⁎*per aspera ad astra⁂

then.

lord and lady devine led a life full of riches and luxuries, their every want at their fingertips. they had everything, except the one thing their fortune could not buy them.

and so lady devine prayed and prayed iphine, mother divine, bless us with a child, and prayed and prayed until her pleads were answered.

but the thing about the universe is that it does not give without taking, for everything exists thanks to the balance. and so lady devine brought to the world a perfectly healthy baby girl, and all it cost her was her life.

lord devine was left with raising a child on his own, but he promised his late wife that he would love her for the both of them.

emmeline grew up surrounded by the kind people who were in the service of her father, her father was a kind and honorable man, respected by those under his orders. and so emmeline grew up the same way. 

it could’ve been so easy for her to be a spoiled girl, after all there was not a want in the world that was not satisfied. but instead she was allowed to help in the kitchen, tend to the garden, take care of the horses. 

at eight years old emmeline had read every written work she could find in the manor, and she had started to take an interest in the finances of the estate. and when she had asked for archery lessons, her father commissioned a bow to fit her size. 

but nothing lasts forever. and emmeline learned that when one night during dinner her father collapsed, sliding down from his chair, dead before hitting the ground.

it was unexpected, gone before his time, emmeline heard people say. no one was able to offer an explanation. he’s with your mother now, they would say, as if that explained anything. how could someone be healthy and strong and then die all of a sudden? emmeline’s mind could not stop wondering. 

of course her bad fortune did not stop there. with her being only eight years of age, a girl, she could not hold on to the estate. it was reclaimed back by the royal family. and if anyone would’ve cared enough about her she would’ve been taken on as a ward. but with not family to look out for her, emmeline was left to the kindness of strangers. 

or the only family she had known in all her life, her real family. the seneschal of her father’s estate took her in, and along with her wife raised emmeline as their own.

emmeline’s inquisitive mind became fixated on helping others, or more specifically helping others not die. she soon showed skill at healing potions and with her passion for reading, she continued to learn about plants and come up with remedies. it wasn’t just treating the sick, or tending to the wounded, soon she was looking into ways to bring back the drowned, the best way to set bones so they can mend. 

when she came of age she turned down her matches, the possibility to reclaiming what had once being hers, and instead joined the halls of healing. there she continued to better herself, until it was clear she was ready to teach others.

emmeline loved seeing the faces of the young healers to be as they discovered how much good they brought into the world. she was finally happy again. her apprentices would be her legacy. 

but nothings lasts forever. 

now.

the explosion could be felt all across town. emmeline had been checking on some of her patients when it hit. after the initial shock she headed back to the halls of healing. they would need to prepare to treat the wounded, but when she arrived the news hit.

no one inside the castle had survived, and they were to focus on those at the outer walls. help those you can, they said. 

the aftermath was worse than they could imagine. the high healer had been in the castle and now they were in need of a leader. the elders gathered and to emmeline’s surprise they named her high healer. 

she had dreamed of teaching others, and now she was being asked to lead them.

emmeline did not notice the change right away. but suddenly overcoming the darkness became a little bit easier, healing others, helping others, became easier. it was radiating from her, magic.

emmeline knows tensions are running high, and people are still trying to find answers. others, plenty other, still coming to terms with their new abilities, and people need help all over. she has a feeling the worst is yet to come.