The Fifth Daughter {Fantasy-Romance}

SEVEN

Stillness of the forest

·・✩₊˚.⋆☾ ⋆⁺₊✧・·

MAERWYNN WALKED THROUGH the mansion's twisting hallways, her head swirled with questions. She reached the library, a vast room filled with books. The shelves seemed to stretch on forever, and the smell of old paper filled the air as she wandered among the stacks.

The library radiated an aura of ancient wisdom, its towering wooden shelves adorned with weathered tomes and curious artifacts. A skull of some long-forgotten creature rested on one shelf, its empty eye sockets staring into the abyss, while feathers danced in the air, pinned to the wall like relics of forgotten dreams.

As she wandered through the labyrinth of shelves, her fingers trailed along the spines of the dusty books, each one a gateway to a new knowledge. With each step, the stone floor echoed beneath her boots, a steady rhythm punctuating the silence of the room. She couldn't help but wonder if Valen was somewhere in study.

Reaching the end of a shelf, her gaze fell upon a stack of books, their titles a tantalizing invitation to exploration. Yet, it was the bold letters of "Grimoire" that beckoned to her like a siren's call. With a swift motion, she plucked the book from its resting place, cradling it in her arms like a precious treasure. Making her way to a nearby table, she carefully laid the book down, anticipation bubbling within her like a dormant volcano ready to erupt.

Opening the book, she was greeted by the sight of intricate maps sprawled across its pages as it came to life in front of her in shining bright lights, each line and contour telling a story of the land it depicted. The Five Courts of Lyria unfolded before her, a tapestry of hills, valleys, lakes, and rivers stretching out like a canvas waiting to be painted. They all seemed to be connected by a spiral of trees. Her fingers danced across the paper, tracing the topography.

It was a breathtaking sight. The sheer vastness of Lyria. Stretched across an expanse of land, its lush greenery punctuated by winding rivers and meandering valleys was the bold letters written on it, VERDANT COURT. Beside it stood the imposing FROST COURT, a fortress of ice and snow, its spiky mountains and glacial peaks casting an icy pall over the landscape.

Every hill and river was labelled but Maerwynn couldn't retain all of it in her head.

Further along, the EMBER COURT blazed with fiery intensity, its volcanic peaks and molten rivers a contrast to the cool serenity of the previous Court. North of it, the CELESTIAL COURT glimmered with ethereal beauty, its shimmering stars and radiant moons casting a celestial glow over the realm.

Yet, looming on the horizon, the TWILIGHT COURT exuded an air of mystery and foreboding, its shadowy tendrils stretching out like fingers grasping for the light. It was close to a dark forest barred from it by a white line and an oak tree. And at the center of it all, a symbol of power and authority-the palace, the heart of Lyria's governance.

But her gaze was drawn back to Lyria to the distant line etched in darkness-the Wall. The sight of it was a reminder of the dangers that lurked beyond, a barrier between the realm of the Courts and the unknown horrors that lay in wait.

Before she could fully take in the sight, a voice cut through the silence, snapping her back to reality. The newcomer was Calia, her expression stern and unwavering, a palpable tension radiating from her.

"You shouldn't be here," Calia admonished, her voice laced with thinly veiled irritation. "Someone should keep you on a tighter leash."

Maerwynn sighed. "It seems I'm more informed about my fate than I realized," she conceded, bracing herself for whatever vile words Calia was yet to speak.