Flame in the Palace

9. History

At dawn the next morning, Myria wanders the halls of the palace as she makes her way to the Wizard's Tower alone. She is reasonably confident with her ability to find it on her own and had wanted to let Geffrey sleep in after his long night.

She finds the right, massive wooden door without a problem but hesitates before knocking. Her fingers methodically spin her moon crystal in agitated motions, a wave of doubt sickening her stomach. She steels herself with a quick breath and raps on the door with white knuckles.

The response is instantaneous. "Come in."

The sound of Emiri waiting and awake does not fill her with the relief she hopes for, but Myria quickly does as she is bid.

Emiri is already waiting by the balcony. After a close inspection of his expression, she determines he does not seem annoyed, impatient, or reluctant for their lesson. An uncharacteristic shyness keeps her tethered to the spot.

She closes the door behind her and grapples for a conversation that will ease the tension she feels in her fingers, in her shoulders, and in her jaw. "What are we doing today?"

"I actually thought I would leave the decision to you," he admits. He eyes her curiously but continues. "I've told you that we have crystals that use energy from the sun and moon for different purposes. You are already familiar with healing magic, so I can do more to strengthen your knowledge of moon magic. Or, I can teach you something new, using sun magic. The choice is yours."

Myria thinks about his suggestions, finding herself lost in a newfound indecisiveness. Her eyes trail the shape of the hearth on the opposite side of the room, lost in thought. There is a painting of a sword hanging above it that captures her attention. Its background is a body of water, and a pale hand reaches from the water's surface to grasp its hilt.

"Is there something on your mind?" he asks, interrupting her reverie.

She blinks and sees him stepping closer. Her toes curl in her boots, and her grip tightens on her crystal. There are several questions on her mind, chiefly about Rozenna and his conversation with her the previous night. But Myria thinks that this is not a safe conversation to have. She does not want to think about Rozenna's disapproval or Emiri's public statement and everything that might entail. She is almost too afraid to discover the answer. Perhaps she would hear another dirty barmaid comment that will only weigh on her mind unnecessarily.

Her throat seems to swell as she searches for a different conversation altogether to distract both of them from her tension. She takes an instinctive step back to put more distance between them, and with nowhere left to go, she is only able to press her back against the wall. Emiri notices the retreat and freezes in his tracks.

She clears her throat and evenly returns his gaze with a placid smile. "I was curious about you, actually," she begins slowly. "How were you and your dad able to learn magic if you weren't nobles?"

He considers the question through narrowed eyes before turning his gaze on the same painting that had caught her attention before. "It is true that only nobles are allowed to learn magic in Avalion. However, Avalion is not the only country, and it certainly doesn't hold all the magic in the world."

Myria's mouth falls open as she realizes his meaning. "You're not from Avalion."

He offers a wry smile, eyes still on the painting. "No, my birth home is a place to the north called Inys Gutrin."

"What made you come to Avalion?"

For a long moment, Emiri doesn't answer, and Myria fears that she has inadvertently initiated another unsafe conversation. When he responds, his voice sounds distant. "I don't blame your curiosity, Lady Hawthorne, but it is a long, complicated history full of military conquest and pain. I would prefer not to recite it this morning."