Dark Enchantment

Chapter 4

From the teachings of The Radiant Path, the Book of Hubris, written in the Pure Tongue

Gwestion i vegil, ar i veni cenedril na thonen i vîr, na thonen i galad

Trust in the wise, and the silver tongue will not be of deceit, but of truth.

When she looked in the mirror, she saw that her silver hair had turned to a dull and brassy blonde, her once light blue eyes were now deep indigo. Her pale skin had darkened with a smattering of freckles across her face, and her elven features were now human. Eira reached for her now curved ears in amazement.

She didn't think that even Freya would recognize her like this. Lynden had only slightly modified her features, and yet, it was more effective than she ever could have expected.

Lynden nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Now, let us begin our preparations. We need a cover story for you. Something that will allow you to move around the court unnoticed," he said thoughtfully.

Eira frowned, trying to think of a suitable disguise. "I could pose as a lady-in-waiting or a seamstress," she suggested.

Lynden shook his head. "Those roles are too closely watched. You need something that will give you more freedom to move about. Something that will draw attention away from you."

A sudden idea came to Eira. "What about a musician? I can play the violin. If I were to join the court orchestra, I could move around without attracting too much attention."

Lynden's eyes lit up. "That's a brilliant idea, Eira. A court is always in need of talented musicians, and the orchestra often performs at private gatherings attended by the nobles. It would be the perfect cover for you."

Eira smiled. "I'll need to practice more, but I think I can pull it off."

Lynden nodded. "I have no doubt that you'll be able to. But we'll need to make sure you have the right connections to get into the orchestra."

He stood up and walked over to a small bookshelf in the corner of the room. After a moment of searching, he pulled out a thick volume bound in dark leather. "This is the list of all the musicians who have ever performed at court. It includes their names, instruments, and contacts. I'll need to see who's currently in the orchestra and who's in charge of recruiting new members."

Eira watched as Lynden flipped through the pages, his brow furrowed in concentration. "Ah, here it is. The current concertmaster is a man named Armand. He's known for being difficult to work with, but he's also the best violinist in the kingdom. If you can impress him, he might recommend you for a spot in the orchestra."

"This is good Lynden, but what if I need to get closer to Darian to find the Loréil Tome?" Eira mused after thinking over their plan.

They were quiet for a moment, and then Eira remembered something. "I may have a solution. There's a musical competition taking place at the court in a month's time. The winner will perform for King Darian and his court. I could enter as a violinist and use that as an excuse to move around the court whenever I'm not practicing with the orchestra. It will also give me enough time to search the castle for the tome."

Lynden leaned forward, his eyes shining with excitement. "Yes, that's perfect. I know of that competition, now that you mention it. Not only will you be able to move around more freely, but you'll also have a chance to perform for the king himself. Even if you don't win, you'll still have the opportunity to perform for the court. And that's what we're aiming for, to get you close to King Darian."

Eira hummed, "The competition is open to all musicians in Eloria. I'll need to find a way to get noticed."

Lynden thought for a moment before walking over to his desk and rummaging through a drawer. "You'll perform a piece that's not on the competition list," Lynden replied. "It will grab the attention of the judges and the audience, and most importantly, the Dark King."

Eira nodded, impressed by Lynden's plan. "What piece should I play?"

He pulled out a piece of sheet music and handed it to Eira. "This is a piece I composed myself. It's called 'The Silver Lark.' It's difficult, but I think you can handle it."

Eira took the sheet music and scanned it quickly. Her fingers itched to pick up her instrument and begin practicing as she read through the lines, the melody already forming in her mind. "It's beautiful. I'll start practicing it right away."

Lynden smiled. "Good. We'll also need to make sure you have the right costume and instrument for the competition. We'll also need to come up with a new name for you. Choose something that you'll remember, perhaps the name of a childhood friend."

Eira knew her answer. "What about.... Lydia? Lydia Lirien?"

After the brave apprentice who had made all of this possible. She would make Lydia into a legend in the musical world of Aerindir.

Lynden smiled. "That's perfect. I'll start spreading the word that Lydia Lirien is a talented violinist looking to join Aerindir's orchestra. With any luck, Armand will hear about you and invite you to audition for a spot in the orchestra."

Eira nodded, feeling a glimmer of hope. "Thank you, Lynden. I think this could work. And what about the Loréil Tome? How do I find it?"

Lynden's expression grew serious. "That's a difficult question. The tome has been lost for centuries, or so I thought. There had never been a reason for me to suspect that it was in Aerindir."

Eira sat down, feeling dejected. This was the first question he hadn't been able to answer, but it was probably the most important. Steeling herself, she dismissed the thought. She had come too far to give up now.

"It seems like you'll have to trust Sif to guide you to the right place." Lynden looked thoughtful. "She has guided you thus far. We have to trust her."

Eira's heart sank. "How will I get past any guards or traps that may be protecting it?"

Lynden's eyes gleamed with a hint of mischief. "That's where your cover story comes in," he said with a sly smile. "If you're posing as a talented musician, you'll have the perfect excuse to explore the castle and gather information about any hidden vaults or secret passages."

Eira crooned with delight, clapping her hands. "My, my, Lynden. You've thought of everything! You're having fun, aren't you?"

The elf gave her a sly smile. "One does not last so long in court without delighting in the intrigue, Lady Eira."

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Bit of an early update, but I wanted to enter this into book clubs/awards. It's also a bit smaller, due to the length of the original chapter. Let me know what you guys thought about this chapter!