The Broken Kingdoms of Osvolta (Kingdoms of Osvolta #1)

64. Something in Common

Chapter sixty-four

Something in Common

T he four of them made a striking group as they wended their way through the cobbled streets of Trivellian. All around, townsfolk were setting up for the festival the following day. Orange, green, and golden garlands were strung across the street from building to building. Stalls and stages lined the pathways, their signage promising a multitude of delicious food, drink, and entertainment.

“Tell me, Prince,” Adira said, turning to walk backward so that they could watch him. “Do you celebrate any holidays across the Dead Strait?”

Emmerich’s gaze flew to Adira from where it had been fixed on the woman stood as far from him as she could get. The same woman who had not once glanced in his direction, even though she had clung to him in the early hours.

“We celebrate the old holidays. Harvest, Solstice, some factions celebrate Hallows Eve and others the Spring Tides. To be honest, I’m more surprised that you still celebrate the old festivals.”

“You’d be right too.” They smiled. “Wouldn’t he Solveig?”

Her eyes swung to Adira before flying across to the prince she had been determinedly ignoring. “Sorry I missed that.”

Adira only smirked. “Emmerich expressed surprise that we celebrate the old festivals. I said he was correct to be.”

“Oh, yes,” Solveig swallowed, eyes narrowing. “Farrenhold’s direct connection to the Vanahold Seers kept them stuck in the old ways.” She said sharply, “Torrelin has celebrated none of them since the days of ascension.”

Wrenn Bleeker stared at the princess dumbstruck, “then, what do you celebrate?”

“There used to be a monthly celebration for those who came of age. Each guild would host a banquet for the families of their newest members, but that stopped a few decades ago. The New Dawn, the day of The Oracles ascension, is the start of our new year and there’s also The Anniversary.”

“You mean the day an entire country perished?” Wrenn countered.

“The Oracle’s ascension is a happy day. It granted Osvolta a peace and freedom we had never experienced before. A chance to live outside of Estrellyn’s control.” Solveig spat.

Wrenn stared at her plainly. “Innocent people had to die for your freedom ? All for you to wear magic cuffs and watch your historic lines of power wither and die.”

“That’s enough, Commander,” Emmerich declared, pulling her back. His and Solveig’s eyes met for the first time since that morning, confusion and longing tangling between them.

“What’s The Anniversary?” he said calmly, trying to douse the situation, but the commander’s words had already hit their target.

“The date of my father’s coronation. Families travel from across Torrelin to pay their respects and offer blessings.”

Emmerich stepped closer to her, putting himself between Solveig and Wrenn. “Why did the monthly celebrations stop if you still hold the ceremonies?”

“We still have to register the elementals in our society. However, it was deemed poor taste to celebrate them when many had died or lost their power completely.”

Emmerich nodded, as though he was truly trying to understand her world, as if it would make it easier for her to trust him, confide in him.

With the festival less than a day away, the Great Library of Farrenhold was quieter than it had been the last time.

“Was there something in particular we were supposed to be searching for?” Solveig asked, avoiding the prince’s piercing gaze, that she sensed heating her blood from the entryway. The air between them crackling like the smouldering logs in the fireplace.

“We didn’t finish our list of families,” Adira said, blowing dust off a heavy tome that had been left sitting haphazardly on a lone table.

“I was hoping to do some research on the Seers,” Emmerich replied.

Adira’s eyes met his. “You claimed the Seers are still alive and well in your country. Surely, they can tell you all you need to know?”

“The Seers of Elithiend have imparted all knowledge passed down their many generations, but Farrenhold is as close to their homeland as any of us can get. Vanahold was once a part of your territory. I want to know if there are any gaps in my country’s knowledge.”

“He’s got it in his head that the Seers knew more about The Oracle than they’re saying.” Solveig sighed, picking at her fingers to appear nonchalant. “It’s a waste of time, if you ask me.”

“I didn’t,” Emmerich muttered, growing impatient, “and what do you care if I waste my time?” His eyes alight as he sauntered across the room toward her. Standing so close, it forced her to step back against the wall until there was barely a breath of space between them.

“You were the one who declared us a team,” she sniped.

“And you did your own research behind my back, Princess. I’m only giving you the space you obviously crave, unless you’d rather work together, read the same book… at the same time?” He reached up to tuck a strand of dark hair behind her ear as his own fell into his eyes. “You can hold one cover, and I’ll hold the other.”

Solveig let out a shaky exhale. That had he not been as close as he was, he may have missed. Instead, the warmth caressed his neck, sending gooseflesh across his skin. “Or maybe it’s that after everything we’ve…” He paused again, searching for the right word, his eyes fixed on her mouth. “Shared. You still don’t trust me.”

“That’s enough, Emmerich,” Wrenn scolded as though he were a misbehaving child. Taking a step toward the smirking prince whose gaze flicked to her over his shoulder.

“Stand down, Commander, this is between me and the princess.” His eyes met Solveig’s again.

“What’s it to be, Solveig?” He whispered her name as though it were illegal. Sending her heartbeat skittering, but his hold on her had shattered. That split second of reprieve he had granted her had allowed her the time to pull herself back together; shuttering the emotions he had all too easily pulled from her again.

“Do as you wish, Prince,” she muttered, raising a hand to shove at his chest, forcing him to take a step back. “Waste your time reading old fairy tales. See if I care. Just take your friend with you.” She flicked her gaze toward Wrenn. “Adira and I have real work to do.”

Solveig shouldered past him down the nearest aisle, heading for the private room she had worked in previously. Throwing the door open and sitting down at the table. She propped her head up atop crossed arms, releasing the breath she had been holding so tightly she thought she might explode. The door to the room creaked open again. Solveig raised her head, ready to cuss out the prince for following her; but it was Adira who stood with their back against the door, arms folded.

“That was interesting.”

“I’d rather not talk about it.”

“Tough.”

“You dragged me here, Adira. If all you wanted to do was gossip about my catastrophic love life, we could have done it at Farrowvale over a glass of wine and trays of food. So, whatever you have to say can wait. Work first, gossip later.”

Adira shrugged. “I was going to say it’s a good job that you have water magic flowing in your veins.”

“And why is that?” Solveig sighed.

“Because you would have surely been set aflame with the way you were staring each other down. I thought I was going to have to lift the roof off this place to let some air in.”

“Ever the dramatics.”

“Still.” Adira smirked. “If I had a connection like that with someone, I would have tasted every inch of them by now.”

“Adira.” Solveig slammed her fist on the table, rubbing at her brow with the other hand. “Enough, please.”

Adira raised their arms in surrender. “For what it’s worth, I’m sure the prince has long since wandered off to the alcove I sent them to. But out of the goodness of my heart, I’ll even go fetch the books we were studying, and you can carry on hiding in here.”

Solveig didn’t respond at first. Her head once again lying atop her arms, a blistering headache rampaging its way through her skull, when she heard the door creek open again.

“Adira?”

“Yeah?”

“For the love of the blessed have them bring in some ale, wine, anything.”

“You’ve got it, Solveig.” They chuckled.

Up on the second floor, tucked away in an alcove that was so far from the central halls, the blue flames barely reached them. Where it smelled of old, musty books covered in dust that had sat untouched for centuries. The prince and commander got to work.

“What exactly are you hoping to find?” Wrenn asked from where she leaned against a precarious-looking bookcase.

“I’m not sure.”

“Helpful.”

“Sorry,” he sighed, putting the book he had been reading down, “I can’t shake the feeling that all of this is connected. The deaths and the loss of power aren’t two separate events.”

“And you think an ancient line of a dying race holds the key?”

“They foresaw almost everything.”

“Yeah, foresaw and did nothing,” she said, her voice laced with bitterness.

“We cannot blame them for holding true to their traditions and ideals, no more than you can blame the princess for hers.”

“That’s different,”

“How?” Emmerich glared at her.

“She’s worse.” Wrenn supplied.

“How did you reach that conclusion?”

“At least the Seers washed their hands of it all completely. She’s been an active participant.”

“There is only one to blame here,” Emmerich snarled.

“And who’s that?”

“The Oracle,”

“Careful Emmerich, Farrenhold may not be as pious as Torrelin, but they still worship that thing.”

“Then we need to find proof.”

Wrenn shook her head, still not moving to help. “Why? So you and the princess can work together to bring The Oracle down and walk off into the sunset?”

Emmerich merely shrugged.

“You know, at first I thought they drugged you,” she said, stepping closer. “That maybe that witch queen of theirs was slipping something into that mystery tea you were drinking, but now I can see I gave them far too much credit.”

“By all means, Commander, don’t stop now.”

Wrenn straightened her back. “You’re being na?ve, you are a prince, a guardian of an entire country.”

“You think I’ve forgotten?”

“Then act like it!” Wrenn hissed. “Why do you care if she believes you? When did this become about proving to her that everything she has known is a lie? You came here to protect your people, to ensure that whatever was killing them stayed on these shores.”

“Watch your tone, Commander.”

Wrenn ignored him. “You brought me here for a reason, Emmerich. You need to decide what that is. If I am merely your commander, then I shall return to the ship and ensure it is ready for our departure. If I’m here as your friend, then I will stay and help you. But I cannot be both. As your friend, I want you to be happy. As your commander, I want my country to be happy. Those ideals clash horrifically, especially where that princess is concerned.”

“You’re here as my friend, of course,” Emmerich swallowed, jaw tight.

“Then tell me what I’m missing,” she pleaded. “Why is she important? Why her?”

“It’s not just her, it’s Adira too.” He paused. “My grandmother told me once about a prophecy. She said that it was old, passed down for centuries, that no one was sure who the original Seer was, or who it was about.”

“Okay,” Wrenn whispered, trying her hardest to disguise her scepticism.

“Something is coming Wrenn, and I think now is the time that old prophecy may come true.”

“How do Adira and Solveig tie into this?”

Emmerich paused again for a moment. “Adira told Solveig the same prophecy just days ago, when they did not know my ancestry.”

“Which is?”

“Dark as night,

a dangerous might.

A kingdom torn.

Royal born,

to end our age-old plight.”

“And we’re giving it credence now because?”

“Two separate families of Seers, Wrenn. Passing down the same prophecy for centuries, word for word. If it were the discredited memories of a madman, it would have only one link to its origin.”

“It could be any of you,” Wrenn muttered, “but then you aren’t the only ones born royal. It could be Valentina, or Adira’s brothers, or maybe…”

“I don’t think it’s about one person, but a group. A representative of every element, all of them royal born.”

“Then the three of you aren’t enough. You need more.”

“Now you’re catching on.”

“That’s why you insisted on coming here? You needed Adira’s power?” Emmerich nodded.

“But you don’t have a representative of every element yet.”

“Right again,” Emmerich grimaced, “but I’ll worry about that later. First, we find the proof.”

“And then?”

“Then we convince everyone else.”

“As your commander, I should tell you that you sound utterly ridiculous right now.”

“And what does my friend Wrenn have to say?”

“She jumped off a cliff for you to practice your cushioning when we were in training so obviously, ridiculous or not, you know I’m with you.”