Too Good to Be True

For the first time in a long time, Ui found herself completely absorbed in her songwriting.

She knew she had already proven herself. She knew she’d have extra attention on herself since the dinner, too. But none of those things mattered to Ui. What really mattered to her was that she could finally do something meaningful out of her own free will.

She had enough songs for a full concert, and the musicians once again did not disappoint. But she wanted more. She wanted a song that could properly transmit the feelings of that whole island back to every listener in the auditorium.

In her mind, her songs still couldn’t do that. She needed more than just inspiration, she needed to dig deep into her own soul, a soul she just barely started understanding.

“The usual?” asked Odoe to a preoccupied Ui.

“I want a mushroom mussa today, I’m taking a long walk.”

“Sure!” Odoe prepared and handed the mussa quickly to Ui.

Ui wandered around town barely nibbling on her food. The dull rocks that paved the streets and walls provided no inspiration, and neither did the people of Novestr, towering over her with their uniformly white hair. She tried her usual natural spots: next to the river, the Royal Gardens… but she still needed more, more than just Uman places and people.

And because of that she started heading directly to the war memorial at the edge of town. She always felt a strong connection with that monolith. As she walked around it, reading names of both Uman and Udari alike, she thought deeply about the consequences of her actions, and her responsibility towards the future of the island. She closed her eyes and ran a finger through the names listed on the monument, trying to etch the feeling the engraved names had into her heart.

Who were they, and what did they feel?

She thought twice about jumping atop the memorial like she usually did. She was a member of the Court now, after all. She looked at her shoes as she disappointingly kept them on.

But she wouldn’t deprive the memorial from one of her songs. For all she knew, her song was bringing peace to the troubled souls trapped in it, and she had to do something.

She started singing as she walked around it, making the memorial sparkle and shine with the songmagic powered by the souls surrounding her and the monument. Once the song was over, she rested her hand on the memorial, and closed her eyes. A deep breath finally filled her with the inspiration she was looking for.

Her eyes were jolted open when she heard the sound of a slow clap behind her. She turned around defensively to see Miront, standing close behind.

“You finally let your guard down.”

Ui stood there, speechless. He was too close for her songmagic to accomplish anything in time, and even if she did, she didn’t know one to make him forget. Instead, she clenched her fists, prepared for a fight.

“Don’t be like that. You thought wearing a wig for long enough could change who you are?” There was a certain sadness in Miront’s grin.

Ui hesitated between aggression and fear. She tried to control her breathing as she looked straight into Miront’s eyes. She could never tell what he was thinking, but this time, she felt threatened by it.

Miront’s expression didn’t budge as he walked even closer to her. “This songmagic was the final confirmation.”

“You… knew then.” Ui looked downwards. Part of her realized Miront knew too much, but she didn’t want to believe it. She briefly considered taking Miront in a fight, but she knew the moment she exposed herself, she had lost already. There was no hiding from him and her past anymore.

A burst of wind blew from the city, and in an instant, they were no longer alone.

“Step away from my sister.” Cro appeared, floating in the sky. Without hesitation, he dropped a giant icicle over Miront’s head.

Miront, who Ui had never seen wield a weapon, unsheathed his sword and sliced it on its way down so that it burst into several shards, away from him. Ui covered her face with her arms as the pieces of ice flew in every direction. The shards flew around her, raining on the monument and the ground, but all she felt was a cold breeze. When she lowered her arms, Cro was there, protecting her from everything.

“Do you know who I—”

“I don’t care who you are, Miront.” Cro surprised even Ui with his threatening voice.

But Miront remained calm. “Then know this: if I wanted to hurt your sister, I wouldn’t have waited for one of the strongest Royal Mages to appear. That’s just poor strategy…”

No sound dared break apart the tense silence between them.

“Cro…” Ui placed her hand on Cro’s shoulder, she knew it was too late. “Maybe we should listen to what he has to say. He’s had many chances to harm me, and he’s refused to so far.”

“So far…” said Cro facing forward with his eyes fixed on Miront.

“Your sister here is performing songmagic in the Royal Capital, and something tells me it isn’t the first time.” Miront sheathed his sword.

“So, are you here to threaten her? I can’t forgive such behavior.” Cro readied another spell.

Miront chuckled. “Not at all. Please, take a deep breath, both of you.”

The three of them took turns looking at each other, understanding the situation was more complicated than each one of them knew.

“Since when do you know?” Ui’s curiosity struck first.

“Since the bowl,” said Miront.

“What bowl?” Cro looked at Ui.

“But the closest thing was this.” Miront showed one of Lullaby’s letters. “One of your friends was very proud of the notes you shared with her in school. The handwriting matches.”

“Prishu… I told you not to send those letters, Ui.”

Ui was disappointed in herself. She got so used to sneaking around Novestr that for once she let her guard down. She had to send those letters—she had to do what she could to avoid what happened in the past.

“But the final confirmation was this small act of songmagic.”

Ui's legs lost all strength and she slowly kneeled, crumbling, leaning her head on the monument. The ice shards from the encounter had now melted into cold water that she felt on her hands.

No one had found her secret identity yet, or at least not someone that could ruin her life. Cro and Miront’s voices blurred into the background. Ui was not aware what they talked about, or how long, or if they even talked at all.

Gradually, Ui’s panic subsided for a few moments, even if she felt like she had lost everything she had managed to build. “So, what now?”

“Nothing. Relax, both of you.” Miront smiled at the pair.

This came as a shock to Ui. “N-nothing?”

“As Ui said, I’ve known for long enough, but I’ve chosen not to do anything. Why do you think that is?” The siblings had no answers for Miront. “Because even if he found out, the Duke doesn’t really care where Ui came from. We interact with different races on the mainland—and also share a war history with them. However…”

Ui looked at Miront, less fearful, but still confused.

“If I could find out, that means anyone can. And it’s still too soon after the war. Both of you need to be very cautious.”

“Is that… it?”

“To be honest, my biggest worry at first was that you were extremely compatible with the Duke. You were… too good to be true, Ui.” Miront explained casually as if there was nothing at stake. “Now I see the Duke has tough competition.” Miront winked at Cro playfully. Ui knew to stop Cro from intervening by placing a hand on his shoulder. “But then when I dug further I found out who you really were… You were right in front of our faces. A Uman Royal Mage teamed up with the legendary songmage Lullaby. Amazing!”

The siblings remained quiet. Ui fought hard so that her feelings of guilt, especially next to that monument, didn’t overwhelm her.

Ui stood up. She had to believe there was a path forward. “I believe in this Duke and his goals. Is that not enough?”

“Of course… Just know I’ll be watching. And you need to be more careful about the others. Not all the nobles will understand. Especially with your… personality.”

“That’s for us to worry about.” Cro dismissed Miront, who turned around and walked away from the pair.

Ui hugged Cro tightly. She relived all of their memories together since she first got to Novestr. Just how much was she willing to do to preserve her new life, one built upon the peace she created? Her anxiety surfaced like bubbles trapped deep underwater. “Will we be fine, Cro?”

“Yes. They can’t stop us, Ui.”