The two sisters, Nanna and Gersemi, were enjoying a peaceful and serene afternoon tea, savoring the delicate flavors of their favorite pastries. Suddenly, Gersemi's expression changed, and she looked up with a hint of concern in her eyes. She leaned in close to Nanna and whispered, "I have a feeling that our mother has been keeping something from us."
Nanna groaned. "Gersemi, not this AGAIN. For the last time, Mother is not hiding anything. Why would you think that?" Gersemi leaned back in her chair. "Do you remember the night she came home from the battle for the throne?" she inquired. Nanna rolled her eyes. "Yes, I remember. The next day she told us she was pregnant with Hnoss and Idunn, do I need to remind you?"
"There was something different about her. She was more pale, and ever since that battle, she has worn gloves! There is something she won't tell us. She won't even tell me what happened that day." Gersemi kept her voice in a whisper. Nanna scoffed. "Our poor mother is probably traumatized." Then she gasped. "Is the only reason you agreed to have tea with me because you wanted to talk about that?"
"Will you please just listen!"
"Fine! If you're so confident our mother is deceiving us, why have you not looked into this more?"
"I am! I have been ever since I was young!"
Gersemi found this frustrating, as she felt like her sister was completely dismissing her concerns. She tried to convince Nanna that their mother was hiding something from them, but her sister didn't believe her. But the princess couldn't shake the feeling that something was not right.
Nanna sighed. "Alright. I will help you with your little investigation, but only to prove I am right."
Gersemi smiled, standing up and walking over to Nanna and embracing her firmly. "Thank you." Gersemi beamed.
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Nanna makes her way through the grand halls, her heart beating faster with every step. Finally, the princess reached the library and pushed open the heavy wooden doors. Inside, she was greeted by towering shelves filled with books of every size and color. Nanna began to browse the shelves, her delicate fingers trailing over the spines of leather-bound tomes and dusty old manuscripts.
As she read through the pages, she felt a sense of wonder and excitement building within her. It is as if she had stumbled upon a hidden treasure trove of knowledge.
For hours, Nanna loses herself in the books, devouring page after page of ancient lore and arcane wisdom. She has forgotten what she came here for. Suddenly, someone tapped her shoulder, making her jump. Nanna turned to see Gersemi. The brunette was holding a pile of books in her arms, with a proud smile on her face.
"Have you got everything?" Gersemi asked.
"What?"
"The history books about the battle for the throne."
"Oh, is that what we were meant to do?"
Gersemi groaned. "Very well then," she said through gritted teeth. "We will just go through the books I have collected."
They combed through countless scrolls and documents, searching for any clue that might shed light on the missing piece of history. However, despite their best efforts, they came up empty-handed. Disappointed but not discouraged, the two princesses knew that they would have to keep searching. They were determined to uncover the truth about their family, no matter how long it took. It had been hours and yet they found nothing.
Nanna sat up from her spot on the ground. "That's it! I'm done looking in pointless books," she exclaimed. "This is getting us nowhere, sister." Gersemi groaned. "I know. I don't know what to do. I know something is missing, I just don't know what!"
Nanna didn't like seeing her sister in distress. She looked away. There must be something they aren't thinking of. She always jumped into things too fast.
That's it.
Nanna turned back to her sister. "Perhaps...we need to slow down. Take away the pieces, then reattach them," she stated. Gersemi looked up at her older sister. "How so?" "What if we researched our mother, do you think it could have been something in her past that reappeared?"
Gersemi smiled. "Well then, I hope you won't get distracted looking for the book," Gersemi smirked, making Nanna roll her eyes. Surprisingly, the two princesses found almost nothing about the queen. They combed through book after book, searching for any mention of they're mother's name or any other details that might help them piece together her story.
The two scoured every section of the library, from the biographies to the history books, hoping to find something that would shed light on the mystery of their mother's past. It became quite late, and candles were lit to brighten the room. As the hours passed, they grew more and more determined, refusing to give up until we had uncovered the truth.
Nanna opened the book she held in her hand, and to her relief, she found something. The book showed a portrait of her mother, then at least two paragraphs of her. Why was there so little known about her?
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Before she could read anything, the page faded into ash. Nanna's face twisted in confusion before she closed the book in frustration. Gersemi appeared out from behind a bookshelf with no books or documents in her arms. The brunette snatched the book from Nanna's lap, opening it and flipping it to the page her mother starred in.
Gersemi's face began to light up, but the page turned to ash. "What is this?" she murmured, frustrated. "What is what?" a voice behind the girls made them turn. Alvis stood behind them, his white hair gleaming in the candlelight. The two girls stared at him for a moment, the Nanna smiled nervously. "Nothing!" she stammered, then took Gersemi's hand and walked out of the great library.
Nanna stormed into her chambers, slamming the door shut behind her. Gersemi sat down on the bed, the book still in her hand. "I don't get it. What sort of trickery is this?!" Gersemi scoffed. Nanna joined her sister on the bed. "Why don't we just ask Mother of her past?" she suggested. "She won't tell us!" Nanna rolled her eyes.
"Well then, what would you suggest?"
"We need a mage."
"We don't have a mage."
"Then we need to get a mage."
Nanna scoffed, unamused. "I'm not sure if it's as simple as that," Gersemi smirked, just remembering something.
