Constantine (Daughter of War #1)

Chapter 5: Jousting Jesters

"Pardon my rudeness, Squire Rutherland, but have you been Marked yet?"

Quinnian Allura's voice breaks the muffled silence in the room. I snap my head up from the tiresome document I was leafing through—who knew that research could be so boring, even for me? Gilbert is already nodding off, hiding his drowsy expression behind a thick, cumbersome book entitled The Ancient Religion and its Origins.

I try to look at my bare collarbone—an impossible feat—then back at Quinnian Allura. She's resisting to sneak a peak at my bare skin. It's deemed inappropriate for women to look at a man's body, unless they are man and wife. Even now, she's breaching an unspoken code by looking directly at my face.

"Er...no." I hesitate a little before answering. Two people had asked about my Mark in one day. Highly unusual.

"I assume Captain Eldric has already spoken to you about it?" I stare at her. Even for a Quinnian, she knows too much.

Noticing my surprise, she chuckles, causing Gilbert to wake up from his peaceful slumber. He slams the book down on the table and with eyes darting wildly about the room, he cries, "What's happening? Are we in danger?"

The scholar and I stare at him. "It would do you good to actually pay attention to the work I've given you instead of looking out for non-existent enemies," Quinnian Allura remarks drily. Gilbert's ears tinge with pink. He re-dives into the book with pretend cheerfulness. I give my full attention to the scholar.

"Yes..." I say uncertainly, in response to her earlier question.

She gives me a quirky smile. "It was I who had put forth the request for it."

"Oh." My mind swirls with the possibilities of her underlying intentions. "And why is that?"

Like with Gilbert before, she doesn't answer immediately. Instead, she hauls up an impossibly thick book from a stack on the floor. It has a lock, and it looks slightly dusty and yellowed from disuse. Quinnian Allura fishes a key out of her sleeve and opens the lock. When she finally finds the page she's looking for, she slides the book towards me. "Please read the second passage on the left page aloud," she says. "Squire Falkner, you should listen too."

With an index finger guiding me, I begin to read in a clear, steady voice. "A record of the Champion of Pst. Quinn—Quinnei Reginald during 422 A.P.: 'It is said that a Champion of the Pietists is only truly recognised after the Marking ceremony, a testimony held true in many countries throughout the land. I hereby confirm that this statement is true, for after I have received my Mark, my mind opened to many ways that I never knew was possible.

"'However, future Champions should take note that it takes two to complete the Marking. Even when a Champion is branded early, if their counterpart within the Pietists' Circle has not been branded yet, then the Mark is useless. For instance, two Champions of War must both be branded, or else they will never unleash their true potential.'"

Gilbert and I study each other. Something in my mind clicks together. I always assumed that Gilbert would be far stronger than me after he'd received his Mark, but I still managed to keep up with him. Now I know the reason.

Quinnian Allura seems to read my mind. "This book is normally out of bounds for a Quinnian of my position, but the Claristäe has given us unlimited access to all the books in the palace, even the ones that are deemed off limits. This particular book is our most precious article, a compilation of all the previous works of the Champions of Pst. Quinn. After I received permission to decipher all books, the first one I read was this. It was by pure chance that I flipped to the page containing this passage."

I lean back in my chair and massage my temples. This is extremely critical information—information which might just turn the tide against the 'ghost army'. Gilbert's eyes light up with interest, giving me the impression of a cat spotting its next meal.