7. First Stirrings of Trouble
ONE day, about six months after my coming-of-age ceremony…
After finishing my morning royal duties, I returned to my room to find several letters on my desk. My mail for today.
I opened them one by one.
There were invitations to balls and banquets from aristocrats throughout Najir. Letters from the friends I had at Grail Academy. A thank-you note from the orphanage I’d visited recently…
There was also a letter from Oliphia inviting me for tea. I quickly penned a response. Things seemed to be going well with her and Claude, and I was looking forward to some girl talk.
I was excited already.
Finishing up the letter, I quickly rechecked my mail.
“Still nothing…” I sighed.
I was so sure it would come today…
I was waiting for a letter from Karina. Ever since my coming-of-age ceremony, I’d been keeping in touch with Daniel and Karina via mail. I was keen to stay on good terms with them. I felt like it was important if I wanted to avoid another catastrophe, like the one that’d ended my old life. Keeping in touch would let me know if anything about them suddenly changed like it did last time.
And also, I really did like them both. In this world, I considered them friends. I always really enjoyed reading their letters, writing my responses, and then waiting for them to write back.
Usually, I received a response within a week or so. But this time, it’d been three weeks without a single word. I was worried there might’ve been some kind of mix-up and my letter had never been delivered. Maybe my Transference spell hadn’t worked properly? So, about ten days ago, I’d sent another one just in case. But today, again, there was no response.
“What’s going on, Karina?”
I opened my desk drawer and pulled out the box I was using to store all my previous letters from Karina. The stack was quite thick by now.
I started rereading them. They were full of the kind of discussions that teenage girls love: the latest fashions, popular operas, fascinating novels, boys… She always finished her letters by encouraging me to do my best with my studies and telling me how much she was looking forward to our next meeting.
I read all of them, and then I got to the last letter I’d received from her.
To my dearest Princess Annabel,
How are you? I’m as well as ever.
After receiving your letter the other day, I was inspired to go out on a long ride. It’s been a while! I had such fun riding as fast as the wind. Recently, a lot of things have happened to make me feel depressed, but getting out in the fresh air helped a lot.
I have some sad news to share. The other day, the pendant with the Magic Crystal you gave me broke. When I put it on in the morning, it just cracked in two! I liked it so much. It was a terrible loss! If I am able to visit Najir again someday, I’ll be sure to buy another one.
Oh yes, I almost forgot to say… Let’s talk about your visit to my country! How about three months from now? I’m just dying to show you around! I was thinking of inviting Daniel too. There’s this great valley not too far away, where the waterfalls are. I went riding there the other day, actually.
Well, I know we’ve got a lot on our plates with studying and everything, but let’s both do our best! I’m so looking forward to seeing you again.
Your Loving Friend,
Karina
My gaze focused on a certain line in the letter.
Karina had written that the Magic Crystal I gave her when she came to Najir was broken and no longer effective.
Her Magic Crystal broke…
When I first received her letter, I was embarrassed that a Najirian product had broken so easily. I’d written back, saying “I can bring you a replacement crystal when I come to visit you in Nigren, if you like!” But at the time, the fact that the Magic Crystal had suddenly broken hadn’t really registered with me.
I hadn’t given Karina a fragile, cheap crystal. I’d given her one of Najir’s finest crafts, purchased at the most renowned Magic Crystal shop in the land. It was even approved by the Office of the Royal Family.
I’d never heard of one of that shop’s Magic Crystals breaking.
“I wonder why it broke? Maybe I should ask Ed…”
I picked up Karina’s letter and headed to the Magical Research Lab.
There was an open-air corridor to pass through between my room and the lab. The gardens could be viewed between each of the equidistantly placed pillars.
I wondered if the roses were blooming yet. I spotted a glimpse of crimson red against the deep green and I headed straight to it. I could see couples strolling between the trees.
“Ah!”
I smiled, spotting a familiar pair. It was Hendrick and Lietta, the same couple I’d caught together that one time.
Around the same time I graduated from Grail Academy and became an active Royal, Hendrick had become a full-fledged member of the Imperial Guard, assigned to protect me.
How surprised I was when he took up his post and came to greet me! He must’ve been squeezing in a quick date with his sweetheart before he came on duty tonight.