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“But why here?” Calida waved her hand. “Couldn’t we have done somewhere more exciting? The Pearl Hall would be a suitable option.”
Young courtiers networked with others in the Pearl Hall, and it was a place I stayed clear from. I need organization and ideas, not listening ears and prying eyes. I needed a place where I could think without interruption and the Records of Knowledge was the perfect place for that. And it was also a dream of mine to visit. The sheer knowledge contained within its walls was staggering.
“The Order of the Silver Dolphin is legendary for their paperwork,” I replied. “I want to make sure I use the funds wisely and not waste them on frivolous projects.”
Not to mention the court historians were the ones who kept track of all political machinations going on in the Court. If anyone could give me an idea of what was needed, it would be them. Wisdom came at a price and that price was often tedious paperwork.
“Wise and boring.” Darith shook her head. “You are going to make a great crown princess one day, Thimsal.”
I smiled at her. “With your help, I hope to make a difference.”
The people needed someone who understood them, not just someone who ruled over them. And I was determined to be that person. House Finardsil let Midar down. And from the grumblings of Dryads and Halflings, I understood we weren’t the only ones who felt that way.
The death of the Good King Finardel turned the Elves from beloved neighbors and friends into reluctant allies and rulers. My political marriage to Prince Maedras could change that. But I had to be careful. One misstep and it could all come crashing down.
“So what do you need to know?” Calida asked, leaning against the shelf.
“Everything.”
Darith laughed. “It’s going to take some time to sift through all of this.”
“I have all the time in the world,” I said. “Let’s get started.”
“Fortunately enough, we have magic on our side,” Calida waved her hand, and a book flew off the shelf and into her waiting hands.
“Show off,” I muttered.
“Hey, if you want to make a difference, you’re going to need all the help you can get.” She grinned and handed me the book. “And the index can help you cut down on the time to find what you’re looking for.”
If there was one thing Elves were good at, it was magic. That they used it to help with mundane tasks was a bonus. I took the book from her and opened it to the first page. I never thought about using magic to help me research before, but it made sense. There was no way I could read these books by myself.
But with magic, anything was possible.
I bowed my head. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank us yet,” Calida said. “We have done nothing.”
“You’ve already done more than I expected of you,” I said. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank us until we’ve done something,” Darith said as we sat down at a table. Around us, court historians pulled books off shelves and took them to other parts of the Archives.
Darith took out a notebook. “Now let’s get to work. What do you wish to accomplish?”
“Community development,” I said without hesitation. “The projects need to help the people, not just a vanity project.”
The differences in culture between the Elves and the other races was significant, and it often led to misunderstandings. I hoped that working on projects that would help improve the lives of those outside the Court would foster a better understanding between us. It was low risk and if it worked, the rewards would be great.
“And you need to get the Guilds on board.” Calida’s emerald hair comb shimmered in the light. “Otherwise, they’ll see it as another way for the nobility to control them.”
The nobility and the Guilds were interlinked, but they were also in competition with each other. It was a delicate balance that I needed to tread carefully.
I grabbed a notebook from my bag and opened it. “What do other members of the House Finardsil focus on?”
I did my research, but I was interested in the Elvish perspective.
“Queen Menthe sponsors veterans and scholars,” Darith said. “Prince Aldaren focuses on galleries that promote upcoming artists, and Prince Maedras focuses on rural development.”
So together they focused on the military, inventors, artisans, and the nobility with their country estates. Interesting. It seemed like they were trying to cover all their bases. I made a note to look into each one of these programs later. In Midar, their focus was only on the military. I wondered if there were other programs that I was missing.
