Page 15 of Essence of the Throne

I’ve never heard of them, and I feel clueless as I wait for her to continue. But she doesn’t. “Why are they of importance?”

She sucks on her teeth before dropping into a chair. She looks exhausted. “Their people are made of the strongest living affinities. They specialize in flora and fauna. Marek sent a student there once to train, though I haven’t seen them since. Said the child was some sort of prodigy with how potent their living essence was.” Something unsettling festers in my abdomen. “Whatever—that’s not important. All I know is they consider themselvesone with the realms,and I think they could help us.”

“Okay,” I breathe, dragging the word out.

I sit with the idea for a moment, mulling over the implications. A community of powerful living affinities, hidden away in the Verdantia Forest…

It could be exactly what we need. But something doesn’t sit right.

“How did Marek know about them?” I question, unable to keep the suspicion from my voice. “And why haven’t I ever heard of them?”

Ariella’s eyes close as she shrugs and leans her head against the back of the cushioned chair. “He has his sources. And they’re not exactly common knowledge—they prefer to keep to themselves.”

I nod to myself, shifting on my feet. “And you think they could help us understand what’s happening with the essence and balance?”

“It’s possible,” she says, her fingers drumming against the arm of the chair. “At the very least, they might have knowledge we lack. Their connection to the realms is…unique, I’m told.”

I pace the room, considering our options. If she believes this is our best chance at answers, I will not doubt her. But it means I will need to leave the castle for a time—something I’m not very comfortable with. I could lose all the influence I’ve gained with the king, but I also will not have her venturing through the Verdantia Forest alone. Especially to a place neither of us knows much about.

A chill runs down my spine as I recall the tales I’ve heard of the forest. It’s said to be a place of ancient magic, where the veil between realms grows thin. Where time flows differently, and hasty travelers find themselves lost for years, emerging unchanged while the world has moved on without them.

Those may be mere stories, but there’s a reason people do not wander through those woods. The stories must have been created from somewhere.

“It won’t be an easy journey,” I say, voicing my concerns.

She nods, meeting my eyes once more. “I don’t expect anything my parents’ writing discussed to be easy.” She’s right. There was never a thought in my mind that whatever we were searching for would be as simple as scouring a few texts.

“What’s your plan, then? How do we find them?”

Her gaze hardens as if she wishes to fight whatever she found offensive in my words, but she holds back. “I don't need Marek to know anything yet, so I’ll need to pay a visit to an oldfriend.”

The way she said friend makes me think this will be far more than a pleasant visit across the city.

Chapter Four

Ariella

My eyes roll as Caspian insists on accompanying me. His overprotective nature is both irritating and oddly endearing, though I’d never confess the latter.

We approach the modest house on the outskirts of Valoria, its weathered exterior a categorical contrast to the castle I’ve been made to live in. My stomach twists as memories of my last visit here surface. The man’s anguished cries…I’d almost felt bad for him.

Almost.

I push the thoughts aside—this is necessary. Caspian’s voice breaks through my reverie, muffled and distorted by the mask I’ve ordered him to wear. There would be an uprising if the kingdom’s people knew their prince was accompanying the Silver Wraith on her missions. “Are you sure about this?”

I nod once. “He’s our best lead to finding them.” Other than my mentor, but I've already decided he won't know about this.

“And you’re certain he’ll help us?”

A humorless smile tugs at my lips. “Oh, your sweet, royal-forged naivety. He has no choice, prince.”

The moon casts a ghostly light through the dusty windows, illuminating the worn-down furniture and faded wallpaper. Seems our friend has let himself go. I walk straight to the front door, not bothering to hide from wandering eyes—the people of Eldoria know better than to act against me. Anyone watching will just lock their doors and send a prayer to the Angel that I do not visit them next.

The darkness of the house envelopes us, barely illuminated by the slivers of moonlight that peek through the windows. My nose scrunches as the smell of damp wood and musty old furniture hangs in the air, mingling with the faint scent of smoke, as if someone had lit a candle recently—an unpleasant one.

The only sounds are our muted footsteps and the occasional swish of fabric as we navigate our way deeper into the house. I can feel Caspian’s presence behind me, his breaths coming out slightly ragged with the adrenaline I’m sure is coursing through his body.

He’s never done something this dark in nature before. I hold back a laugh—this is the least dark thing I've done in a while. My world, it’s intimidating. But he demanded to join, so he will learn very what it truly means to be friends with me. This is everything political meetings are not, and civil, amicable outcomes do not exist here.

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