"Do you ever wonder if the stars are bored, Luna?" Eliana mused aloud as she sat cross-legged in the lush garden, her morning shadow long and lazy across the dew-speckled grass. Above her, the cerulean sky painted a serene canvas of pastel dawn.
Luna, her mystical nine-tailed shewolf, lounged beside her, yawning widely enough to showcase a formidable set of canines.
"I mean, stuck up there, night after night, watching over us. It must get monotonous."
Luna tilted her head, her 4 tails swishing softly, stirring the morning air. Her golden eyes, wise beyond any beast's understanding, seemed to twinkle with a silent, knowing laughter.
"Right, because you have such a taxing life, what with all your lounging and butterfly-chasing," Eliana chuckled, scratching behind Luna's ears. "I wonder when you'll get all 9 of your tails? your fangs have certainly grown - you're no longer a pup!" she hugged the giant white fluff.
The tranquility of the moment was soon interrupted by the crisp, authoritarian voice of Mistress Haelen, Eliana's celestial tutor.
"Eliana Althea! Are you idly chatting with Luna again? Come, we have much to review before tomorrow's ceremony." Mistress Haelen stood at the edge of the garden, her silhouette stern against the soft morning light.
Eliana sighed and stood up, brushing the grass off her robes. As she followed Mistress Haelen back to the house, she cast a longing look over her shoulder at the peaceful garden, her sanctuary from the duties of her life.
The study room, filled with scrolls and celestial charts, was stifling after the fresh garden air. Eliana's role as a candidate for the celestial maiden involved mastering the arts of star interpretation and dream analysis—a prestigious path that felt more like a gilded cage.
"Your focus wanes, child," Mistress Haelen chided as she caught Eliana's gaze wandering outside once more.
"I was just wondering if the stars might enjoy a little mischief instead of always aligning in perfect order," Eliana replied, her voice laced with a mix of jest and wistfulness.
"This is no subject for levity, Eliana. The celestial order governs all. It is our duty to interpret and respect, not question," Mistress Haelen responded, her tone as rigid as the scrolls before them.
Mistress Haelen laid out a complex diagram of celestial alignments from centuries past. "Here," she pointed at a conjunction of planets, "What does this alignment tell us about the events of that year in the Northern Kingdoms?"
Eliana leaned over the chart, her mind flickering through the historical texts she had read. "It was a time of great turmoil and change. The stars suggest a shift in power, which coincides with the fall of the Corin dynasty, doesn't it?"
"Exactly," said Mistress Haelen, her expression softening slightly. "You see, understanding these patterns gives us insights not just into the heavens but into human affairs. Your role as a celestial maiden is crucial."
"But here," Eliana points out a lone star brightly beaconing. "Here is a bright lone star placed at the intersection of Deu's way, which indicates the shift in power leads to a righteous path."
"My word, indeed you are a bright pupil" Her tutor enthused. "Not even the scholars of that time discovered such a small star - but you dear have a keen eye for small details. Such talent is important for a celestial maiden."
As the lesson dragged on, the room felt increasingly suffocating. Eliana's thoughts drifted to the world outside and what her life could be had they never discovered her gift.
When the lesson finally ended, Eliana excused herself, claiming a need for fresh air but before she could escape the sound of footsteps announced the arrival of Eliana's parents. Her mother, Marissa, appeared first, her celestial robes rustling with importance, her face bright with pride.
"Eliana, your father and I have just been discussing the upcoming celestial procession ceremony. It's a pivotal moment for our family. Our ancestors would be so proud," she said, her voice filled with excitement.
Her father, Lord Althea, carried the quiet dignity of a man who descended from a great queen few generations back.
"Yes, especially to have a daughter continue the line of celestial maidens. Your grandmother would have been delighted," added Lord Althea, joining his wife at the doorway, his voice carrying the weight of generations.
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"To spend a lifetime interpreting the dreams of others and never chasing one's own, is that truly something to be proud of?" Eliana asked, the words slipping out before she could temper them with respect.
Before her parents could reply, a servant hurried in, a letter in hand.
"Is it from Adrian?" She beamed. Captain Adrian Althea, her brother, was currently on a voyage. She eagerly broke the seal and read aloud, her voice brightening with each sentence. Letters from Adrian were Eliana's only escape from her prescribed world, each word a breath of fresh air.
Adrian spoke of distant lands and untamed seas, of nights spent under stars that told stories of adventure rather than duty. He reminisced about his childhood friends, Caelum and Cadmon, both of whom had set off on their own paths, far from the reach of celestial charts.
"Do you remember when they would sneak into our lessons? Always planning some escapade or another," Adrian wrote, his words painting images of a freer time.
"Father look! Adrian must've seen Caelum and Cadmon on his voyage."
"How delightful, he must've passed the border - what adventure eh? " Lord Althea mused, playful spirits seeping through his dignified facade seeing his daughter beamed with delight.
"Wouldn't be grand if we go to the border as well Father?" Eliana with eyes sparkling urged conspiratorially.
"Well it has been quite some time before we went outside the capital. It would be good to go back to the main house to visit our seat" Lord Althea started to plan.
Her mother cleared her throat "My dear have you forgotten already? Your daughter is of age she is no longer a child. She cannot miss the celestial procession this year as well."
"Of course! How could I forget, we were discussing the very matter just a few moments ago" Lord Althea laughed at his silly thoughts.
"My dear we must also start preparing her ceremonial carriage and prepare servants to escort her" her mother recalled.
"I also have prepared the scrolls needed for her procession.." the tutor added
"We must double check all the preparations for the conferment ceremony tomorrow" her mother remembered.
"Not to mention the robes we must wear as host - " Her father added "It must be dignified but not outranking the royals delivering the conferement."
"Who will be delivering the conferement to our house my dear?" Her mother asked.
"It's..." Her father trailed off, "I believe I do not have a clue on who"
"How can you not know it is a matter of great importance what if it's the crown prince we must serve his tea according to his preferences."
"I have to ask the Councilor Asumac!" His father began to plan
"I believe it is Councilor Orcelor presiding the conferment this year" her tutor added, and all three fell into planning and preparation mode each diving to deeper details and longer list of things to prepare for the upcoming ceremonies.
Eliana found a moment and escaped to the library, a vast room lined with towering shelves filled with dusty tomes and forgotten stories. Here, under the guise of studying, she often imagined herself in the places Adrian had written about.
As she wandered between the rows, her hand brushed against a particularly old book tucked away in a less frequented corner. The leather was worn, the title faded. Curious, she pulled it out and blew off a thick layer of dust. The pages were blank.
"Why would grandmother keep a blank book?" she wondered aloud.
Lost in thought, she meandered back to the garden, book in hand. Flipping through the pages revealed it was an ancient book scripted with ancient text and blank spaces. Luna trailing behind her as she circled the garden lawn. Her mother found her there, her brow furrowed in concern.
"There you are darling! I've been searching for you everywhere you were with us in the study not a long ago." Her mother chided
"Mother look, I found something in the library." Eliana showed her the battered old book.
"That old thing? It belonged to your grandmother," Marissa explained with a dismissive wave as they walked back towards the house. "But it's empty and it has been handed down to the first female descendants before the time of Corin dynasty"
"Why have never shown it to me?" Eliana asked.
"My darling this book is of no great consequence, when my mother gave it to me she did not know what it was for. It was an empty book with scripts that cannot be interpreted. I even took it with me during my celestial maiden selection and not a single sage was able to help me understand it."
"Even father's connection does not know?"
"There was on scholar who found interest in the book and had let him borrow it, but alas when he returned it - he only spoke of missing cards and wanted us to show him where it is hidden."
"And?" Eliana asked her eyes begging for the continuation of the story.
"And, well we don't know where such cards are my darling. It is only an old book with odd scriptures. Now, come along we must do a rehearsal of reception of your conferment ceremony."
After a long day of rehearsal, etiquette review and bowing. Eliana finally made it to her room, surrounded by the opulence befitting a celestial maiden, Eliana felt trapped. The ceremonial robes hung on the wardrobe—a symbol of the path chosen for her, not by her. The book lay on her bed, an enigma wrapped in leather.
Eliana thumbed through the blank pages of the book once more. She whispered to the book, half in jest, "If only you could tell me a story to take me away from here."
At that moment, a spark of static jumped from her fingertips to the book. The pages fluttered open to reveal a hidden compartment that held a small, glowing key.
Her heart raced with excitement and fear. This key, imbued with a strange light, felt like a direct challenge to the destiny her family had so carefully laid out for her. It was a promise of something more—something hers.
With the key clenched tightly in her hand, Eliana made a decision. Tomorrow at dawn, she would find out what doors this key could open. Tomorrow, her real journey would begin.