The first week of his time as Solenne's apprentice flew by. He spent the majority of it screaming internally about how she kept her notes. Emrys couldn't be certain but he swore there were points she was smirking watching him trying to decipher them. Keeping that somewhat cocky demeanor from their first interaction was not kept up either. He knew she knew. She had to know. How could she not? He had managed to make a fool of himself once already.

  Emrys had brought flowers. To the apothecary. Who looked at him like he was simple and thanked him with a forced smile and a small shake of her head.

  "Cause you are simple lad." The bartender grinned.

  Emrys scoffed. "I am not! I am an Ecclesium scholar. I haven spent my entire life studying angels!"

  "Aye. Angels as in the Seraph. Not angels as in women."

  Those words brought heat to Emrys' face. "She is not an angel." He murmured. The bartender's brow raised. "No I didn't mean it like that! She is a woman I just mean she isn't an angel like what. I just-" Emrys slapped his hand over his mouth to stop his rambling.

  "Perhaps you should just forget you gave her flowers lad. Stick to just learning. Lady Veyra isn't known for taking suitors anyhow. She likes her solitude. Plus they usually don't stick around too long anyhow." He shrugged before grabbed Emrys' glass to refill it. (Name) kept a kettle warm just for the scholar. It earned him an extra tip each night that he was saving back for upgrades to the inn.

  Emrys tilted his head slightly. "What do you mean they don't stick around? Does Solenne send them away?" That was the only thing he could think of. Why else would they leave?

  The other man just shook his head. "No one really knows and the Veil folk know not to ask too many questions." People went missing all the time around here. No one batted an eye.

  There was enough warning in his tone to keep Emrys from asking more questions. He was a quick enough study to note that people here didn't talk about the odd things that happened. They also weren't quick to trust anyone from Central. There was also a sense that they tolerated him more than others because he was sent by the church. If it weren't for that, Emrys didn't think he would have any kind of in with Solenne at all.

  "Are you sure I should just forget it? Maybe I should apologize? I can tell her I didn't know they were death flowers." It was the truth. He could tell the difference between a Seraph and a Niphil with a passing glance. Deciphering seraphic writings with scraps of a cipher? Emrys was the one they called. Picking flowers though? Entirely uncharted territory.

  (Name) shook his head. "Leave it be Emrys. You'll just make things more awkward. Now drink this and go to sleep. Her shop will be getting busy since the Lustration is happening soon." He gave the glass back to Emrys and motioned towards it.

  Taking the glass, he sipped from it. The Lustration, the cleansing of Caelora, happened every five to eight years or so. It was never consistent. The Choir deemed when it happened, giving word to the Archons, who passed it down to the Ecclesium, and so forth. Eight years had passed since the last one. Emrys remembered that one specifically. Unlike the others, there was only a day between the Archon's receiving the message and the ritual.

  Whispers had filled every inn, alley, and corner from the outskirts of the Veil all the way up the cliffs. Not a soul who could speak was holding their tongue on what they believed happened. Some had heard the Choir was upset. Others spoke of a Marked reappearing. A few even believed that the Archons lied to rid themselves of their enemies in a way that didn't involve the Pale Order. Now that one was ridiculous. Emrys had studied the Pale Order and their ways enough to know the Archons had no problems using them to their advantage.

  "Thank you (name). I appreciate the drink and the reminder." Emrys finished the drink. He left the glass on the bar before heading to his room.

  He locked the door behind him. Emrys stretched his arms above his head before he stripped. Lazily he walked to the bathing room to draw a bath. The tub filled slowly, steaming rising off the water. Before it was full he stepped inside and settled in. The hot water drew tension from his muscles. He groaned. Emrys let his head fall back over the edge of the tub as he closed his eyes. All he felt was the water. All he heard was the tub continuing to fill. All he could think of was Lustration.

  Emrys had to admit he hadn't been paying much attention to the state of Caelora in the last few months. Before being chosen, his entire focus had been on finding something to help with Bloom. Something gnawed at the back of his mind. Emrys knew he had seen something similar in a text somewhere. It bothered him to be pulled from that. He sunk down giving himself to the embrace of the warm water.

  His lungs burned. Limbs began to twitch. His eyes screwed shut while he fought to keep his body under the water for just a moment longer. Emrys broke the surface with a heavy gasp, inhaling as much air into his lungs as they allowed. He wiped the water from his face, slicking his hair back, allowing himself to sit there and just breathe. Emrys Durand was not suicidal. He was chasing that bit of clarity that teetered on the edge of a blade. Sadly, he had not found it this time. Perhaps next time.

  He washed, climbed from the tub, and drained it. Emrys dried off before crawling into the bed. He should have brought extra sleeping garments with him. Mentally, he made a note to go back to his flat to grab more after work. His brow furrowed as he thought that. After work. He supposed he needed to think of it that way if he was going to keep up the charade. Emrys didn't like lying to Solenne. Hell, he didn't like lying to anyone.

  "You were chosen for this Emrys. You have to lie. The Choir has already forgiven you." He told himself as he closed his eyes. Sleep overtook him quickly.

  ???????????????

  His feet hit the cobblestone so hard people immediately got out of the way. There would be bruises later. He knew it. Maybe he could see if Solenne had something that would help. Light be, he needed to get there first! Emrys had overslept. One of the maids in the inn had awoken him when he had missed his morning coffee. Now what was he supposed to do? Ask Solenne to make him some? Maybe. It wouldn't hurt. Then again, she might tell him to make it himself. He whined loudly while running.

  Emrys was not good at making coffee. He wasn't good at grinding things with a mortar and pestle. Getting the measurements by just look and feel alone was impossible. She made it look so easy.

  "Its all just practice and having patience when learning." Solenne had told him while smiling softly.

  That was not the case. Emrys was a very quick learner yet everything she showed him just refused to stick in his mind. He had to refer to his notes more often than not. It infuriated him though it had only been a week. The bell above the door nearly went flying from how hard he whipped the door open.

  Solenne was staring at him wide eyed. He was breathing heavily trying to catch his breath. Emrys convinced himself the heat in his face was because he had been running. Walking fully inside, he shut the door behind him. Emrys double checked the sign let people know they were open before he walked to the counter.

  "Good morning Solenne." He nodded with his greeting.

  "Good morning Emrys." She reached over and straightened out his glasses. "You're late."

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  He sighed heavily, deflating as he leaned against the counter. "I know. I'm sorry. It won't happen again. Please forgive me." Emrys looked at her over circular rims. He had to fight back a look of shock noticing the soft pink of her cheeks. Was she blushing?

  Solenne shook her head. The pink faded. "Please stop that. I don't mind if you're late. I'm not paying you to be here silly." She turned away from him.

  Emrys watched Solenne as she finished whatever she had been working on. Her brown hair almost looked black unless the sunlight hit it just right. It reminded him of those fancy dark chocolates he'd once had as a child. He had never seen it out of the the single braid she kept it in. Was it curly? Or straight? Wouldn't it make more sense for her to keep it up in a tucked bun? He knew a lot of the female apothecaries in Central kept their hair that way.

  She was dressed in her usual long sleeve linen shirt. Her trousers, also uncommon for him to see, were a different color today. Emrys liked the dark green over the usual brown ones she wore. She cleared her throat causing him to jump. Solenne's eyebrow was raised as she handed him a cup of coffee.

  Emrys was blushing again. "I uhm, I'm sorry. I uh, your pants are a different color and I was just looking and uhm, they look good. Not that you dont look good in the others I just-" He stopped when she held her hand up. This was almost worse than when he gave her the flowers.

  "Thank you Emrys. Drink your coffee. I need your help making a few more cleansing bundles, tinctures, and other small things. I might even send you to the Wilds." She said as she picked up her own mug to sip from.

  "The Wilds?!" Had he heard her correctly? "That is where I draw a line. I will not go to the Wilds." Emrys shook his head vehemently. "Refuse. I will not do such a thing." There was no way he was going to do that. There were creatures out there that would kill him without hesitation. He wasn't a Knight with the Candescent Order. Hells he didn't even have a weapon!

  Solenne clicked her tongue. "Okay. Then Ill go to the Wilds and you can make things for people who come in while I'm gone. Do you know the difference between harrowroot and a drakeous root yet?" Her tone wasn't condescending. She sounded genuinely curious.

  Emrys gripped the mug tightly. He turned his head towards the front of the store. From where he sat, he could see people starting to move along the streets. It had been busy two days ago. The shop had been packed full of people trying to get her 'famous' aetherose salve that was said to not only soothe aches but also bring up moods. The aetherose could only be picked once a year and it took time for the petals to be to a point where they weren't toxic. It meant the salve was only sold maybe twice a year if her crop yielded what she needed.

  She had moved around the shop with an almost inhuman grace that day. He had been so overstimulated she had to make him go sit on the stairs with a cup of tea until he could make his breathing even again. That had taken him almost an hour to do. Emrys looked down at the mug. His glasses became fogged from the steam coming up.

  "Okay. I'll go. You'll have to give me pictures of what you want and I'm not going that far in." Emrys stood up straighter and nodded, keeping his jaw set. He wasn't going to budge on the distance thing.

  Solenne's smile made him swallow hard. It was bright, soft, and gave her these cute little wrinkles at the corner of her sad eyes. He quickly looked away. Emrys finished the coffee she had given him. Out of habit, he walked around the counter and went up the stairs. It wasn't something she asked of him. He saw her doing it every time she finished a drink and decided to do it as well. Emrys never went anywhere upstairs except to the kitchen. If he needed to relieve himself, he went across the street to a public bath to do so. She had told him that was necessary but he insisted. The Luminaire Doctrine decreed a single woman's room must remain unseen until she is wed. The bell above the door chimed.

  Emrys came downstairs to hear Solenne and whoever it was speaking in hushed voices. He strained to listen but couldn't make out what they were saying. As he took another step down, the stair creaked under his weight. The foreign voice stopped speaking mid-sentence. Emrys suddenly felt small like he had just been caught eavesdropping on the Hearlds during their meetings in the Aruifer after Midweek.

  "My apologies," he heard Solenne start, "I forgot to mention I took on an apprentice from the Ecclesium."

  He took that as his cue to continue down the stairs. He appeared with a soft yet embarrassed smile. "Forgive me. I did not mean to intrude on the conversation. I was upstairs washing dishes and didn't hear the bell." Emrys bowed deeply. "I'm Emrys, a scholar here to learn from Solenne. Light's blessings upon you."

  "It is good to see you're teaching someone what you do Sol. I will come by later to pick up what we spoke about." The older woman replied. "May the Light guide you."

  Emrys stood back up to full height as the woman exited the shop. He glanced at Solenne. Her hands were trembling. Had that woman said something to upset her? Whatever had been said had sounded urgent not angry. He opened his mouth to speak. He closed it again. Open. Close. Open. Close. Emrys groaned internally at his inability to just speak. It wasn't going to kill him to just say something, anything at this point.

  "I'll get your list ready. Can you tidy up the shop for me?" Solenne beat him to it.

  "Of course." He nodded slightly. Emrys walked by her carefully. His mind was still reeling over what he could say. There was still time right? He made his way over to the far wall where herbs and florals sat in jars waiting to be purchased. There were small spoons on stands next to each jar. A person could walk in, pick up a small pouch, and fill it with what they needed for a set price. Solenne had tried to teach him which ones were made for teas and others could be used in cooking. Emrys hated he couldn't really remember them. Yet.

  He picked up the jar of harrowroot. It was dark and stringy. The smell reminded him of wet leaves mixed with something spicy. Emrys used the sleeve of his shirt to wipe the front of the jar. As he did, his mind continued playing over conversations he could be having. It should be easy. Turn and speak. Say something. Anything. Just talk. Ask her if she is okay. Does she need something from you? Just ask.

  "Solenne. I was wondering if there was anything I could do for you. I noticed that your hands were shaking. Do you need breakfast? I could go to the bakery up the street to get us something." Emrys just started talking. "I think the harrowroot is getting low too. Is that out in the Wilds or is it in the garden out back? This is still a good batch based off of the smell but I just want to make sure we have enough since Lustration is going to be happening soon."

  His words were met with silence. He bit the inside of his cheek as he waited on her reply. Sometimes she would be doing something and would answer after a few moments. Emrys placed the jar back where it went. He took a half step to the right. Before he reached for another jar, he turned.

  Emrys slumped. She wasn't even standing there. Where had she gone? He had been speaking to no one. His face burned. So did his eyes. That was confusing. Why did he feel like crying just because she wasn't there? Emrys shook his head. He moved his glasses up so they were atop his head. Pressing the heels of his palms into his eyes, he fought back the frustration. Some "chosen one" he was.

  Someone touched him. Emrys jumped, scrambling back from whoever it was. The girl from his first time in the Veil was looking at him.

  "Still a jumpy frog eh?" She grinned as she rocked on her heels with her hands behind her back.

  "Heralds be where did you even come from? The bell didn't even ring." Emrys looked at her and then to the door. He surely would have heard it.

  "Sure it did. You were just busy doing whatever that was." The girl then copied how he was standing.

  Emrys cringed. Had he looked like that? In the middle of the shop for just anyone to see? He sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose as he tried to get that image out of his head.

  "Alright... What do you need... erm, what was your name?"

  "Her name is Gwen."

  They both jumped this time. Solenne was standing on their side of the counter watching their interaction. Emrys looked at Gwen before looking back to the apothecary. She didn't seem so shaken up now. That was good.

  "Sooolllll, you weren't supposed to tell the frog my name." Gwen whined as she walked over to stand next to Solenne.

  Emrys shook his head. "I am not a frog." He had no idea why Gwen wanted to call him a frog.

  Gwen snorted. "You're a frog. Frog, frog, frog." She stuck her tongue out at him. "See? You're even squinting like a frog."

  "What?" There was no way he was squinting. He could see them just fine.

  Solenne walked over to him. She reached up and brought his glasses down from the top of his head back down to rest on his nose where they belonged. Things were suddenly much clearer. "There you go." She smiled sweetly.

  Emrys turned red. He mumbled a thank you. Gwen started cackling behind them. Solenne looked over at her which made her stop. The young girl was still grinning even as the apothecary walked back to the counter. Emrys watched her grab a sheet of paper. She handed it to him.

  "Here is what I need from the Wilds and I will harvest the harrowroot from the garden."

  He took the paper. Hearing that made the anxiety in his chest lessen a bit. "Alright. I'll go to the inn to get my bag and I will go." Emrys bowed slightly before he moved to leave the shop.

  "Bye frog. Don't get eaten." Gwen chomped at him playfully.

  Emrys just smiled a bit. "I'll try not to." With that said, he left the two of them behind with the ring of a bell.