My grandmother takes the lead, as she always does, and Deean and I follow her into the shop.
“What are we doing here?” I whisper to Deean, but he only waves me off.
There are a few antique shops in Saden. Several of which I’ve sold items to that I’ve brought back with me from my travels. My favorite has always been Adrick’s, but Iffa’s is new to me and that brings with it an excitement I didn’t think I’d experience on this outing. A chance to find something new.
Inside is toasty, and despite the sun that beams in through the windows, the atmosphere is darker, gloomier than most other shops around here. I suspect the black painted walls are the cause, but the items add a bit of eeriness on their own.
“Your Graces.” A bodiless voice travels down to us.
Searching the room, I can’t find anyone beyond the endless trinkets that fill the space. That’s until a ladder, connected to a rail running across the room, moves and I spot a figure descending the rungs.
The image of them disappears behind an enormous, handcrafted ship that takes up a sizable area of square footage, and all I hear are their shuffles as they move around the display.
A man with pale white skin and dwarfism comes before us and offers a bow. His head is eye level with my hips, and he steps on a stool to get a better view of us, and even then, his full height comes to about the top of my ribcage. He twirls one end of his long mustache. He looks enthusiastic about our visit, like he’s been itching for this moment, but I catch a single bead of sweat on his forehead, which is not surprising. Most people are nervous to meet royals, and usually, when they do, they don’t get three of them at once.
“You must be Bennum Iffa?” my grandmother says as she plucks off her gloves.
“You may call me Benny,” he offers, and finally dabs away the solitary drop of perspiration. “That’s if you’d like to. Ben…Bennum is fine, of course.”
“Very well, Benny.” I see some nerves fall away. “Do you have what my assistant discussed with you?”
He nods and points his head towards the stairs. We follow behind him, allowing me to take in more of his shop. It’s every collector’s dream. Old books, furniture, clocks, crystals, plant specimens in glass jars, and insect collections. There is a corner with rolled up maps sprawled over an oak table and another area with timeworn boxes, and I wonder if any are filled with treasures of their own.
Reaching the stairs, instead of going up, we go around to a door that isn’t visible to shoppers.
Benny leads us inside an office, one brighter than the rest of the shop. The ceiling is covered with a painted map of Ladora, like the one in my bedroom. In the center of the room is a long table covered in books and parchment, and shoved in the corner is an equally cluttered desk. All the walls have more parchment covering them. Clearly, it’s the room of a researcher.
“Is this Crispin’s work?” I ask, pointing to the ceiling.
Benny’s mouth twitches up. “It is. Crispin Iffa, my son. Did this for his dear pa when I opened the shop. He always pushed me into entrepreneurship, and I probably wouldn’t be here without him.”
Deean looks closer at the ceiling. “His paintings are all over the palace. One hell of a talent.”
“Thank you.” Benny pulls something from his desk and meets us at the table in the center. “After your assistant came in, I did some research and spoke with a few locals about stories they may have heard.”
Deean and my grandmother eagerly wait for him to continue, but I interrupt, “Excuse me, but what are we talking about here?”
“Your Royal Highnesses inquired about a map.” He sets the box on the table as my eyes fly to Deean.
“And this map leads to?”
“The Ivian Flower. Isn’t that what you’re after?”
“It’s not meant to be public knowledge.” My glare still rests on Deean.
My grandmother places her hand out for the item, “His Majesty the King, my son, is many great things, but a secret keeper he is not. I’ve known about his desire for the flower for many years. Since you both were babes. Now Iann, would you like to continue asking your questions or would you like to see the item that will help lead you to the greatest discovery of your life? The greatest discovery in all of Ladora?”
The proposition makes me reconsider. Helping my father has been the main reason for doing this, but if the flower is more than a myth, then my name will be forever tied to it. People will tell my story for years to come and it won’t be because I’m the third son of King Marcel II. It will be because of my doing. My efforts. My legacy.
“Proceed,” I tell Benny, and I feel Deean’s hand on my shoulder, gripping it in approval.
There is still the matter of telling him he can’t join me, but how can I crush his spirit now? He actually may have come through on his end of the bargain. But with Marcel now going, it’s sheer stupidity to send all Saden heirs to Haymel.
“If it makes you all feel better,” Benny says, digging for a key in his pocket and then placing it in the lock of the box, “I was discreet in my search and whatever happens between my clients stays between us.”
“You’re a good man,” my grandmother replies, as he takes a golden item from the box and hands it to her.
I don’t know Benny from any other stranger but I accept his word, for now.
