Chapter Twenty-seven

L iana scoured that book for the rest of the day, only stopping when Phillipa found her for supper.

Her family and Damien's parents joined her for the meal in the formal dining room. Wesley and Jasmine were set to arrive tomorrow about midday, meanwhile Charlotte refused to leave her room. Damien, his cousins and Luciano were absent, their time occupied in the dungeons. Liana was just thankful everyone was safe and accounted for.

Hannah sat beside her, quiet as usual but far less relaxed. If there was anything Liana always envied of her youngest sister, it was her ability to never get too wound up. Hannah epitomized calm and class, something Liana had in short supply.

"How are you enjoying Lord Dietrich, Hannah?" Liana asked in an attempt to engage her.

"He is a kind and agreeable male. I quite enjoy his company," she replied, pushing around the roasted potatoes on her plate.

"That bodes well for your future, Hannah," Eva said. "The best marriages always start with a basis of companionship. You two will be stronger for it by the time your marriage arrives next year."

Hannah bowed her head in deference. "Thank you for those kind words, High Lady."

Lady Monroe remained unusually quiet as well throughout their meal, her countenance dejected and pained.

Liana couldn't help but feel guilty for her family's distress. They wouldn't be in this situation if it weren't for her. Charlotte wouldn't have been used and manipulated. Her family wouldn't be hiding out in fear for their lives. Worse yet, the homeless mage wouldn't have been slaughtered.

She hadn't given herself much time to dwell on their deaths, which were used merely as a way to capture her. They died because of her. It all led back to her. Always.

They made it through the tense dinner before retiring for the evening. Liana couldn't even think about going back to her chambers right now. She needed to move, to do something to get her mind off of it all. Which is why she found herself back in Damien's office. Reclined in his chair, Liana read every word in that text, every word the previous kings wrote. Luciano's entries were concise and sharp without an ounce of frill or words of encouragement like some chose to include. It wasn't much of a surprise though; the male hadn't changed in the centuries since his time as king.

It was rather sad when she came to the entries created by Luciano's daughter. She was the first Ashwood female to be crowned and Liana was pleased that the vampires hadn't followed patriarchal rule. It was her words in this book, not her husband's, however brief they were. She only wrote twice in the book before she was murdered.

When she made it to Damien's part of the book and sat up in anticipation. His first entry was of the day he became king.

"Today I was crowned King of Triaedian. It will take a moment to get used to my new title, King Damien Ashwood. I'd been a prince for the first eighty years of my life.

I share the sentiment with previous kings that it feels odd writing this to my future child. You do not exist yet. However, I write as if you are an inevitability. This is for all future kings though, not just my child, so I shall do my best to impart the little wisdom I've gained in my short life. Most of my wisdom came from this book so I implore you to memorize everything prior to my entry. Those words have stood the test of time and continue to serve me well."

Liana felt herself smiling. It was so like him to be self-deprecating, even in a historical guide.

She read the next dated entry.

"It has been ten years since I last wrote in this book. Ten years of being king and I do not have any new sage knowledge to impart. The reason I write today is to tell you that the rebels have made themselves known once more. If you recall, their last appearance was during my father's reign which ended in a bloody battle. We hoped that would quell their numbers and their desire to reform. Unfortunately, decades later and they've returned.

They attacked my caravan while I traveled to our southernmost port to greet an envoy of Chimerions to discuss trade options. A few of the royal guards were killed. More of the rebels were killed than ours, not that I find any comfort in that fact.

I've formed a legion to investigate. Until then, I pray to the gods that they do not rally."

The next entry was only a year later.

"Our investigation has stalled. There have been no more attacks or hints of separatists gathering."

His next words were dated nine years later, which was just a few months ago. Liana recognized it as the date of the first courtship ball. The date when she first met Damien.

"I am uncertain why I felt the need to write this here, but I do. Like an unquenchable thirst, I must confess that I met a female tonight.

At my parents' request, I am hosting this year's courting festivities. I strongly argued against it, however, I am still their son, and they won that battle. Perhaps that is my first piece of sage wisdom for you; your parents will always be older and therefore wiser. And should your mother not get her way, she will guilt you into selling your soul so she can have grandchildren."

Liana smothered a laugh behind her hand. Of course, Eva had been the mastermind behind the ball and courting.

"In seriousness, I do need a queen. I'm already twenty years into my reign. I need an heir.

Except, I met the most unexpected person tonight. She is a young mage from the Monroe family. Her father, Lord Michael Monroe sits on the Mage City Council. Her uncle is a Master living in Sapphire Cove. A fine pedigree to be sure.

She is beautiful and confounding. Never before have I craved someone's blood like I do hers. The very air around her shimmers with magic and when she speaks, I swear I can see flecks of gold magic sparking in her eyes. I do not know what to do with her."

Liana flipped the page eagerly. It was dated for the next day.

"I've gone mad. I sent a letter of intent to court the mage female. My parents found out too soon through this meddlesome court and confronted me. Father thinks it is a risky move. Mother just smirked. I don't dare guess at what that meant."

He didn't write for weeks.

"Sage wisdom number two; women are insufferable. They are stubborn, strong-willed, and completely unreasonable. "

The writing was not nearly as neat as Damien's previous entries. These words were hurried, the parchment dented from pressing too hard. Liana laughed and tried to remember what she did to warrant the heated words. Nothing came to mind, but she was proud of herself that she enraged him so.

"My last entry may have been in haste. Let this be the true wisdom I impart on you; love makes you mad – angry and insane.

Lady Liana Monroe will become my wife in two weeks, and I pray that my sanity lasts that long because she is an insufferable tease. Perhaps I should not tell you that, but you should be wary if you ever decide to court a mage. Their purity standards will be the bane of your existence."

Liana rolled her eyes. "Really, Damien? All you think about is sex," she grumbled aloud. She continued with the rest of his entry.

"It pains me to write this next entry because I wish to only write good things, to tell you of my beautiful Liana and our happy life. That is not in our destiny though. The separatists have made themselves known once more. The threat is real, and I worry that we are headed for another war.

The separatists have targeted Liana. They think she is some promised savior. Some part of a prophecy that has been whispered from the darkest of depths of this kingdom. Grandfather Luciano always recited this prophecy about the tenth king and his savior wife. I never believed it. I am the tenth king, but I am certainly not the strongest Ashwood, nor do I have any idea how to bring about the unity the prophecy promises. The entire situation is ridiculous. My Liana is not a tool from the gods.

The attacks have escalated. Our family is staying close now, the previous kings will weigh in on this situation when they arrive for our wedding."

On the edge of the seat, Liana kept reading.

"I cannot believe I am writing this. The prophecy might be real. Liana might be this savior.

I've seen her perform impossible magic. Seen her do things that other mage couldn't even dream of. I knew she was special from the beginning, I never fathomed she was blessed by the Goddess Juno. There is still much we don't know, and the separatists are ramping up their attacks. I fear letting her out of my sight, but she fights me on everything I do to try to keep her safe. I know she can protect herself. Honestly, she could protect this entire castle better than I could with a single thought and an ounce of her magic, but she's mine and my vampiric side has always been a bit feral, more so now that we've mated.

She's at least accepted one guard… god's have mercy on my sanity."

There were no more entries.

Liana sat back in the chair, ruminating over everything she read. Damien's words took precedence over the others by far and she couldn't help but feel his love a little more. A grin tilted her lips. He even wrote about her in this damned book like a lovesick fool.

Feeling bold and energized from reading his words, Liana borrowed the quill and ink on his desk and began to write, starting with the date.

"Brief interlude from Damien's better half.

We've discovered so much more, but not nearly enough. Master Ranville kidnapped me to retrieve a powerful dagger from the ruins of Triaedian's first castle. We revealed two pages in the front of this book that were hidden by magic from previous kings, and we don't know how long they were hidden because no one knows about this previous kingdom. It was wiped from all of history. Those pages spoke of the first Triaedian, the one that failed and was destroyed by a gods-blessed mage attempting to take over control of the kingdom. We don't know much more other than I am also gods-blessed by Juno herself. I've met her twice now. She is the one that started this whole thing but has not been forthcoming with details. She was the only goddess worshiped by the first Triaedian, another mystery.

I hope to update you soon.

Sincerely,

The stubborn, strong-willed, and completely unreasonable, Queen Liana Ashwood."

Laughing at herself, Liana closed the book and made sure the protection and concealment spells were intact. She couldn't wait for Damien's reaction when he read this.

All teasing aside though, her reading didn't get them any closer to the answers they needed. She could only hope that with Ranville captured, that the rebels wouldn't regroup quickly without their leader.

It made her wonder how Ranville and his father were so convinced of the prophecy when the few who heard the rumors of it assumed it a fairytale. Both father and son were convinced that it was real, as if they read the king's book themselves, even though they got part of it wrong. That would have been impossible though because Luciano had never read those pages and he was the third king. Somehow, between the first and second king, those pages were hidden.

It was too late to inspect the magic since Liana had already removed it. Whoever placed that spell would have been close to the king to gain access to the book. There was no other way they could have known about it. The book was one of the better kept secrets of the monarchy. It had to have been someone close to the first king then because the tale ended with him. But then, they would've had to remove the king's memories of it all too. And of everyone that found the first castle.

But then, how did the Ranville's enter into the equation?

Jumping up, Liana put the book back in the bookcase then sprinted toward the library. It was late, or early in the morning depending on how she viewed it. Her guard trailed her silently, otherwise, no one was around.

Storming into the library, she waved her arm and mage lights came to life throughout the three-story sanctuary. Pausing, she realized she didn't know the organization of the books.

"Do you know where the family lineages would be located?" she asked the guard.

He was one she'd seen before, one of her night guards. "No, Your Majesty."

She could wake the librarian. At this time of night, it would be awfully cruel. her magic sparked beneath her skin, eager to be used.

"That just might work," she said to herself and let the magic fill her. It was odd to think but she felt like it told her what to do. A revealing spell. This was just a bit different from the standard so that it revealed the location of the texts she needed. The first bit of her spell directed her to the far back corner of the library, the area lit with a golden glow.

"Alright, lineage records. Now, find the Ranville family line." The area went dark, leaving only one book alight. Liana hurried to it and held her hands aloft while her magic dragged it from the upper shelves. Running back into the main area, she hefted it onto a table and flipped to the first page.

The Ranville Lineage , read the title page. The next page held her answer. The first Ranville recorded was born before the creation of the current Triaedian. This was the pilgrim that started the Ranville line in Triaedian.

Randall J. Ranville.

Using her magic, she asked the library to reveal any books with history of Randall J. Ranville. Ten books lit up.

"Go gather the rest of those," she told her guard while she went to grab the others. Liana only had time to grab two before the vampire returned with the other eight. Reading through the titles, her eyes caught on one that was the most intriguing, A History of the King's Council . If Ranville's name was connected to the Council, this had to be the clue she was looking for.

Flipping through the first few pages which explained the how's and why's of the King's Council, she landed on a chapter titled, Reign of King Emanuel Ashwood.

She skimmed over the first few paragraphs which described how the first king established the council. Denoted some of their greatest feats, including the creation of Triaedian. On the next page, she found it. A list of six names. The first King's Council. And one of the two mage names listed was Master Randall J. Ranville.

"Yes!" she grunted in a cheer. "Found you." A Master Mage would have had enough power to create that spell on the book. They would've been able to wipe a king's memory.

She read the rest of the entry discovering that Ranville had been kicked off the council for radical ideas regarding the separation of breeds. He was replaced by the Kinley line.

Liana stared at the book. It was here, beneath their noses all along but too many pieces had been missing. Who would have thought to suspect the Ranville's, an upstanding family in the mage community of such a scandalous history? Who would have known that they would lead a separatist movement from the inception of their peaceful kingdom?

Her magic roiled beneath her skin. This was one answer, yet not enough.

She knew what she had to do now. And she'd start from what she knew and would work her way backward until this entire thing raveled itself out.