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He arched an eyebrow at her. “Yes, I suppose they would, but I must say I find it interesting you would seek out such a book. Crishaven is known for its rejection of magic.”
There was no judgment in his words, but she cursed her misstep all the same. “That’s just it. I’ve never been able to learn about it, and now that I am here, I find that I am curious.”
He nodded as if that made perfect sense and excused himself. He went to speak to an elderly gentleman who gestured to the top floor. Wesley came back to her and told her that all the books on magic were upstairs. They made their way up a beautiful spiraling staircase to the top where Wren suddenly felt overwhelmed at how she would find what she needed when she didn’t even know what that was.
“What specifically do you want to start with?” Wesley asked helpfully.
She shrugged. “I am not sure. Maybe a general summary.”
He nodded and went to the shelf running, his finger along the books, reading their titles. He gave a small sound of joy when he pulled one off the shelves and handed it to her.
She looked at the old book,When the Gods Bestowed Their Magic, and felt a thrill at the find. Even though Sophie and Malaki maintained that she was not from Valmere so it couldn’t be linked, this had only started when she had come here. It was worth researching it. “This is perfect, thank you.”
He was willing to find other books for her, but she did not want to seem too eager. Even with Wesley, she didn’t want to risk anything getting back to the king or Bishop. They made their way back to their seats where they both began reading their books. One about fish and one about magic.
It was not long before Wren was engrossed in the history of this land. She curled her legs beneath her dress and placed the book on her lap, settling into the space.
The gods ruled over the lands of Valmere for many eons, enjoying endless seasons of peace. One such season, the eldest god, Lucius, looked at his siblings and felt that it was not enough. It was then he created man and the world we enjoy today.
His siblings felt betrayed at this breach and disagreement befell the immortal siblings. Adrius, Lera, and Agratious, planned to kill the humans, not wanting their presence to disturb their peaceful way of life. It was then the youngest, Serephina, sacrificed her magic to give it to the mortals. Her magic filled the mortal lands and protected them, as the sibling’s magic could not be used against each other.
It was in their anger, they cast Serephina out. She would live out her days as one of the mortals she chose to protect over her siblings. Seeing how violent the humans were and how prone to wars and chaos, the siblings knew they had sentenced their sister to death and were satisfied with her punishment.
Lucius, who was grateful for his sister’s compassion for his creation, vowed to protect her. Finding where she had been reborn among the humans, he hid her from his siblings who vowed to see her life end for her betrayal.
It is not known what became of Serephina, but her magic flows throughout the lands of Valmere, and her goodness is bestowed upon those that her magic finds worthy. We refer to them as sorcerers, but it is their magic that protects us from vengeful gods. The people of Valmere pray to the almighty god Lucius for his continued blessings and give offerings to the vengeful Adrius, Lera, and Agratious in hopes that if Serephina’s magic ever fades from these lands, they will have mercy on us.
Wren was ripped from her reading by Wesley’s voice saying her name. Wren jumped at the intrusion and the prince gave a small laugh and apologized for startling her.
“I wondered if you might like to take a break and go for a walk?” he inquired delicately.
“Was your fish book not engaging?” Wren asked dryly.
He chuckled. “Even the most interesting of tales require a break every now and then.”
“If you say so.” She moved to get up and was surprised to find how stiff her legs were from being folded underneath her. She stood up and lost her balance momentarily, but Wesley was there in an instant. His hand stabilized her lower back. She felt embarrassed at her clumsiness, but smiled when his face lit up in a flush and he removed his hand as soon as he was sure she was steady.
He offered to hold her book, but she didn’t want to part with it, already learning so much. Wesley had to talk to the librarian, assuring him that he would personally hold her responsible for the well-being of the book, as books this old were not generally allowed to leave the library.
Wesley apparently spent enough time in the library that the librarian trusted his word.
As they left the quiet of the library and back through the halls, Wren said, “You are very good with people.”
Wesley smiled down at her and whispered, “You know, you do not have to whisper any longer, right?”
She flushed, not realizing she had. He only laughed good naturedly and she felt her embarrassment ease.
“I was raised to be good with people, it is one of the things a ruler must be.”
She almost made a comment about how not all princes felt that way, but remembered their ruse. Now with everything that happened last night it was more important than ever to maintain the facade. She only nodded as if she had no qualm with his statement.
“Are you the heir to your kingdom’s throne?” She briefly chastised herself thinking the question had seemed more impertinent than she had intended it to be.
If Wesley had thought it rude he did not show it. “I am. It is only my sister and me. As I am the oldest, I am set to inherit.”
“If your sister were older, would she be allowed to inherit?” she asked.
“Yes, it has not happened in a few generations, but our laws do not ban women from holding the throne. I understand that we are unique in that notion. We are also unique in that the king and queen hold equal power. It does not matter which was born into the role, their chosen consort is given equal power.”
