.Eyes Of Void.

-24-

Why is she so hard to find?

Not at the elm, not with Arial, not in the mages' quarters.

I was walking to my last chance spot, the archive room.

That's the last place I haven't looked and when she could be, I've been searching for so long.

I even had the time to fixate the plans that we've been whispering about with Eleric and still haven't found her.

"Mage you down here?" I called down when I was still at the top of the stairs, still going down them even if it was not sure I'd find her.

"Highness." I heard her voice greet back and I saw her sitting in the armchair that was down here.

"Ah I was looking for you and I couldn't find you in your usual spot, this was one of the last places I came to check out." I said, saying it was one of the last instead of it being the last one to not seem that desperate because I knew if someone said that to me I'd feel bad.

"What is wrong? Am I in trouble?" Mystery asked, tilting her head as she looked at me... Cute.

"What? Oh no no, Ethan deserved what he got, you did as he asked, showed him what you could do and gave him the respect he deserved, polite in the bluntness of your words, amazes me every time." Yet again a little lie but she doesn't need to know, ignorance won't lead to death in this case... Knowing her she'd present herself in front of my mother, requesting her own beheading, if she heard that she was exempted from it.

"You learn quite a few being a court mage, playing with words to get what you want and twist a person's own desires to fit your own."

"And cunning." I complimented with a slight smile.

"We are part of any royal's fortune, her Majesty has been blessed by the gods to have found four of us and have one move under her guidance from a different kingdom."

"Is there something you can't do mage?" I asked offhandedly, walking to the opposing armchair and sitting in it, facing her, glancing at the book closed on her lap but unable to read the title.

"There are only few things a mage doesn't know, we must be able to serve the royal family in all way and always." Well now that caught my attention.

"Archery? Cooking? Singing?" I listed off from the top of my head.

"A yes to knowing how to do all those, we might not be good at all of it but we know all the basics. What if there was no bard to sing tales at a royal feast? How would that be right? Someone needs to step in and what best than someone with renown already?"

"Is there something you can't do?"

"Dancing is something I always get criticized about, I know how too but they say I am simply not built for it, my body too tense even when relaxed."

"I haven't noticed it much when we had danced together." Another little lie, I find it quite easy to lie to her without her noticing... Not that I enjoy doing it, on the contrary I really dislike it but a little lie with a hint of truth is better then true lies to not hurt feelings.

"Few do as they don't concentrate on nitpicking my form like Belladonna would."

"Right. What are you doing down here?"

"I remember you mentioning doing research yourself and I came to see since I did tell you about writings in magic that could only be brought forth by mages."

"Found anything?"

"Nothing that could help with what that was."

We worked for a long time, I shifted from the armchair to the table in that time, calling Mystery, who staying in her armchair, when I landed on an empty page in the middle of a book but even the now visible words didn't reveal anything.

"Don't you have archives in other places Highness?" Mystery asked as she finished putting away the last of the books we had pulled out of place.

"I am afraid that even if we had one I wouldn't know about it." Like the dragon ritual room was hidden from us until Eleric and then us passed our trials so there could be more rooms hidden all around the castle.

"Right, there are many things I don't know that Belladonna does, so there must be things her Majesty knows but won't share with you yet."

"That could be true."

"No that MUST be true, this castle and place itself is built where elemental magic first was born as there is more wild magic in the air, with elemental magic soaked into the ground, the old elm a proof of that, there could be many hidden places we never knew about."

"Mage what would you say of accompanying me?"

"Where Highness?"

"My siblings and I thought about not being there for supper tonight, with all that is going on we thought a bit of time away couldn't help and my mother would have no say in if you weren't present if you were with us for our safety."

"You mean 'safety'... But I'll gladly skip supper in company of the competitors if it is you asking."

"Let's get going than, let's not make them wait."