Bibliophile Princess: Volume 5, page 10
When I decided I wanted to figure her out, I kept it a secret from everyone else. That included my childhood friends, Alex and Glen, to whom I confided most everything. I never mentioned to them that I was coming to the library each day to seek her out because...she was my treasure.
Maybe I was wrong from the beginning when I assumed I only took an interest in her out of curiosity or because she entertained me. I probably fell in love with her the moment she got so genuinely angry with me over those books that she didn’t even care about our difference in status.
I mumbled her name to myself quietly. Unsurprisingly, she didn’t lift her head to look at me, but that was fine.
What a mess, I thought as the tension in my shoulders eased. I’d spent so long bound and determined to solve her mysteries only to fail each time, which just made me more obstinate. I kept trying to fit her in a box like I had with all the other people I’d met, but there was no need for that anymore. It was fine if she remained an enigma—one that neither I nor anyone else could untangle.
Someday, I’ll make you look at me the same way you look at those books.
“Eli...” I mumbled her name as I watched the wind spill through the window, buffeting her soft locks of hair. I had to resist the urge to touch them.
I was too reckless after realizing my feelings for her and failed spectacularly. She left the capital, and no matter how much I searched the library, I would never see her there again. The time I spent trying to puzzle out her thought process and capture her attention was all wasted. No longer could I enjoy that fluffy hair that seemed to melt in the background or those gorgeous eyes. My treasure was gone, and it was all my fault.
That’s why I never want to experience those feelings or that regret ever again, I thought to myself as I recalled how empty I’d felt in her absence.
I tightened my grip on the quill pen.
A number of suspicious things had happened lately. One of the most obvious was last year’s hunting festival. A bunch of insurgents entered Sauslind at the time, targeting Maldura’s elite as well as core members of Sauslind’s government. The course of the investigation ultimately led me to the Miseral Dukedom. Lady Ramond, or rather Mireille, was also following a similar lead, albeit from a different angle. That was how the two of us wound up exchanging information.
I matched what I learned from her with the data I was getting from the Ministry of Finance and other departments, as well as the events from our past. Together, they painted an alarming picture of what might lie in our future: there was a very real possibility the Ashen Nightmare would come back. No, in fact, signs of it were already appearing in Maldura.
So what should we do?
I sucked in a breath.
The answer was clear. I had to entrust the matter to Elianna. Based on my predictions, it would be difficult for me to make any moves. No, if I did anything, the culprit behind all of this would likely sink back into the shadows. Then they would be beyond our reach. We couldn’t keep repeating this cycle. We needed to pull out this weed by the root.
But how do I do that?
There was only one person I trusted to get us out of this predicament, and that was Elianna.
I stared at the spot where she usually sat, arguing back and forth in my head. Was this really the right choice? Or was I a coward for pushing this burden onto her? Wasn’t there any other way?
My eyes snapped shut. The cogs were already in motion. The only person I could entrust this to—the only one capable of handling it—was Elianna. It was fine if my letter never made it to her, but I was also confident somehow that it would.
Determination renewed, I realized I had to write down everything I could for her. The present wasn’t a repeat of the past. I knew full well that it was purely my maneuvering that led to our engagement, but she was the one who decided to lift her head and take responsibility for what her new title entailed. She wanted to be my crown princess, to walk beside me.
My lips moved to speak her name, though no noise came out.
With hope in my heart, I wrote down the truth about the country’s state of affairs. I did consider openly telling her everything beforehand, but I couldn’t dismiss the possibility that we had a traitor close to us. It was impossible to know what information could jeopardize her safety, and much of it was speculation. There was no guarantee that my suspicions weren’t misplaced.
In the end, this letter is just insurance. You are our true trump card, Elianna. I’m going to let go of your hand now. I no longer believe that love means shielding someone from everything and keeping them far away from danger. I already made that mistake once before. I didn’t think about your feelings or your position. All I did was indulge in my selfish desire to have you at my side, and I wound up facing those rotten tanuki, who were far more clever and insidious than anything I’d dealt with before.
Now it makes sense why my father and the prime minister mumbled under their breaths, “Good luck, our little star of hope.” Obviously, their attempts at “support” were completely insincere.
Even after I welcomed you to the palace as my betrothed, a part of me still saw you as this entertaining enigma. Those feelings began to fade at some point because you started taking an interest in the real world. As you navigated your way through human interaction and began building relationships with other people, I watched you stumble and lose your way. At times you were depressed and at times you were anxious, but you poured all your effort into overcoming all of that.
I yearned to call for her, but her name sat on my lips, unspoken.
I’m dragging you into a dangerous situation, and I’m suppressing the urge to protect you from it all. You put your trust in me, and I want to live up to that. I want to make you proud.
And so I wrote to her everything we knew about the possibility of the plague’s resurgence. We had only one clue for finding a cure, and that was Furya’s Jar.
The person possessing it lives in a mining town called Hersche. And most likely, you’re the only person who has a chance of tying all these loose threads together, Elianna.
Chapter 7: The Man-Hating Witch
“Urk,” someone groaned as an unpleasant sound rang out around us.
The mountain was buried deep in snow. We had a guide leading our group, but the poor weather conditions meant we had to stop and shovel snow periodically or use the horses to pack it down so we could walk. At times, we managed to find well-shaded pathways where we could hack through the undergrowth and slip through unimpeded. We were essentially carving out a road as we went.
“Someone wanna explain to me how this much snow can pile up overnight?” Jean groused.
Since I wouldn’t be of any use to them, I was perched on top of a horse. Prince Irvin’s servant, Rei, was holding onto the reins.
“Enough of your whining,” Prince Irvin snapped. He was using a wooden shovel to shift the snow out of the way. “You sure complain a lot for a manservant. You’re not as bad as Rei, but I’d still appreciate you moving your hands more than your mouth. Pissing and moaning isn’t going to fix things. The snow won’t shovel itself.”
“Ah, right, I forgot you’re a spoiled rich boy. ’Course you wouldn’t understand a commoner’s feelings. I know it won’t change anythin’, but at least I can grumble about it.”
“Yes, of course, taxpaying citizens have every right to protest to those in power. And I heartily encourage them to do so. Except in your case, you’re not paying me any taxes, now are you?”
“That right? Well, ’scuse me, then. Guess we commoners just have a biased view of you pampered royal folk.”
“Biased indeed. Maybe your attitude would improve a bit if you shut your mouth and actually did some work.”
“How ’bout you practice what you preach first?”
Although the two were trading barbs with one another, they were perfectly in sync. The more they exchanged their clever retorts, the faster their hands moved. That was why Rei only silently watched instead of chastising either of them.
“Physical labor isn’t really my thing,” called Lord Alan from behind me, “so I’ll be cheering you guys on from here.” He was pulling along Jean’s horse. Mabel was with him as well, not even trying to hide her exasperation with their pettiness.
Suddenly a muffled cry rang out. We turned to find Jean trapped in a snowdrift.
Prince Irvin snickered. “What goes around comes around.”
“Then you oughta be gettin’ yours soon too,” Jean countered, grabbing a nearby branch to lift himself out of the drift. He released it at just the right angle so the snow on the branches above would plop straight down on Prince Irvin.
“Okay, now you’ve done it,” the foreign prince snarled.
“Ah, my bad. Wasn’t on purpose though, I swear.” Jean gave a half-hearted shrug.
They exchanged a brief glare before breaking into a snowball fight like a couple of rowdy children.
Do these two really understand how dire our circumstances are?
Before Rei or I could open our mouths to intervene, stray fire—or rather, a stray snowball—came spiraling toward me. I wasn’t sure which one of them threw it, but it slammed into the branch above me, creating a miniature avalanche. Startled, my horse brayed and reared. I was unable to react in time and went flying through the air, slamming down into the powdery snow below.
“Eli—I mean, El!” Mabel scrambled off her horse and waded over. By the time she pulled me up, there was a human imprint left where I’d fallen.
“Slow as molasses,” Jean mumbled.
Prince Irvin shook his head. “Her reflexes are dull as ever, I see.”
Mabel whipped around and began reprimanding the two of them. In the midst of all of this, the person acting as our guide continued to shovel the snow without paying us any heed. They were setting a good example that I wished the other boys would follow.
Rei merely sighed at our antics.
“I wonder if we’re going to be able to make it to the witch’s house today,” Lord Alan mumbled as he peered up. The sky was overcast.
I wonder the same thing, I thought as I sneezed. The snow clung stubbornly to my clothes.
~.~.~.~
After I finished reading the prince’s letter and discovered the true reality of our situation, I was at a loss for words for a while. The weight of his expectations renewed my determination.
Maldura and Sauslind were on the brink of war. To stop it, we needed some kind of clue so we could start on a cure for the Ashen Nightmare. I had lost sight of that, too overcome with anxiety after we were suddenly attacked and Grandpa Teddy was...injured. But the prince had foreseen some of what had already transpired, and that was why he decided to entrust me with all this information and the key to solving this epidemic.
Affection and gratitude bubbled up inside me. I wanted to hug his letter to my chest.
“I hate to rain on your little parade,” Prince Irvin cut in teasingly, “but considering we’re involved in this mess as well, care to disclose some of what you know?” Although his tone was light, his eyes were serious.
Prince Irvin had mentioned before that there was someone trying to block Maldura and Sauslind’s attempts at diplomacy. I had no doubt this information was exactly what they were looking for. Especially since this clue could bring relief to many sick and dying Maldurans. Perhaps that was the real motivating factor in why he had made contact with me.
I carefully contemplated as I opened my mouth to respond, but Lord Alan interrupted me. “Let’s save it until we get back to our rooms. Eat up first!”
“Oh,” I mumbled. A quick glance at the other patrons made me realize they were all peering over at us now that Lord Alan wasn’t singing anymore. Since the cheering had died down, it was quiet enough in here that it wasn’t really the place to be exchanging confidential information.
I tucked the prince’s letter away and spent the rest of our meal planning out how I would broach the topic with the others later. Once we were finished, we all gathered in one of the inn rooms and I shared with them what I’d learned from the missive. I also realized something. I wasn’t suited to bargaining political deals with people using information. The prince was the one who handled those sorts of things. Perhaps the situation would be different if Lord Alexei were here, but alas, he was not.
Also, there were a few things I could deduce from the information His Highness shared. The prince never stated anything concretely about who the culprit was, but that was likely because he was still in the process of gathering solid proof. Though the fact that he didn’t mention it made me suspect it was someone too high up for him to point fingers at lightly.
My decision, then, was to leave that matter to the prince. My job was to focus on the clue he’d left for me. And to that end, I needed their cooperation. Curing the Ashen Nightmare was the key to solving this whole mess, so I tried to be as forthright as possible when it came to information pertaining to the disease.
“Furya’s Jar, huh?” Irvin sniffed.
The text was considered mere legend, so it wasn’t surprising that someone from a foreign land like Maldura didn’t believe in its existence. Even Mabel, who was native to Sauslind and possessed medical expertise, drew her brows and scrunched her face.
After taking in their reactions, I added, “The book isn’t purely myth. It’s a research journal that actually exists. Chief Herbalist Nigel is the most prominent figure in his field. The person who taught him was an expert without peer, whom no other has been able to surpass when it comes to creating cures for disease. The journal they left behind may well be the key we need to create a remedy for the Ashen Nightmare.”
To an herbalist, that text was the equivalent of a real Furya’s Jar, and I sincerely believed in the possibilities it held.
Ever since I entered the palace as the prince’s betrothed, I became well acquainted with the people in the Royal Pharmacy. I saw close-up how their research into the plague was proceeding. That was exactly why I’d been able to convince General Bakula to give me a chance to find a cure. And now, I had to persuade the rest of them as well.
“We have managed to develop medicine to diagnose the Ashen Nightmare and suppress it. The goal is right in front of us. We’re only one step away, I’m sure of it. Even now, the chief herbalist is surely hard at work trying to research a cure. If we need Furya’s Jar to do that, then I’ll do whatever it takes to get my hands on it.”
This was likely the first time since my childhood that I’d ever desired a specific book so much. Back then, I cried to my father, “If we Bernsteins really love books so much, why don’t we have Furya’s Jar?”
But what I really want isn’t a text that will give us all the answers. I want a book built on people’s knowledge, one they’ve poured their blood, sweat, and tears into. If people wanted to call it Furya’s Jar because they saw it as a beacon of hope, what greater compliment could there be to those who contributed to the text?
Thus why I sought their cooperation. When I first tried to convince Grandpa Teddy, I didn’t have any leads. It was like trying to catch a cloud with my hands. Fortunately, the prince had given us our biggest, most reliable clue. There was hope yet we could find a cure.
“Dr. Furness is the author of the text we seek. The prince found information pointing to his family living in this town. I want to follow that lead and see where it takes us. Would the rest of you be willing to lend me your strength?”
Dr. Furness, the man Chief Herbalist Nigel had once apprenticed for, had already passed away. His remaining family had concealed themselves after an incident in the palace. Lord Nigel and His Highness managed to track their whereabouts to this town, but that was as far as they got. All that was left now was to ask around the area and sniff them out. Considering how ignorant of the world I was, I needed people more informed to assist me in the task.
My heartfelt request elicited a mocking smile from Prince Irvin. “If the country and the royal family can’t seek out this family openly, there must be a really good reason for it.”
I sucked in a breath. Dr. Furness’s family did indeed have an ill connection to the royal family. The prince had mentioned the details of that in his letter, but he closed by saying I wouldn’t have any issues. All I could do was trust he was right. It was probably brazen of me to ask for their help when I wasn’t telling them everything, but there were some things I wasn’t in a position to share.
Prince Irvin’s black eyes stared me down, seeming to see right through me. After a moment, they softened. “Fine, but you’ll owe me one.”
Mabel snapped her head around, glowering at him. “You should be just as eager to get information on a cure as the rest of us. How dare you act like you’re the one doing us a favor!”
“El here is the one asking me for help, not the other way around. So of course I’m going to expect a return on my assistance when the time comes.”
“Don’t try to twist the situation,” she spat back.
As the two of them bickered, Lord Alan suddenly said, “Ah! Remember that little healer apprentice from last night? They might know something.”
I nodded, inwardly vexed that I hadn’t stopped them to talk more before we parted.
“That does seem like it’s our best bet right now,” Rei agreed.
We briefly continued discussing our plans, deciding we would work out the finer details on the morrow since it was already so late. Meanwhile, Prince Irvin and Mabel were still trading digs with one another.
