Chapter 11
Looking for Magic
"...and so through trading and industrialization, the four kingdoms got more similar," Yao said, teaching Alfred about the four kingdoms but Alfred looked elsewhere. Yao clapped his hands together, startling the young alpha. "Are you listening to me?"
Alfred shook his head and leaned back. "No, actually. I'm thinking about a gift for the Prince. A courting gift is simple but that's his birthday!"
"You know the Prince for a while now and might know what he likes and dislikes. It should be something personal and memorable."
"So I need something big?" Alfred bounced with his feet and thousands of ideas of massive things flew through his head.
"No. Something valuable that shows him that you know him."
"How should I-"
"Back to the lesson," he said strictly and Alfred pouted but his thoughts would circle back to the gift.
After the lesson, Alfred went to the library to get himself some books about Spadian history. Normally Yao would give him the books but now Alfred was better at reading and had to find the books himself. It was tiresome to read all day and he'd get headaches from all the concentration. The words would melt together on the page but he'd do it as long as he needed to stay here, as long as he could stay here with Arthur.
Sometimes he forgot why he was here and that he'll leave no matter what happens, either in a good way or the bad way. Being beside Arthur made him forget that and sometimes he wished he could be here to seduce him instead of finding a magical item. He chuckled at himself and stopped confused, wondering when he started to have those kinds of thoughts. He rubbed his eyes, feeling another headache forming. "What's wrong with me?"
"I'm asking myself that about you, too." Alfred turned around, seeing Alexander standing and gesturing with his head. "Follow me."
He followed him to a simple room with airship models being displayed. There were small and big ones standing on platforms and others hanging down from the ceiling.
"I'm not satisfied with your job," Alexander said and crossed his arms after correcting his dark glasses.
"I had to work practically with nothing but, I did find something that could lead me there."
"I want you to find it before the end of the Selection, do you understand?" His gaze was serious and dangerous, it made Alfred feel nervous. "I've got the feeling you forgot about your mission and have fun with the Prince instead."
"I didn't forget, I just need time and more clues but I'm getting there."
Alexander mustered him and came closer. "Show me some proof that you're getting there or it's the end of your mission."
-
Alfred went back to the cult and gave them the hair strand of the Prince. Finally they would let him into their middle, it was frustrating enough to find a way to get Arthur's hair but to find them again was even more frustrating. He'd been roaming the streets for hours until he finally found the building again.
They had taken the hair into another room and put it into a bottle, saying it was for later. Shortly afterwards, Alfred had to sit on the carpet in the main room while the cult priestess - that's how she called herself- sang and let Alfred swear with his name on a book. Luckily his name wasn't his.
He had no idea how long he'd been in that library of theirs afterwards but his whole back and eyes hurt. He'd been reading almost through all the diaries about people who have encountered or heard about the Joker. For Alfred it sounded like they were hallucinating and that he might do that soon as well. None of those diaries talked about magical items hidden in the castle and most of those books had their ordinary lives in it and Alfred didn't care which dress Sussie had worn to dinner with her wife. It was truly a waste of time.
Alfred strolled to the priestess asking her personally about the magical items and she led him back to the library. "I've heard about them and how crucial they are in our forgotten history." She pulled out a diary he had skipped through. "This diary is from a Princess from Clubs thousands of years ago, a very interesting life she had. Are you looking for them?"
"I'm just very curious about them. In my old cult they've talked about it and I just want to know the truth," Alfred explained.
She nodded understandingly and read him the passage in the diary. "When I was a child, I witnessed my Father making a deal with someone. A very pale creature with red eyes and a grin so wide that I thought it's going to swallow me."
It reminded Alfred of the dream he had and the drawing in the cult's shrine. It was again, the Joker.
"My Father always told me I should not fear him therefore he's the most powerful source of magic, even more powerful than the stone under our castle. Today I've found out how powerful that stone is and fear how much more powerful the Joker is. Magic is imprisoned in that stone as my Father said and only the ones who were kissed by magic can hear them. I fear my maid is one of those people. I figured that out when I sneaked off with her into the maze. She bursted into tears upon hearing them, shouting she heard them cry in pain and she could do nothing about it."
Alfred was confused how magic could be imprisoned but at least he knew where he had to look for it. A maze under the castle. His book mentioned the maze as well and all he needed was a map of that maze and the entrance.
He went back to his room and skipped through his book until he found the page where the maze was mentioned. "The maze is a tro-tru-trul-Ugh! Whoever wrote this should learn some handwriting," Alfred said out loud in an upset manner. "Gar-don, no gar..den of life spreads." He read slowly and carefully trying to understand what it meant. The only thing he understood was a garden that spreads life from the stone.
Alfred was confused and wondered if he had to find a garden instead or if the maze began in the garden. He skipped the page in frustration landing on the next two pages which were blank except a single rose with horns drawn on it. He had a feeling that this could be the map but it was hidden or the author forgot to draw it with their bad handwriting. Nonetheless, it didn't help him to find the magic stone with the trapped magic inside.
-
A calm and relaxing afternoon tea was the right thing Alfred needed beside Arthur. He'd been thinking about magic for days and sitting with Arthur and having tea took him out of the world of nonsense. At least he had hoped that but even here he couldn't stop thinking about it. Did the priestess think Arthur was kissed by magic and that's the reason she wanted his hair? He doubted Arthur would tell him if he'd ask him or tell him if the magic item is real and their history a hoax. The only magical thing about Arthur was that he looked like a fairy and Alfred beamed up, knowing exactly what he wanted to give Arthur for his birthday.
He went to the workshop in the castle after asking Yao for some utensils, and having something romantic in his mind. He used his skills to design something special for Arthur, something simple but something that would remind the Prince of him when he looked at it.
He walked past the foyer about to go down the half circle stairs and to the glass corridor when suddenly he heard a whisper. It was the same whisper he'd heard when he first saw the Dragons in the foyer but this time he noticed where they came from. It came from underneath the stairs where the corridor led to the throne room. He's never been there before and when he looked into the semi dark tunnel, guards stood in front of a door leading to the throne room.
He walked away and looked up at the Dragons and then the clock, noticing the flower in the middle. A flower with two horns. He thought that flower was a simple emblem like the Dragons and nothing more.
The clock chimed two o'clock and moved in a beautiful tune in two directions, rotating and folding until coming back together when the tune ended. The whispers over shouted the tune of the clock and for a moment he thought if he'd been kissed by magic but he quickly brushed the idea off. His visions could hardly be magic. Magic is purely spells and curses and he didn't hear any cries, only strange whispers that could be simply the wind.
He went to his room and looked through the pages again, trying to reread the pages anew about the items. He understood that there are four of them and each represents an animal and each has a name and each belongs to one kingdom. He sat on his bed with his eyes falling down but he kept on reading and tried to understand what those stones were and how to find them in the maze.
The Weather Stone represented the Griffins and belonged to Clubs. The Structure Stone represented the Mermaids and housed in Diamonds. The Emotion Stone were Unicorns and in Hearts. The Time Stone presented the Dragons and belonged to Spades. Alfred noted each of those animals were also the kingdom's national animal and none of them existed.
He turned the page to the Time Stone and read it again. "...change time to one's will..." If Alfred was right then the magical item that Alexander wanted had the power to change the course of time. He wondered what the alpha wanted with this stone and didn't like that idea of that.
He turned back to the blank pages with the rose and his eyes flattered close just so briefly. In that moment pictures flashed before his eyes, blurred and unstable. He stood in the foyer with the book open and looked into the rose of the clock. His eyes opened again and for a moment he sat confused, asking himself if he fell asleep or if that was a vision. He decided to stand up and try his luck.
He ran up to the clock while his footsteps echoed on the marble floor. He stopped in front of the clock and opened up the book. If that was a vision, he had only five minutes for it to come true and so he waited and stared at the clock and felt dumb. The vision showed him only that and nothing more. Nothing else would happen and he sighed but before he could close the book, moonlight fell on the pages through the rose.
A small part of the map formed on the page and Alfred's eyes widened. When he moved the book, the other part of the map showed up but the one where the moonlight had been on vanished again. Only the moonlight that shone through the rose lit up the map but that was enough for him. He quickly scribbled the map on the book pages before the moon would hide behind the clouds again. One thing was sure, the rose on the page represented the Time Stone.
He'd been up the whole night and drew the map on another piece of paper to show Alexander what he'd achieved. Telling him that all he had to do was to find the entrance to the maze where the magic item was. Alexander nodded satisfied and let Alfred carry on his mission. Alfred had no idea where to find the entrance but something told him it could be in the throne room or the garden. He just had to look around and keep his eyes open.
-
The next parliament conference began and his last chance to impress Arthur. He chose to be more passive and only told them what he'd practiced with Yao who was more than angry with him when he heard about the incident.
This time, Lewis Wright also seemed to be more passive towards Alfred. No eye contact, no comment, not even one question towards him. Alfred was relieved but his feelings told him there was more to it and he was right.
When the conference ended and Arthur walked out of the room, Lewis Wright stopped Alfred and told him to sit down again.
The man held his nose up high and stared down at Alfred with a disappointed look. "I had a lovely conversation with the Prince lately and I know which alphas he wants to keep and which one he'll eliminate tomorrow. Sadly, you're one of the alphas he wants to keep."
These were great news for Alfred, he could breathe out in relief and find the Time Stone next month. His delusional thoughts about Arthur and that the Prince might like him popped up again but it all vanished quickly when Wright spoke up again.
"And so, I have to take some things in my own hands, Mister Jones."
Alfred froze and his mind went blank. "N-no, my name's-"
"I know who you are, Alfred F. Jones," Wright said. "And I know that Alexander took you in."
No words came out of Alfred's mouth. That was it. His disguise was gone and he'll die.
"No need to worry, Mister Jones. I know sir Alexander replaced you as a filler." The alpha smacked his dry lips.
"Huh?"
"I knew you were dumb but not that dumb." He laughed at Alfred's shocked and confused face. "His filler, to make him look better and to make sure the Prince chooses him as the King. That was the deal." Wright crossed his arms and leaned against the table. "I was surprised Alexander needed a filler and replaced Mr. Taylor. After all, I hold my deals and I've chosen Alexander well."
Alfred stared at the wooden table once more confused. He thought the Prince chose all the candidates and what deal did Alexander make with Wright? What does he do for him to become King?
"Now to you Mr. Jones. You misbehaved and the press likes to write about you but we can't have you run around and draw attention, now do we?" He stood up again and placed his hands on Alfred's table. "Alexander isn't looking after you so I'll do that. You'll do whatever I tell you to do and you'll say whatever I tell you to say, is that clear?"
"I only work for Alexander-"
"Wrong! Alexander works for me, ergo, you work for me as well and if you don't do whatever I demand from you, you can say goodbye to your life. Understood?"
His eyes pierced through him, making him feel small and weak. Alfred had no other option than to nod.
"Good." He stood up again and brushed over his own hair. "I can't believe the Prince let you stay for another round. But don't get used to it and don't even think that you have a chance or the possibility to win the Selection. I'll make sure you'll stay where you belong and go back to your filthy little unimportant-," he made sure to emphasize the word, seeing Alfred's hurt in the eyes, "-life to work your butt off until you die. No one will care if you leave and you'll be forgotten by everyone you met including me, Alexander and the Prince."