"As I said, I'm not of high birth myself." Rhodonite sits down **at** a desk. It's piled high with various books and scrolls. "Forgive the mess."
"Oh, no worries." I sit down as well. Rhodonite takes a teapot and presses his hands against it.
I am puzzled by his actions until a few moments later, when I hear the water start sizzling. Of course. Why am I surprised? He's a dragon, after all.
"A neat little trick, isn't it?" He chuckles. "What can I offer you? Mint? Abrinia? Berries?"
"What's abrinia?"
"A special sort of flower. Grows only around the court. If improperly brewed, it's poisonous... but if properly brewed, it's the most exquisite taste you can imagine." His lips curl into a sly smile.
The tension that lies over us in that moment can be cut with a knife. I wonder—is he provoking me? Is he trying to get a rise out of me? Or perhaps test the strength of my will?
"I'll try abrinia then," I say.
He laughs and opens a drawer. From it, he procures a bag of red and orange petals. "You're daring. How do you know I won't poison you?"
"I am a Seer," I simply say. "Isn't that the reason why I'm here?"
He looks at me, surprised by my answer... but then smiles, pleased. "And here I thought that the code prohibited you from telling your own future."
"On purpose, yes. And it doesn't prohibit me from anything. It's just not advisable to do so. It would be foolish."
"And you are not a foolish person."
"I certainly hope so." I look him straight into the pink eyes.
Rhodonite shrugs at last and smiles. "I hope so too. You will probably be the Queen, after all. Once Itzamatul lays his sight onto something he wants... well."
"I'm not a thing. Nor am I here to fulfill his dreams or desires."
"Despite your low birth, you talk like a lady," Rhodonite bursts into laughter. "A very confident one. I like you, your Ladyship. Even if the rest of the court doesn't end up liking you, I will."
I smile a bit. I like him too.
"Now, let me see what I can recommend to you as some light reading..." He stands up and starts going through the piles on the desk. "When Itzamatul informed me of your visit, I took the liberty of choosing some books for you."
"Well, I'm taking recommendations... considering there are so many here, I wouldn't even know where to start," I admit.
"I'd like to say I've read them all, but far from it." Rhodonite flips a few books in his hands. "I fear there are just too many... even if I have centuries at my disposal."
"It sounds like time passes slower for dragons," I notice. "For mortals, ten years is an eternity. A whole year to me is a blink of an eye to you."
"And so is a mayfly's time on Earth to you," Rhodonite cleverly says and smiles. "It lives for only a day. A day to you is nothing... and to it, it's its entire life. Did you know that flies—yes, common flies—see reality slower than we do?"
I blink, surprised. I certainly did not know that.
"Time is relative, and so is everything else," he hums. "Though, don't ever say that to the Lady of Time."
"I doubt I'll ever get a chance to speak to any of the three."
"Never say never."
I fall silent as Rhodonite continues going through the books. The old paper rustles under his fingers. It's a welcome sound.
"Here," he says at last and takes two thick tomes. "You'll find these useful. The Annals of the Golden Eons—which will be your little crash course into Dragonia's history... and The Sky Before Crowns, a book on Celestia and its nature."
He places the huge books in front of me. I'm not intimidated by their size, though... rather, curious. Excited. I'd never had time to read before.
Or books, for that matter.
"Thank you." I politely nod and pull the tomes towards myself.
The Annals of the Golden Eons is an absolutely massive book. Its leather cover is golden, textured like once upon a time it held scales.
"It's real dragonskin," Rhodonite says with a smile.
"And who was the dragon it belonged to?" I flip the book open. Oh, the pages are just as exquisite... the paper is old but thick, and the ink shines under candlelight.
"Itzamatul's old enemy. The previous Dragon of Gold. K'an Bahlam."
I look at Rhodonite with piqued interest.
"Also known as the Jaguar Lord," Rhodonite continues. "Needless to say, once Itzamatul took his place, he got rid of that title. And the jaguar sculptures that decorated Aurea Spira. The animals themselves were hunted."
"Well, that's to be expected of a conqueror," I smile, careful not to say anything that could put me in danger. "My husband-to-be was right in his decision."
"I don't think the animals had ever done any harm to anyone, my Lady."
"Tell that to all the people they ate."
"Should cows then take the same revenge upon us?"
I shrug. "If the cows see fit to do so, yes."
Rhodonite looks at me, as if weighing my worth, my morals, and what kind of Queen I will be.
Don't get me wrong, I pity the animals. But I understand why Duarte did what he did. They were a symbol of his predecessor. For a moment, I witness the darkness in my own reflection; something power-hungry and prideful.
"And what's the other book?" I ask, to move the conversation along.
"Ah. The Sky Before Crowns. It's just an introduction to Celestia."
"An honest one, or a revised one?"
The corners of Rhodonite's mouth stretch into a careful smile. He leans over and whispers.
"Remember, my Lady, that the skies always listen."
When I look into his eyes, I can see he truly means what he says. I silently nod. Perhaps I should keep my pride in check.
"Ah—ah, I've brought the book!" Larimar interrupts us. She is winded and holding a little blue book in her hand. "I'm very, very sorry."
"That's quite alright," Rhodonite says as he gets up. "The Ladyship and I have just finished."
---
Larimar escorts me back to my chambers.
"Rest well, my Lady," she wishes me a good night and leaves. "I'm so late on my cleaning duties..." I hear her whisper in panic.
I settle on my bed—oh, how nice that sounds, my bed!—and open *The Annals of the Golden Eons*. I feel like it might be more useful than the one on Celestia. After all, I'm dealing with dragons, not Celestia itself.
The book is filled with glorious illustrations. On the first page lies a dedication to Ix Nikte; Ix Tziba's sister. If the latter patrons writing, the former patrons arts. The third sister, Ix Yatika, patrons music. These dragonesses were always my favourite. The myths about them were full of romance, of life, of beauty.
I flip the index open. I wish I could read it from end to beginning, but... perhaps jumping through chapters would be better. After all, I need to learn as much about Aurea Spira as I can.
Rhodonite mentioned K'an Bahlam... I'd never heard of him before. Duarte obviously put a lot into burying that piece of history.
I quickly find the chapter on him.
"Of K'an Bahlam, much has been written, and more deliberately forgotten.
In those years, gold was law, and law was unchallenged.
It is not the place of this record to question the necessity of his rule—only to note that no flame, however radiant, is immune to consuming itself."
I read a few more sentences on K'an Bahlam's rule. An unyielding one; stern and very penny-pinching. Hah, I have to laugh. The descriptions mention Aurea Spira being made of stone, not gilded gold.
I reach the part about the duel.
"Let it be recorded, with all due reverence, that the passing of K'an Bahlam was neither sudden nor dishonorable.
The duel was fought above Aurea Spira, beneath a sky made witness by Celestia itself. Flame met flame; gold clashed against gold. The elder dragon fell not to treachery, but to a swift and just blow, as the spear pierced his heart."
How interesting that the book praises the current Dragon of Gold, and not the previous one. I have to laugh as I flip back to the first page again.
"Made and bound with generous help of Itzamatul, the Dragon of Gold."
Ah. So he paid for this praise. No surprise there. I flip the book back to where I was reading.
Suddenly, something catches my eye. A note in the margins.
"'Beneath a sky made witness by Celestia itself.' This is true. And it might be true that the heavens spoke before the spear pierced the Jaguar Lord's heart."
I blink in confusion. What does that mean? I flip another page. Same handwriting, another note.
"The heavens named the Jaguar Lord's rule a stagnation. So, who benefitted from putting out that flame?"
Did... Duarte do this at Celestia's behest? Or was he simply looking after his own interests?
I read a few more pages, studying the duel in detail. Nothing else catches my interest.
I look out the window. The moon has risen high. Only two days left until I'm presented at court.