A member of the nobility arriving at the college was not unheard of, once or twice a year there would be some lords or ladies arriving. The arrival of a Queen however was on an entirely different level. Adrelalind’s Queen arrived with dozens of support staff, from guards to handmaidens, cooks, and even a builder in case they needed some work done to the college. For more than a week they stayed in one of the upper levels of the college dorm rooms, a spot reserved for visiting guests to the college, their presence mostly going unnoticed by the other residents. Occasionally, their classes would end suddenly as the professor was called away to answer some of the Queen’s questions.

The sun was doing its best to warm up the day but it was getting close to winter so it was still cool outside, Zoe sat in the garden enjoying the limited warmth. Her book, A Brief History of the Gods, was so brief by history book standards that it was only several hundred pages all of which Zoe had no interest in usually but this book was different, it was just written in a way to draw her in.

"The primordial, The time before time held only the raw power of old. Over time that power became intelligent of itself. Seeing that nothing existed, That power created our world with a single thought. This thought spawned the world and caused the power to fracture into many pieces. Thus the primordials were born. Gods of old before those we know today. They ruled our world for eons with an iron grip using men for their amusement. The more Zoe read, the more she wanted to keep reading about them. She had already read this book several times but she enjoyed the numerous stories the book held, all the many legends and monsters the gods fought over their extensive lives.

Zoe was snapped back to reality by the stalwart voice of a woman who said, “Can I join you?”

She looked up and was greeted by the Queen of Adrelalind, Arla Green-Tallstag standing over her. Although never having met the woman before, there was no doubt that this was the queen. Despite the fact she was wearing everyday clothing they were of a higher standard than anything she had ever seen before, high-quality silks and golden trim she was of no doubt a higher-class citizen. If all that did not give it away, the armed bodyguard standing behind her gave it away.

"Your... your majesty." Zoe stammered, “Of course, please."

“I do not mean to impose my dear. If you wish to be alone…” she said before stopping at Zoe shaking her head, “I notice there aren’t many children, let alone women. It's nice to not have to talk to men for a change.”

"Yes there is only the two of us at the moment," Zoe said agreeably.

"Indeed. You must be Zoe, as you don't bear the mark of the mage. Her name is Izora. I haven't had the opportunity yet." Arla mused, "How do you like the college?"

"It's really good, there are so many good things to read," Zoe said, the queen smiling at this response, pleased at her answer.

"Good, enjoy that enthusiasm. I wish I could go back to those days."

"Can I ask why you are here?" Zoe asked hoping not to make a queen angry.

“I am sure there are plenty of rumours floating around but for the moment I must keep that information to myself for the safety of my kingdom.” The Queen said.

There was no point in trying to press further, even a six-year-old knew when she was not going to get any more information out of her. Zoe expected that the queen would have to go do something else but when she stayed Zoe and she kept talking for what felt like hours to Zoe but was only a few minutes. At that time they discussed all manner of topics and was mostly the queen asking Zoe questions about her life at the college. After a while, a servant came running out of the college in a panic clearly having been searching for her majesty and only relaxing once she had been located.

"Your majesty. There you are. You had us worried when you did not return."

“I did get distracted didn't I." The queen said.

"We have an appointment waiting."

"We always do, "She said family back to Zoe, "I'm sorry dear it seems I need to go. It has been a pleasure I do hope I will see you again." Queen Arla said politely.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

As the queen left Zoe overheard her whispering to the servant, “She does have a vast amount of potential doesn’t she.”

Zoe kept thinking about the conservation with the queen well into the night, Izora had fallen asleep several hours before. She kept waking several times during the night, unable to turn her brain off, which caused her to wake late the next morning. Izora had already woken and left for the day, leaving Zoe to sleep in. Breakfast was well and truly over for the day when she stumbled down still exhausted from her rough sleep.

Celeste Anglemen, the college’s mathematician appeared in the cafeteria behind her, “You are late for class miss.”

Sheepishly and partially exhausted all she could do was apologise. Celeste brushed her fiery red locks back behind her ear as she listened to Zoe try to explain herself, at first she was not buying any of it but when she said she said going to bed earlier did not work her will to scold her dissipated.

“Get something to eat and go to class.” She ordered, Zoe jumped to it grabbing an apple left on the table for people to take at all hours, as she did she caught a glimpse of a man sitting at a table in the back

Zoe! Are you listening?" Celeste said snapping her back to reality. "Get something to eat and get to class now!" Her tone suddenly became a lot sterner.

"Yes miss." She said grabbing an apple and leaving for class.

Running from the cafeteria, Zoe just made it to class before the lesson started, today's lesson was one that she did not want to miss as it did not happen all too often. Most of her classes were typically one-on-one with the professors. This lesson on the other hand was taking place in the college’s auditorium and had almost thirty other students waiting for it to begin. While it was not all the students currently in the college it was all the nonmagic users sitting in one class. As Zoe sat down, Professor Amelia Dumein, who was one of the college's most powerful witches, was also responsible for designing the magical coursework for new witches joining their ranks. She was wearing a deep red magician robe, the sort of thing she used for the more dangerous lesson she taught.

"So the reason for today, lesson is important. As none of you are natural magic users, you likely would not have encountered the causes of magic. Magic is a vital resource in our world, while on a day-to-day basis you may not encounter it, behind the scenes it is a dominating force.

Magic, to the best of our knowledge first appeared almost three thousand years ago. All records indicate it was given as a reward by the god Skrzak, the god of magic as a reward for the defending of his priest against raiding bandits. Since that day, magic has passed down from parent to child, as years passed we discovered we could increase the strength of the magic in the child by both parents being magic users. Now saying that if you were not born with magic that is not the end of it.

Myself, I was not born with magic. When I was fifteen I went to the temple of Re 'em in Barrowcrest. I prayed to the goddess and was granted magic in exchange for completing a task, that well, you don't need to concern yourself yourself with. Very few people who go down this path will not talk about it." Much of the class sat in stunned silence as Amelia spoke revealing more about herself than she had ever in years.

"Ummm what is the point of this?" Zoe said to herself.

"Every year we have students who want to study magic but have no magical power. What I am getting at is there is a way if you are willing to find a significantly powerful creature to bargain with."

"Creature. So it doesn't have to be a god?" Zoe questioned.

"Well yes, technically, but it is very dangerous and not recommended because the kind of creatures that we are talking about are considered evil in nature," Amelia said.

In the back of the room, a man dressed not like a student but with leather armour and overflowing pockets of glowing vials. He stood as Amelia finished explaining and moved to leave. The entire room turned and watched as he exited the auditorium. Zoe still wasn't sure what was happening but she knew something big was brewing and she was becoming desperate to know before it was too late.

Telling Izora about class that night she let Zoe know that the same man had been visiting other classes during the day, not speaking to anyone really just watching for a time then moving on, “What do you think is going on?” asked Zoe.

“It's got to be something big, I mean the queen of Adrelalind and her entourage, it must be really big,” Izora said

A knock woke the pair the following morning, the two girls groggily groaning at the noise interruption, they were both almost asleep once again when the wrapping on the door came a second time. Begrudgingly Izora got up to the noise opening the door. Starring daggers at the man she just mumbled, “What?!”

“Pardon the intrusion ma' am, but the queen of Adrelatind requests the presence of Miss Zoe." The queen's servant announced.

"She's still asleep, if you can wake her good luck to you." Izora blurted out turning to go back to bed.

A few minutes later Zoe was standing in front of the queen in their makeshift royal court. "Zoe, I am glad you have come." Queen Arla said warmly," I have summoned you so that you may assist me in searching for the information I seek."

"Why me?" Zoe asked.

"Because the scholars here do not believe the information I seek is here but I know it is. I believe with your help it will be found."

"I don't understand."

"I know you don't but you will soon."