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All those present were perplexed when Tallis explained his first finished invention. He adamantly proclaimed the idea was not entirely his own genius. He claimed that in Maru those of advanced age were wearing one-piece spectacles to read when their vision started failing them.

But he did come up with the bespectacled frames he had outfitted for Princess Olive. I was nervous when my father did not seem very impressed, but he allowed the confused Olive to wear the object. She looked around... then we watched in fascination as her eyes widened and she placed a hand to her chest and her lips slightly parted.

Father immediately rose to his feet asking what happened, concerned that she was sick or fearful. She started crying.

"I-I can see," she sobbed. "It's so wonderful!" She wrapped her arms around Father as he laughed. "Thank you, Tallis Grey!"

"Does this mean you'll stop falling?" Indigo asked.

"I think so..." Olive answered hesitantly.

We all hugged and kissed Olive, sharing the joy of the moment.

"You must make something for me!" Indigo tugged on Tallis's arm.

"Me too!" Jade said.

They all crowded him asking different questions. I stood back and smiled, filled with pride for my friend. Our father cleared his throat meaningfully and the princesses took a collective step back from the boy.

"You said you have a project of complex size that could benefit all of Alderias?"

"Yes, sir. A clock tower that will be as large as your tallest castle turret. I would need giant gears to be manufactured. Unfortunately, your kingdom's smith houses, though sound, are not equipped to handle it. They would have to be made and transported from Maru..." He held out plans for the clock tower he had drawn up. A servant stepped forward to take them from Tallis and give them to the king. Very few people can just hand items directly to the king. It's a rather silly custom, I think.

Father perused the documents. "I do not understand the necessity of this tower. We have watch towers and garrisons already. What exactly is the purpose of this tower?"

"It is a modern convenience. It is a time system used in Maru. This clock will keep track of the time consistently. You will find it makes everyday operations be performed in a timelier fashion. Its interface would be big enough so that its hands can easily be read by anyone in the town. And I can install a bell that will be triggered to ring at certain intervals... so farmers in the outskirts of the valley or the forest can hear it." His grey eyes casually grazed me as he said this.

"Very well," Father said leaning back in his chair. "You have my permission to begin your proposal to Maru. And I want a list of possible locations for this tower as soon as possible. You are dismissed."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Tallis gave a curt bow then quickly left the room. I was just about to follow him out, but Father's voice halted me.

"Enna, don't go sneaking off. I have an important announcement to make."

"Yes, Father?" I bowed my head respectfully still peering up towards the door.

"I have intentions to travel soon. Ruby, you will oversee the Maruvian's clock tower in my absence."

"Traveling? To where?" Ruby asked. I'm glad she did. This was news to me too. Traveling was not uncommon for the king. But it was odd given winter's proximity.

"The Summit of Kings is being assembled. The location of the meeting, as always, is of strict confidences. Prince Jareth will be leaving with me and we shall rendezvous with his father on route."

"The summit is for present and future leaders. Please allow me to accompany you," Ruby insisted.

"I need you here, Ruby."

"Very well. Are you going to take Reginald?"

"No. Reginald is to return to his estate to settle his own affairs before he returns here for the wedding ceremony. That is also why you are not going. You and Amelia must prepare for your upcoming nuptials. Carmine and Cerise, you two will be accompanying me."

"Why?" Carmine asked.

"Queen Berlin has written requesting Cerise's company." He turned his attention to Cerise. "As your soon-to-be mother-in-law, she would like to educate you on how to run the castle staff in Valence. Therefore, you will accompany Prince Jareth and his father back to Valence after the summit.

Carmine, you will keep your sister company in Valence. The summit will also be a chance for you to meet your betrothed. Honestly, I had hoped to put off the Summit but tensions between the kingdoms are becoming increasingly strained. Nazam said it had to happen now; he has foreseen turmoil and conflict if it is delayed."

"I understand, Father." Ruby took a calming breath. "Nazam is going to travel with you then?"

"He was. But he had another vision that has pulled him to Eldair. He left in the night."

"Left? What's happening in Eldair? Rose and Lavender and--" I blurted out.

"Do not fret. They are in no immediate danger. We are just wanting to be cautious, so I sent him there. Whatever has happened, Nazam is more than capable of handling it."

"Father, you can't go to the Summit without him. What if something were to happen?" Cerise said softly.

Father laughed. "Nazam would be quite full of himself that you think my safety depends entirely upon his presence. I will be escorted by Sir Arthur and the Crimson Guard. I am more concerned for you girls left here at home. That is why I am telling you I will be gone but I will leave in secret so that no one will know when I left or when I'll be back. Can I trust all of you to keep this information to yourself?"

In perfect unison, we all turned to look at Indigo.

"What? I will not say anything! It would take up too many sentences. I still have seven left today because I don't count the ones where I have to explain how many I have left. Or else they would be all gone before I could even ask about the weather in a polite conversation. So none of this counts--"

"Indigo, that's enough! You do not have to count your sentences. Just be mindful of and concise with your words," Father said with a sigh.

"Oh." Her scrawny shoulders lifted with a huff. "That was so very tiring! No more counting! Woohoo! Counting can be fun, but I hate math! And I was constantly counting. Sometimes I'd lose track..." She prattled on and on. Father's weary face took on a strained smile then dismissed all of us to our room.

Cerise and Carmine began packing when we got to our room. Olive was twirling around with a speed that made us very dizzy and concerned, faith in Tallis's invention immediately put to the test.

The next few days passed with a calmness that was a bit unsettling. I felt like I was just waiting for something to happen. And that feeling of being watched kept creeping to the surface. Then again, I am a princess, and I am usually being watched so perhaps I was being a tad paranoid since the events of the ball.

The castle had already felt empty with four sisters away; now without Cerise and Carmine, it was even more so. Now that Olive could see, Jade was seen less around the castle. Olive spent the day with Ruby and the queen preparing for the wedding. Therefore, I only saw them at the end of the day before bedtime.

Indigo came down with a fever, so she was restricted to another room. Amelia forbade anyone to visit her until she was better for fear she would spread the illness around the castle. Ruby agreed with her to my dismay. Though I was a bit envious of her newfound privacy, being sick and stuck in one room all day and night sounded like a nightmare come true to me. Feeling sympathetic, I drew pictures and slipped them under Indigo's door so she knew she wasn't alone.

"I am about to go out. Today, I plan to show Tallis Grey the joys of fizzle herding," I reported to Indigo through the thick door when she asked what I was up to.

"That sounds so fun! I wish I could go!" Her voice traveled through the barrier muffled.

I have never taken her...

"You will! I promise. After you get better. So, you have to promise to get better so that I may in turn keep my promise, okay?"

"I promise on my soul pinky! Thank you, Sienna," she coughed.

Soon after that exchange, I skipped off feeling all the promise the day would bring. Concerned for Indigo overshadowed my thoughts a bit. Fizzle herding with Tallis would be just what I needed to rise out of this rut. I was sorely missing Rose's company. I wonder what she is doing...

Unfortunately, I had underestimated Tallis's enthusiasm to my offer or perhaps I had overestimated my own powers of persuasion.

"Oh, come on, Tallis! I promise it is so much fun. You will thank me later."

"No means no, Princess. Even if I were not up to my ears in work to get done, I wouldn't indulge you. It sounds childish. So go play with someone else." Not once in his refusal did he look up from his papers.

"Childish? You are only older than me by a couple of years! And it is just some good fun! A subject you lack in, I'll have you know," I huffed.

"Speaking of subjects, how are your lessons going, Your Highness?" He finally looked up at me to give a cheeky smile that managed to be charming, vexing, and arrogant all at the same time.

"Speaking of subjects, don't try to change it! Oh, you think you're so clever but I'll have you know I do not have an instructor yet and Indigo is sick, so my lessons are not relevant right now."

"Learning is always relevant. I am sorry to hear about your sister but that is just an excuse if I ever heard one. In any case, I will not be trudging in the forest with you anytime soon. I must get these dimensions accurate before I send off the orders to Maru. Maybe some other time, Princess."

"What am I supposed to do then?"

"Whatever it was you did before I came here. But I would suggest a bit of independent study."

"I don't know where to start!" I complained.

"Read a book," he said dismissively, his attention back on his work.

I almost stomped away but didn't.

Grumbling to myself in a most unladylike manner, I walked down the corridor of books in the library. My finger traced the spines of the books wishing I could retain its hidden knowledge without the strenuous effort of reading. Already the thought of reading and processing the information tainted my mind leaving the remanent of a headache.

I looked at my whereabouts. Seeing no one around to witness, I laid myself down on the floor like I was going to make a snowbird. Can someone literally die of boredom or was that just a flight of fantasy? What else could be done to absolve myself of this state of utter ennui?

Ennui. I smiled to myself. It was a word Tallis taught me. It refers to a feeling of dissatisfaction from a lack of excitement or occupation. He said I lived in a state of perpetual ennui, a side effect of my privileged lifestyle.

Just as I was letting a yawn escape, a shuffling of feet nearby had me sit up. The great space was ominously quiet.

"Hello? Is someone there?"

Silence. I rubbed my arms as the strange feeling surrounded me. It was the same presence I had felt out in the courtyard maze the night of the ball. I was sure of it. Though no one answered my call, I was not alone in this room.

I gasped when a book hit the floor like thunder a few feet away. I got up carefully tuning in my senses. The thought of retreating out of the room crossed my mind. But the direction of the fallen book was towards the exit. I picked it up to place it back on the shelf when another book was pushed off the shelf further down the aisle, landing in a heap on the floor. I pivoted on my spinning feet to look down the next aisle over for the person responsible. But there was no one. Was it magic? Or the work of a disgruntled spirit?

This is not making me a fan of libraries...

I heard the distinct sound of fingers snapping and then chaos erupted around me. Books flew off the shelves at an alarming rate. The tumbling of numerous books had me stumble back and fall on my rear. I held my arms over my head to deflect the heavier tomes from doing any serious damage to my person. Just as the onslaught impeded and I began to regain composure, the door to the library opened and shut.

"Oh no you don't!" I bounded across the canyon of written words and forgotten texts in one leap and scrambled out the door after my assailant.

The sun dipped into the berry swirled flavors of twilight as my heels clicked the marble floors in pursuit of what I knew not. Shadows stretched out away from the sun's last glare. Whatever I was chasing was fast, spinning the corner leaving just enough evidence for me to know I was heading in the right direction.

It wasn't until I reached the east atrium that realization dawned on me: I had not ran into any servants or guards. Whatever or whoever I was chasing led me to an area of the castle that was mostly deserted during this time in the late evening. The knowledge that the creature had by itself was alarming. I was surer than ever it was the presence I have been feeling for quite some time.

The atrium was roofless. The greenery reached up to the darkening sky begging for the stars in their serene solitude. It was a peaceful retreat, one I stored in my memory for future reference. Just like the maze on the night of the ball, a more ominous feeling stilled the air.

I turned to give up the chase and return to the better lit corridors when a voice called out.

"Please do not be frightened, Princess. I mean you no harm."

I looked around but saw nothing. I answered but still took steps backwards towards my escape. "If what you say is true, then reveal yourself..."

A figure stepped out from behind the plants. The creature resembled an old man but possessed a miniature stature. He looked up at me with a hat wrinkled in his meaty grip. His mouth was unusually wide, and a long two-toned beard touched down to his rotund belly. His ears were pointy and flattened out, his nose was hooked, and his eyes were severely down turned.

"You, are you a---?"

"A gnome, Your Highness." He gave a quick bow at the waist displaying a lack of refinement. "I did not mean to startle you, Princess. I have traveled far to beg for your aid."

"My aid? Whatever for?"

"I shall be frank and quick to the point. My village is accursed with a plague, a darkness of a dreaded sort that will devour our lands and reap the souls of young and old. Legend of my kin has foretold this and that our only salvation would come through the help of a daughter--a princess descended from the First King himself. One who not only has a kind soul but a close connection to the heart of Aislei. After careful observation, I believe you to be that princess."

"That is... a lot to take in. Why conceal yourself and sneak around though? Why not ask for aid directly? I am sure my father will be more than happy to help when he returns."

"My people do not have the best of history with the human conquerors... and the tėloiv regrüp would've never allowed it. I have already lost my brother... I cannot lose anyone else. We cannot afford to wait for the king. If the Darkness is not conquered by the next bright moon, then all my clan... will be..." His eyes misted over.

"Telo-- what now?"

"Tėliov regrüp... A feared one by many a clan. His powers are great, and he has aligned himself with your king."

"Do you mean Nazam?"

"Shhh! I beg you take heed, Princess. His sorcery knows no bounds. He makes the plants hear and walls sing. I must be off before I am discovered by his magic." He removed something from his hat and pressed it into the palm of my hand. "If you be of mind and heart to help my people, I beg you to meet me in the woods in just a couple of hours when the moon is at its peak in the sky. And do not tell anyone of this. The sorcerer must not find out. We must make haste."

He tugged on his little woolen hat that covered his bushy eyebrows then snapped his fingers. And then he was gone, just blinked out of existence. I would have thought I was talking to myself or that I had been sleepwalking if not for the one piece of evidence. I opened my hand to find a glowing blue rock attached to a sturdy string making it a necklace. It was smooth and cold to the touch.

Why did he give me this? Perhaps it was a gift although I had not agreed to anything. He sounded quite desperate. He came for aid and thought he would be turned away or worse. That much was clear. But Father would no doubt lend a hand to any creature in need! Be they human or not, the First King made a vow to Aislei to be the protector of their realm. Father believed that, didn't he?

I shook my head to clear away the doubts. Yes! Father taught us it is our scared duty to uphold the first promise. And if this curse is something only I can lift....

I ran to my room to ready myself for bed. The faster I feign sleep, the faster I can prepare for my journey.

My journey...

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed!
Picture at beginning of chapter is of a castle atrium though it doesnt show how there is no roof... unfortunately I couldn't find a pic of an atrium like that but in the moonlight... which I imagine would just be so pretty. Whatever. Lol