Scepter and bloom: A Regal Romance

Chapter twelve: Riddle

As I made my way down the staircase the next morning, I could hear the faint sounds of birds chirping outside. The scent of fresh bread wafted through the air, coaxing my stomach to rumble with anticipation. Breakfast was always a delightful affair in the castle. 

I stepped into the grand dining hall, where the wooden table was already set, adorned with a vibrant spread of fruits, pastries and steaming cups of herbal tea. The sunlight streamed through the stained glass windows, casting colorful patterns on the table cloth. I settled into my usual seat, feeling a sense of comfort wash over me as I took in the familiar surroundings. 

A sudden knock at the door to the dining room, jolted me from my thoughts of the food I was about to devour. I opened the hard wooden door,  to find a stern- faced messenger from the council at the door. I looked at his name tag that was clipped onto his shirt, the name read, COURIER ATLAS. 

“Aurelia, the council requests your presence immediately.” he said, his tone stern, leaving no room for questioning.

My heart raced as I followed him through the familiar hallway that led to the council chambers, where we last met. Upon arrival, I was ushered into the main entrance where the council members sat at their imposing chairs, all of their expressions seemed unreadable. 

“Aurelia,” the head councilor began. I remember his name, I think it was something along the lines of ‘ HEZEKIAH BEZEK” , ‘ We have requested your presence, for an unexpected evaluation . It is critical that we ensure that your abilities to the throne remain to our expectations, as every to-be in waiting for the throne royalty has had to participate.” 

“ An evaluation?” I managed to ask, my heart pounding in my chest, I rubbed my sweaty palms on the side of my gown I had chosen this morning. 

“Yes,” Hezekiah continued, his tone serious. “ This evaluation will test your wisdom, strength, and your ability to run the kingdom, as i just said it is tradition, every royalty has been through the process.” 

I swallowed the nerves in my closed up throat, and tried not to focus on the shaking of my hands, “ What does this evaluation require?” 

“ You will be given a series of tasks to test your knowledge, each designed to pinpoint a different skill set.it will  determine  your worthiness of the throne, you have to complete all of them in order to step forward, and plan your coronation.” 

 I nodded, “ I understand, I will do my best to prove myself.” 

“ Very well, your first task will be revealed shortly, and sent to your maid in letter form, and she will pass it on to you, " hezekiah said with a slight curt nod. 

I nodded, “ Yes, sir.” I grabbed a handful of my gown, slightly bowed down in a small curtsy.  And with that, I was dismissed. 

As I walked back to my chambers, I couldn't help but feel a heavier weight on my shoulders. The corridors seemed longer, the walls higher, and the silence louder. I needed to prepare myself physically, and mentally. My mind wondered about the possible tasks they’d have me do.  

When I finally reached my room, I found my maid, Elara waiting for me with an envelope in her hands. The sight of it made my heart skip a beat. “ The first task,”she said softly, handing it over to me. I took a deep breath, grabbing the envelope with shaky hands, broke the seal  and began to read:

Dear Aurelia, 

Your first task is to solve a riddle that has been written at the bottom of this letter. It will test your wisdom, and your ability to think underpressure. As Queen of Celestial Court, there will be many scenarios, you will need to use your wisdom to help the people. You have until sunset tomorrow to provide the correct answer 

The riddle is “ I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body, but I come alive with the wind. What am I?” 

I furrowed my brow, pondering the words. Elara watched me, with curiosity and concern. “ Do you have any ideas, my lady?”she asked. 

I shook my head slightly, staring at the words in front of me “Not yet,but I will figure it out, I have to.” 

 I placed the letter on my desk  and began to pace. The answer was right there, hidden in plain sight, I just needed to find it. Not only that, but the investigation with Raven, about the chamber, and Keiran, we had no idea if we could trust him about our secrets, everything was piling at once. I guess the world was testing me in more ways than one, and I was gonna find the answers to everything. I had to… especially if more than anything, I wanted to become the next Queen of Celestial Court. 

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Word count 823
Authors note : Finally was able to update after so long. I went on a trip to Oregon and been busy getting back into the swing of things. I was so happy to be writing again! Please feel free to give me extra feedback, as it could help improve my writing! Ive been thinking of a character list, I wanna add it before the First chapter but I don't think thats a feature. I see other peoples books and think their so cute! Maybe in future books I can do that! Anyways, happy reading! Thank you to all the people who are voting, commenting, and enjoying! I appreciate the time you take to read my story!