I woke up with the sun shining in my face. Groggy, I yawned and covered myself with the pillow; it was too early. "Just five more minutes," I told myself. But that didn't last long.
-Good morning, Miss Aurelia - one of my maids said as she opened the curtains in my room. The light of the beautiful, sunny day was comforting. That warm and familiar feeling that nourished me.
While I bathed in my luxurious bathroom, I couldn't help but overhear my maids' conversation.
"Do you think?" Leyla, a young woman no older than 25, who always seemed to have something to say, whispered.
"I'm sure. The word is spreading. If I were you, I'd pack my things and leave this place," Anna said, with a fearful, almost scared tone.
I couldn't help but want to hear more, to understand what they were talking about. Leave this place? But it was the capital, Aracel, the safest place they could be. They must have had other reasons.
"We should inform our lady..."
"Do you want us to get killed?" Leyla exclaimed in a whisper. I couldn't help but sit up in the bathtub to try to hear better. "It's best to keep a low profile. The princess will be the first to fall, and we can't be around when that happens."
My heart began to race, pumping blood as if there were no tomorrow. Me? The first to fall? What on earth were they talking about?
Someone burst into the room abruptly.
"Good morning. Could you kindly inform my cousin to come down for breakfast? The king has arrived," it was Lorel, evident from her cordiality.
I submerged in the bathtub, holding my breath, until I couldn't take it anymore.
...
King Tobias was an odd person. Short and chubby, one wouldn't think he was in charge of one of the most powerful kingdoms. Still, when my father died, the reign didn't pass to me due to my age, and it went to my uncle. He had ruled for two years, two years during which he had aimed to ruin everything my parents had built. He couldn't maintain his relationship with the West and couldn't negotiate with the North. He didn't send more ships outside the continent for exploration, nor did he bother to alleviate poverty. He simply sat on his throne, listening to the long complaints of the nobles, sipping red wine, and going on vacation to the Drim Islands, known for their extensive and luxurious brothels.
His wife, Queen Isobel, was his opposite. A tall and powerful woman, a magnet witch with the grace of a pufferfish, exactly none. Anyway, I couldn't deny that she always had something up her sleeve; she was the kind of person from whom you could expect anything, and you never saw it coming. I didn't trust her. She had always tried to keep me away from Lorel. Anything I did was wrong in her eyes.
At least in my mother's arms, I found solace from my aunt's reprisals. But since she was gone, I couldn't find that comfort in myself.
Feeling alone doesn't always mean being alone, but I was. Even though Lorel and Clay were there for me, they couldn't understand. They couldn't understand. When I turned 18, I would inherit the throne of Paravell, burdened with misfortunes and unresolved issues. I would have to start forging ties and alliances with old enemies and friends. The weight of the crown would rest on my shoulders, and I wouldn't have my father to guide me.
I still can't believe he's gone. His disappearance will mark its third anniversary on November 18th. Two days before my birthday. I remember the day as if it were yesterday. I woke up with a hangover because I had gone to a party with Lorel and her friends. When I arrived at the harbor, there they were, as radiant as the sun. My mother was beautiful, with hair as black as the night and skin that looked like porcelain. Her features were beautiful and delicate, making her look like a goddess. She was dressed in a long, sleeveless blue dress with delicate silver details that looked like stars. By her side, my father had a commanding presence, fit for a king. His gaze revealed compassion, but also great strength. He was a benevolent and just king, the kind you would trust with your life. He had taught me everything I knew about the world and its people.
I approached them and gave each of them a kiss on the cheek. After many farewells, my mother approached me one last time.
-Make sure those who want your light are strong enough not to burn with it - she whispered, and then she left with my father on their ship, "The Morning Sun."
It's strange to think that they would be gone for two months, and those months turned into years. I tried to push that thought out of my mind; it wasn't the time to cry.
The king lay peacefully at the head of the table, eating bacon and sausages noisily. By his side, the queen sat calmly, eating fruit as always. -Good morning - Lorel signaled for me to sit beside her.
Breakfast proceeded quietly. I had to listen to Tobias talk endlessly about his adventures in the coastal bars of Terisson, a coastal city near the Drim Islands. According to him, he had fought ten drunken Terissonians and defeated them without a scratch. Of course, no Terissonian would dare to harm the king.
...
Getting to school took longer than usual. There was more traffic than normal. When we arrived, my eyes couldn't believe what they were seeing. Saints and gods! Witches of all ages roamed the school as if it were theirs. There were dozens of them, some clustered in groups while others were already making friends with the women.
I fixed my hair using the mirror I kept in my bag, just in case.
-So, you weren't interested in the arrival of the witches, huh? - Lorel teased, winking at me.
I couldn't help but roll my eyes and burst into laughter. The truth was, even though I had said that the arrival of the witches wasn't a big deal, I knew I couldn't walk around looking disheveled because a woman never knows what might happen.
Lorel and I made our way through the crowd, heading decisively to our first class, elemental magic.
I sighed, I had class with Arnold Holland, a teacher I didn't like ever since he, knowing our situation, paired me with Railen to "become friends." That day, I almost ended up without a finger because of his damn metal knives.
-Okay, don't bother taking a seat; today, we're going to get to know each other in the training area - the professor said, indicating that we should all go out through a door to the left, leading to a large training garden. The place had water in fountains for the nymphs to use and metal all around for the magnetos.
Our world had three types of witches and wizards: nymph and nymphadorians who could control liquids, not just water, at will. Some liquids were nearly impossible to control, like blood, for example. It was said that there was a time when nymphs and nymphadorians could stop hearts at will. Then there were the magneto witches and wizards, who could shape and use any known type of metal. They could turn it into daggers or anything they wished. You wouldn't want to get on their bad side, for sure. And finally, there was me, a light witch. I could absorb solar energy and use it as I pleased. Although that wasn't entirely true. The truth was that it was uncontrollable for me. Among all the witches in the realm, none possessed my power. Light witches were extremely rare. It was known to be due to a very exceptional and distinct mutated gene. That's why, in addition to being the heir to the throne and a weirdo, I didn't have real friends. People only approached me to ask for favors, and others didn't come near me out of fear.
In any case, in the elemental magic class, we used the powers we had in common, whether it was controlling the wind, moving objects, creating magic shields, changing the state of things into liquid, gas, or solid, among other common things.
I took my seat next to Lorel, who gave me a warm smile. She was my best friend, the only one I truly trusted.
-Very well, - Arnold positioned himself in the center of all the groups. -Today is an exceptional day for the school because it has never had witches here, so you will pair up, one man and one woman. We'll do warm-up exercises. - I felt a chill run down my spine.
I always hated partner exercises because I had no partner. Lorel had her friends, and I didn't want to be a nuisance. The teacher always ended up pairing me with someone I didn't know, which was a total annoyance.
I glanced to my sides, seeing that everyone was already finding partners. "Swallow me, Earth," I thought. I began to think that the teacher would have to choose for me again until someone tapped my shoulder.
I turned around and couldn't believe my eyes. He was tall, very tall, at least 40 centimeters taller than me. He had very disheveled brown hair, as if it had a life of its own. His eyes were very light green, as if they were painted by an artist, and his nose was so straight and symmetrical that I thought it must be the work of the gods. His full lips smiled at me, and a cute dimple formed.
-Hello, do you want us to be partners? - His voice was deep and intense. -My name is Aren. -
Aren, a lovely name, perfect for him. His eyes looked at me expectantly, and his lips curved again into that beautiful smile.
-Now is when you tell me your name- I snapped out of my reverie.
-Oh, sorry,- I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. -My name is Aurelia.- It seemed strange that he didn't already know, as everyone usually recognized me.
A hint of surprise crossed his face, clearly, that had caught him off guard. He cleared his throat and took a step forward.
-Your majesty, I'm sorry, I didn't know.
-Nobody calls me 'your majesty,' at least not here, - I chuckled, curiosity invading me. -Where are you from? -
-How did you know I'm not from here?-he asked, with his distinctive Gronis accent, a small town near the eastern border.
-First of all, you can address me informally,- I said. I hated being treated formally. -And it's quite obvious from your accent and the fact that you didn't recognize my face,- I added, amused.
Aren opened his mouth to reply, but the professor spoke up.
-Is everyone in pairs? Yes?- We nodded. -Great, well, you should start warming up. Only controlled and small attacks.- He added as he saw the looks exchanged between the witches.
They were known for having more offensive strength, but that didn't necessarily mean more power. And it could be said that they were pretty bad at enchantments; it wasn't their strength.
I positioned myself a few steps from him, ready to attack. When I was about to launch a burst of wind, I felt my whole body being pushed back several inches, falling on my back.
-What the hell!-I got up, furious. -You didn't even give me time to prepare.-
Aren laughed, his facade of total respect for his future queen had disappeared.
-I'm sorry, your majesty, but you should be faster- his egotism shone.
Clearly, anger started to rise within me, along with my magic. I called it quickly and let it enter through my fingers, run through my whole body to my core, my heart. I redirected it to my hands, and, with a quick maneuver, I sent him a burst of wind along with the earth beneath our feet. The gust lasted several seconds, making him take only a few steps back.
-Is that all you've got? - he spat out the words while using his powers to levitate water from a fountain. He formed daggers with the water and cooled it, turning it into dangerous ice. He hurled the daggers at me. Quickly, I formed a shield of magic around me, like a bubble, and the daggers bounced off and fell to the ground.
-Are you crazy?- I shouted. -You could have killed me.-
-Never, Your Majesty. But you need to learn to fight and stop fooling around.
Okay, I'd had enough of this. Fooling around? Me? My father had taught me everything I knew about magic. And he had taught me well. Who did he think he was to teach me more than my own father, the king?
-Who do you think you are?- I called upon the light slowly, this time not absorbing it from the outside but drawing it from within me. It began to emerge slowly, like a spark that needed to be nurtured. I started to feel the light in the palms of my hands as I looked into Aren's eyes. I could see a smile forming on his face. He was enjoying this; it was what he wanted. I got even angrier, gathered as much power as I could in my hands, and shot a beam of light at his handsome face. Before it could hit him, Aren effortlessly dodged it. Exhausted, I looked at him with so many questions in my head. Who was he? Who had trained him like this? He was a much more advanced sorcerer than us, as if he had been playing with his powers for years. I kept spinning my thoughts when a shout snapped me out of my reverie.
-Aurelia!-the teacher yelled, furious. -Only elemental and warming magic! You were lucky that, excuse me, what's your name?- He asked in the direction of that sorcerer.
-Aren, sir.
-Well, you were lucky that Aren could dodge the attack, or we'd have serious problems- I hung my head, mortified. I couldn't believe this darned sorcerer had made a fool out of me in front of everyone. I stormed out of the class, furious and determined never to speak to that guy again.
The path to the library from school was a bit long. By the late afternoon, it was getting a bit cooler, so I had to borrow Lorel's coat that she had brought and wouldn't need. A cool breeze ran down my legs, bringing with it a natural and fresh eucalyptus scent. I really enjoyed walking through the capital. It was densely populated, but the houses were well distributed, allowing nature to thrive in these places. I walked alongside spacious and lively parks filled with cheerful children. I loved the atmosphere here; everyone was friendly and very cordial. Fifteen minutes later, I had arrived. The library was like a huge museum. It had three large floors and was very spacious. It was located next to a well-known bar, where I used to come with Lorel. At the entrance of the library, carved into the white wall, it said: "Knowledge is the only thing that truly makes us powerful." I fixed my gaze on the large letters of that phrase for at least a minute.
There was a faint smell of old books when I entered. That scent made me feel really good. You could say it made me feel at home, much more than in the palace in recent years.
-Your Majesty - a voice said from the reception area to my right. It was Cameron, Clay's apprentice. We used to be real friends because when I used to come to the library as a little girl, he was always there, the same age as me, to read together and have some fun. He was my true friend. Until everything went sour when he confessed at the age of fourteen that he was very much in love with me. I gave him a chance because I kind of liked him too. He was a cute boy at the age of fourteen, not really grown up... but cute. Until one day, I caught him kissing another girl. I cried a lot that day; I was only fourteen and, well, everything is exaggerated at that age. He had been a real jerk, but I wasn't even in love, and the most we did together was exchange a few kisses. Since then, we hardly talked to each other, and he made sure not to bother me after I threatened to have a Royal Guard officer cut out his tongue.
-Cameron,- I headed to the reception with confidence. I decided to be cunning. I would gather as much information about Clay as I could. - Working a double shift?-He stared at me. He seemed to be giving that answer a lot of thought, which made him take longer to respond.
-Yes, my lady. As you probably already know, Mr. Clay had to leave for a while,- he replied as he grabbed some books and organized them on a shelf. He seemed nervous, quite nervous, in fact. I wanted to extract more information, but I let him believe that I believed him. I nodded and walked through the wide and long aisles, with hundreds of books on their respective shelves, some made of fine leather and others of sturdy fabric, which showed how old they must be. I passed by the ancient romance section, then the history of the four kingdoms, the origin of creatures, and information about humans, until I reached the section on legends of our creation, labeled A-33. I had read some of the books in this section, as I was always drawn to legends and was very curious, especially about witches. This section had a few books, but only one was golden, and if I remembered correctly, Clay had given them some attention in his letter. I took the book, which was neither very heavy nor thick, and prepared to sit at a desk in the back, where no one else was sitting, just three people at different tables up front. I sat down and turned on the small lamp in the corner of the spacious desk. Upon opening the book, I was stunned by the information on the first page, which read: April 1453 AD. Oh my God! It was a manuscript and one of the oldest I had ever touched. It must be about 500 years old. The history of witchcraft went back much further, but this must be one of the earliest manuscripts ever made. A feeling of urgency gripped my chest; I felt guilty for not treating the book better. I had pulled it off the shelf as if it was a sack of potatoes. I pushed aside the concern and continued reading. "Not all of us are made for both worlds." Two worlds? I pondered that question for a while and then kept reading. Further down, in delicate cursive writing, it said, "For all those souls who seek knowledge and redemption above all else." Finally, on the right, was the signature of the writer, written in fine yet bold scribbles, revealing the writer's name: Nhimer A. I had never heard of someone named Nhimer, and I didn't remember ever touching this book, which struck me as odd. I was surely the person, aside from Clay, who had read the most books in that library, and I couldn't recall ever seeing this manuscript before.
I carefully turned the pages, delicately and precisely decorated with ink and precious colors in gold and red, with silver details.
The first page spoke of the legend of the beginning of the Continent, the place that contained the four kingdoms: the Northern Kingdom, the Southern Kingdom, the Western Kingdom, and the Eastern Kingdom. We all knew that story, but it was told differently here.
"The beginning of the Continent had its origins before the nymphs and nympadorians learned to wield their water, before the magnetos could even sharpen a knife, and before the witches and warlocks of light could reach the sun. It is known that the gods were not merciful to our race, at least not when creating such monstrosities. When the goddess of death descended to give a kiss to a mere mortal, everything went awry. This is our history."
I turned the page with trembling fingers.
"Neliza, the goddess of death, ascended from hell to wage an internal war against our greatest God, the God of the Skies and the creator of magic. Seeing that she could never defeat him, she decided to strike at his greatest creation. She created mutations in magic, giving rise to extraordinary creatures, banished from this world to the Eastern Kingdom, where no one knows the atrocities that occur. In 1267, a magical barrier was created by three great witches of three different powers. Their union was sustained through that pact and the consecration of their buried bones, where no one could ever find them. The sacrifice of these three witches managed to keep the two worlds separate, the world of good and the world of the unknown, because many things are said to occur on the border. Some say that strange noises, screams, and howls are occasionally heard, unimaginable things. No one has ever crossed the barrier and returned alive because the barrier prevents those creatures from passing, but it does not prevent us from passing."
I closed the book abruptly. I didn't know this, and it was incredibly valuable information. Everyone believed it was impossible to cross, that it couldn't be done. This changed everything because we could find out what was happening on the other side and try to help. Or at least that's what my father would have wanted. He always had compassion for the creatures on the other side. Just because they had mutations didn't make them evil. History had banished them just because they were different. The attacks that are told, the wars, happened only because we were so afraid of what they were capable of that we didn't know how to handle it and we attacked. They had to defend themselves.
As far as we knew, the Eastern Kingdom could be a wonder.
My head was starting to hurt from so much thinking and reading at the same time, so I picked up the manuscript and got up from the chair without making much noise. But I stopped dead in my tracks when a thin and small piece of paper fell out from inside the book. It was easy to read. It was just one word, a name, "Atticus."
Atticus. I knew someone named Atticus. In our kingdom, it was a very rare name, and hardly anyone could have it, but I immediately remembered the Prince of Senthia, the Western Kingdom. His name was Atticus. As a child, I had accompanied my father on a political trip, which I didn't fully understand at the time. When we arrived, the prince had kept me company while the adults talked. Senthia was a kingdom with many things to offer. All the kingdoms had maintained peace for centuries, united against mutated magic. I used to go to Senthia many times and also to Carvados, the Northern Kingdom. I hadn't paid much attention before, but now I knew it was to try to form a strong alliance, not just united by the banishment of evil.
My father and mother were admired by everyone; through patience and honesty, they managed to create a strong alliance with the Western Kingdom. An alliance that would last for centuries, if executed properly. The West had excellent fishing resources and many mining resources as well. It was possibly one of the richest kingdoms in terms of land, so it would be a good match to secure that alliance. Over the years, King Francis of the West and my father became very good friends, so the alliance couldn't be better. We offered them protection, just in case, as we had the largest army of the three kingdoms. But when my parents disappeared and were presumed dead, the relationship between the two kingdoms weakened, and now the situation was very fragile. The West cut off any supplies it offered, and the South withdrew its troops from the border with the east and Lirium, a city in the Northern Kingdom. It was a big mess when it happened. I begged my aunt to establish relations with the West, but she refused, saying that we were strong and didn't need to sacrifice men in a war that wasn't ours. And indeed, it wasn't ours. Years ago, the North rebelled against the West and they have been at war over an extensive territory dispute. My father always wanted to establish an alliance with the North, but it was denied due to his relationship with the West. They had set conditions before, if the West would hand over the disputed territory, they would establish peace and a strong alliance. Francis's pride led to that proposal being rejected, sending everything to hell again. And well, since then until two years ago, the South provided men for the border, for protection.
I decided to take a refreshing shower and think calmly. I needed to clear my thoughts and prioritize. As the hot water ran all over my body, I wondered where that manuscript had been before. I didn't register it when leaving the library; I simply sneaked out, and I was quite good at it. I didn't want anyone else to know that I had it. Besides, Clay had been very careful when handing me the letter, so I suppose he wouldn't want me going around telling this part of the legend.
When bedtime came, I couldn't stop thinking and thinking.