the palace. I zoomed in and panned around a little, noting the positioning of the guards. They’d increased in number. Then I shifted it and, with a mental effort, changed the view to show the city. There were lights on in the palace, and it seemed like the party was still going on. I tried to search for some of the commanders from the south, but it was hard to move my viewpoint.

I started to get a headache, and it intensified as if someone was banging against my head. I felt sweat trickle down my forehead from the strain of trying to keep the technique active. It’s advanced, sure, but it shouldn’t be this hard.

Finally, I let go and slumped back in my chair. The headache receded a bit, but it didn’t disappear. I felt a lot more tired suddenly. Closing my eyes, I decided to rest for a while. My thoughts started to drift.

Some time later, I started fully awake. I sat up and blinked against the light. I must have been dozing for more than a few minutes.

The door had opened, and a few people were filing into the room. I recognized the chief physician, Chang, and a few other healers. Judging by their expressions, we weren’t about to hear good news. I felt my throat tighten.

They all knelt to Mother, who bid them stand up quickly. Al sat up straight, and Kariva stepped closer. I just tried to keep calm.

“Your Majesty, I’m afraid we have bad news,” the doctor said, looking at the ground. “The Sky Shattering Energy Drain poison is a legendarily rare concoction, made with rare ingredients only found in the Fire Continent. We have found few records. Usually, the victim dies within the first hour of ingesting the poison. If the acute stage passes, the poison continues to drain the subject’s energy and qi.” He hesitated, glancing at me before looking back down. “This one is afraid, under normal circumstances, we will not be able to cure Her Highness. From what we have gathered, we may, possibly, be able to combat it enough to keep Her Highness alive, but her cultivation would be shattered.”

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. They think I’m going to die?

“What else is there?” Kariva said. “Continue.”

The doctor cleared his throat and finally looked up. “The only weakness this poison has is that its effect may be flushed out of the system due to a change in the subject’s qi. A few people have survived it, mainly through breaking through to a new stage quickly after the poisoning.”

I looked up at that. That sounded a lot better. “I’m pretty close to breaking through, I think. I could probably do it with a few weeks of focused cultivation, at most.”

Mother sighed. “That’s only from the early to the middle part of the fourth stage. Would that help, doctor?”

The doctor bowed. “This one is deeply sorry, Your Majesty, Your Highness. But it is uncertain.” He cleared his throat. “It has been less than a year since Her Highness’ last breakthrough. Forcing another one so quickly may have detrimental consequences, especially at this age.” His eyes wandered to me. “Furthermore, Your Highness will likely find it far harder to cultivate than it should otherwise be. And even a few weeks’ time would likely be enough for the poison to finish its work.”

I leaned back in my chair. This is really happening, is it?

Even if they managed to save my life, losing my cultivation wouldn’t be much better. I might manage to survive exiled to some stormy island. But, without that, I had a lifespan of hundreds if not thousands of years. I’d just been getting used to that idea. A normal human’s life expectancy was but a fraction of that. In effect, I’d still lose most of my life, the one I was going to have on this strange old world.

There has to be some way, right? There has to be something I can do. Maybe some pills to help my cultivation. Even if it’s a risk.

Everyone was silent for a bit, digesting the doctor’s words. He and his colleagues looked like they’d rather be anywhere else. Al had pushed his chair closer to mine, grabbed my hand and was clinging to it. Mother sat still, a stony expression on her face.

Finally, Kariva spoke up. Unlike what I’d expected, her tone was almost challenging. “Your Majesty, I know you wanted to wait, but the situation has most certainly changed now.”

I blinked. What was that about? Maybe I’d finally get some answers to some of my questions.

Mother leaned back in her seat. “I suppose so.”

Kariva turned to the doctors, “What sort of progress is necessary for this? Would awakening a dormant constitution or hidden bloodline help?”

The doctor looked up. He hesitated for a moment, before nodding. “Perhaps, my lady. It depends on the constitution, of course, but a strong one might be enough to defeat the poison.”

“I see. I believe that’s all?”

Mother nodded. “You’re dismissed.”

They glanced at me one last time, thinly-veiled curiosity in their eyes, before they bowed themselves out.

I shifted my chair so I could face Mother head on and leaned forward. “So, is there something I should know?”

Mother sighed. “I wanted to wait until you’re more familiar with this world,” she muttered. “To make sure you had the context to understand this correctly, and not … misinterpret what you want to hear.”

She fell silent for a moment, staring at her hands. Kariva stepped back a little. Al glanced between Mother and me and chewed his lip, but he kept silent.

Finally, she spoke up. “Inaris, Carston isn’t your father.”

I knew it. I knew there was something going on there. I nodded, taking a deep breath. “So, who is it?”

Mother was silent again for a bit. She seemed to look through the wall into the distance, a conflicted expression on her face. Finally, she shook her head and looked me in the eyes.

“Rijoko, the Greater Spirit of the Moon.”

The Greater Spirit of the Moon? I stared at her, wide-eyed. “Really?”

In my research, I’d come across mention of people who traced their ancestry to spirits. But I’d never given it much thought beyond passing curiosity. This was a magical world, after all. I’d considered the idea that she may have had an affair with a humanoid spirit beast, but dismissed it since I didn’t show any signs of that. I hadn’t considered a Greater Spirit.

“What, really?” Al echoed. He looked from me to Mother. “Wow.”

“Wait a moment,” I said. “The entity people pray and give offerings to at shrines?”

Mother grimaced. “Don’t go thinking you’re a demigoddess, Inaris. You’re human. And effects of your bloodline have mostly been suppressed.”

I glanced at Kariva, whose expression hadn’t changed. She must have known. Then I shook my head. “How did that happen?”

Mother looked away. “A bargain.” She cleared her throat. “Now, give me a minute. I need to arrange for a trip.”

I sat back in my chair, trying to process all of that.

I’d started to assume my biological father on this world, if he wasn’t Carston, must be dead. A part of me wasn’t particularly happy about this revelation. I knew spirits, especially Greater Spirits, didn’t follow human conventions, and didn’t have much of a concept of family. It still stung knowing he must not care about me at all.