Chapter 13: Golden Rose
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Chapter 13: Golden Rose
Third Person's POV
The sun's departure plunged the rear garden in darkness. The two personal palace maids of Seles promptly brought out two palm-sized lanterns out of the pouch behind them.
The lanterns are made from a half circle metal hollow surrounded by glass and the handle that covers the whole lantern is a type of wood that is resistant against fire.
The two personal palace maids expertly lit their respective lanterns by putting in a small piece of fireheart wood the size of a fingernail, and rubbing it to the surface of the metal that produced a spark in just ten seconds and a bright light emerged from the lantern from the fireheart wood. This type of wood is compatible with fire and the fingernail-sized ones can last for two hours.
This is also one of the contribution of a genius researcher from the fourth ruler's reign. That genius researcher likes to research about the uses of the different types of plants and trees, and he even published a canon of special qualities of one hundred different types of plants.
One hundred types might seem little, but each one is researched and tested in no more than sixty ways to check everything about it.
It is a pity that the research took up too much time, and that genius was only able to record one hundred complete plants before he passed away at old age, and a couple of dozen plants are either incomplete or just at the start of the tests.
There are even a few plants in that canon that are used in the extremely important warring times, and had saved the Regin Kingdom countless times in the past.
The two palace maids closed the glass cover and both placed themselves in the entrance of the open pavilion to light up the way for Seles.
Seles did not bother about the darkness and her eyes are still motionlessly staring at the rose in her hand. The golden strip of paper is even more obvious in the dim surroundings.
Her hand that is not holding the rose hesitated slightly before firmly grabbing the golden strip of paper, and holding it like it was the most precious thing in the world.
A soft sigh escaped her lips before she placed the rose on the stone table in front of her and took out a similar fireheart wood and a small gray stone from her dress pocket.
Her hand moved quickly scratching the two and a fire immediately enveloped the small fireheart wood. The light flickered and shone on Seles' face giving off a sense of beauty and grace in the quiet night.
The hand holding the golden strip of paper trembled before firmly gripping it and letting it caught fire.
She quickly placed the rose under the burning golden strip of paper and as the last bit of paper was burned, Seles took back her hand and a small drop of golden liquid fell on the rose turning its blood-red petals into a light golden color.
The light golden rose is like the eyes of the black dragon that is darker than the night depicted in the legends. Exquisite, noble, breathtaking and exceptionally dangerous in every way. This seemingly harmless and beautiful golden rose is the answer to all of her desires.
Her desire to conquer and pillage this kingdom that should have been hers alone from the start. Her desire to feel the exhaultation and rapture to see the despair of those she hates through their bones. Her desire to have the last laugh in front of the whole kingdom that will be trampled under her feet.
"It seems like the gods favors this princess."
Seles' soft voice glided with the chilling wind of the night. Her eyes sparkled as she lifted her head to gaze at the never-ending canvas of the star-filled sky. She cannot help but marvel at the inherent beauty of the world.
She does not believe in the gods and such legends but the information and resources that she suddenly have is like a huge pie falling from the sky to save her from hunger.
All of the plans that was on her mind can now be effortlessly done without her even breaking into a sweat. This is really the best feeling one could ask for.
All of the success of her plans will be decided by the golden rose in the palm of her hand.
A light laughter flitted past Seles' lips as she felt the different contures of the golden petals. Her pleasant sounding laugh that could cause the knees of countless nobleman to go soft stiffened the two palace maids.
They submissively lowered their heads as the lanterns held in their hands swayed from left to right. The cold feeling on their backs is like a reminder to fear the graceful, kind and elegant first princess sitting alone in the open pavilion.
The sound of her laugh is like the devil's whisper in their ears.
At the royal chamber of third princess of the Regin Kingdom.
Four palace maids nervously stood on the end of the huge bed where a thin figure lay weakly. Princess Amayris, after hearing the news of the sudden illness of her beloved grandfather fainted in grief and immediately contracted a high fever.
The royal physician, an old woman that is already on her sixties stood by the side of the bed checking the pulse of the third princess. The chaotic and weak pulse drew a frown on the royal physician's forehead.
"The third princess needs to be nourished with a medicinal bath with couple of rare herbs only found in the northern wilderness."
The oldest of the four palace maids immediately ordered the one next to her to record the strings of different names of herbs that the royal physician mentioned in succession.
"The third princess also needs to calm her emotional mind to facilitate her recovery."
The royal physician gave the third princess the medicine prepared for fever and said a couple more words before leaving the royal chamber.
All of the instructions of the royal physician was recorded and the needed herbs was already ordered to retrieve by a group of royal knights to the far off northern wilderness, and the journey by using wild beasts as mounts will take at the longest of four days and three nights.
The journey if taken by a normal carriage pulled by horses will take at most three weeks, and it is only estimated if there is no emergency stops or a some accident to happen such as the bandits crowded in the places far away from the official cities and towns.
"I hope the third princess recovers quickly."
The oldest palace maid muttered while gazing at the pitiful sight of the pale and weak Amayris. The royal consort mother of the third princess received the decree of the Queen and was allowed to leave the royal palace and visit her old father the Duke Zoir.
In the far off northern wilderness, at the slumbering city of ice where the palace of the royal family resides. A golden eagle that is four meters in size dived down in the relay station for the flying messages coming from the south, east and west side of the origin land.
The tied tube of bamboo on the leg of the golden eagle contains the insignia of the Eastern Regin Kingdom, the twisting amber flame.
Seeing the insignia on the bamboo tube, the manager of the relay station pulled out the golden scroll inside and mounted a fast horse to quickly arrive at the royal palace of the Northern king.
The crunching sound of the snow beneath the fast pace of the horse accompanied the manager along with the chilling wind.
- Writer
