The sun had not yet reached its prime, but the road was busier than ever. Young and old, men and women, every single living human in Mathe had their hand helping each other clean the road that's gone buried under the snow after three days of a dreadful blizzard. While in the corner of the market, five children wrapped in gunny cloaks gathered around forty-five inches girl hidden under her red wool cloak contrast with the snow surrounding them.

"Just like that? Was the old man just dying like that? Aren't you fooling us enough Lady Elaine?" said the boy in front of her. He seems to be the eldest among the five, around ten or eleven and clearly the one most invested in the story.

"Eeii, the old man is not dead but sleeping, right Lady Elaine?" the red-cloaked girl was startled by the other girl's opinion since she once thought the same.

"No! The old man asked for wine, the dead man asked for no wine!" said the youngest boy innocently

"Yeah! My dad drinks a gallon of wine every day for a living. He said alcohol made him alive!" the other one agreed

Her eyes widened full of wonder at the questions she herself had yet answered.

Elaine's thoughts wandered around those innocent minds. Their physical age might be similar, but their mind sang a different song. It's hard to measure the age of a soul that remembered her previous life and the one before. Should it base on both lives or one of the end?

"That's why we called it an open ending!" she added

"Open ending?" the curious eyes of the oldest boy seem to shoot her excitement

“It means... everything is possible. Just like our life, we are yet to know what’s ahead. That old man seems to have abruptly done what his heart desired despite knowing his own limit. In the end, whatever happened he was satisfied and content with the result. Maybe only the skeleton remained from the mighty Marlin, but the honour that skeleton brought with it was remarkable!”

“But my father said only by being a knight, I could bring honour to our family. Since when being a fisherman is equal to being a knight?”

Giggled then the little lady responded, “It’s the price of knowledge you know. The more knowledge you learned, the more you realised that the worth of you laid on yourself. Only you the one have a right to measure it. Being a knight is just as honourable as being a fisherman.”

"Aeehh, Lady Elaine, you must tell a crap again! Those things only a lady like you could understand! For people like us sword is the best!"

Elaine was dumbfounded by their expected response. In whichever world she lived in the rule to change the world was always the same, it required one life as the price. She refused to be the one to pay. Then she walked away, leaving the children to fight with their arguments.

Four years and a few months had passed since she got her first memory along with the other from another space and time. The shock make her spend seven months and eleven days locking herself inside the library after a year of denial and found nothing could relate this world to the one she used to live in. Gave up or not based on her point of view, it was more favourable for her to at least get knowledge about the world she belongs to now. And as if the lingering of the past drives the fear to forget what is not supposed to be forgotten. Elaine wrote all things she could remember and created dozen of books, fiction and non for all twelve seasons after that fall. Most of them were secretly stored in her room and even her nanny couldn't find them. Apparently, there was a secret underground chamber next to the cabinet. It was her father that built it the moment he heard about her unexpected existence. Wilson's patriarch told no souls about it including the daughter he made it for which led to suspicion that he might forget about it himself. Gradually, her old soul seems to accept the reality she faced today.

If it was in her old life, this much coldness was enough to kill her. Yet the body she owns now considers that cold weather as if it's nothing. She breathed naturally and even energetic enough to fool her knight guards and stroll through the market’s alleys all by herself. Elaine knew with or without her knight guards, as long as Morigrad still the land she stood, her safety was absolute. The Raven belongs to her older brother and spread all over Morigrad like spiderwebs. Her silvery-blue hair and dark grey eyes worked as signatures of her identity. If she couldn't get privacy, at least she deserved freedom, her actions spoke louder and travelled to her oldest brother Casper's ears.

"The little lady seems like a noble but why did you walk all by yourself? It's dangerous out here, should I escort you back to your house?" said a friendly man that seems genuinely concerned for the little lady's safety. The gaze of other onlookers was stunned by the man's bravery.

"Is it your first day here sir?" Elaine asked firmly, her voice full of pride and dignity affirming herself as an elegant lion cub.

"How did you know?" the man was surely simple. His intention and emotion written right on his face, Elaine read him with no difficulty as if she read a children's book.

"Seeing your incapability to recognize me and your bravery to stop my way talked directly to me without even bothering to give any greeting. Your action was more dangerous to yourself than this town to me. But I appreciate your kindness, may God bless you! " Elaine might be bothered by the class system in this world, but she got used to it. After all, it’s how the society works here, she thought.

"Who is she?" asked the man to the stall merchant nearby

"What a lucky man you are! hadn't the lady spoken loud enough, you're a dead man by now!" said the old merchant

"She's Lady Elaine Wilson, the fourth of the Wilson family." tell the red-haired woman

"A lady from a such family without a single knight?"

"ye outlander! just because you can't see it didn't mean it doesn't exist!"

"Still, she's quite a rud..."

"SSSStttttt!!!!! Shut your little mouth! It's lady Elaine you are talking about! The jewel of the Wilson family, so says those things somewhere else! don't drag us with you!" said the old man while shoving snow into the outlander.

It's not strange for the townspeople to prescribe Elaine that way. She’s well known to be kind and merciless at the same time. Although all citizens of Morigrad had professionally trained to recognise each of Wilson's children. It was rare for her to roam around the town like today. However, based only on the rumours and how tight the Raven controls the talks about Elaine, it showed how precious the only daughter of the Wilson was. Nevertheless, the people wild imagination added fuel to her reputation.

Enough of being distracted by those kids, now her focus is back on finding her soon-to-be teacher. Her father, Cedric Wilson, the patriarch of the Wilson family offered to invite whoever teacher she wants. Though Elaine stubbornly refused and stated that she herself must find her teacher and decide whether they deserved to be invited in and teach her the knowledge they had. Flabbergasted by his daughter's words, Wilson's patriarch gave his permission to see whether her words were based on confidence or arrogance. Recognition or repudiation would be determined once she's back in the manor.

Far her little feet stepped away from the crowd with shadows trailing her as tranquil as possible. Little Elaine had finally seen the salix tree her brother described. The leaves swung gently blown by the breeze hardly reaching the ground longing for it. It’s mesmerising to witness the green unshakeable by the harsh snowy night before. Two houses from the last alley, a yellow gate with a lemon tree. There was she standing, adjusting her breath and bravery for what comes beyond the gate.

Elaine's birth was quite chaotic. No one prepared for another baby coming out after a boy that's been predicted. The exhausted mother just minutes ago given birth to her pretty baby boy felt another desperate kick inside her and instinctively knew another one was on the way. Having given birth to three boys in a decade, the birth of the baby girl was a shock not only for the parents but for the entire Morigrad. Soon the confusion became a joy and the baby girl get the best name full of wishes and prays, Elaine Margrave Wilson.

Elaine grew into a lovely girl. Nothing outstanding or lacking about her. She inherited the silvery-blue hair of her grandmother and the grey deep eyes of her father. Just like other babies, she cried quite a lot. Yet, it seems like her personality changed around the time she turned two. The crybaby became quiet and reserved. Much that one may think she had been living another century before. There's a void in her eyes and Wilson's trait appeared way sooner in Elaine compared to her brothers. She preferred books over dolls. Her clothes were much but less diverse. One might think she used the same dress over and over again, not knowing the fact that she own ten pieces of identical robes and dresses. When Elaine likes one thing, she would stick to it until the thing is broken or her palate gets bored. 

So did the thing that fuelled her spirit just now. The memories belong to her two lives showed her loved of arts but she had zero talent for it. The butterfly always flew detailed in her mind, yet there was nothing she could do to transfer her imagination into pictures and it frustrated her. Surely when that bored little lady accidentally realised, she could visualize the tickling butterflies in her mind on a piece of paper, she was terrified! The excitement comes a bit later and soon she ran wildly to find her father. With messy hair and disorder breath, she tried to calm herself. Gently knocked the door then she said, 

"Father, it's Ellie! May I come in?" In silence, the door opened. Not even a single creek was produced adding an eerie in the air. 

"Speak!" said the middle-aged man sitting behind the massive mahogany desk. 

"Thank you for sparing me a bit of your precious time, father. But I come here for a favour." The middle-aged man nodded his head, signalling Elaine to continue her words. 

"I believe that I need a teacher, a painter to be exact! Man or woman doesn't matter, an excellent painter is preferred, but a decent one would be fine. Most important in all that he or she must have other side interest other than arts." 

"Okay! I'll find one and invite him to the castle soon." 

"No father, Please don’t bother yourself. Enough to inform me who's the person in your mind and I'll be the one to come to her and see whether she or he deserved to be invited and taught me their knowledge!" 

"Do as you, please. I’ll send John to you later, now leave!" Her father might be short in words, but he's the first father she bows with full respect. Once when she was a James, an orphan, fought in a ridiculous war, and die young age or when she was the little girl called Fei with an abusive father and a terrible future. Parents never be a figure to look up to. She raised herself with the help of some kind strangers that come and go in her life.  Nevertheless, God seems to have mercy for her in this life. Blessed her lonely soul with a good family and reliable parents. For Elaine, those things only were enough. Now, the kind of life she daydreamed of may come to a reality. The kind of life she always thinks about. 

And so, it brought her to the blue gate of the house with a lemon tree in the south corner of Mathe's market. Nervousness crawled into her fingers powered it with excitement knocked on the door she did. 

"Excuse me! Is anyone inside?" 

"Lady Elaine Wilson! You come faster than expected!" Said young man in his end thirties as he walking closer to the gate. He recognized her even before he opened the gate. Elaine surely didn't expect that. 

"Did my father told you about my arrival?" Elaine knew her father wouldn’t touch what belongs to her. She clearly stated that she wanted to be the one handling things. 

"Huh! that old man would never! Those bloody birds did!" As expected the Raven did. 

"Then surely you know the motive of my visit, dear sir …?" 

"BEN! Benedict Welch! I don't know why you have to come this far for a mere teacher. It's an honour, but I can't be your teacher or anyone's teacher! I am sorry you come for nothing." 

‘those damn bloody birds!! Need to find a way as soon as possible!’ Deep inside Elaine’s heart, there were worse curses than what I could describe to you. 

"Would you at least over me a glass of water, and let me explain myself before rejecting me!" 

silence..... 

"I'll go after a glass of water..." Elaine added Ben welcomed Elaine in and gave her the smallest cup of tea in the house. 

"You will surely regret having served me this tiny glass!" 

"huh!" he smirked, couldn’t be cared more. 

"But before that would you mind if I am telling you a bit of a story?" 

"If I mind, would you even cared to listen?" 

"No!" Elaine giggling, 

Leaning her shoulder to the chair she continues, "Once there lived a cursed young lady, trapped inside a small hut with a magic mirror as a company. She told that if she had ever stepped outside the hut and left it behind, then death would come upon her. So, the only way she could see the world was through the magic mirror she possessed. While longing for the vast sky, the glorious mountain, and the massive ocean one day, a knight emerged into her lonely world. Galloping on a white horse alongside his king and cavalry. The mighty knight soon become the excitement she never had. But one thing she hadn’t yet realised was the price for that excitement is a great despair! Over time, she noticed if the knight had been keeping a heart for his queen. A dangerous unrequited love which was prone to herd him into his death! Consumed by agony, the lady ran frantically scorned the curse behind and jumped out the hut eager to meet the man she loved. 'I am here! Loving you with all my soul! Come to me! I would love you more than she could!' that lady shouted into the void. As if the air could transfer her words. Under the willow tree, she found a boat, laying down there as the curse shallow her with every bit of her breath..." 

Elaine paused and take a deep breath, 

..."A longdrawn carol, mournful, holy, She chanted loudly, chanted lowly, Till her eyes were darken'd wholly, And her smooth face sharpen'd slowly, Turn'd to tower'd Camelot: For ere she reach'd upon the tide The first house by the water-side, Singing in her song she died, The Lady of Shalott." She chanted, ...

..."Ok! I have heard your story and your cup was cold, now go!" Damn old man! Elaine cursed, ...

"That was you! The Lady of Shalott, it's about you Mr Welch!" huh... she knew deep in her heart, how clumsy was she just now. Trying to act like a protagonist in the story ain’t easy. 

"How so?" 

"Aren't both of you the same? Just like how much she longed for Camelot, you too yearned for Leoth, aren't you?" Benedict Welch once again trapped in silence. Waste no chance, Elaine took a piece of ginger out of her pocket. 

"I planted it myself! Here is my family castle in Mathe." cheered Elaine pridefully. 

Speechless, the man could only stare at her with eyes full of questions. It understandable since the weather in Mathe was harsh and the soil is often frozen than not. Almost impossible for any kind of herbs to grow, the same reason why Benedict Welch ended up exiled in Mathe, Wilson’s headquarters. 

She knew what he longed for is not Leoth as his home country, but Leoth as a place. A suitable place where thousands of species of herbs can grow happily. Benedict was once a crown prince of Leoth. A country with absolute faith in God and divine power. It was equal to treason to develop medicine in Leoth. ‘lives or dies is God to decide!’ that’s what they believed. And so, for a crown prince of such a country, developing a cure for the long-lasting epidemic priced him his crown and the privilege that comes with it. 

"I asked my father to build me a room a few years ago. The room is designed to trap heat in controllable proportion suitable for the plants I like to grow. I have a bit of interest in gardening, you know. Especially in herbs, fruits, vegetables, anything consumable." Noticed her conviction works Elaine continues, 

"I care not for what are you in the past and what crime you had committed! But I know that my Wilson is strong enough to open that door without war as a price. I have the things that thrilled your dying soul and you have a skill that I wanted to own. So, please Mr Welch, come with me and be my teacher. Then I would be your partner and share with you my knowledge of plants, medicines, and diseases. So do with the facility that I got as a privilege for being a Wilson. With that, there would be no boundaries for your passion over knowledge and I will make sure no one dares to stop you except for me." 

The man stared at her empty cup and smiled, “Come back and I’ll come to see you in two days. I want a room close to the place you grew those plants. And you have to make sure your father is informed that I will only be responsible to teach you and take care... how again you call that heating room?”

“Greenhouse.” 

“Yeah, greenhouse!” 

“Absolutely! You won’t regret it!” 

 “Now go!” 

“Thanks for the tea.” Sparks glittered in Benedict’s eyes. He knew by the way she thanking for the tea instead of his willingness to become her teacher that her words value her life. That is how the Wilson was, they only are thankful for what others gave them, but not for the things they’ve been paid for. A Wilson’s word guaranteed by blood. 

“And then what happened with that cursed girl? Does she die?” asked Ben on his way sending Elaine off. 

“No! Apparently, she became some kind of spirit and save the king.” 

“Who’s she again?” 

“A lady from the far land of Shallot.” 

- 

Deep inside her heart, Elaine wonders if it's alright to mix up some myth with quite remarkable poetry like that. 'It doesn't feel right inside, but who cares? It's not like Tennyson would crawl out his grave and debate me for that!' she laughed. 

"How was it, Judy?" Her nanny, Judith been waiting for her under the salix tree. 

"The Raven had kept their eyes wide open. it would be difficult, but it may work for Mr Barson as long as you show him your true self, my lady." 

"Well done Judy! I'll take care of the rest, now let’s head back to the castle." 

"How was it, my lady? did you find yourself a good teacher?" 

"I told him that I would share my knowledge in plants, medicines, and diseases if he let me learn things from him, but he neither laugh nor doubt me." 

"Was that made him a suitable teacher?" 

"Although I am a Wilson, I am only six. No matter how talented a child was, telling they have that much knowledge to share arrogantly, a prideful man will look it down or doubt me at least. Yet that guy over there sees me as an equal. He might unsure, but he is open-minded enough to listen and observe before concluding. That trait he had is a pearl of wisdom and it's the thing that made him qualified enough to be my teacher." 

Judy nodded. 

This world that I lived in, is a wonder more than Bermuda. Certainly not renaissance even though I wish It is, and not anything like the modern age that I used to live in. I wasn't even sure if I am still on the same planet that I know. Regardless I am still living on Earth or not, I am sure many aspects of the world that I used to know were perfectly integrated into this world balanced by the strange things it possessed and form an authentic world of its own. I refused to believe it at a certain point, but I saw too much madness with my very own eyes to deny it all along.

This vast land of Iperios is better described as a single massive continent with archipelagoes surrounding its southern border. It was the world that was not limited by the sphere I used to call globe, but it was smaller and bigger than any concept of space I have ever known. 

There was much speculation about the shape of the continent itself throughout generations from the dragon to the devil, but of course, nothing is set in stone. Since they have no such thing as big as a satellite to capture the portrait of enlightenment. Iperios itself is divided into three parts. The Kingdom of Leoth in the down south, The Kingdom of Stygian in the West, and  Zoex in the western part. Both kingdoms were pretty much monarchies in many ways despite their differences. Zeox on other hand is a special case. With the Moon River cut straight through its northern border, complimented by the widespread mist and fog covering whatever was it in the other parts of the river. The river itself had zero sense of logic. Located in the northern part of the land it started on the west coast and ended on the east coast. Straightly divided the continent and the mistland like an equator line.

A long-long time ago, when the world had just ended a long state of war and settled their first territorial agreement, three of the old noble families, two of those who were the descendants of both royals choose to leave and claimed the land in the western part of Iperios. They divided the territory among themselves and govern the land based on their will without setting any conservative monarchies like the two other parts. Clive, the military and martial arts family from Stygian was the direct descendant of Stygian's royal family. So did Tamerlan, the richest merchant family from Leoth was also part of Leoth's royal family. One of the three powerful families in Zeox that's not descendants of the royals is Wilson, my family. Wilson's history was way older than any historian could ever trace and only the main Wilsons were allowed to access the knowledge of it. Me myself yet have any right to access it despite being born as one of the main.

In this world, every family had their own long history and often focuses on one or two things they are good at through generations. Some families revolved their life around swordsmanship like the Clive some others known as the famous merchant family like the Tamerlan. Not to forget Fletchers of Stygian, the armour maker, annoying mages of the Panthers, and many more. As for Wilson's reputation lay on the knowledge and history we possessed. No one knew Iperios more than the Wilsons. It was wider and deeper than any part of the Moon river. The knowledge that thrived through generations combined with the pearls of wisdom maintained in the family provides us with enough wealth and power and eyes to keep the world in check.

My family, the current Wilson had five children. My father is the patriarch Edward Wilson. A complicated man with a complicated life. I respected him as a father and mentor since I didn't have one in my previous life. My mother, Eleanor Clive Wilson, despite being one of few sword masters of her generation, is very much a prankster that feels more like an older sister than a mother to me. Her free-spirited soul flew like the wind in the fall, she’s nothing like a mother. I had a deep connection with my mom from my previous life, thus it's hard even after these years to see her as a mother, instead accepting her as an older sister suited me better. I had three older brothers and one of them is my twin. The Eldest Casper Wilson is ten years older than me. He spent most time away from home since he is the head of Raven, the Wilson information agent. He had a big responsibility to maintain thousands of heads working under his command. He was the one who gave me the most headache whenever I tried to move under the family's radar. It feels like everyone in the family, even the stable boy was one of his eyes.

Matthew Wilson, my second brother is seven years older than me. A passionate young lad obsessed with his swords. Mother that came from a swordsman family eagerly taught him everything she knew and my dear father seems to always be in trouble to keep his fiery son on track and get a proper manner along with his muscles that grew stronger. Matt (or should be called Mad instead) was the one that revived our weak order of knights. The Wilson may be great in many aspects, but for the last few decades, we were weak militarily compared to other families. Thanks to Matt now our safety seems to be in the proper hands.

My third brother which also my twin, Peter Wilson is now seven years old. He was the genius in the family. Almost everyone was convinced that he might be the next patriarch. Not only that he masters all the books from the three level of the tower at such young age, but he was also wise enough to have a deep insight into people's mind. He too had the talent to make everyone stand on his side and of course, I, Elaine Wilson had a part in it.

As for me Elaine Wilson, the only daughter of the Wilson, the fourth of the family, is a very well-known lazy bunny who wants to do nothing but doze off all day long or hang around my greenhouse surrounded by the bugs and herbs. At least, I wanted to keep that image of mine as long as possible. The last is the youngest of our family James Wilson or maybe Jemima Wilson, our soon-to-be siblings. There was nothing much I could tell about him right now, but all of us were anxiously waiting for this little monster.

Inside the Wilson, else from the main there were also the elders that hold power in the family. They were uncles and aunts of mine. The much older generations that are alive have the right to speak but not to vote. The vote often uses for many things, but the decision made by the patriarch would be absolute, with or without the vote. And the power within the family is not to be equally shared, it's to be achieved and hold with the very individual own power. Thus, whatever tranquil image the Wilson had, we were just as barbaric as the Stygian. I believe Leoth didn't differ that much. Anywhere in Iperios, only the strong ones survive.