Railuras Lament

Princess Railuras is leaving another audience with her mother, Queen Regency, and Attendants. An Audience with several Family Leads. Updating on current events and economic changes. Nearing the end of the meeting Regency gets word from a servant that they overheard events her other child, Prince Arkclune, had been involved in. Several servants overheard him talking to Mack about the portals that opened up in the forest and afterwards going down to the Labs. The Prince’s plans backfired and now Ambrias knows a portal opened in their kingdom.

Storming out to confront him, Railuras goes the other way to her room. After Locking the doors and closing the curtains goes to her mantle and lights a tall candle which sits in the very middle. Some runes inscribed in the candle's front. She slowly turned halfway around so they faced the wall. And slowly back. Walking over to her writing desk takes a seat and takes a deep breath. News still fresh writes a quick note.

Diary Entry, April x xxxx

Dear mother,

For, my whole life you have been training me to take your place someday. I have seen firsthand how you are really like. But even being privy to the backstage of running the kingdom, there has always been something you hid even from me. Only our small circle seems to know some bits and pieces.

Whatever you were planning I never suspected it could ever come to be since one of the key elements, portals have been dormant long before even your mother’s time. My brother had unintentionally helped you along and now I am certain my intel is paying off. Because one good thing of being a future torch bearer was catching snippets of your plans.

It is times like this I truly wish you have picked a different path. Perhaps your mother, like yourself, hasn't allowed you to. This torch you wish to pass onto me as a future Queen, I hope will dimly light a different path. Better yet smothered like it should have been done by my Great grandmother, the exiled Princess of Ambrias.

As the saying goes, -Embers of the past glows dimly, lights the fraction of history and futures path forward.-

Embers indeed in this dimly lit torch tirelessly tended to generation after generation desperately keeping it a light.

This torch bearer has no desire to keep it burning.

I worry more so that I am keeping up the facade knowing so well how easily you see through others. With your mistrusting nature and such. I also worry for my brother who desires your attention and how slighted he feels. The rift cause may never be fully repairable. Him doing hasty actions either hinder you or propels your plans along a different route. Either way, I fear for his mindset and hope he doesn’t destroy himself for the sake of your approval.

I hope now that the information that I’m learning, albeit bits and pieces, is correct and enough for now.

…

Alerted to footsteps outside her door and seeing a shadow from underneath her door pauses her pen. Small drops of ink land on the pages. Muffled voices, not her mother’s, thankfully. Rustling, just the maids going by.

Lives are at stake, and she must be careful. Letting the pages dry tends to the note again. Now dried folds, it places her own wax mark on the paper. She heard a gentle rap from the other side of the wall and a flame turned blue by an alchemical powder. Carefully, the note slipped through a practically invisible slit in the wall. The informant on the other side opens the seal and reads the note; - Portals are opening, Prince knows, Mother knows, perhaps Ambrias knows-that is not entirely certain yet, and perhaps a human was here- that fact is also uncertain. There will be more… Rai -

Note passed back and with the candle burns it in the fireplace, thoroughly so not even burnt scraps remain. Mixed in with the rest of the ash and soot which is cleaned out almost daily. Candle returned and slowly turned half-way but in the other direction, the candle blew out, and turned back forward again. Informants light steps leaving and activating the runes camouflages the slit.

Princess Railuras, crossing the room again, takes up her diary. In the corner of the page puts in discreet runes. The Runic divination/magic lessons she has to partake in are paying off. It brings an amusing smile to the Princess’ face thinking how this isn’t the use her mother had intended her gift to be used for. Using a needle to prick her finger activates the runes and the letters wavers and changes to a different story. Upon closing and fastening the clasp also activates more runes. A brief pink glow locks the secrets of the book, its cover reading ‘Runes and Blood magic’

Looking over to the fireplace again sees the embers finally dying.

Contemplating, and slightly crestfallen it is a bittersweet ordeal. What could have been, what should have been if her mother was different. Well, her opportunities have passed long ago. Perhaps when they were born, her especially, the favorite to ascend, the favorite which will also douse and dying fire.