Chapter 2:
Her thoughts of the prince's actions would continue well into the next day and many weeks after. Much to her parent's annoyance, Wilhelmina found herself quickly becoming obsessed with the powers of sorcery. She would bother her family over dinner with questions regarding magic, though they tried to refocus her attention. Even her tutors were not safe from her barrage of questions. They would scold her and tell her to focus on her studies, which were beginning to fall to the wayside, something that had never happened before.
After being denied information from everyone she knew, Wilhelmina decided to take action.
She was in the middle of yet another tedious lecture on the realm Vanaheim and its inhabitants when she interrupted Serna.
"Miss Serna?"
The woman had been one of her first tutors, thus she was privy to every excuse she had made to skip her lessons. Wilhelmina feared she would have to reason with her.
"Yes child?"
"I would like to visit the library today."
Serna lifted a fine eyebrow. When she saw the look of determination set on Wilhelmina's face, she sighed, bringing both hands to her hips.
"The last time you were permitted to visit the library you left with a stack of books you were hardly able to carry on your own. You are an intelligent young Aesir Wilhelmina, but I highly doubt you have already read through them all."
She knew this would happen.
"This is true, but I've recently taken an interest in a subject that-"
"Please Wilhelmina, not the damned magic nonsense again!"
She faltered at her tutor's reaction, but she was able to reply with a false ease.
"No, no miss, I am quite finished with that. I was merely hoping to read up on …more appropriate matters…befitting my station."
Serna was giving her a weary look.
Wilhelmina sighed before saying, "I wish to read of royal etiquette, so that when I take my place in court, I will be prepared."
The transformation on the older woman's face was almost comical. Both her brows were now arched in surprise and her previously balled fist shot to her face.
"Miss Wilhelmina! I am so happy to hear you've had a change of heart! Of course you may visit the library, I am sure there is plenty of text on the subject."
She was trying very hard not to laugh at her tutor.
"But what of the Vanir?"
Serna immediately began rolling the parchments and stuffing them into her bag.
"Oh this can wait, miss. You have more important things to focus on after all. Ready yourself, I will call a carriage for you."
"That's quite alright, I would much rather walk."
"Very well."
A thought suddenly came to her.
"Oh and Miss Serna? Please do not tell mother and father about my decision. I will tell them when I feel I am ready."
Serna gave her a genuine smile. "As you wish, my lady."
With that, Serna left through one side of the room and Wilhelmina another.
Xx
Asgard was home to the largest library in all nine realms. Golden columns lined every hall, as well as portraits depicting the realm's impressive history. Her footsteps echoed on the white marble floors lined with gold as she approached the librarian's table. Wilhelmina often found herself wondering if the man lived within the walls of the library he operated with such dedication. Wilhelmina had visited the library at all hours and had yet to see another person occupy the table she now stood before.
Though she knew it would most likely be unnecessary to do, she lowered her voice to just a whisper when asking the location of the section containing books of sorcery. The man looked at her with a look that she could only interpret as skeptical. After a short while he pointed towards her left and gave her detailed directions.
The library was so dense that it took her almost ten minutes to walk to the very back of the first floor of the building. The halls became dimmer and colder the further down she walked, but she would not be deterred from her mission. Finally turning to her right and walking down a row of shelves she could not help but notice the look of the books she passed. Many of them held dust but most looked as though they had never been read.
She finally stopped in front of her desired section. Though it was rarely visited, the amount of books available was staggering. The shelves rose 10 feet high with a ladder provided for reaching the higher tomes. She spent hours scaling the shelves of the abandoned section before she found it. The book was worn and dirty, and Wilhelmina was curious to find that the book was also lightly singed. Still balancing herself on the ladder, she flipped to a random page. The book was written in the runes of her people and her eyes lit up when skimming over a few more pages. It seemed what she found was an instruction book for a beginning sorcerer. Perfect.
From that point on she returned to the library every day, sneaking in more and more supplies to further her studies.
Xx
The explosion resulted in a small mushroom cloud enveloping the area she used as her classroom. When the smoke cleared, her clothes were ruined in black soot, her brown locks a mess around her face and her finger tips burnt. But what brought tears to her eyes was the pile of dust before her that had once been a small bird. A full month had passed and she still was not able to turn a bird into crystal. Perhaps she should practice with fruit instead…
Xx
Loki was not sure what it was that drew him to the library. He had been in his personal study when the explosion occurred but it was not any sound that alerted him, the castle was miles from the library. What caused a cold chill down his spine was the sheer power of the magic that attacked his consciousness.
He was at the library entrance in a second, the magical presence immediately surrounding him. He had long since resigned himself to the fact that magic of this magnitude would only be administered by him. The fact that someone was attempting such a feat was alarming. This would not do.
Whoever this person was, he would have them cease these practices immediately. The prince would not call his sense of urgency intimidation, but more of a precaution.
His senses all but pulled him in the very direction from which the offense originated from. As he drew nearer, he quickly realized that he was walking toward the sorcery section. He himself had not been there in many centuries.
As soon as he turned the corner, he came to an abrupt stop. Of all the scenarios that ran through his mind on his journey to this very spot, this was not one of them.
The entire hall was caked in dust and soot, but in the middle of the chaos was a woman. Her gown was utterly destroyed and she weakly pressed her hands to her chest. She was crying. From the looks of the scene, he could come to many conclusions, but instead he chose one.
Clearing his throat, he spoke to the pile of weeping dust, "You know there are much easier ways to kill yourself."