by Rachel Crist
I follow the Prelate up more steps at the western end of the room. The other sisters do not follow; instead they go to kneel near the statue. When I glance to my caretaker, her expression is grim.
“I’m under the impression,” the Prelate probes, “that you are here to speak with Scholar Eli?” Her heavy-lidded eyes peer intently into mine. She has done nothing to warrant any fear, but her presence alone makes me slightly tremble.
“Y…yes. He asked me to come visit him.”
She clasps her hands together and nods knowingly.
“Good, good. Scholar Eli has studied the magical books his whole life. I’m sure he’ll be able to help you learn in no time. Just know this, the Willow Sisters take all this very seriously. We have devoted our lives in service to Maker Adon, and we will not tolerate any form of blasphemy.”
My brows snap up. “Oh! I would never, Prelate Rishima. I am beyond curious to know everything and willing to embrace it all.”
Her eyes narrow down for only a moment. “I’m glad to hear that, princess. There are those who have lost faith, and it’s our job to guide them back to see the truth.”
It happens so fast, I could’ve imagined it, but I swear the Prelate glances towards Amah before her eyes return to me.
“You will find Scholar Eli in here. If you find you are in need of anything, do not hesitate to call.”
Prelate Rishima bows her head.
“The rest of you may follow me.”
“Excuse me?” Amah asks quickly.
“Only those who are royal, or Sisters of the Temple may enter. None of you qualify. You should know that, Amah.” The Prelate’s words are crisp and to the point.
I am shocked, and look to my uncle. I wasn’t aware this was the plan. Before Amah can offer a retort, the Regent gives her a stern look, then responds to the Prelate.
“I am glad to join you, Prelate. However, I would ask if Reddik might stand just outside the door. You can understand how cautious we must be with Livia’s return.”
“Of course, Regent Grif.”
I watch them follow after her, Amah’s face red with anger. Reddik takes up his position next to the door. I’m about to say something, but he shakes his head, and motions me to go inside. I can’t help but feel something’s amiss.
I pass through the thick wooden door frame, and enter into a massive domed-shaped room, complete with a clear glass ceiling. I stare wide-eyed at the thousands upon thousands of books stacked in neat rows, all arranged in an orderly fashion. Amah had only a single bookshelf in our cottage. This is well beyond that, and so much more. Each one of these books has to hold its own world of wonders and answers to long held questions about life.
The morning light that shines down through the glass ceiling shows me everything. I scan the room as fast as I can, trying to take it all in. I go to the nearest shelf and run my fingers along the spines of the books. They smell old and dry—wisdom on paper.
“Ah, Princess Livia.”
An old man comes out from behind one of the shelves, hunched over, his gait slow.
“Scholar Eli.”
A smile touches his lips. “It is I. I can see that you are pleased by what you see?”
“Oh, yes! I’ve never seen so many books before. I could get lost for days and months in here, trying to read them all.”
“Or years.” Scholar Eli chuckles at his own joke. “Come. I have gathered some books that might interest you the most.”
I follow him through the maze of shelves to a heavy oak table. Three books are laid out open, displaying their contents.
“What do you know of the magic of old?”
“I know what the four gifts are, and how Queen Bellflower was the first and last to have more than one.”
Scholar Eli frowns. “I’m surprised Amah didn’t share everything with you. Especially since she spent most of her life here at the Temple. No matter, no matter. I will share with you what I know to be a basic explanation.” He rubs his hands together, and has an excited twinkle in his eyes.
“Maker Adon claimed this land, dividing it into four kingdoms. He sent out four of his finest Guardians, and let them build up their own unique lands. Icewyn built up the ice lands in the North. Dryden pushed rock around in his kingdom to form mountains in the East. Acadia loved only himself, and made in the South only a single temple in the desert lands. And, of course, there is Pynth—our Guardian of the West. His love for nature is what makes our kingdom thrive more over the rest.
After a time, Maker Adon called back his Guardians. It was time for men to govern the land. The Guardians each left a single unique gift with a ruler of their choosing. This ruler was the only one left in the kingdom who was able to wield the Guardian’s magic. Until the rulers bore children, then came magic to their children’s children, so forth.”
“So there were multiple people at one time that had the gift?”
“Yes. But only direct descendants. Now the gift of these others wasn’t as strong as that of the main ruler. In fact, their recovery time after using the gift was much longer.”
I stand up straighter. “Recovery time?”
Scholar Eli pulls out a chair. “Here, sit.”
He flips through the pages of the first book, and points to the bottom of the page.
Strength is taken from whomever uses the Guardian’s gift. The one who holds the one true power inherits the strength of the one before. This in turn makes them stronger than they had been, and allows them to recover faster. But anyone with the gift must be wary of using it, for the magic will claim them, bonding to their soul.
“Have you experienced this bonding?” Eli asks.
I think back to the intense headache from healing Oliver.
“I think so. Is this bad?”
“No, it’s not bad. It’s wonderful! You are the one true holder of Pynth’s gift.”
“What about my sister?”
“She will not be as strong as you. That’s if she has the same gift as you. Do we know what gift your sister acquired?”
I lean back in my chair. “No. I actually don’t know anything about her.”
While Scholar Eli sits and ponders for a bit, I lean forward and see the second book has the words Queen Bellflower on the top page.
“The Willow Sisters sang a portion of Queen Bellflower’s song to me on my arrival,” I say. “Do you know why?”
“The question is, princess, do you know why? What part of the song did they sing?”
“An heir will hear your call, her touch shall save us all.”
“Yes. Do you see now? This song has been sung for centuries, speaking its own prophecy. The Willow Sisters were told when you arrived in the city that you bore the violet eyes of our Guardian Pynth. They knew you were the one.”
“The one? You mean this song is the prophecy?”
“Not the prophecy the Eastern King received, but it is a prophecy nonetheless.”
“So they think I’m the one to bring back all magic?”
“Not only magic, but life! You have the gift of healing. So many can benefit from just a touch and a thought from you. It changes everything.”
Trying not to let his words overwhelm me, I flip through more of the pages. I stop when I stumble upon a colorful picture of a young woman dressed in violet robes. Her face is smooth and slender, with long raven locks like my own. When I see the bright violet shade of her eyes, it feels like I’m looking into a mirror. I look below the picture.
“Queen Bellflower? Why, I look exactly like her!” I exclaim.
Scholar Eli laughs. “Which makes their singing the song to you even more haunting.”
I spend the next hour pouring over passages of Queen Bellflower. While I grew up reading about her, this additional information is in more depth.
She was named after the brightest violet flower in the Western Kingdom. A flower that went extinct shortly after her disappearance. It is known to have been made into a healing elixir that was sold to the other kingdoms
.
I read other passages that proclaim her the youngest Western queen to ever rule. Sixteen—the same age I am now.
They say she never married, but had a lover. Even when she became pregnant, the father never stepped forward, and she never uttered a word of who he was.
Her own son was born sick, and he became deathly ill. She found that her spark of magic could not heal the one person who meant the world to her. Desperate, she traveled to the only kingdom that dabbled in the dark magic forbidden in her own land—the kingdom of the Enchanter. When Guardian Acadia left his gift of invisibility, he also left behind a book of spells. It allowed his chosen one to live forever—as long as he remained inside the Temple.
The Enchanter agreed to heal her child, but only if she would sacrifice her gifts. Desperate—she did.
Queen Bellflower traveled back home a mortal, only to discover at the end of her long journey that the very magic she had sacrificed was entirely gone. All the kingdoms were stripped of their magic. When the gift was extracted from the queen, it took out magic from its very roots.
The Northern and Eastern Kingdoms were furious, as well as the queen’s own people. They commanded her to return to the Enchanter, and demand back the magic for their lands.
For weeks she was gone, then weeks became months, and months turned into years. Finally everyone knew she would never return—and she never did.
The council stood in for the queen, doing their best to live without magic—but it wasn’t the same. The queen’s child grew up, and when he came of age the people hoped the magic would return in him, but it never did.
But the new king, having grown up without the magic, took control of his sullen people and encouraged them to be fruitful once again. He grew to hate the Enchanter, and reinforced the law forbidding anyone from having dealings with that devious man, making sure that with even a whisper of his name, one would become cursed.
The people loved their king and kept his commands. They put the thought of magic behind them. But the people never truly forgot, and they continued to hope the magic would return one day.
17
Vera
“Have you ever been sent on a mission?”
Captain Leech has found me sitting alone in front of a small fire, and decided to join me.
“I have not. Usually the captains and commanders are kept from those missions. It’s curious the king sent Bellek out when he did. I have a feeling this war is the beginning of many new things to come.”
“He puts too much faith in my gift. I know what he expects of me. I can only hope I’m able to carry it out.”
“What you did at The Wall reflects what is yet to come. It was powerful watching it unfold, and it will give the commander of the Violet Guard something to fear.”
I pick up a twig and throw it in the flames.
“What do you know about their guard?” I ask.
“I know they have thousands more men than we do. Commander Barrett hasn’t been leading them long. He is young, but he is a sharp-witted bastard. I had the chance to meet him once, when he was doing inspections at The Wall. For years we had been trying to infiltrate them, and had succeeded with a good number of men. In just one visit, he rooted out all of our assassins, and put them to death on the spot. He isn’t afraid of us, and that is something to watch out for.”
“What about the Regent?”
“He’s a Northern Prince, fifth in line for the throne. He is known as a great soldier in his land, and it was the reason he was sent to help govern the West. For so many years the North and West have been allied to keep us behind The Wall. But I know the Regent’s weakness.”
“What’s that?”
Leech shakes his head uncomfortably. “I won’t say. But his right-hand man keeps him in check well enough for him not to break. That man is a Northern Shadow—an elite guard and advisor in the North. He has saved the Regent’s life a time or two. You would never know upon meeting him, but he handles plenty of unpleasantries in the dark.”
“How do you know so much about them?”
“Commander Bellek keeps us captains in the know about everything. We study their men in any way we can. No knowledge is lost knowledge.”
“So why doesn’t the Regent become king? He has governed there for sixteen years now. What stops him from taking the throne?”
Leech presses his lips together, and looks around.
“The one thing the Maker declared in all the kingdoms was that only the descendants of the Guardian’s chosen one can rule. This is why the king holds so tightly to you. He must keep you from just walking over there and placing the crown on your head.”
Leech clamps his mouth shut, realizing he’s said too much.
“Am I the next in line? Is there truly no one else?” I think of the girl in the golden mirror. “Do I have relatives that I don’t know about?”
“You sure are a curious commander.” Ryker comes from behind us, sitting down next to Leech.
I pin him with a frosty glare. “Mind your business, Captain.”
“You are my business, Commander.”
“Oh, Ryker, give her a break. She needs to know what we are up against. Would you have her go in blind?” Leech retorts.
“Of course not. But what does the Western throne have to do with leading our men to victory?”
Leech furrows his brow, but doesn’t respond. I take his lead, and do my best to ignore Ryker. He can only still be upset about King Kgar’s decision to make me Commander instead of him. I refuse to let him get under my skin.
Ryker stands up to leave. “Oh, Commander. A messenger showed up for you. He awaits you in your tent.”
When he turns to leave, Leech nervously glances my way.
“You need me to come with you?”
I shake my head. “No, that would only be worse.”
Especially if it’s who I think it is.
* * *
Bruce is standing there with his hands behind his back. Between him and the king, they both have made my life a living hell. With the king protected by the Scree’s contract, I am guessing he can afford to let his elite assassin travel many miles away from him.
He meets my defiant glare. I will always hate this man who stole me away from my parents’ grasp and brought me to a nightmarish fate.
“I was informed you had a message from the king.”
Bruce brings a box out from behind his back, and sets it on a table nearby, then hands me a sealed scroll. I swiftly take it from him and nonchalantly step back. I crack the seal and unfurl the message.
My Vera, I hope this message finds you closer to achieving my victory. I have decided to allow Bruce to travel with you, to handle some unfinished business of mine. He brings with him a reminder from me to you on what will happen if you try to stop him or betray me. The Scree wasn’t here to save your love this time around. Enjoy.
King Kgar
My blood runs cold as I glance over to the box. I hesitantly go over, and open the lid. A severed hand is lying inside. I cover my mouth. Even now, Marcus continues to bleed for me. I shake my head, an anger burning inside me. I look to Bruce. I could kill him now, and the king would never know.
I ignite my gift over my body, and bring a single thought to my mind. But nothing happens. I try again. Nothing. Looking down to my hands, I’m confused. I feel the hum over my entire body. Why isn’t it working?
Bruce reaches inside the collar of his threads and pulls out a chain hanging around his neck with a bluish red stone hanging down. He sways it in front of me. Whatever it is, it mutes my gift. Seeing that I understand, he places it back underneath his threads, and walks out from my tent.
Shit.
* * *
“Holy hell, I’m ruined.”
“I still can’t believe you continued seeing Marcus.” Murrow spits out his disgust. I’d gone in search of my friends shortly after dismissing Bruce. They have always known of Marcus, but never said much about him and me. Nate always gets quiet whene
ver Marcus is mentioned, and always refuses to give an opinion of him. I made the mistake of asking once, and his sneer was enough for me to not ask again.
“Forget about Marcus. What about the fact that Bruce can deflect my gift?” I ask.
They glance to one another, sharing a look.
“What?”
“Vera, we don’t know anything of the magic,” Nate answers. “We know only to fear it, though no one will admit it.” The others agree. “But I would put nothing past King Kgar to dabble in things that shouldn’t be dabbled in.”
We spend the next few minutes staring into the fire, before I excuse myself to lie down in my tent. It seems no one can really tell me anything.
I lead my assassins blindly, trusting a king who has abused me my whole life. But if what Leech said is true, about the throne being mine in the West, why haven’t my people come to rescue me? What has kept the most powerful kingdom from coming to take me out of the Eastern King's clutches?
I feel suddenly stupid for thinking I could ever live in the West. Why would I even want to live with people who’ve done nothing to help me? These thousands of assassins have had my back more than anyone else in all the other kingdoms. Screw the king and his mad plans; I will take the West for my men and give them what they deserve. It’s the only thing I can control for myself.
18
Livia
Scholar Eli introduces many books to me over the next few days. I find it interesting how the healing gift is able to sustain the lives of kings and queens, extending their rule. This has meant they’ve been able to have many more children, who’ve also inherited the Guardian’s gift.
When I ask Scholar Eli about it, he says there were over a hundred descendants who had the gift at one time. Status determined the strength of their gift. The oldest could heal an entire village in one day, while the youngest could only mend minor cuts and bruises.