Zero no Tsukaima:Volume18 Chapter4

Chapter 4 - Strategy

Within the darkness, Tabitha was sitting on a bed. Without sleep at all, she had found herself in this place. It's been a full day from the time she regained her consciousness.

At first glance, this place could be seen as a simple bedroom, however, this had no windows and only had one door. The door looks tough and heavy, and it seemed to be locked from the outside.

The strange furniture inside the room could be distinguished as high quality but ... one could not help but think that, this room had been built to confined an aristocrat, in short, it was a prison.

The solid door remained unchanged no matter what she did. Tabitha realized this when her wand was taken, now she was just a small and helpless child. She remembered clearly how Julio had caused her to lost consciousness, as well as just before collapsing, she had seen that girl with a face like her ...

She knew from the first moment she saw her, that she was not created by magic. Is she my twin? Tabitha wonder, though she had never heard of the existence of her sister ...

Then at that moment, suddenly she remembered the stories about the taboo that remained within the royal families of Gallia. For the twins, only one should be chosen to preserve the family name ...

If so, that means the person I saw that day was ...

Anyway, there’s no doubt about it, it was all part of the conspiracy of Romalia.

What happened to the garden party? What is happening out there? What has become of Sylphid? What about my mother? Isabela? What have they done to my friends from Tristain?

In truth that concern overflowed within Tabitha, however, at this time there was nothing she could do.

By looking closely, one could discover at the base of the heavy door there was a small door that was part of the structure itself, then right in front of that tiny door, Tabitha discovered on the floor a platter with bread and dried fruit served with a pitcher of water at its side.

So she realized that the little hole was where they provide her food for now.

“There’s no doubt, this place is a prison.” Tabitha was totally convinced.

It had been a whole day since she had been confined in that place but still the biggest mystery that haunted Tabitha's mind was: “What will be Julio and his evil master aim by capturing me??”

At that moment she heard a sound of "GGRRRRRR" from Tabitha's stomach, in fact, if it not been for that, Tabitha would not remember that she had not eaten anything for over 24 hours ...

Almost instinctively she reached out the food found right outside the door. They may put poison on the food.She thinks back, then Tabitha immediately returned the bread bowl to where she found it.

Right after that, Tabitha began hearing something from the hallway. Those were footsteps making their way towards her. Upon hearing this, the body of Tabitha immediately reacts and quickly she prepares herself.

She heard the sound of the bolt being withdrawn, and then, with a loud screech the heavy door began to open. The one who appeared was none other a handsome young man whose face she had already observed in a lot of occasions, but despite that, Tabitha couldn’t help but feel a little surprise.

Although she knew it was not surprising that he was the one who, from the beginning and behind the scenes, have planned this whole charade, however, presenting himself directly before her, was something that had never crossed her mind.

“First of all, I offer my deepest apologies for what happened.”

Tabitha could only watch Vittorio quietly and intently as he continues. That young Pope, seemed to have no problem appearing before her as he wore a casual linen robe.

The only place where the Pope could exhibit such an appearance would not be other than the mansion that had been commissioned to Romalian government where the ambassador resided.

Then this must be it. This must be that mansion, because if it weren’t, it would be impossible to built a room like this one without her knowing it.

Though, she seemed to hold true hatred against them but at some point they had shown great kindness to her and without his help, she knew it would be impossible for her to be proclaimed as queen.

If she was honest with herself, she couldn’t deny that she had seen it coming: the possibility of Romalia taking actions as excessive as this, but they have gone so far as to prepare a substitute for me. It was something completely exceeded my imagination.

That said, the fact that she had fallen completely in this plan and unable to offer any resistance against this ploy ... Although Tabitha did not want to accept it, she knew that it was all because of her lack of preparation.

“What have you done to Sylphid?”

“She is asleep in the next room.”

“ Where are we?”

“We are in Lutetia, in the mansion assigned to the Romalian ambassador. “ Vittorio informed Tabitha with a calm, almost indifferent tone. Yet, Tabitha came to the conclusion that he wasn’t lying, but also she realized something else. The fact that she found him at this very moment talking so frankly with her, could only mean that the young pope would not allow her to return to the outside world.

“Who's that girl?”

“She is your twin.”

Tabitha's eyes opened wide in shock. Although she had concluded that this was the most likely answer, to hear the frank reality being revealed to her, she had been in shock well above expectations.

She was not the only child, she had a sister with the same face, more like herself ... However, this was not the time to worry about that.

“What do you intend to do with me?”

“I only wish you to provide me a bit of your time to accompany me on a trip.”

“Trip?”

Tabitha never have imagined such a response in this situation.

“Right.”

“Where do you intend to go?”