Royal Academy Diaries II

The Missing Crown ⚜ Ch. 7

In his excitement that night, Teyrn accidentally knocked his vials off his desk, shattering them all. After classes the next day he went straight to Vanera to get more.

The magic shop was less visited than the rest of the town, with only one quarter of the students ever going there for the most part (besides the occasional curious muggles). Teyrn had known the store's owner for years, as the man was a friend of his father's.

As soon as he walked in, the man came to the counter. "How's the search going, Calaghan?"

"Hello Killian. I finally managed to get the first piece, but otherwise it's been slow. The dungeons are a bit more difficult to get into than I thought."

The Irishman's searching eyes considered him. "Hm. You hear about the wizard that went after the Siamese princess to get the throne? You're not only one looking for revolution."

Teyrn raised a brow. "What are you getting at?"

The man lowered his voice. "I've got a guy from Aldovia who can get you into the Knight's dungeon."

"Really? And what does he want?" he asked cautiously.

"To get paid. And probably promoted," he shrugged. "His target is one of the staff members."

Teyrn frowned. "I don't like it..."

Killian gave him a look. "You want to be king, don't you? You know how many people are behind you in this? One kidnapping can't be enough to stop you after we've searched for this power for so long. He's going to try to get in anyway, so you may as well go with him."

With a heavy sigh, he nodded. "Alright. When?"

"In three weeks. Midnight. Use the tunnel, don't go around." He looked up as the bell on the door rang, two students walking in. "What was it that you needed?"

"Oh, right. Vials." He went to get a new set and brought it to the counter, nodding to Killian as he left.

Going out into the village, he heard a familiar voice not too far away. At the cafe across the street, he saw Faline having coffee with a friend at one of the outdoor tables.

Not wanting to walk up to them carrying a bag, he shrunk it down and tucked it in his pocket. As he approached them, he could hear the tail end of her whisper.

"...he's intense and mysterious, but yet charming. Oh! Teyrn. How long have you been standing there?" Faline gasped.

He smiled, rather charmed by her blush - and the description that was obviously about him. "Not long."

She tucked her hair behind an ear and gestured across the table. "Right. Oh, this is my friend, Meya of Hejaz."

He nodded to the girl and looked back to Faline, feeling suddenly spontaneous. "Would you care to join me for lunch sometime, Countess?"

Her eyes widened. "Really? I mean, yes, of course. If you'd like."

He tried not to smirk at her adorable awkwardness. "Here." Holding his hands together, he summoned a piece of gold from his chest at home (an odd thing to have, but he was assured as a child that he was not a leprechaun). With his magic, he shaped it into a beautiful filigree ring. He held it out on his palm and she gasped softly.

"What's this?" she asked in surprise.

"A protection ring. So you don't forget to find me to schedule lunch," he grinned.

She hesitantly took it, admiring the design. "This is beautiful. But it's too much."

"There's plenty of gold at the end of every rainbow," he assured her with a wink. Amused by her description of him, he decided to play it mysterious, bowing and leaving without another word.