Meeting the Royal Archivist

When I got back to my rooms, I found a male dressed in sturdy, brown clothes waiting for me outside my door. He straightened and stepped forward as I approached.

"Lady Adamare?" He asked with a hopeful tone.

I nodded, "Yes, but please, I am just a Miss."

He nodded slowly, then said, "My name is Mr. Daves. My employer, the Archivist, sent me to ask you to join him for tea."

I blinked. I, of course, knew he was speaking of the Royal Archivist of Viceria. The Archivist was a legend.

The Archivist was an elderly dragon, the Great-Uncle of the current Dragon King, who had spent his life in the pursuit of knowledge. He was also the head of the Council of Magi and one of the 12 Grandmasters magi who could use magic without a system.

I had secretly hoped that I would get to meet him when I came here but I'd always figured he'd be too busy. I had even gone so far as to get him a gift, however, sadly it burned up in the fire.

I hid my excitement and smiled politely at the male. "I would be honored." I said.

The male nodded, "Follow me please."

He then led me through the palace and up to the third floor of the central building.

Eventually we stopped in front of a heavy door labeled 'Rare Books Room'. The male gestured for me to enter. I did.

Immediately, the scent of musty old books filled her my and I sneezed a few times before I adjusted to it. When I could see again, a wizened old male was standing before me. He had long silver hair and lines on his face, but his bearing was proud and regal.

"Hello Miss Adamare." He said. "I am the Archivist. Thank you for being so prompt." I curtsied to him.

"I was honored by your invitation." I said.

"The tea things are set up this way." The Archivist told me, gesturing for me to precede him down the aisle between the towering shelves of books.

Coming to the end of the aisle, I found two small round tables set in a small open space between radially spaced shelves of books. One of the tables was set for tea.

Behind the tables, against the wall looked to be a small office complete with organizing cabinets and desk lamps. A massive, ancient looking tome was open under one of these. There was another door on the wall behind the office.

"Please have a seat, Miss Adamare." the Archivist said from behind me.

I smiled politely at him and took one of the two chairs at the table. He sat in the other, across from me.

Lifting the teapot carefully, I poured the tea. A drop dripped from the spout as I set it back down. I watched it splash onto the tray with a rueful smile.

"I have never mastered the trick of not spilling that last drop." I told the Archivist as I handed him a cup and saucer. "My aunt and cousins would be so ashamed. It never happens when my cousins pour." The Archivist smiled as he took the cup from me.

"Not dripping tea as they pour is the greatest achievement most females ever earn. It is quite sad." He said.

I looked at him in surprise. As I watched, he took a sip of his tea. "Ah another very good blend." He said. Then he smiled as he set his tea back down. "I make it myself. I think you will find the mint very refreshing."

I smiled at him and picked up my own tea. It would be rude not to try it after he made it himself. As I took a sip, the flavors of strawberry and spearmint burst on my tongue. There was also a slight flowery aftertaste that I couldn't quite identify. I tried it again. Once more the name eluded me. I set the tea back down.

"It is quite delicious. You have good taste." I told him.

"As do you. I hear Arethusa Estate is quite beautiful." He said.

I felt my eyes widen in surprise again.

"You know of my estate?" I asked.

The Archivist smiled, "Yes, I did a little research on you before I invited you here. Our communal friend, Lady Arethusa asked me to tell you hello." He said.

I took another, larger drink of my tea as the Archivist watched me with sharp eyes. I was trying to buy myself time to think. If he knew about my estate, then he probably knew that I was a native born Vicerian female. Technically, I couldn't own property. I swallowed hard. When I looked at him, I guess my fear was apparent on my face.

"Relax, Miss Adamare, I do not hold with the current political views on females. I remember from my youth, my mother telling me stories of heroes from the Age of Magic. Ferra the Flamemaster, Ulglodar the Heretic, Moravian Shadowfriend, of course, were some of her favorites, but she also told me of Nerenia Ocean's Mistress, Heliodette of Gothe and Sky and who could forget Zola the Shining Light. They were forbidden tales, but we were royalty, we had different rules. It is probably because of these stories that I never claimed a female.When I was of mating age, I searched for a female like those I heard about but all that greeted me were the insipid, frivolous females that our laws raised." The Archivist said with a warm smile.

"Now, before I get side tracked, as I so easily can," He continued, "I brought you here for a reason. I would like you to tell me what you found in the center of the labyrinth last Tuesday."

I smiled, "Oh, I thought you were going to- well never mind. I found the NOVA System crystal."

The Archivist's expression hardened, "So it really does exist, then?"

"Yes, do all systems hurt that bad when you get them?" I asked.

It was the Archivist's turn to blink in astonishment. Then suddenly, his eyes glowed red. He gasped.

"I- I didn't think it was possible." He whispered.

My eyebrows drew down, "What wasn't possible?"

The Archivist sighed and his eyes returned to normal. "The NOVA System was the invention of the Nimerius the Mad. He spent years trying to create an unbeatable, immensely powerful system. Countless hundreds died in an attempt to use that crystal. In fact, so many people lost their lives that King Galzael had the Labyrinth built around it, to seal it away. It should be impossible for a half-breed to have succeed where so many have failed."

I pouted, "People are more than their race. They are their characters, accomplishments,-"

"Yes, I am aware." The Archivist said with an absentminded smile. "Will you wait here for a moment?" I frowned as he stood and, without waiting, for my answer strode off.

After five minutes, I got up to see where he'd gone. The far door was open and I could hear male voices coming from the room.

I wandered over. My brain felt fuzzy and I couldn't seem to keep my thoughts to myself. I found myself whispering as I approached the door.

"-that is what I am telling you, your Majesty. The system is hereditary under the right conditions." My eyes opened wide. He was talking to the Dragon King in his communicator. I needed to get the Dragon King to buy my investments.

I was about to barge into the room when I stopped myself. Slowly, I knocked on the open door. The Archivist glanced over at me with a frown.

"Um, Archivist, Sir, I was hoping to speak to the King at some point. Would now be convenient?" I asked with a smile.

The Archivist sighed, "What did you wish to speak to him about Miss Adamare?"

"Oh, well, I need him to buy my- Thomas Jeffreys' and his partners Vicerian investments. His dick of a son, Prince Pharon, is going to try to seize them and since we- they paid good money for those investments, I would like to see them get something for them." Dead silence greeted my statement.

Then finally, the bowl of water glowed again. "Is that her?" an austere voice asked in clipped tones.

"Yes, Youngling, I hope you will forgive her rudeness. I laced our tea with Truthflower Blossom." The Archvist replied hurriedly.

The King was silent for another long moment, then he said, "Fine, I will buy them. Have a list sent to my office tomorrow and I will have my lawyers draw up a settlement."

I gleefully clapped my hands, "Thank you, your Majesty."

The communicator glowed again, "Uncle Gladius, you will come to my office after you have finished with your tea and explain this in person." The King's voice said.

"Very well, I suppose I can leave my books for a little while." The Archivist said.

Meanwhile I was doing a small victory dance by the tea. My thoughts were "Take that Pharon you dick! Ha ha I win!"

When the Archivist came out of the small room and saw me, he started laughing.

I stopped and blushed, "At least I was only thinking that." I thought, I thought.

"You were speaking aloud both times." The Archivist chuckled. I pouted as my face flushed even more.

When I left the Rare Books Room a short while later, I was carrying two books of magic in my bag, loaned to me by the Archivist. They weren't written in common but I had studied several languages under my mother when I was younger, so I was able to read these. Before I left the Archivist gave me strict orders to talk to no one for the next two hours. I was also to return to the Rare Books Room tomorrow, so the Archivist could see that no damage had befallen the books.

I was on the whole very pleased with my meeting with the Archivist. Other than getting drugged and calling Prince Pharon a dick, it had been quite nice. I hoped our next meeting, tomorrow, would be just as pleasant.