The state of the Quinlea manor was something Saffron did not expect. She knew that the Quinlea fortune had diminished over the years, especially since Lord Quinlea's passing two years ago, but she had never expected the building to be in such a state of disrepair.
With Silver focused on his knighthood, the manor was managed solely by his father's aid, Vernon Quirrell, who was an old and gnarled man. It was clear that age had left him unable to manage the responsibilities that came with running a manor. There was barely a servant in sight.
"Ser Quinlea, do you not visit the manor often..?" Prince Conley asked, looked more than a little confused.
"Rarely. I have my duties elsewhere," Silver replies with a hint of bitterness in his voice.
It became very clear to Saffron why Silver did not visit home often when they stepped inside the manor. The walls were lined with paintings and most of them featured Lord and Lady Quinlea. It would have been a terrible reminder of what he no longer had, every time he stepped inside.\
The interior of the manner was well kept, but it was clear that Quirrell had not replaced broken or worn items for a long time. There were empty areas where broken items were missing and a lot of furniture and carpeting were far past their best years, with wood faded and scratched, and tattered upholstery.
"Where is the box stored?" Prince Ash asked, his voice sounding bored.
"It is in my father's room, in his safe." Silver answered, an edge of annoyance in his tone.
The group followed Silver upstairs as he led them to the box. They stood in front of an old painting, an image of Lady Quinlea was smiling back at them with a small kitten on her lap. Silver reached beneath the frame and hooked something with his finger. A groan sounded and the painting came away from the wall on a hinge, almost knocking Prince Blaze down in the process. Behind the painting was a hole in the wall, the opening was tightly packed with thorny vines.
"My father had an affinity for poisonous plants." Silver explained as he waved his hand, causing the vines to separate, "That is another reason he was suspicious that my mother was poisoned. He was very well informed about the types of poison and their symptoms."
As the vines cleared, Saffron could see a silver box. It was not a large box, but it was clearly too big to be a just a jewellery box. Silver leaned into the cubby and retrieved it, turning back to the group. He held it carefully, as if it was dearly precious to him.
"I am not quite sure what I was expecting, but it is not nearly as ominous as I thought," Saffron commented as she examined the box.
Silver held it out to her, letting her take it gently from his hands. They retreated to the study next door, seating themselves around a dusty old table.
"So, what have they done to try and get this open before?" Blaze asked, watching as Saffron carefully set it down on the table.
"We have looked for a key, tried to use magic, called in wizards and even tried to brute force it open. Everything has failed thus far," Silver explained, watching Saffron's hands carefully as she swept a finger across the leafy pattern.
"Hm... May I take a look?" Blaze asked, holding his hands out to take the box.
Silver gave a nod, watching anxiously as Blaze picked the box up and turned it over in his hands. He took some time to examine it, first checking every inch of it visually before feeling it with his hands. When he could not find any way to open it, he hovered a hand over the top, a small red glow emanating from his palm.
"Hmm, how peculiar. This box is enchanted..." Blaze said quietly, a puzzled expression on his face.
"That's impossible. We have had one of the best wizards in the kingdom look at the box, and he could find no enchantment to break."
"Well, that's because it is not a fae enchantment, nor is it strictly magic based," Blaze explained, sliding the box back into the center of the table, "It appears to be a blood-based seal. I'm guessing its made to open only for a relative of the enchanter."
Ash swipes the box from the table and also holds his hand over it, making Silver flinch. Saffron grabbed his wrist gently, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Silver seemed to relax at her touch, his shoulders slumping uncomfortably. Prince Ash was clearly the brother that he trusted the least. Not that Saffron could blame him. Ash emanated arrogance even at first glance.
"Humph... It seems you are correct, brother. This is a complicated enchantment too," Ash says, setting the box back down and glaring at Silver, "Was your mother competent with magic?"
"She was on track to enter the Fauna Mages' Academy before she met my father," Silver replied, returning Ash's icy glare.
"Well then," Saffron said quickly, attempting to ease the tension at the table, "How do we break this seal?"
"It is fairly simple, the box will need a drop of blood from a descendant in order to open," Ash explains, "Even a fool could work that out."
Saffron's lip twitched as she fought back the snarl she wanted to give him. She slides the box toward Silver, tapping the top gently.
"You should try," She urged him, "Your wound from earlier should be easy enough to get a drop from."
Silver nodded and held his hand over the box, rubbing gently at his healing bite until it bled again. He let the drop fall onto the silver box. A sizzling sound filled the room as the blood seemed to boil on its surface, but the box did not open.
"That's peculiar..." Blaze commented, both him and Ash reaching to check the box's enchantment again.
"The seal has been half-undone," Ash explains, beating his brother to it, "There is a second blood seal..."
They exchange a confused look for a moment.
"My father is no longer among the living, so if it is his blood we need, we are stuck," Silver sighed.
"No, if that was the case then your blood would have unlocked both halves of the box... This is someone unrelated to you," Blaze ponders.
The room is filled with quiet muttering as Silver discussed possibilities with the Princes. They are interrupted by the sound of sizzling once more, accompanied by the click of a lock opening. They look quickly to see Saffron holding her hand, dripping with blood, over the box.
"How did you figure that out?" Blaze asked, curiously.
"Well... Lady Quinlea was close to the Queen, and my mother had a good grasp of her magic, so..." Saffron explained, looking a little sheepish.
In reality, she had taken a shot in the dark, and it had worked out better than she expected.
The room was silent. Nobody moved as they looked at the now unlocked box.
"Silver, would you like to open the box..?" Saffron asked gently.
Silver swallowed nervously, reaching out to take the box into his hands. He carefully lifted the lid and peered inside. The box held only a small book and a needle coated in a dried blood-red substance. The silence in the room was palpable as Silver tipped the book and needle out onto the table. He opened the book carefully, his face screwing up in frustration as he flicked through the pages.
"There's something written in here, but I can't understand it..."
Blaze took the book gently from him. Ash leaned over his brother's shoulder as they both examined the strange writing inside. It was nothing like anything Silver had seen before. It was not the Fae ancient tongue or the common tongue. Saffron strained to see the pages, unable to get a good glimpse from her seat beside Silver.
"This is written in Old Phoe," Blaze explained slowly.
Ash snorted, looking amused.
"Looks like the Queen has made this deliberately difficult for us."
Saffron sighed, holding her hand out for the book.
"Give it to me."
"Hah, you want to see it?" Ash asked, a mocking edge in his voice, "Be our guest."
Saffron caught the book as Ash threw it carelessly towards her. She shot him a glare before she opened the book and glanced at the pages. At first, the words confused her, but as she continued to read, it was as if they changed before her eyes into the Common Tongue. She gasped, her eyes wide.
"What is it, Saff?" Blaze asked, looking alarmed at her reaction.
"I can read this..." Saffron murmured, looking up in amazement.
"Impossible!" Ash snorted, folding his arms.
Saffron held the book up, crossing her legs indignantly as she began to read from the pages.
"Dearest daughter, if you are reading this as I had hoped, I have been long gone from this world. It has taken a lot of trouble to get this book into your hands. Lady Quinlea and I are in grave danger, and I fear for the safety of you and Silver in the future..."
"And how do we know you aren't making this up to sound impressive?" Ash goads, a smirk on his lips.
"Brother, let her read," Blaze scolded him, lightly hitting Ash's shoulder with the back of his hand.
Saffron sighed softly as she continued to read.
"You were unfortunate to be born more Phoenix than Fae. I was blessed with wings, but despite your heritage being mostly Fae, you lack the visible characteristics save for your ears.
It is bound to give you trouble, especially once I am gone. Your father loves you dearly, but he is a cowardly man who is swayed by the court. He does not know of my heritage.
Lady Iris Quinlea has been by my side since we were children. She is the only one who is aware of our lineage. She has been my closest aid and confidante all my life. Please treat her son well. I trust you have found each other, as is the key to opening this box. It is my hope that you two shall come to be as close as Iris and I.
It is another secret that we hold that shall be our undoing. Do not trust Consort Magenta. She has long coveted my seat at your father's side, but she has no affections for him, only a lust for power. I will impart upon you the secret we will likely take to our graves, along with our only real evidence, but you must be careful what you do with it. It has cost us our lives. Do not let it cost you yours.
Princess Blossom is not your sister. I came across Consort Magenta and a young servant of about her age many months ago. I was certain she had not seen me, and I kept out of her business. It was not my concern what she did with her life. It was when she became pregnant that I began to worry, and I believe she had the same concern.
I found her writings in the library shortly after Blossom's birth. It was mostly incoherent, but it spoke of how to fake a birthmark. She caught me reading them and cast them into the fire. That was when I became her target.
I deeply regret asking Lady Quinlea to investigate. She found the needle, but Consort Magenta caught her leaving the nursery. We believe the child's royal birthmark is a fake. Tattooed by the Consort in a desperate attempt to hide her infidelity. We have enclosed the needle in this box. You may be able to use it as evidence against her, but you must ensure there is no room for refute.
It was not long after this that the first attempt to kill me struck. I was stabbed by an assassin in my chambers. Naturally, I would be dead if not for my heritage. I could not tie this back to the Consort, but I have no doubt in my mind that she was responsible. The second attempt came from a poisoning. I have no doubt that the Consort will keep trying to kill me until she succeeds. Without enough proof, I cannot tell your father. He is enamored with the woman and will believe nothing bad about her.
It is now that I should reveal the one crime I am guilty of. I know that I shall die soon, and it is likely that Lady Quinlea will too, in order to tie up her loose ends. Blossom is an illegitimate child and she holds no true claim to the throne, but whilst your father believes she is his, there is always a chance she will get ahead of you, especially with the court against your status as Crown Princess. For as long as I live I will fight to ensure you inherit what is yours. In order to make sure you will never be threatened, I have poisoned your father. He will not die, of course, but he will bare no more children. I will not allow another child to threaten your position, whether it is Consort Magenta's or some new woman who comes to replace me.
I do not know how much time I have left, but I will spend every moment with you. Should I find anything else that will be of help to you and Silver, I will include it in this journal.
Whilst you two may not even remember us anymore, we want you to know that we love you both.
Live long, live well and rule with compassion.
- Queen Oriane Fae and Lady Iris Quinlea."
The room was silent as Saffron finished reading. Her voice was hoarse and her eyes brimmed with tears. Silver seemed just as emotional, though he did not cry, instead he shook with a mixture of rage and sadness. Saffron set the journal down on the table and turned to look at Silver. He had seen her cry many times over, but she had never seen him show such emotion. She embraced him gently, patting his silver hair as she tried to help him calm down.
She heard a bang as Prince Ash slammed his hands down on the table and stood abruptly, but Prince Blaze caught his sleeve, stopping him in his tracks.
"They are emotional, let them calm down," She heard Blaze murmur to Ash, who uttered an indecipherable growl in response.
It was only when Silver stopped shaking that Saffron released him.
"Are you alright..?" She asked him softly.
"Yes. I think so," Silver answered slowly, his voice still sounding a little shaken.
Saffron turned back to the Princes, wiping the tears from her cheeks.
"It seems my father was not the one responsible for this..."