The next morning, I woke feeling light, knowing I had no lessons scheduled. The prince was busy with matters I didn't understand—discussions with advisors, letters, and meetings, from what I overheard the servants say—so I was free to explore the castle at my own pace. I pulled on a simple dress the maids had prepared for me, tied my short red hair neatly, and stepped into the warm corridors.
I wandered toward the maids' quarters first, hoping to see June, July, and Skylar. When I arrived, the three of them squealed with delight at the sight of me.
"Elara!" June exclaimed, rushing forward and grabbing my hands. "We were hoping we'd see you today!"
"You look… nice!" Skylar added, her cheeks pink as she adjusted her small apron.
"I missed you," I admitted, squeezing their hands. "The maids have been nice to you?"
"Yes!" July chimed in. "They showed us how to set the table properly and fold the linens. It's… fun, kind of."
We laughed together for a few minutes, talking about small things—what they had eaten for breakfast, the games they played in the corridors when no one was watching, and how the maids had given them little lessons in proper posture and curtsies. Even with their soft smiles, I felt a twinge of worry for Jakie. He wasn't here, and as the prince had warned me, the barracks were not a place for women. I didn't dare go there alone.
After a while, I bid the girls farewell, promising I'd come back later, and continued my walk through the castle. My feet carried me across familiar halls and corridors, past the throne room and the main dining hall. I wandered through rooms I had only glimpsed before, noting the faint smell of burning herbs in the air, the polished wood floors, and the way sunlight spilled through the high windows, casting long golden rectangles across the marble.
At the far end of the backyard, I spotted a tower I hadn't noticed before. Its stone walls were slightly darker than the castle, and the pointed roof rose above the surrounding hedges like a sentinel. Curiosity tugged at me, and I decided to explore.
I approached the tower and pushed open the heavy wooden door. It creaked, but didn't protest my entrance. Inside, a spiral staircase wound upward, narrow and steep. I placed my hands on the cold stone wall and climbed, step by step, counting each one quietly in my head. My legs ached slightly from the climb, but excitement pushed me onward.
Finally, I reached the top of the tower. The door at the summit opened to a small, circular room with windows all around. Sunlight poured in, illuminating piles of books stacked haphazardly across tables, shelves, and even the floor. Scrolls rolled like snakes lay between the stacks, and strange markings covered the walls—magic runes, circles, and what looked like incantations written in flowing script.
It was a library… but not like the ones I had seen in the main palace. This was a library of magic.
I stepped carefully between the piles, my eyes wide. The floor bore a large magic circle, etched and glowing faintly as if it had been recently used. The air smelled faintly of herbs and dust, a mixture of old parchment and magic. I crouched, touching one of the runes carefully with my fingertips, and felt a strange warmth hum through the stone beneath me.
I explored quietly, peeking inside open books. Most of the pages were covered with symbols and words I didn't recognize, flowing like a language I couldn't understand. Some pages had diagrams of circles, and lines connecting points in intricate patterns. Others had illustrations of creatures I couldn't name.
One stack of books caught my eye. I pulled one out, its cover worn and red, and blew the dust from its surface. The letters on the page were strange, but some were familiar. I ran my finger along a word and felt my heart skip. Fire. I knew that one.
My lips moved silently as I read, "Fire…" The word resonated in me, warm and strong. I remembered the time, long ago, when I had seen fire magic for the first time, how the flames had danced like living things in the hearth of a home far above the lower town. The memory made my chest ache, a bittersweet longing for a world I barely remembered.
I turned the page slowly, scanning for more words I could recognize. Light. Water. Flame. Some words, I understood only a little. Some symbols looked familiar, echoes of things the prince had shown me or things I had glimpsed in stories. My fingers traced the lines of a magical diagram, trying to memorize the shape.
"This place… someone comes here to study," I murmured to myself, my voice echoing slightly in the circular tower. "But… not often."
I sank onto a wooden stool, letting the quiet of the tower wash over me. For a moment, I imagined what it would be like to learn the magic in these books. To be able to control fire, or water, or even other elements. To have the power to protect myself and those I cared about. My mind swirled with possibilities, and though I knew I was far from ready, a spark of excitement lit within me.
I picked another book from a pile, its brown cover marked with a circular symbol that looked like a magic circle. I opened it carefully. The pages were filled with strange scripts, swirling lines, and tiny symbols. Some were diagrams, some looked like instructions for incantations. I recognized a few words here and there—ignite, flame, spark—and a thrill ran through me. Even if I didn't fully understand it, I could imagine the magic.
I imagined standing in the center of that glowing circle, drawing power from it, shaping it with my own hands. A fantasy, yes—but a comforting one. It reminded me that even in this palace, surrounded by rules and lessons that overwhelmed me, I still had a connection to something bigger: my heritage, my blood, the fire that ran through me, even if I didn't yet know the full truth.
A noise startled me—a soft sound of footsteps on the tower stairs. I froze, my heart thumping. I wasn't supposed to be here alone. Whoever it was might be angry or curious about my presence.
"Who's there?" I whispered, clutching the red book to my chest.
The footsteps slowed. A shadow fell across the doorway, and then a familiar figure stepped in. The prince.
"Elara," he said quietly, his eyes scanning the room. "I thought I told you not to wander alone in areas you shouldn't."
"I… I was just looking," I stammered, my cheeks burning. "I wanted to see… this place."
He stepped closer, examining the books and the scattered parchments. Then his gaze fell on the red book in my hands. "You found something interesting?"
I nodded, holding it out. "I… I recognize some words. 'Fire.' I know that one."
He smiled faintly, stepping beside me. "Good. It's a start. Magic is a language of its own. Each word, each symbol, each circle has a meaning. And one day, you'll understand more than you think."
I blinked at him. "Do… you think I could really… learn magic?"
He looked at me with a seriousness that made my stomach tighten. "Yes. You have the blood for it. But first, you must learn the basics. Reading, writing, thinking. Only then can you shape the elements with control. One step at a time, Lady Elara."
I hugged the book to my chest again, feeling a little braver. "I… I want to try."
"Good," he said. "But next time, tell someone where you are. I don't want you wandering into danger."
I nodded, and together we stepped carefully down the spiral staircase. My mind buzzed with the possibilities of what I had seen, the power that might one day be mine, and the small comfort that I wasn't alone in learning it.