"So, Eloise, tell me about the other Ladies of Opportunity."

I took a deep breath. "Who would you like to hear about first?"

Captain Keller answered for the prince. "Start with the ladies who went to Cliffside with you."

"I've already told you about Cynthia."

The prince smiled at her name. "Although I trust your judgement of her, I would like to know more about her. What her personality is like."

"She's a loyal friend and incredibly compassionate. She's a reasonable person who always seems to know the right thing to say. She's had to calm my nerves many times. I wouldn't have made it this far without her."

He nodded. "And Lady Southgate?"

"I don't know much about her. She has a tendency to follow the rest of the ladies."

"And Lady Holtzer?"

I smiled. "She's a sweet girl, but timid. She isn't easily swayed by the others like Lady Southgate, but doesn't really make a stand for one thing or another."

I made my way through the list of my peers. I told him how Heather was almost too motivated, but kept a cool head when Charlotte confronted her. I reminded Captain Keller of how Lola was the only one to question him during our first lesson with him at the Celestial Palace. I told them how Anna was like Lily in her readiness to be affected by the competition, but that she was a kind person otherwise. I couldn't give them a description for Pearl other than the fact that she left no impression on me, neither good nor bad.

When it came to Juliet, I wasn't sure what to say. She wasn't a remarkable person, but then I recalled how she always seemed eager to bring everyone together. She was the one who would gather us for tea in her room when we had a free afternoon. I was hesitant to speak of Charlotte and Paige since I had had no diplomatic way to describe their qualities, but Daniel insisted. I relayed how Charlotte and Paige judged Rita for her skin and heritage, how Charlotte was not concerned if she caused a scene. Then I spoke highly of Rita and her eagerness to become my friend, how she seemed to have a clear mind no matter what happened, even when Charlotte was ridiculing her.

Daniel leaned back in his chair when I was finished, thinking over everything I said. He finally looked up at me. "You've given me a lot to think about."

Something in his tone concerned me. "What do you mean?"

"Daniel," Captain Keller warned.

"What is it?" I asked, my concern growing.

"Do you think it's so bad if she knows? She'll find out next week."

The captain rolled his eyes. "I can't stop you. I think it's inappropriate."

I looked to Daniel. "You're both making me worried."

"It's almost been a year since you ladies began your training. We always knew that we would send some of you home before a year had passed. We decided to keep you here a little longer than planned so we could make a better decision."

I let his words sink in before I replied. "That's not nearly as bad as I thought. I wondered if something like this would happen. Madame Trudeau mentioned it was not guaranteed that we would all return-" I stopped abruptly, noticing something that sat on a table in the corner of the room by Captain Keller.

It had been nine months since I had seen it. The small box was unmistakable, with its golden handles and plain wooden surface. I glared at the captain and pointed at the box. "You brought that?" I demanded, starting to shake.

He looked at the box, then me. "What do-"

"You have no right!" I hissed, my voice catching. I knew my emotions were getting the better of me, but I couldn't help it. "What is that thing, anyway? What was that stone? How did you get me to talk like that?"

He looked startled. "How do you-" He stopped himself, then said instead, "I had no plans to use this. I simply brought it as a precaution. I told you last night that I can't trust you. It isn't personal."

"No! That's no excuse. It shouldn't have even been an option." I stood. "Forgive me, Your Highness. I thought this would be a safe place for me to speak. It appears that's not the case. Goodnight."

I stormed from the room and down the hall. I heard footsteps quickly approaching from behind. I turned, ready to see Daniel rushing to apologize for his friend. Instead, Captain Keller was there, looking surprisingly concerned.

"Lady Taylor, I-"

"Leave me alone." I turned on my heel and continued down the hall. I heard him rush to catch up, then felt his hand on my shoulder. I pulled away. "Don't touch me."

For the first time since I met him, he looked unsure of himself. His accent grew thick as he said, "Lady Taylor, please. I need to talk to you."

"About what?"

"That stone."

I glowered at him. "What about it?"

"We can't talk about it in the hallway. Please, come with me to my personal study and I will explain."

"I'm not going anywhere alone with you."

He looked frustrated and frowned. "I cannot tell you anything in the hallway."

"Then you can take me back to the study and explain it in front of the prince."

He shook his head. "I can't do that either."

"Why not?!"

"It's easier to discuss this without him around, that's all. He's always eager to smooth things over, but I need to be able to speak without interruption."

I crossed my arms, feeling my head ache. "I have a headache. I would like to go to my room."

Something crossed his face that I couldn't quite read. He reached out a hand. "May I?"

"How do you do that?" I asked, stepping back again.

He gave me an exasperated look. "Eloise, just come with me and I'll explain!" I stared at him in shock, and he realized his mistake. He ran a hand over his face. "Forgive me, I'm used to the prince calling you by-"

"Fine," I said.

He gave me a questioning look. "I'm sorry…?"

I rolled my eyes. "I'll go with you."

He nodded. "Follow me." He turned around and headed back in the direction of the prince's study. We approached the door, where Daniel stood watching us, and Captain Keller went inside, presumably to get his box. I took the opportunity to talk to the prince.

"I apologize for my outburst," I said. "I'm not sure what got into me."

He had a strange look on his face. "Don't worry about it. I told you, the captain is abrasive sometimes. He means well. I hope you get your answers."

The captain returned with his box and I followed him down the hall. He stopped at a doorway, took out a key, and opened it to reveal a narrow, spiraling staircase. I followed him up to the next floor where the stairs opened up to a small room in the attic. I gazed around in awe. The walls were covered in bookshelves and a row of three small windows. The captain placed his box on the desk in the middle of the room, sat down, and gestured for me to sit in the other chair. I obliged and waited for him to speak.

He opened the box and held the stone. "Magic."

I waited for him to say something else, but he didn't. "Magic?" I repeated.

He nodded. "The stone. It helps me retrieve the truth from people. The stone itself isn't magic, but it can hold magical energy. Most people just think I'm being eccentric when I ask them to hold it. They usually can't tell what's happening. You're apparently the exception to the rule. I've never had anyone be able to tell what was happening."

I raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to tell me that magic is real?"

"Of course it is. You'll be learning more as a group when you return to the palace, but I might as well tell you now." He returned the stone to its box. "Yes, magic is real, but not in the way fairy tales might tell you. It's not as dramatic as all that. Magic doesn't require a wand or staff. There are no pixies with pixie dust or fairies with wings. There are no witches that fly around on broomsticks or wizards who can teleport." He leaned forward. "Magic is much more ordinary than you'd think."

I wanted to believe he was telling stories, that he was delusional, but something inside me knew it was true.

"There are different kinds of magic. It's an energy inside some people. It's actually quite common, but most people don't have concentrated enough energy for it to show up. For those who have a strong enough energy, it usually just appears as a special talent- like baking, or juggling. Someone may be an excellent healer or a natural-born leader. Those would be natural magic and personal magic, respectively. There's also sight magic, which is very rare and something true fortune tellers have. But there's also omni magic."

"Omni magic?"

"Also known as abstract magic. It means someone may possess two or more kinds of magic within them."

"You have omni magic, then." I looked at him expectantly.

"Correct," he said, visibly impressed. "What led you to that hypothesis?"

"I assume you have personal magic if you can use that thing," I said, gesturing to the stone. " And then you've healed one of my headaches before, so you clearly have natural magic."

He leaned back in his chair. "You're very observant."

"Do any of the ladies have magic?"

He smirked. "Oh, absolutely. You all do. Some have more than others, but you all possess magic to some degree."

I stared at him in shock. "Wait, we all do? Even me?"

"Especially you. You have the strongest magic energy I've ever felt. You could be stronger than me."

I frowned. "But I don't know what kind of magic I have."

"You seem to have personal magic. You do not mean to do it, but I have noticed that you have the tendency to draw people in. When you speak, most people listen and trust you. You also seem to be able to read other people very well, which is why the prince trusts your judgement. However, that's also exactly why I am hesitant to trust you. The prince is not often affected by magic, but because yours is so strong, I am concerned for his judgement."

"Does he have magic?"

"Yes, he has personal magic too. He's able to deflect most magics, but he still has trouble with strong magic sources."

"What about you?" I asked. "If your magic is strong too, then is he affected by your magic?"

"Good question. First, I can control my magic. Second, there are different ways in which personal magic will manifest itself. Mine is not the same as yours, so even if I couldn't control it, I would not affect others in the same way you do. I also can deflect others' magics, but I'm stronger than the prince. That is why you distrust me. I am able to deflect your magic, therefore you cannot read me- and that makes you wary of me. Many people tend to dislike me because of it."

I rubbed my head, trying to make sense of the new information while battling my headache.

"I'm sorry for that," he said, standing and coming to my side. He held out his hands and pressed his fingers against my temples. The pain melted away and he returned to his seat. "You may be getting these headaches because I keep trying to read you."

I glared at him, my anger flaring back up again. "This is because you?! Do you know how often I get these?! Will you please stop? They're horrible."

"Of course. Again, I'm sorry. I didn't realize they affected you. Like with the stone, usually people have no idea it's happening."

"It seems like a terrible invasion of privacy! Are you trying to read my mind?"

He shook his head. "I wouldn't be able to read your exact thoughts, even if I wanted to. I've never met someone who can do that. No, I have been trying to read your magic and general intentions. I have attempted to get past your magical barriers several times to see what you were hiding."

"I'm not hiding anything!" I yelled angrily.

"I know!" He looked overwhelmed, as if he hadn't expected me to be so upset by all of this. "I know that now. I didn't know that before. However, I noticed you had magical barriers- strong ones- in your mind. I have never encountered someone who has them without training. Until I met you, I assumed they were only able to be created on purpose."

I shook my head. "This is absolute insanity. I know you're telling the truth, but… I…"

"It's a lot to take in."

"That's one way of saying it."

He frowned. "Look, Eloi-"

"Lady Taylor." I locked eyes with him. "You have not earned the privilege of calling me by my given name."

He blushed. "Forgive me," he said with a heavy accent. "As I said, because the prince-"

"I don't care why. Don't do it."

He nodded. "You need time to process this, I can tell." He stood and gave me an apologetic smile, which angered me more. "Let me escort you back to your room. I will say I found you having a dizzy spell in the hall and you couldn't make it back to your room alone. You need an explanation for being out so late."

I frowned. I wanted to tell him no, that I wouldn't do that. I hated to agree with him, but it was a very smart solution. I could easily be well enough to continue with my daily schedule in the morning, or I could still pretend to recover from the dizzy spell.

"I suppose that is a convincing enough lie." I rose from the chair and began to descend the staircase before he could say another word.

Fortunately, we didn't run into anyone, so the only person I had to explain my absence to was Cynthia. She looked relieved when I walked in the door, rushing to my side.

"Eloise! Why are you coming back so late?"

I relayed my excuse to her as casually as I could, doing my best to mask my anger.

"Are you alright?!" she exclaimed, guiding me to a chair.

"I'm mostly tired now." She sat beside me with a furrowed brow and I felt a pang of guilt for deceiving her. I rubbed my eyes, trying to prove my point. "Honestly, Cynthia. I think I just need rest. I'm sure I'll be better in the morning. We should get some sleep."

She looked unconvinced, but allowed me to get ready for bed all the same.

When I woke up in the morning, I felt a sense of purpose. I got ready for the day, had breakfast, and went to our morning lessons with Captain Keller and Monsieur Bouchard. I had lunch, listened to Mr. Bray babble in Havarian, and then waited for my tutoring session to begin.

I sat in the library impatiently, tapping my fingers against the oak table as I looked out the window at the sea.

"Lady Taylor, good afternoon."

A shadow fell over the table and I looked up. "Captain."

He sat down across from me and folded his hands on top of his books. "Shall we get started?"

"No."

He didn't react, only blinked, at my refusal. "What would you suggest then, Lady Taylor?"

I stared at him. "I don't want to talk about the Havarian language."

"Then what would you like to discuss?"

"My visions."

Hey! Surprise! Another super quick update! I am almost done with this story. Don't worry, there's still a lot for you guys to read, but I'm making amazing progress on the story. Let me know what you think! Thanks for sticking with me! I really love having you guys be so excited just like I am. It's getting better and better and there's some REALLY EXCITING STUFF coming up. :)