Aurora

February 1500 PD

It's been a month since I've written, almost exactly, give or take a few days. I left my journal here while I made my way in Myula. So much has happened. I was so happy to be reunited with my sons, for I've missed them all so dearly. I've gained a little hope back, since I left. I've finally got time to write, now that everyone is put to bed.

Here's what happened over the month:

When I first left, I ended up a few towns away from my destination. From my information, i.e. my letters with Lia (whom it made me ache to lie to, about not having a safe way to return to Myula, but I couldn't risk seeing her), I knew that Master Teseck taught at the academy now. I managed to make contact with him, in disguise, of course. Despite that, he knew me on sight, being one of the few magic-users capable of sensing the magic of others (Lia and I have always been under the impression he's got at least some fae blood (14) in him). And, having been my teacher, was very familiar with my magic.

I wasn't able to tell him very much about where I'd been and what I'd been up to (for safety's sake), but thankfully he was merely content with knowing that I was doing well, and promised not to tell anyone he'd seen me. He did have to introduce me the first mage, the headmaster, so that I might be able to gain access to the Tower (my official excuse for coming). Randolph, the first mage (16), was very accommodating. He would escort me to and from the Tower on the nights I needed to be there, which was about five times a week for three weeks.

In my first week there, on a night when I wasn't going to the tower, I snuck into the school grounds and to the place where Randy wanted his journal left. It was a tree, one with a particularly odd hollow in it, one I suspected was magic-made. So that task was complete.

I stayed at an inn in Stargate, where they knew me as the fair-skinned, brunette, brown-eyed (as opposed to my usual blonde, silver-eyed self) Ms. Lia Wilson. I chose that name as a tribute of sorts to my dear siblings, though they will never know of it, and my looks like those of my dear Randy.

The nights I spent at the Tower were productive. I recorded all my history since the time of my vanishing over the course of those three weeks. None of the royal family, or anyone, for that matter, ever comes to the Tower itself. The jewel that records the history has a mate, back that the palace. And that mate is different. It merely records, not retains. It's recordings are sent to the Tower's jewel (46). So no one will likely ever learn of my recordings, not until I am long gone (and probably long dead). But my history is recorded, and perhaps one day a descendant of my siblings will go to the Tower and discover my story. Perhaps they will seek out my children (or their descendants) and the families will be reunited.

But those are not the only thing that happened there. While I stayed in Stargate, I met a man, Cadeyrn Fonix (5). When we met, I learned he was a traveling researcher, as well as a magic tool maker, who was currently in the area to study the local fae, since the fae near the academy have a unique relationship with the humans here (which is why, in the middle of the country, that area always seemed to have fair weather, despite the cold winters of the surrounding areas).

He and I grew close in those couple weeks I was there. Cadeyrn learned my story, at least, an edited version. He gave me hope again, that I wasn't entirely broken beyond repair. That I could love someone new. I won't say much of our relationship, but I will say that it was intimate, for the time it lasted. For, sooner than I would have wished, we both had to part ways. His sister had found him (he was evading his family, just like I) and he had to return home, unless he wished for severe consequences. He was able to say goodbye to me, one last time, before he had to leave.

And soon after that, I had to return to Terra. It was the full moon (17) again, exactly a month after I had arrived. I bid Randolph and Master Teseck farewell, and returned to Terra, where my sons were waiting for me.

I do not regret leaving them to go to Myula (because I did return, and am back home now), and I do not regret what I did, whether it be what I went there to do, or what ended up happening. I've been able to heal, thanks to my time in Myula, enough to function in a way where I can be happy with my life. And that, I believe, is worth it.

Annotations:

5) Cadeyrn Fonix: Refers to the elemental, Cadeyrn, who is the biological father of Selene Celeste Goldstein née Fonix. When he was the lover of Princess Aurora, he went by the name Cadeyrn Fonix. He was confined to Elementum, by order of their leader, the Paladin, due to this affair, but since then some of the restrictions have been lifted and he has been allowed to kindle contact with his daughter. He is the son of the king of fire elementals and the younger sister of the king of the wind elementals, though he gave up all claim to the throne at the time of his mother's death.

14) Fae Blood: In the current day, people with known fae blood are more widely accepted by the public. However, in the time period of this journal entry, having mixed human and non-human blood was often a reason for severe persecution, even in the magical community. Nowadays, it is common knowledge that all human magic initially stemmed from non-human blood being mixed with human blood.

16) First Mage: The three great mages of Gedonelune are the guardians of the Tower of Sorrow, the first and third mages being the only two that are known to the public. The second mage, however, is meant to remain private due to their personal request.

17) Full Moon: The method Princess Aurora used for her last trip to Myula was a machine created by her late husband that was a prototype for the modern transfer stations (which were greatly changed and improved using this prototype in the years following the revealing of the fate of Princess Aurora), the ones developed before then now widely out of use.

46) Tower's Jewel: There is a jewel in the Tower of Sorrow that is only able to be used by someone who is of the royal house of Gedonelune by blood. It contains a record, which is in the process of being fully transcribed, of nearly every blood member of the house of Gedonelune from the time of the first king.