Date: 1-5-165

  I’ve had little time to dwell on how I left things with Jacque yesterday. While our primary duties are to the members of House Valia, Nadine was asked to examine one of the other officials living in the palace. This woman’s title was “Pillar,” and her role in the city is the maintenance of the enchantments that the residents of Valia’s Watch rely on.

  My understanding of Panzean enchantment is yet rudimentary. Still, I have gleaned some basic facts about the subject. Similarly to Guntao enchantment techniques, Panzean enchantments require the enchanter to permanently invest a portion of their own power into the enchanting medium, lest the enchantment’s spell collapses. The Panzeans use stone and metal rather than bone. This has left me perplexed, as I’ve always understood that bone has the greatest aetheric resonance out of any known material.

  Every major city, it seems, has several Pillars who operate systems such as water pumps, lighting, and other basic amenities. In payment, these Pillars lead lives of luxury, with no responsibility beyond ensuring that the lights remain on.

  I would love the opportunity to study these enchantments more closely, but I worry that my lack of expertise might prove too great a hurdle in this pursuit. I suppose it didn’t occur to us that we might want to bring an expert enchanter on our expedition! Still, I shall gather what knowledge I can so we can perform a more thorough study once we’ve returned home.

  I wish I could fill this journal with nothing but observations on Panzea. I should think you would find that more interesting than my ill-fated attempts to make inroads with House Valia. Alas, I ought to inform you about what happened today.

  The events in question began after our appointment with the Pillar. I had gone by myself to one of the kitchens for a light snack. (It still feels unnatural to ask a servant to do this for me.)

  ***

  The kitchen was a large room filled with rows of marble counters, stoves, drying racks for various herbs, and hanging metal pans that gleamed silver in the ever-present ambient light. At first glance, the room seemed to be deserted, luncheon having already been served, but dinner preparations not yet begun.

  As I approached the pantry, I heard the sound of metal scraping against metal and a woman’s muttering voice from within. Perhaps one of the chefs still lingers here, I told myself. How fortunate.

  “Excuse me,” I called as I pulled the pantry door further open. “I apologize for my interruption, but would you please be able to help me?”

  The woman, who was hunched over a low shelf, turned slowly towards me. I halted suddenly as I caught sight of the unruly mop of gray hair atop her head and her dark, wrinkled face. She held a small stack of biscuits to her chest almost protectively. Her pale gray eyes were narrowed at first, but the expression soon melted into a welcoming smile.

  It was none other than the Lord Governor’s mother.

  “My Lady Kailenne,” I said at once, starting to bow, then remembering myself and twisting my legs into a curtsy. “Please forgive my rudeness.”

  “Straighten up, girl. We’ll have no groveling here.” Her voice was soft, almost gentle, a startling contrast to the sharp interrogation of our first meeting. She held out a biscuit. “Here for an afternoon snack?”

  “Ah—yes,” I stammered, taking the biscuit from her. I endeavored to present a veneer of self-assured confidence, but I couldn’t bring myself to look her in the eyes. “That is most kind.”

  “It’s nothing. Come, let’s sit.” She strode out of the pantry and led me to a modest table in the corner, likely intended for servants on their breaks. “I can’t eat on my feet anymore. Makes me feel bloated.”

  We sat for a few minutes. I tentatively nibbled on the dry biscuit while she ate hers casually with not a care in the world. Every so often, she would steal a glance at my throat. I reached up to check if there was something there, which prompted her to finally speak.

  “That’s a pretty Heart,” she said, dabbing her lips with her sleeve and setting her biscuit down. “May I?”

  “Yes, yes, of course,” I said, unclasping the chain that held the decoy Heart and handing it to her. It was the same one Nadine had given me some time ago, when she warned that it might be dangerous to reveal that I didn’t need it to work my magic. It was only after Lady Kailenne had it in her hand that I realized she might be able to somehow tell that it was a forgery.

  “Damn fine craftsmanship,” she said, holding it up to the light. “See the facets? This was made in a Lecosian workshop, I can tell you that. In Brent, I’d wager—that’s where your mistress went to university, isn’t it? Funny coincidence, that.”

  I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, offering a noncommittal affirmation here and there as she spoke. As she continued pointing out the finer points of the Heart’s design, I looked to her neck—perhaps I sought to reciprocate her compliments by commenting on her Heart—only to realize that she was not wearing one. Her gown was cut low to reveal her collar, but her throat was bare. The Great Houses were supposedly renowned for their prodigious magical talent, so certainly the Lord Governor’s mother couldn’t be Heartless, could she?

  “Ah, forgive my rudeness again,” I said. “Where is Lady Kailenne’s Heart?”

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  She laughed. “Lady Kailenne doesn’t have a Heart.” My surprise must have been evident, as she quickly added, “Those of us in the Great Houses don’t need them. Our magic is so damned strong we can cast with our minds alone.”

  (This explanation, of course, only raised more questions. Thus far, Panzeans have been quite insistent that no magic is possible without the aid of a Heart. In Guntao, we know that this isn’t true, but is it a difference in the nature of our magic, or is it a quirk of culture? Lady Kailenne’s lack of Heart might point towards the latter being the case.)

  “I would very much like to see your magic someday,” I said.

  “Oh, sure, I’d love to show you,” she said dryly. “Maybe I’ll perform some back flips for you, too. And I’ll whistle a [jaunty] little tune while I’m at it.”

  This made me all the more curious. Was House Valia’s magic controlled through some combination of acrobatic and melodic components?

  “No, I will not show off my magic like it’s some damned party trick,” she added, changing her mind with evident irritation. “Now eat your damned biscuit.”

  Uncomfortable silence loomed over us. Not even a minute had passed before she spoke again, all traces of annoyance gone from her voice.

  “How are you settling in? Is the staff treating you all right?”

  Hastily swallowing a mouthful of biscuit crumbs, I said, “It is a very nice lodging. I express my gratitude for giving us this opportunity.”

  She sighed heavily. I would have to rein in my sense of decorum, as it consistently drew just such a reaction whenever I used what I considered polite language.

  “Well,” she said, “if you need anything, you let my chamberlain know, yeah?”

  “Actually, my tutor—”

  “Tell my chamberlain,” she said. “I thought you’d hear better with those ears of yours.”

  My cheeks flushed, and I brought a hand to one of my ears. You always told me they were endearing…

  Shaking my head, I forced myself to focus on the task at hand: making a favorable impression on the matron of the Great House.

  “I will endeavor to listen more closely in the future. You have my deepest apologies, Lady Kailenne.”

  “And how is working with Dominiq?” she asked, again brushing our previous exchange aside like it was nothing. “He isn’t giving you too much trouble, is he?”

  This felt like a trap. All of her questions felt like traps. If I told her things were fine, she’d accuse me of being a liar. But if I complained about his dismissive attitude and foolish ideas, she would correctly take me to account for disrespect. Why was this woman so bent on testing me?

  I answered with a determination not to let her ruffle me so.

  “To offer care to a member of House Valia is a fascinating experience.” (When one works with Truthbinding magic, one learns to choose one’s facts carefully.) “His body has a powerful…sound reaction…with Theramancy. To practice my art on one like him is to take another step on the mastery path.”

  “I’m sure it is.” Lady Kailenne offered me a wry smile. “Speaking of which, isn’t he expecting you?”

  A glance at the timekeeping device on the wall confirmed it. This encounter with the lady mother of House Valia had delayed me overlong, and I was expected at the treatment chamber with Nadine in just three minutes.

  “Please pardon me,” I said as I leapt from my seat, this time forgetting to turn my bow into a curtsy.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lady Kailenne take the remains of my half-eaten biscuit as I flew from the kitchen.

  ***

  Somehow, I arrived just barely in time. Nadine gave me a concerned look, but said nothing of it. We did our work, kept our thoughts to ourselves, and offered toothless affirmations to every banal musing that fell from Lord Valia’s lips.

  An entirely uneventful treatment, in short.

  But afterwards, when we stepped into the hall, Lady Kailenne was waiting for us. She’d been in the midst of a hushed conversation with a guardsman, her back to us. When she turned, a bright smile was plastered across her face.

  Her eyes, however, practically glittered with malice.

  “My dear Miss Why!” she all but exclaimed. “Was I too late? I hope today’s treatment wasn’t a complete disaster.”

  Nadine and I gave each other an uncertain look. “Lady Kailenne,” I said, “everything was well. Is there a reason for a disaster?”

  The corners of Lady Kailenne’s mouth twitched, as though she was holding in a laugh, and she arched one eyebrow. “I don’t know. Isn’t there?”

  “It was fine, mother.” Governor Valia stepped into the hallway after us, a towel draped over his bare shoulders. “The strange one puts a little too much aether in sometimes, but she managed to control herself. After a stern warning, yes, but one must use a firm hand with the help from time to time.”

  So, Governor Valia could sense from whom who the excess aether was coming from. An interesting fact that I had precious little time to contemplate.

  “Oh, so you were able to cast your spells all right, Miss Why?” Lady Kailenne reached into the front of her robe and withdrew something, though she kept it hidden in her clasped hand. Her smile had grown into a wide, toothy grin. “You weren’t missing this?”

  She held out her hand. Upon her open palm rested my false Heart.

  I froze completely. Lady Kailenne continued to stare at me with those elated gray eyes while her son looked on with uncomprehending disinterest. Even the guardsman watched, his face contorted as he tried to work out what, precisely, was happening.

  “Oh, it’s lucky I remembered to bring your spare,” Nadine said in a voice too loud to be convincing. “You must remember to take better care of your Hearts, Why.”

  “Y-Yes,” I managed. “I will do.”

  Lady Kailenne’s gaze had fixed, just as before, on my throat. If I did have a spare Heart, it was clearly not on my neck. (Does a Heart need to be worn about the neck? I still don’t know.)

  “Yes, be careful,” she said, her voice no less mirthful. She handed the Heart back to me, which I accepted shakily. “A good Heart is a pain in the ass to replace. Believe me, I know.”

  With that, she turned on her heels, motioning for her son to follow. “Come, boy. We’ve got Great House business to take care of.”

  Nadine and I were soon alone in the hall. I could feel myself shaking. Nadine wore a tight-lipped frown, and I feared for a moment that she might shout at me, but in the end, she put a gentle hand on my shoulder and walked me back to our quarters.

  ***

  I’m at a loss as to what Lady Kailenne is trying to accomplish. Nadine isn’t sure, either, though she did grumble that her selection as house physician really did have nothing to do with her abilities as a doctor. It could be that Lady Kailenne was after me from the start.

  If it’s true that Great House scions don’t require a Heart to work magic, then it’s possible that Lady Kailenne thinks I’m the lost heir to House Arix. You will recall that there were rumors to that effect swirling about the aristocracy last year, though I had understood that these were mostly discredited. If she thinks that I am an Arix, why is she antagonizing me so? Wouldn’t that mean I have a claim by birth to an entire Great House’s worth of power and wealth?

  Remember, too, that Lady Kailenne is the one who killed the last King Arix over 150 Panzean years ago. What if she carries a grudge against him after all this time, and now I am the object of that selfsame grudge?

  This is all conjecture, of course. For now, I must continue to work towards mounting an expedition to recover your body. I only hope that Lady Kailenne’s designs don’t interfere with my own.