Naroaika

Chapter 18

Dazed and pained, I walked across the hallway.

I met Juliette and handed her the pendant which was packed in a box.

She excitedly opened it and gave a delighted smile. "This is beautiful, Lady Jerinah. Thank you so much!"

I was glad that she liked the pendant. I smiled back at her. 

"Is something wrong?" She asked. "You must be worried about Lord Al's loss of memories, am I right?" 

'Did my face really show my emotions that clearly?' I thought. She wasn't wrong but I couldn't bring myself to tell her.

"Princess." I called out. 

"Yes?"

"Do you know where the Garden of stars is?" I asked. She must know something or the other being the princess. But to my disappointment, she didn't know.

"I'm sorry, Lady Jerinah but if I find any information on it I'll tell you right away."

Even the Princess didn't know. Now what was I supposed to do?

"You can always check the library if you want to." She said.

The library! Yes! I could find so many things there.

I thanked Juliette and left saying I had to go to the library immediately.

"Zed! We're going to the library." I said as I got on the carriage.

"Yes, my Lady."

The library was huge. There were hundreds no, thousands of books there!

I picked out some books from the astronomy and cosmology section but couldn't find anything called the 'Garden of stars' or related to it.

While reading, someone came over to where I was sitting.

"Lady Jerinah?" 

It was Lady Veronique. 

She was there at the library to return a book she had borrowed. 

"What are you reading?" She asked as she looked at the pile of books on the table. 

I asked her about the 'Garden of stars'. She glanced at the books I was reading once more and said that I wouldn't find it there and that the "stars" here probably meant the flower, Aster. They were star-shaped flowers.

(Aster is derived from the Greek word for "star" to describe the star-like flowers.)

'A garden of Asters! That must be it! I'm sure this world would have a place like that too since there are varieties of flowers blooming at different seasons all throughout the year!'

I asked if she knew of a place as so, but she didn't know about any gardren with only asters growing. 

I thanked her for her help as she left the library.

I placed back the other books and picked out a book on flowers and there, I read what lady Veronique had said: 'Asters were star-shaped flowers and it means star'.

Asters bloomed during late summer and fall. I realised that there was no fall in this world and if the occultation was on the first day, that'd mean it was during the winter season. 

I thought that it was really weird for a book of this world to have mentioned the 'fall' season that wasn't even found here. 

I returned home after deciphering Azlo's riddle: 'Amass the fine dust from the garden of Asters at midnight before dawn.'

But I still had no idea where the Garden of Asters would be. 

A few days later, I recieved invitations to Keilan's birthday. I was somewhat reluctant to attend it since Al will be there too but I couldn't decline it either and I thought I'd get some information about where Asters bloomed.