Chapter 9 #2
Elara didn’t look up once as I spoke, and for a moment, I thought she was purposely ignoring me, until I realised something had caught her attention and she hadn’t heard me.
“Elara.” I took a step closer, and she looked up from the page she’d been reading.
“Mmhh?” Her gaze had intensified, something curious behind those eyes.
“Is something wrong?”
She looked at the page and then back to me.
“I think I’ve found something.”
She carefully slid the old piece of paper across the desk.
“It’s a letter.” I quickly scanned the page.
“Yes.” Elara nodded. “And it’s addressed to King Evrin.”
The ink had faded in some parts and I had to squint to make out the writing.
“It’s from a man called Finnegan. I think he was a friend of the king’s.”
I write to inform you that I have safely returned to Norran, where my estates are well kept, and the town is constantly growing and expanding.
“Norran?” Elara questioned. “As in Norrandale?”
I nodded. “That was the name of the town before it became a separate kingdom, expanding to the entire south.”
I heard news that you plan to close down the mines in the mountains north from here, though I must confess, I do not understand why.
Is that not what we came all this way for?
Have you entirely lost interest in growing the Evernean kingdom?
I wish you would reconsider, but if not, perhaps you would think about selling the land.
I would be happy to fund the mining project for the foreseeable future.
“Rhen once told me that Everness and Norrandale came into conflict over the mountains with the Myrgonite stones. Do you think this is where it started?” Elara asked.
“It would make sense. Maybe Finnegan eventually decided that he would take the mountains by force, severing his friendship with King Evrin.”
“Greed will make people do horrible things,” Elara agreed.
“But here, look at this part.” She pointed to one of the middle paragraphs.
Finnegan wrote about a conversation he and King Evrin had on his visit to Levernia.
Apparently, King Evrin confided in him about Queen Riona and his growing concerns.
I must admit that you do not seem yourself, old friend.
I fear whatever dark magic Riona has got herself entangled with is starting to sink its claws into you.
You must find whatever it is that is giving Riona her power.
I suggest you keep a journal of your discoveries.
It will keep your thoughts in order and help to ease your mind.
I’ve been keeping one for years and writing in it has always brought me a sense of calm.
You can use it to collect information until you find a way to free Riona from this spell. I hope to hear from you soon.
Your friend,
Finnegan
“Where did you find this?” I asked Elara.
“It was stashed in between the pages of an old ledger in this cupboard.” She pointed to the small wooden cupboard in her desk. The desk that belonged to the rulers of Everness.
“Any chance there is another letter in there?” I had managed to forget about the nightmare and why I was there. This was the first piece of information to suggest that the king’s diary truly existed.
“Only one way to find out.” Elara got down on her knees, her nightgown splayed over the floor around her. She pulled all the ledgers from the cupboard and flipped through the pages. I picked up one of the old books, careful not to damage it as I searched for loose pieces of paper.
“I’ve got it.”
“Another letter from Finnegan?” I asked as she carefully unfolded the paper.
“Even better.”
I moved so that I could sit next to her, our shoulders touching.
“It’s written by King Evrin.”
For the first time, it felt as though luck might be on our side and there was a flicker of hope in my chest.
“This is his response,” Elara said.
The page was only half written, the letter incomplete. “He never finished it.”
I am glad to hear you are well and safely returned to your home.
I assure you that I have not forgotten that our search for the Myrgonite stones is what led us here.
But I fear it has become more of a threat to our kingdom than an aid.
Everness is flourishing well now, and I believe it is in the best interest of the kingdom if we do not meddle any further with this stone.
The less people know, the better. As there are some who might be willing to kill for it.
I have taken your advice and started a journal, though it is an effort to keep it hidden.
No one must discover what is written inside.
I think I know what one of the objects is, but I cannot be certain yet.
Riona is a clever woman, and with each day that goes by, I lose more of her.
I don’t know how this will end but I fear it will not end well.
The letter ended abruptly, and Elara and I looked at each other with widened eyes.
“This means the diary must be real.”
“And that the answers to the Myrgonite objects are in there,” I added, and Elara looked at the letter again.
“We have to find that diary.”