The courtyard fell into absolute silence.
Astra stared down at his blackened arm, the dark tendrils pulsing like living veins beneath his skin. His fungal scythes had dissolved entirely, consumed by whatever force now coursed through him. When he tried to flex his fingers, the movement felt sluggish, as though he were moving through thick honey.
"Fascinating," he murmured, examining the corruption with clinical interest rather than fear.
Princess Roxene straightened slowly, the shadows around her feet settling into elegant patterns rather than chaotic writhing. Her composure hadn't cracked—if anything, she seemed more poised now, as though a mask had finally been discarded.
"Well," she said, her voice carrying a note of dark amusement, "I suppose the cat's out of the bag."
Valkyrie's sword was halfway out of its sheath, her knuckles white around the grip. Her eyes darted between the princess and Astra's corrupted arm, her training warring with loyalty. "Your Highness... that's dark magic."
"Indeed it is." Roxene's tone was matter-of-fact, almost conversational. She examined her pale hands as shadows danced between her fingers like obedient pets. "I've had it since I was seven. Quite useful, really, once you learn to work with it instead of against it."
She gestured toward the fallen staff. "Though it does come with certain... limitations. Dark magic interferes with other elemental channels. That's why I rely on artifacts—my natural dark power corrupts any attempt to channel fire, wind, or earth directly. What should be a royal's birthright becomes impossible when shadows taint every magical conduit."
Elena dropped the tea tray. Porcelain exploded against the cobblestones, the crash echoing off the courtyard walls. Her hands flew to her mouth, stifling what might have been a gasp of horror.
"Careful, Elena," Roxene said without looking at her maid. "That was expensive porcelain."
The casual dismissal of Elena's shock sent a chill through the courtyard. This wasn't the frightened, apologetic princess they'd expected—this was someone who had been pretending to be vulnerable.
Astra took a careful step forward, his movements deliberate despite the lethargy clouding his thoughts. "How long have you been hiding this, Your Highness?"
"Hiding?" Roxene's lips curved into a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Such an unpleasant word. I prefer 'managing information selectively.'" She tilted her head, studying him with renewed interest. "You're taking this rather well. Most people would be running by now."
"Should I be afraid?" Astra asked, genuine curiosity in his voice.
"That depends entirely on your usefulness to me." The words carried a subtle threat wrapped in silk. "Tell me, Astra—how does it feel? The suppression of your magic?"
He considered the question seriously. "Heavy. Like wearing weighted chains. But not painful. It's... comprehensive. Complete magical nullification."
"Excellent." Roxene's smile widened, showing teeth. "I was curious about the exact parameters. Human testing is so much more informative than experiments on plants and animals."
Valkyrie's blade cleared its sheath entirely. "Your Highness, what are you saying?"
"I'm saying that I've been conducting research, Valkyrie. Important research that requires... specific materials and test subjects." Roxene's gaze shifted to her knight captain, and for the first time, Valkyrie saw something predatory in those dark eyes. "Surely you don't object to advancing magical understanding for the good of the kingdom?"
"You've been experimenting on people?" Elena's voice came out strangled.
"Nothing harmful," Roxene said dismissively. "A touch here, a brief contact there. How else was I supposed to understand my capabilities? The academic texts on dark magic are woefully inadequate—mostly written by people who've never encountered it firsthand."
Astra found himself oddly impressed despite the circumstances. "You've been systematically studying your own power in secret. That's... actually quite brilliant."
"Finally, someone who appreciates intellectual rigor." Roxene's approval was genuine, though tinged with darkness. "Most people are far too squeamish about the pursuit of knowledge."
Valkyrie's sword trembled in her grip. "The princess I swore to serve wouldn't—"
"The princess you swore to serve is exactly who I've always been," Roxene interrupted, her voice sharp as winter wind. "I simply allowed you to see what you wanted to see. A demure royal daughter, struggling with her magic, needing protection." She laughed softly. "Did you never wonder why I was so interested in those elemental stones? Why I was willing to pay triple their value?"
Understanding dawned in Astra's eyes. "Your research. You needed pure elemental materials for your experiments."
"Very good." Roxene clapped her hands together, the sound unnaturally sharp in the courtyard's oppressive atmosphere. "And now I need something even more valuable—a willing test subject with interesting magical properties."
"You see," she continued, her tone taking on a lecturing quality, "dark magic is fundamentally different from the four primary elements. While fire, water, earth, and wind users can develop awakening effects through training, dark magic operates as a universal suppressant. It doesn't enhance—it nullifies, corrupts, transforms. But the exact mechanisms? The theoretical limits? Those remain frustratingly unexplored."
She gestured to Astra's arm, where traces of shadow still clung to his skin. "Traditional magic theory suggests dark power should be purely destructive. Yet you're standing here, unharmed, simply suppressed. That contradiction fascinates me."
"Is that what this job offer really was?" Astra asked, though his tone held more curiosity than accusation. "A way to acquire a research subject?"
"Partly," Roxene admitted with refreshing honesty. "Though I do genuinely need security for my upcoming trip. The research site I plan to visit is... remote. Dangerous. Having someone capable of protecting me while also serving as a test subject for my theories is simply efficient resource management."
Elena backed against the wall, her face pale with growing horror. "Princess, this isn't... this isn't right."
"Right?" Roxene's voice carried genuine confusion. "Elena, I'm advancing the understanding of one of the rarest magical disciplines in existence. The applications could revolutionize magic itself. How is the pursuit of knowledge ever wrong?"
She turned back to Astra, her expression shifting to something almost like respect. "You're not afraid, are you? Even knowing what I am, what I'm capable of."
"Should I be?" Astra flexed his corrupted arm experimentally. "You could have hurt me at any time during our previous meetings. Instead, you've been nothing but professional. Your methods may be... unconventional, but your goals seem academic rather than malicious."
"How refreshingly practical." Roxene's smile was genuinely warm now, though it made her look more dangerous rather than less. "Most people let emotion cloud their judgment when it comes to dark magic. All those tedious legends about corruption and evil."
"Legends written by people who never met an actual dark magic user," Astra observed.
"Precisely!" Roxene's eyes lit up with enthusiasm. "They see the power and assume malevolent intent. But power is simply a tool. The wielder determines its application."
Valkyrie slowly lowered her sword, though she didn't sheath it. Her voice came out small, confused. "Princess... all these years, have you been... have I been serving someone who..."
"Who what, Valkyrie?" Roxene's tone softened slightly, showing a hint of the affection she held for her loyal knight. "Someone who pursues knowledge? Someone who refuses to be ashamed of her natural abilities? Someone who sees potential where others see only fear?"
She stepped closer to Valkyrie, her movements graceful and unthreatening. "I am exactly who I've always been. I've simply stopped pretending to be weak and helpless to make others comfortable."
"The vacation," Elena whispered suddenly. "This research site you mentioned..."
"Is where I intend to conduct more extensive experiments, yes." Roxene nodded approvingly at Elena's quick understanding. "Away from prying eyes, with proper equipment and materials. It should be quite illuminating."
Astra found himself asking the question that mattered most: "What exactly do you want from me, Your Highness?"
Roxene's smile was sharp as a blade and twice as beautiful. "Your cooperation, Astra. Your protection during the journey. And your participation in experiments that could change the world's understanding of magic itself."
She paused, her dark eyes studying his face intently. "The question is: are you brave enough to help me rewrite the rules of magic? Or will you let fear of the unknown hold you back?"
For the first time since the dark magic had manifested, the courtyard felt charged with possibility rather than dread. This wasn't a broken princess begging for acceptance—this was a brilliant, dangerous young woman offering a partnership that could reshape everything.
The real question wasn't whether they could trust her. It was whether they were bold enough to follow where she led.