Chapter 16
T he next day, I headed over to the office for Lady Mallard.
I struggled with sleeping, so when I gave up on the idea, early into the night, I dug through old books from lessons.
I found one that mentioned that the Oracles of the Gelid had a large temple in the Frosted Forests, and it said that they were keepers of magical secrets.
Since Lady Mallard was from this region, I hoped she would have information about them.
I needed to be cautious. I couldn’t risk exposing Spencer, but we also needed help.
I reached her office just as she was approaching. Perfect timing.
“Princess Lyla! What a delightful surprise to see you in this area of the castle.” She provided a warm smile for me and held open her door. “I was just about to take tea; would you like to join me?”
Lady Mallard may have only been a few years older than me, yet there was something timeless in the way she moved.
The world around her seemed to slow just enough to listen when she passed.
Her golden eyes shimmered like sunlight caught in amber.
She wore a high-collared blouse tucked into a deep green walking skirt, both finely embroidered with mountain flora reflecting her home in the Frosted Forests.
A fitted waistcoat in dove gray gave her the elegance of a noblewoman, but the braided ribbon in her dark, loosely pinned hair whispered of older traditions.
She looked every inch the learned lady of court, but the air around her hummed faintly, like a forgotten spell waiting to be spoken.
“Thank you, Lady Mallard. You are most gracious. If you don’t mind, I’d love to join you.”
“Certainly. Right this way, the kettle should be ready shortly.”
She showed me to a sitting area in her office. The room featured hundreds of books lining the walls and a desk positioned in front of a window overlooking the horse pasture. In the far distance, the permanently snowcapped mountains of her province rose to meet the sky.
She poured two cups of tea and brought over some tea cakes with the cups. I took a cup and sipped from it.
“While I most certainly adore this visit, I have to say I’m a bit surprised. Your parents rarely sought an audience with councilors on a whim. Is there something I could help you with?”
“My deepest apologies on the intrusion, Lady Mallard.” I started.
“Oh, please, call me Juniper. I understand and appreciate formalities, but I prefer you use my first name.”
She smiled at me with this extension of friendship. Juniper had been a councilor for only three years, replacing the aging councilor from her area at that time. She was the youngest councilor, at just 27 years old, not too much older than me.
“OK, Juniper it is. Thank you. You may call me Lyla.” I returned her smile. In a different life, I wondered if we would be fast friends. The formality of court had held such a relationship at bay so far, but maybe with my coronation and our working relationship, it could change.
She nodded her head, accepting our friendship, but remained silent to allow me to continue.
“I am here to seek information and perhaps find some answers. Are you familiar with the Oracles of the Gelid? ”
Her eyes widened for a moment, and then her face returned to a pleasant neutrality. “Why do you ask?”
“In my preparations for ascending the throne, I’ve been revisiting some old history lessons, and their story intrigued me. I hoped maybe you have more information on them since their temple is in your province.”
The lie slipped so easily off my tongue, I almost felt guilty for it. I couldn’t trust her with too much information just yet. I liked her, but I didn’t know what she might do with what Spencer could see.
“They are a relic of our history books. I think I have some texts on them, if that may help you with your curiosity?” She moved to a nearby bookshelf and started looking for the books she intended to offer me.
“It most certainly can. I’m curious. Do you know if they still practice? Is the temple still used?” I watched her body language. Her face wasn’t visible, but her back stiffened a bit. It seemed this has struck a nerve.
“They might, I’m not sure.” She pulled out two books and turned around. “I think these might help you with some of your questions.”
I looked at the books she hands me. They were both old tomes focusing on the first few hundred years of Elthas, not the information I was seeking. “Thank you. This could do it.”
It was hard to hide the disappointment in my tone. I felt like it’s a dead end here. Maybe there wasn’t a way to reach out to the Oracles. Maybe they weren’t there anymore, but there had to be someone who’s familiar with this and knows, since Spencer’s mother met them, so how could I find them?
Juniper stared at me, even as I looked through the appendix for the information I hoped to find. “This isn’t what you hoped for, is it?”
I shook my head. I knew I needed to share something to get her trust. Maybe with her trust, she would offer actual information.
“I recall a tutor once sharing a story with me about the Oracles and how they could help some people with their choices in life. It might be foolish, but I was hoping to get some guidance.”
I mentally crossed my fingers, hoping that inspired curiosity if not trust.
“Ah, I see.” She offered a smile as she sat back down, picking up her tea. “Worried about which man to choose?”
“In a way. I want to make sure I build a solid foundation so that my time ruling Elthas brings about prosperity and good fortune.”
“A wise and noble desire, one that many heirs before you worried about as well. Surely, your tutors and your parents have offered guidance on these worries?” She stared at me expectantly.
“They have, and their wisdom is invaluable, but there is one topic no one has brought up before, and it’s become pressing. The Oracles of the Gelid seem to be the best place to seek to help with this.”
She placed her cup down. “People shunned and exiled the Oracles because of their insistence that magic would return. We all know and have been taught that magic only existed until the Last Great War and faded away because of how detrimental it was to not just people, but all of nature. Your topic wouldn’t have to do with this, would it? ”
I tried my best to keep the panic from showing on my face. We hadn’t outright said it, but Spencer’s gift for seeing these hazes seems to be one type of magic that the Oracles of the Gelid tried to preach about.
“Lyla, it’s fortunate that only I am your audience. We will have to teach you how to control your facial expressions better so that you won’t be so easy to read during council meetings.”
My cheeks heated with embarrassment.
“Please, Juniper, I need to keep this contained. Are you able to help me? Or do you know how I may meet with the Oracles of the Gelid without drawing attention to it?”
I looked her in the eyes and allowed my fear showing through, hoping that the honesty of emotions helped to encourage her to choose to help .
“I can offer you what information I know, but I’m afraid that we need to either leave within a few days to visit or wait until spring. Visiting them during the late fall or winter is deadly. The weather and mountains are too treacherous for most.”
“I will hope that you can offer the information needed, then. We do not have the luxury to leave now, and I should like to have this resolved before the spring.”
“What information are you seeking?”
I sucked in a deep breath. “Have you ever heard of someone seeing hazes around a person, like a cloud that reflects their energy and even their emotions?”
I studied her face. She didn’t speak immediately; I could tell she’s deciding how much to share. After what felt like an entire lifetime passed, I started debating if I should leave. Finally, she answered.
“You are right; the Oracles of the Gelid are best positioned to help with this issue. It’s not you, though, is it?”
I looked down. “It’s not, but I promised I wouldn’t share who it is. Their mother had a similar gift and told them only enough to know that talking to people about it is not wise.” I hoped she didn’t press me on who it was.
“Their mother is wise. May I ask, why did they share with you, then?”
“They have worry about me. Someone else has a weird, disconcerting haze. The omen they felt from the haze recently seemed to intensify rapidly, and we realized we needed to know more about what they were seeing.
“Well, I can tell you this much. What you have shared this far tells me that your friend likely needs to spend time with our Oracles. Are they able to leave in the next week?”
My mind spun as I paused to consider this. I shook my head, my shoulders sagging in disappointment. Spencer needed to be here for this tournament. “Is that the only hope of learning more about this haze?”
Juniper thought for a bit. “Let me propose this. I will write to the Oracles to send someone here and send the message off today. I sense this situation will grow if we don’t get their help. In the meantime, can your friend come meet with me? I can begin with the unshared history.”
“What history have people not shared?”
“Oh, my sweet Princess, history is written by the victor, and the Oracles of the Gelid were not victorious in their efforts. There is much for you to learn. When can you let me know if this friend can meet with me?”
“I will have your answer tomorrow. Thank you, Juniper.” I stood to leave.
“My dear Princess, if my suspicions ring true, it will be me who owes you all the gratitude.”
She bowed to me. “I will tell only the Oracles of this, and I recommend you keep this secret limited as well, especially in discussions outside this room. The walls have ears, and your friend can’t afford to have the gift known in this castle.”
“Yes, of course. I will see you tomorrow.”