Ennessa sat across from her mother.
"As you will be going to the academy next year," Duchess Valeria said, "there are things you need to understand."
Ennessa nodded.
"The academy is continental."
"I know, Mother."
"Knowing is not the same as being prepared."
Her mother finally looked up.
"You won’t be surrounded only by students from Maria. There will be students from Eldia, Pyraxia, Zyphera..."
She paused.
"Every kingdom in Avaloria sends its children there."
Ennessa listened quietly.
Avaloria.
The Land of Valleys.
A continent where kingdoms could be separated by mountains, frozen regions, and seas.
The academy was supposed to bring them together.
In reality, Ennessa knew better.
Putting the children of powerful kingdoms in the same place didn’t remove politics.
It simply gave politics younger faces.
"I want you to become acquainted with some of them before you go," her mother continued. "It is better to know who you’re dealing with before you arrive there."
"I understand."
"You won’t have the luxury of being completely ignorant."
"I know, Mother."
Her mother gave her a brief look before turning to another stack of papers.
"Leave that."
Ennessa stopped.
"The academy can wait for now. What about the financial records?"
"They’re fine."
"Fine?"
"I check them every day."
Her mother leaned back slightly.
"And Theo?"
Ennessa’s expression remained unchanged.
"What about him?"
"I don’t trust him with the finances."
Ennessa almost smiled.
Theo was actually quite good at his work.
He was careful, consistent, and rarely made mistakes.
The problem wasn’t Theo.
Theo does his job perfectly.
I’m the one making sure certain numbers never reach his desk.
Ennessa lowered her eyes before her mother could notice anything unusual.
"The records are in order," she said.
Her mother nodded.
"Good."
She reached for another document.
"And the seating arrangements?"
"Finished."
"You planned them yourself?"
"Yes."
Her mother extended her hand.
"Tell me."
Ennessa picked up the prepared list.
She had already gone through it several times.
Who would sit near the royal delegation.
Which houses could safely be placed together.
Which military commanders should be separated.
She unfolded the document.
"I’ll explain everything."
Her mother settled back into her chair.
"Go on."
Ennessa began.
...
Eldrin had barely finished sorting one stack of manifests before someone brought another.
He was beginning to wonder whether the celebration was meant to last three days or three months.
He carried a bundle of records toward the reception area when something caught his attention.
Several men were moving through the corridor ahead of him.
They were carrying something larger.
A massive rectangular structure was being pushed on a reinforced wooden platform. Thick wooden boards had been fixed around it from almost every side, leaving only narrow gaps between them.
Eldrin slowed.
Then he felt it.
Cold.
A thin stream of freezing air escaped through one of the gaps in the wooden covering and drifted across the corridor.
Eldrin’s skin prickled.
He stopped beside the wall.
What the hell is that?
One of the workers wiped his forehead despite the cold.
"Keep moving!"
The men pushed the structure forward.
The wheels groaned against the floor.
They reached a slight incline.
The whole thing suddenly became harder to move.
"Push!"
One of the men strained against the back.
Another slipped slightly.
"Someone help!"
Eldrin looked around.
The nearest worker pointed directly at him.
"You! Come here!"
He hurried over.
"Get behind it."
Eldrin placed both hands against the wooden frame.
"On three!"
The men braced themselves.
"One!"
Eldrin leaned forward.
"Two!"
His shoes slid slightly against the floor.
"Three!"
They pushed.
The structure moved.
Slowly.
The wheels groaned as they climbed the incline.
Eldrin gritted his teeth and pushed harder.
The cold coming through the gaps had become stronger now.
It seeped through his sleeves.
The structure finally reached the top.
"Got it!"
The workers released their grip.
Eldrin stepped back, breathing heavily.
"Good enough," one of them said.
He wiped his hands against his trousers and returned toward the archive.
After a few steps, Eldrin glanced back.
The strange structure was already being moved deeper into the estate.
He stared for another moment.
What could possibly need to be kept that cold?