Letters, deeds, books and scrolls. Alia was buried deep among these! She sighed to herself as she stretched to place a sheet on top of the ever growing stack. The door to her study was open and so was the window behind her overlooking the expanse of the castle courtyard. A soft oval, decorated with blossoms and low cut grass. Its beauty however remained unappreciated by the busy queen.
"Yes?" She asked to the table of paper work.
A tall, slender boy dressed stiffly in a burgundy trimmed coat and matching boots had stumbled in and hurried to bow.
He straightened himself.
"Your highness, the falcon transporting the princess to Delorel has returned, without the carriage!"
Alia had barely lifted her eyes to assess him when...
"Letter! Letter," Silverus scampered in, waving around a small envelope. "It's a letter from Elrod!"
She reached out an eager hand to seize the letter. Ripping it open.
"We are in grave danger your highness, the beast of Gauberhodgy, Gauberii, was awoken and by some ill luck has made us its target." She made a face. "Who would awake such a beast in a time like this!"
"But your highness, you did ".
Her eyes fell to the cankey's.
"Excuse me?"
"The prince of Delorel sent a letter asking your permission to awaken the beast as a protective mechanism in the event of an attack". The cankey pulled a scroll from the other side of the table, unrolling it to reveal her signature.
Her mind wandered back to a few days earlier, specifically, the moment she refused Lord Oldin's help.
"Argh!" Alia pressed her hands to her head. Sighed.
"So how do we put it back to sleep?"
"You your highness, only you can command him to sleep again". she was about to question him further, only Lord Oldin presented himself at that very moment.
"Your highness, I have received word from Delorel, they are under a siege and Lord Roland has forcefully taken Princess Orpha".
"WHAT!!!" Her voice reverberated around the castle walls.
She was halfway out of her seat, when she suddenly felt her strength evaporate. Falling back into the chair, she released a huge breath, massaging her temple.
"What should we do?" Her voice was hoarse in distress and frustration.
"Fret more for princess Dira, Lord Roland would not dare harm the princess, not now anyways, but Gauberii is a monstrous thing".
She heard their words but she could not as much as move a bone in her condition. She felt as though her whole body had given up all hope. When she finally found the strength to stand, she strode purposefully towards it.
The scepter!
It pulsed softly, the blue glow illuminating Alia's face. It was a sign of hope to the people of Gauberhodgy, to Silverus. A weapon used in times of need. But the longer she stared the more uncertain she felt. What if she could not do it!? What if she was not worthy. What if the scepter exposed her for what she really was, a fraud.