Freshly steeped tea fills crisp air with a relaxing herbal fragrance; its maker leans forward on a leather armchair inside the lobby of a large archive before taking a sip. Bookcases several stories high surround the room, creating a massive library. Her honey-brown eyes probe a tall door to the right with uncertainty, silently counting the number of runes carved into the old wood encircled by atypical gems and metals. She rests a pale cheek upon her slender hand and lets out a soft sigh. A loud clank diverts her attention away from the door and toward a palace maid several years older than her who nearly drops a porcelain teapot. The short-haired woman fumbles with trays and other dining wares before placing them on a rolling cart.
The younger of the two sets her drink on an end table before hesitantly leaning forward. "Can I help you?"
Blue eyes widen. "I'm perfectly fine on my own, milady. Besides, you already helped by steeping a pot."
"Are you sure?" Brown eyebrows draw together with concern.
"Most definitely." The maid eyes the teapot one more time before scowling.
"I see." The young woman's shoulders slump forward before she sinks back into the armchair.
Whistling tunes roll past her lips as she watches the maid draw a magical pattern in the air to lift a teapot. The drinks are for a group of archive workers at the opposite end of the large room.
"Are you waiting for someone to leave the mailroom, milady?"
Before she can answer, symbols on the large door begin to shift. The wooden barrier dissolves, revealing an older man with a ring of neatly cut grey hair. He folds his red-clad arms across his chest before narrowing his eyes.
"Elodie, his Majesty received a package this morning. We don't know if it's harmful. Before you leave, I need you to try copying the sender's sigil to collect information on the contents."
The young woman's face lights up, interested by the prospect of using her abilities to complete a task for the king.
"Come on, I conjured a private workroom for you again." The man, Addai Edelweiss, lifts one of his hands into the air.
A strange light appears before his open palm, and a long staff, taller than his apprentice, slowly comes into being. Green gems circle a strange symbol at the center of the staff. He chants an incantation and opens the mailroom door after telling the maid to continue with her work.
Silence falls upon the two magicians as they cross the doorway into the mail sorting office. Long rows of cubbies, enchanted with magic to receive strange mail (of varying sizes), run along the room. Men and women stand around the rows sorting mail into different categories.
Elodie looks down while pressing her lips together. "Why me? Is the sender's magic too powerful for you?"
Out of everyone in the royal palace, she's best suited to copy spells because her magic reserves, while large, are nearly empty. Copying work requires magicians to fill their reserves with essence from magically imbued items and people. She suspects her mentor doesn't have enough free space to copy whatever enchantment was placed on the package, meaning a powerful person sent it.
The man's voice is firm. "Yes, some people might frown upon it, but I highly appreciate your copying abilities."
He points toward a door to the left, it's black and lacks unique symbols, which is unlike most of the doors in the royal palace. The young woman understands what the vacant barrier represents. It's void of personalized magic; it's a blank slate.
"I need you to place safety charms on the workroom. You can combine our magic. We don't know if the package is dangerous. Nobody can decipher who sent it." The man narrows his eyes with suspicion.
Stepping forward, the young woman lifts one of her hands into the air and draws a symbol, identical to a tattoo on her wrist, that conjures an obsidian wand in her opposite hand. She begins to draw black, gel-like runes in the air that shoot out from her wand then travel to the now unlocked door.
The man ushers his apprentice into the new room and shuts the door behind them. A workbench stands in the middle of the small space with various magical doodads filling its drawers. The young woman eyes rows of flasks and beakers wondering if any of their contents will be helpful.
"I may not have enough talent to identify the sender. Will you stay here?"
Elodie walks toward the workbench and looks at the delivery. It's a black box with golden trim and red sigils decorating the surfaces. The artwork is bold and loopy but has distinct brush strokes. The box on its own seems expensive, so she's sure the contents will be notable. However, it's strange that the sender didn't leave their name on or near the package to identify themselves. She eyes the container before lifting her wand into the air to draw magical absorption runes. She learned them from a family friend that creates locks for a living. He gifted her with a magical tattoo for her 16th birthday that contained essence drained from his magical reserves. Small tattoos are scattered across discrete parts of her body that allow her to use portions of various magicians' power.
Suddenly, the runes shoot back through the wand into her body creating a large surge of energy that causes her to gasp. A red circle forms beneath her feet with a black, bat-like figure at its center. Elodie begins to shake, unable to work past the sender's spell strength. She lifts her wand hand into the air and draws out a symbol to expel magic from her body. Sigils shoot out and return to their places on the mysterious box. The symbol beneath her begins to deteriorate, and she lets out a tired sigh. She wasn't expecting to encounter such powerful magic today.
Her mentor lifts his chin. "That magic circle belongs to Fei Wang Reed."
Dark brown eyes widen with recognition, Elodie read about Fei Wang Reed in a textbook during her time as an academy student. He aided Palmore during the great war by conjuring soldiers to fight off radical mages. The man's considered one of their sovereigns' most powerful allies. Elodie eyes the enchanted latch on the box, knowing it will only open if someone uses powerful magic.
"Mr. Edelweiss, did his Majesty request a private delivery? I can't guarantee the contents are harmless. The enchantment's well above my caliber."
Her mentor takes a step forward and taps his staff against the cement floor. "I wasn't notified of anything, but Reed's one of his Majesty's most trusted business partners. I'll take care of opening the box."
Giant keys form below the pair before shooting up in a large circular pattern above the duo's heads. The circle expands then contracts around the container in a quick motion. Yellow dust poofs out around the box, signaling Addai's magic was successful. Elodie's face tightens because she's unsure of how to proceed. The man takes a few steps before lifting the box's lid to look at its contents. Elodie inches forward to glance upon a female figurine wearing an intricate black gown. It's resting upon a bed of red velvet. Magic radiates off the petite doll and dances around the duo's bodies in red ribbons. Her fingertips brush against the doll's cold face then creep up to the figurine's black velvet hat after she takes notice of a button built into the accessory.
Addai crosses his arms. "I've never known Fei Wang Reed to create dolls, but this is a fine piece of craftsmanship."
Elodie reaches toward a small notecard nestled beneath the toy. Thin, silver swirls decorate the paper's edges surrounding text that reads, "For the king of Palmore's only daughter, Miella Gautier. May her birthday be a momentous event."
Her lips form a thin line. "His Majesty will want to inspect the doll with his own two hands."
The man lifts his chin before extending his hand, palm up, toward his apprentice. "It's our duty to test the toy for his Majesty. The enchantment was too strong for you, so I'll take care of the rest."
Fei Wang Reed's magic circle forms on the doll's bodice after Addai presses the button. The dainty figurine's dark red eyes flutter open and stare straight at the man before tilting its head to the side. Dark hair swings back and forth as the doll sways in his hand. The duo jumps back; neither person knows what to make of Reed's invention. Addai gently places the toy on the workbench. Elodie observes the face and notices a soft, shallow nose slope. Its facial features are Asian, unlike most of the Caucasian residents in Palmore. Foreign goods are popular among children, so Miella will likely find her gift fascinating. The man narrows his eyes, appraising the doll as it arches one arm over its head and the other at its waist before starting to spin. Its movements are light and precise. The figurine stops spinning with one leg extended to the right before snaking an arm through the air to shift its weight to the left. The doll continues dancing, tip-toeing across the flat surface with ease.
Addai lifts his eyebrows before a small smile graces his lips, "His Majesty will be pleased with the delivery. It's a commendable present."
"Miella's old enough to appreciate dancing dolls. They've been popular with children her age." Elodie shifts her eyes to the right, embarrassed to still own a ballerina figurine.
Her mentor grabs the toy, then shuts it off by pressing the button built into its hat. The figurine goes limp in his hand. He lays the doll on its velvet bed before closing the wooden top over it. A pale, feminine hand rests against Elodie's yellow-clad chest with relief. She's happy to have not checked a single malicious package today. The mail department's on high alert because Princess Miella's birthday festivities begin next week.
She straightens her back and meets Addai's gaze. "We've received a harmless package. Should we take it to his Majesty?"
The older man crosses his arms then looks toward the door. "The princess' present should come from a family member. You're his Majesty's oldest niece, so you should deliver it to the throne room."
Elodie's lips part and she lets out a quiet breath before responding in her airy tone of voice. "It's been a long time since I've spoken with his Majesty. Will you come with me?"
"I'll escort you to the throne room." Addai gestures toward the decorative box before walking toward the door to hold it open.
"Thank you." The young woman meets her mentor's eyes, and a small smile graces its way across her lips out of appreciation for his gesture.
Slender hands wrap around the wooden container before lifting it off the workbench. She exits the room and stands a few feet away from the door while waiting for the burly man to meet her. Addai walks about a meter behind Elodie before taping his staff against the floor. Yellow smoke rises from the ground and engulfs the black barrier. The smoke begins to roll down, dissolving the door as smoke falls back on the cement then dissipates into thin air. A few mailroom workers observe the pair, curious to see if they were able to identify the delivery's sender.
Yellow and black boots thud against the floor as the duo makes their way out of the archive department and into a long corridor feeding into the throne room. Metal lamps with citrine encrusted frames illuminate the stone passageway they're traversing. Their footsteps speed up because the throne room will be open to its last round of hearings in two hours. Castle maids are scattered down the hall, hanging multi-color ribbons for the princess' birthday celebration.
Twenty minutes pass before Elodie comes to a halt right before the arch leading into the throne room. Two guards stand on the other side of the archway, crossing their halberds in front of the entrance.
"Excuse me, may I pass? I'm the king's niece, Elodie Gautier. I'm carrying a present for the princess."
Both guards recognize the young woman as they look back and retract their weapons to let her through. Addai looks down his nose at Elodie before jutting his chin out to gesture her into the throne room. Citrine chandeliers hang from the ceiling along with large yellow flags. There's a golden carpet at the center of the throne room; it's surrounded by tall pillars two stories high. The carpet leads to a wide archway that feeds into a giant courtyard. A line of people gathers outside the main entrance.
Sascha Gautier, the king of Palmore, adjusts his gaze to the right, following his niece's movements. The man has soft locks of wavy blonde hair upon his head and dark brown eyes. His hawkish gaze falls upon the container in Elodie's hands. He's curious about the heavily adorned box. Court magicians, with elaborate golden robes, stand behind the throne, watching everything play out.
Elodie makes her way toward the golden carpet and meets the king's gaze. "Princess Miella has received a present today. We identified the sender as Fei Wang Reed, your Majesty."
"Is my niece so kind as to present the gift today?"
The blonde man's gaze softens, and he extends his index finger toward a table with lions carved into its wooden legs.
Elodie takes a few hesitant, somewhat staggered steps forward, unused to interacting with her uncle in court settings, before placing the present down. "Princess Miella has been gifted with a dancing doll. Its grace is a sight to behold."
Slender fingers undue the now disenchanted latch on the heavily adorned container. Elodie lifts the top and reaches for the button built into the toy's black hat. The elegant figurine gracefully arches its back to sit upon its velvet bed. One of its tiny hands extends, palm up, as though reaching for something overhead. With the opposite hand, the doll reaches forward then pulls its body the same direction into a standing position. The young brunette steps to the side, letting her uncle's curious eyes follow the performance. He watches as a wave of motion rolls back and forth through the figurine's outstretched arms while its hips sway side to side.
A grin spreads across the pale man's face, "Fei Wang Reed put a great deal of effort into that doll. We've been in communication."
Feminine, golden-brown eyebrows shoot up, surprised to hear the king knew about Princess Miella's gift. "Nobody knew you were expecting a private delivery, your Majesty. We were delayed because the package arrived without any identification. Luckily, Addai Edelweiss recognized Fei Wang Reed's magic."
Elodie's mentor bows his head from outside, signaling his involvement with the delivery. King Gautier raises his right hand and gestures the old, rugged man into the throne room. The guards lift their halberds, allowing the brunette's teacher to make an entrance. Addai approaches the golden carpet with long strides.
"Does the gift please your Majesty?"
Sascha Gautier closes his eyes for a moment before nodding at the balding man, "A father's joy is equivalent to that of his children's, as you know, and I believe little Miella will be delighted."
Multiple sets of eyes fall upon the dancing doll, awed by the tiny figurine's grace and beauty. The toy leaps into the air, and lands upon one foot with ease before leaning over to perform a forward spin. Court mages murmur amongst themselves, discussing the intricacies in Fei Wang Reed's inventions. It's uncommon to come across magically created entities, and even rarer to witness ones with fine-tuned motor skills.
Elodie hesitantly steps forward to shut the doll off, believing it an appropriate time to end the performance. After she rests the figurine upon its velvet bed, a disappointed sigh erupts from behind the king, causing the top of the toy container to slip from her startled hands. Elodie's body tenses as she watches the box slam shut with a resounding thud.
The king blinks as he listens to the sound ring throughout the throne room. He chuckles at the rare sight of his niece's wound up face. "We're lucky Fei Wang Reed carved out a bed for the doll to rest. Otherwise, the impact may have damaged such a delicate piece of work."
Elodie crosses her arms and looks away, drawing a disgruntled sigh out of her mentor. The man's gruff eyes shift from his apprentice to the Gautier King. "The girl can be a mouse at times, but she's good at her job."
Dark brown eyes begin to sparkle. "Indeed, was she able to absorb Fei Wang Reed's magic?"
Addai's firm gaze falls upon his apprentice once more. "She copied his magic circle."
A pleased smile spreads across the blonde's face. "My niece would be doing everyone a great favor by learning to replicate such advanced magic."
Sascha's hawkish eyes land on the young woman. "Tell me, have you ever thought of traveling to siphon foreign magic? Your large reserves are ideal for such work."
Elodie freezes, it's rare for her to travel outside Palmore's borders. Last time she visited a foreign country was when she was twelve; she's twice as old now. "The thought hasn't crossed my mind since childhood, your Majesty."
The king leans his body against the right arm of his throne before pointing at his niece. "I dare say It's time to put the thought back in your head."
Elodie looks down and taps a yellow lace-up boot against the floor. "And is traveling a proposition or request from your Majesty?"
Hawkish eyes veer to the side before focusing on the young brunette. "It would increase your powers, but I won't force your hand."
Chocolate lipstick smudges together as the young woman's mouth forms a firm line. "You bring up a valid point your Majesty. Would you be the one arranging my trip?"
Sascha Gautier leans forward, anchoring his arm upon his knee. "My dear niece, I'd be delighted to arrange your travels. I propose we make plans for the next tenth of the year."
Elodie's body relaxes. "That would be ideal, your Majesty. Is there anything else you request of me today?"
He tilts his head to the side like a child, highlighting his surprisingly boyish features. Most people would guess he's younger than forty-eight. "What time will you be attending Mie─Princess Miella's birthday party?"
"I was planning on arriving an hour before festivities begin."
The king smiles. "Your shyness is often confused for aloofness. It would be good for you to help with preparations. Leave the present here. You may go back to the mailroom, but I look forward to your company later this week."
Medium length strands of hair fall forward as the young woman bows. "Thank you for seeing me today.
She turns on her heels to walk away, but her eyes flicker back, curious to see the men's faces. The king's looking at Addai with a dark expression seldom seen by family and friends. He nods to the right, gesturing for the older man to follow his niece. The young woman's mentor casts his gaze down for a second before he accompanies her to the exit, bringing the day's major events to a close.