Serene’s POV

Kilamin was holding the end of a long blue chain whose remains were scattered all around me. So he had tried to bind me with a chain. But I was able to negate his attack. Artins Sensei had worked hard to hone my defensive skills.

"Not bad, I was sure you wouldn’t be able to escape from my attack. But you did well." Did Kilamin just compliment me?

"Thank you, Sensei." He smiled at how I called him Sensei.

We practised for another hour until I was exhausted.

"Let’s end today’s session here and we will start tomorrow." I nodded. He walked me to my grandmother’s room before heading to his own.

I was mentally, physically and emotionally exhausted. Kilamin had that effect on people and although his words were harsh, they held some truth.

I went inside and slumped on the bed near grandma. "Tough day?" Grandma smiled at me.

"He is not easy to please and his training drained me," I confessed.

"Training is never easy but you are in good hands."

Agatha brought me some food which I ate and slept early. Nightmares didn’t let me get much sleep so I woke up early.

After meeting Zeph’s mom I was constantly missing mine. I was too young when she died, I didn’t remember a lot of details about her but I missed her dearly. Her warm smiles and affectionate hugs were irreplaceable.

After breakfast, I waited for Kilamin to fetch me. As soon as he arrived I informed him that I wanted to visit my mother’s grave before resuming training. He agreed and we flew toward the graveyard. I was holding a bouquet of Chrysanthemums which Crimzon had specially sent in the morning.

The Royal Graveyard was located a few miles north of our castle. All our royal ancestors were buried here. Sahala had a white tomb built for her in which her grave was located. Some other prominent ancestors had smaller tombs as well. But most had simple graves.

Black Unicorns roamed and guard the cemetery. They had blue eyes and pitch-black bodies with silverish-black horns located at the centre of their heads. They were considered omniscient creatures but with a bad omen. So they always remained around cemeteries.

The Graveyard was eerily quiet with few unicorns roaming around. The in-charge Fae swiftly came forward. He was a middle-aged man with greying hair.

"Princess Serene, General Kilamin." He bowed lightly as we approached him. "Master Amiyan, how have you been?" I asked.

"I am good, princess. It has been a long time since you graced us with your presence." He replied respectfully.

"I was away for my training. Just returned a few days ago." We had reached the grave of my mother. The tombstone was made up of white marble with Suriaka Zohan inscribed on her with the following words: "A mother and a wife who left us too soon."

I placed the flowers on her grave and offered a prayer. Silent tears fell from my eyes as I stood there watching her grave. My heart was heavy and there was so much I wanted to tell her. If only she was alive, I would be able to share my burdens with her, ask her for advice and sleep in her arms. Although my grandmother had always tried to fill that spot, occasionally I missed my mother.

Kilamin offered his respect as well and placed a single white flower beside my bouquet. We stood there silently for a while before deciding to leave. Kilamin followed me. Master Amiyan took his leave from us.

"Can I ask you something?" I turned towards him.

"Sure,"

"Do you miss your mother as well?" I asked with a heavy heart.

"Every day." He replied with a serious expression.

"Do you visit her grave as well?"

"It has been a very long time since I visited her."

"Why?" I was curious.

"Because her grave is in Haxum Realm. She was a witch." My eyes flew open at that revelation, I never knew that his mother was a witch. No wonder he had such powerful magic. Fae and Witch Blood ran combined in his veins and gave him such unique powers.

"Oh! I didn’t know that."

"It’s alright, we hardly ever talked before." I nodded.

"And your father?"

"He is alive." He gave me another shock.

"But father and grandma said that you are..." I couldn’t finish the sentence.

"An orphan." He finished it for me and I nodded stupidly. "In a way I am."

"How so?" I was so curious right now.

"I will tell you some other time. Let’s go back, we have the training to do." With those words, he opened his magnificent wings and flew in the air. I had never seen such beautiful wings on any Fae, not even my father.

I opened mine and followed him. Once we reached back to our training spot. Kilamin informed me that today we will do aerial training. I had done it in school and at the institute. But it had been a while since I had done it with a Fae.

"Serene, today use your magic." As both of us hovered over the lake beside the Crystal trees.

"But I haven’t brought my bow." He conjured a silver bow and handed it to me.

"It will last half an hour." Things he conjured lasted depending on their size. Larger ones disappeared within minutes while smaller ones lasted a long time.

"Ok, let’s begin."

"Try to hit me with an arrow. How many types of arrows can you conjure and how much time interval do you need after shooting one arrow before conjuring the next one?" Kilamin asked while hovering mid-air in front of me.

"I can conjure a variety of them and I have received the time interval down to a few seconds. But I can’t do more than 10 arrows within an hour. They totally deplete me."

"Ok, let’s start. Show me what you got." I arched my bow and aimed.

"Arrow of weakness" I murmured as a dull red arrow formed and I hurled it toward Kilamin’s chest.