AO 5 Ch 43

Chapter 43

"Eva had a sly smile on her face as she placed the book on the table between us. "Well, you only get to understand what's in the book if you accept it as a courting gift," she teased me. 

I pursed my lips and squinted at the book. "Regardless of what's in there, I'm going to accept it. I hope you know that, Eva. The gift is merely a formality." 

She smiled back. "Of course, I wouldn't have it any other way. Well, that's not true. I have grown up my entire life expecting to give a courting gift to a political ally of my mother's or perhaps a political enemy to make an ally. The last thing I ever expected was to give this book as a courting gift to someone I respect and quite possibly might love." 

"Might love?" I put a hand on my chest, aghast at her words. 

"Yes, Ard. Might love. I certainly have strong feelings towards you. You are incredibly charming, while at the same time incredibly infuriating, and somehow that swirls together to hold my attention like nothing else." 

I flashed a smile, nodding along. That certainly had to be the most interesting compliment I'd gotten lately. But it was absolutely a compliment by the way she said it. 

"Well then, if you are so smitten with me, then I'm certainly not against any of this. So why don't we see what's in the book? I would accept your courting gift if you offered it to me." 

She rolled her eyes playfully, but slid the book across the table. “Would you, Arden Aldis, accept my courting gift?”

“Absolutely.” I couldn't help myself. I snatched it up like she was going to pull it away if I didn't hurry. Flipping open the book to see what lay on the first page, only for my jaw to drop, and I flipped through all of the pages. 

"It's empty?" I gasped, a little impressed at the trickery, but also disappointed.

She had a giant grin on her face as I closed it and leaned back enjoying herself.

"You tricky little... I don't even know. It's empty." I fanned through the pages one last time, again, to double check. "I can't believe you gave me an empty book. Emlyn and Maribelle both said they saw you were writing in it." 

Eva's smile just continued to grow wider and wider as I went through my revelation. "Ard, that book is full of so much information."

I squinted at her. 

"However, sometimes when you're writing messages of great import, the best way to keep them hidden is using special ink." Eva continued to smile. "In this instance, I would recommend that you use a small bit of light magic at the tip of your finger, enough to put out a little heat while also letting you see." 

I stared at her, but did as she said, hovering my finger over the page, illuminating it with a small trickle of life magic while keeping my fingers close.

"You could use a small candle, but then you risk burning the pages. As a mage or an anchor, this way is easier." Eva explained to me.

I shifted my attention to the pages as the ink slowly bled across the page below where my finger hovered. I gasped, but I couldn't tear my eyes from it as it went from a completely blank page to words melting onto it. 

"Ghost ink," I tried to keep the excited squeal from my voice. 

"I don't think I've ever heard it called that," Eva frowned. 

I glanced up at her before my eyes were drawn directly back to the book. "It's secret spy ink," I said. "How have you never heard of ghost ink?" 

"I'm almost convinced that's something you've made up," Eva chuckled. "But yes, it is invisible ink that with a touch of heat regains its color. You have to understand, Ard, there is some rather important information in the book." 

I flipped to the first page to find the secrets immediately.

The first page had an index of sorts. The whole book was quickly broken into two categories. The first had my already shocked mind nearly melting out of my ears. The title of the first section read, "The Exploits of Harry Zenov-Aldis." There were three subsections beneath that one. 

"You have asked about your father. Well you already knew that he was a spy. There are a few stories that I've heard in my teachings growing up. These were three that I think I could do some justice. If you go back to Zenovia, I'm sure some of the history teachers could tell you far more." 

She leaned across the table to tap on the book, and I snatched her hand up, squeezing it tightly, tears threatening to escape my eyes. "Thank you, Eva. Thank you so much. This is beyond perfect." 

"You're welcome." She gave me a soft smile and squeezed my hand back. "As for the second section, it's not quite as heavy hitting, but I figured you would enjoy it almost as much. There's also a recipe for the ink in there even." 

I peeled my eyes away from the three stories of my father, only to see "Zenovian Spycraft" as the second major topic with subtopics like spy ciphers and how to recognize them, general spy-craft tips, and communication methodologies. The second section of the book was by far the largest with over a dozen subsections. My eyes grew into giant white saucers. 

"You're giving me your spy secrets?" I was so excited I was having trouble not digging into all the information right then and there.

"Well," she squeezed my hand, "if you're courting a princess of Zenovia, I think it's fair to say you deserve some of that information, not to mention your own qualifications. However, do be careful if you do come back to Zenovia with me. Maybe we should keep it a little quiet that I gave you these," she smiled tightly. 

I snatched the book up and held it against my chest. Someone would have to fight me to ever get this book away. "Do you think I would dishonor spycraft by making it obvious or sharing this with anyone? Absolutely not. Eva, this is an incredible gift." 

The smile that she had in return for those words was blindingly brilliant. "I'm glad you enjoy it, Ard. After all, it was my hope to make something perfect for you." 

I nodded along, flipping through the pages of the book and using the touch of light magic to warm the page and scan each one. I couldn’t possibly read it all right then and there, but I was so curious I could not stop from flipping through. 

"Ard," Eva said after a moment. "What about the date?" 

"Yeah, what?" I glanced up from the book distractedly before my eyes snapped back to it. "Yeah, yeah, the date." 

Eva cleared her throat. "Ard." 

Emlyn came by with a bottle of wine to fill her glasses. "If my guess is correct, you just gave Ard a gift that's almost too good based on the fact that he's ignoring you for it." Emlyn's voice was a subtle jab that made me glance up at her.

"If that's you fishing for information, Emlyn, you don't get to know what's in the book." I snapped it closed and then squinted at both of them. "Or is that what you wanted me to do?" 

"I don't know, Ard. Now that you have what you need to become a master spy, can you even be manipulated?" Emlyn smirked. 

And I squinted back at her.

"How about I take this for safekeeping?" She tugged on the book and my hand clenched down on it like an iron vice. Emlyn pulled a little harder and Eva distracted me for just a moment with a hand on mine for Emlyn to pull it away. 

"Don't worry, Ard. I'll give it back," Emlyn said before I could get up. "How about you enjoy the wine with Eva?" She winked at my dinner guest. "We have everything prepared for you tonight." 

"Emlyn." Eva's tone didn't match her words as she smiled at Emlyn. "Then I'm in your hands." Something passed between the two of them.

Emlyn gave her a sharp nod before walking off, leaving us with filled glasses of wine and a bottle should we inevitably drain them. 

"I can't thank you enough for that book. Not just the spy stuff, but the stories of my father. I will treasure them." I told Eva.

"I hope you treasure me at least half as much," Eva chuckled. 

"Oh, of course, of course," I nodded, not sure what to say. 

Eva let out a little giggle. “I know you have searched for information on your father all your life, Ard. I understand that it might capture your attention. But I’m hoping I might draw your attention a bit more at present.” She leaned forward, her chest pushed forward at the same time.

And just like that, the book vanished from my mind and I was pulled back to dinner.

Eva smiled at having my attention. She raised her glass. “To getting to know you better, Ard. To finding the depths of our relationship." 

I held up my glass and clinked it to hers.

She had a wry smile as she gave me bedroom eyes over the lips of her wine glass while taking a sip. 

"I think there are certain depths that we could explore tonight. After all, now that we're courting, certain things are fair game. And I think discovering our compatibility in that arena is almost as important as making sure we think alike." Eva continued.

I hummed in agreement with her and nodded along. It wasn't as if I was particularly needing that sort of attention. However, I had to admit, working together in the bedroom seemed to make everything else a healthier whole.

"Well, that's for later," I said. "Right now, I would love nothing more than to stare at your beautiful visage while you regale me with stories of your childhood and perhaps your dreams for the future. Are you prepping me to help you take over Zenovia? Or am I perhaps just to be a ravishingly handsome mantelpiece for the next Queen of Zenovia? Or perhaps Grand Duke?" I threw out a handful of options.

Eva laughed and waved her hands. "Childhood stories can come in a minute. I," she hesitated, "I haven't particularly pursued the throne. Though, I admit that having you even as my courting partner will shift the dynamics and the competition to the throne considerably. Not only because I have a tie to it, but you do as well. And we are an acceptable pairing of the larger Zenov royal family. The second our courting becomes known in the royal court, there will be people who are already trying to place us on the throne simply by the fact of you having four spheres."

"Us on the throne? It's kind of a tight fit, isn't it?" I joked, taking another sip of wine. 

She shrugged. "Perhaps different thrones. Because not only would you be a noble in Zenovia, but one in Avente as well," she pointed out. "Now, these aren't my ambitions, Ard, but this is the political situation that we find ourselves in. I can't tell you how many nobles, not to mention the royal family, would look at you and salivate as if you were the key to reunifying the old Zenovia kingdom." 

I opened my mouth to argue that before snapping it shut. What she said made absolute perfect sense. “I don’t want old men salivating after me though.” My nerves showed themselves.

"But that's for another day, another time." She waved her hand, dismissing my joke. "I don't think you're the kind of person to make a decision based on that. Instead, you, Ard, are in so many ways incredible. You'd likely follow your heart and let everything else figure itself out in the wake of your decisions." 

I pursed my lips. "The sound of that is significantly more interesting than trying to plan my way forward for the reunification of Zenovia. That is a concept I hadn't particularly thought much about."

There was a pause in the conversation that she quickly filled. "Well, if we're going to go to childhood stories next, there are certainly a few times in my childhood I'd heard my old teachers musing about it as a potential future, talking about the grand days when Zenovia spanned the three kingdoms of Garrish, Avente, and what is left of Zenovia. Old men who wished for heydays." She rolled her eyes. 

I nodded along, sipping my wine. "What kind of student were you?" 

"A good student, if innocent," she said. "If I was told to do the task, I did the task, and I did it quite well. As a princess in the royal court, there is every incentive in the world to stand out and be the picture of perfection. There are a few princes that end up being rebellious, but very few rebellious princesses. After all, with the queen on the throne, everyone looks at each princess as if she could be the next queen and the expectations are even higher. Meanwhile, the boys run around and get muddy and blow things up within their first week of learning they have the fox sphere.”

“What about you? What disaster did you create on your first use of magic?”

“The raven's sphere has always been my preference. It's heralded, at least amongst Zenovian royalty, as the most powerful sphere." 

I nodded along with her. "Light and dark magic are incredibly useful. Even if I don't have a penchant for them."

"You will," Eva said, sounding incredibly sure. "It's often considered the hardest to master, but in terms of utilization, it is absolutely the most flexible. So from a young age, even though I also have the wolf's sphere, I pretty much exclusively trained the raven's sphere, becoming a master with my dark magic. I only spent a year to reach my first adept spell."

"Only a year," I said, gasping and leaning forward. "That's incredible. I'm not likely to be so incredible."

"Oh, hush. You're going to destroy every record that exists. By the time a year has passed, you're going to have your eye on some new spell,” she gestured at me, “especially considering that you've already mastered your first adept spell. Then, you're likely to have finished another adept spell, not to mention all of the crazy things you're discovering with soul magic. It's turning out far more different than even what I know about soul magic.”

While I might have gotten the lessons of Zenovian royalty, your description of your Soulgard with the bluesteel embedded in the walls is both more vivid than I think even those who would consider themselves masters in the art, and also wholly unique. Based on the results, I would hazard a guess that you will be teaching me here shortly.” Eva sighed heavily after angrily complimenting me repeatedly in a single breath.

"Well, if you want a lesson in soul magic, I'm happy to teach you, or rather show you what I bumbled about and discovered. But you're veering off course. You told me what kind of student you were. Anything embarrassing?" I prodded.

She waved her hand. "Nothing. As a Zenovian princess, would I ever embarrass myself?" 

"Right, right, princesses don't do anything embarrassing. Siblings? You talk about the queen as if she's family, but you're distant, and I don't fully understand." I admitted.

Eva nodded. "It's all a branching structure. The queen herself has six men that spend time in her bed and have been attributed to several of the heirs. I come from an anchor of hers that is not bonded. He is my grandfather." 

I blinked and nodded along, reminding myself just how long some of the mages lived. "Got it. And my father?”

“His line goes up such that it would be..." She squinted, doing the math. "Eight degrees of separation?" 

"Very distant," I said.

Eva nodded along. "In terms of the royal family, incredibly distant, though the royal family spans quite the number at present. Intermixing with the noble lines over and over the royals have been trying to create another four sphere. Many of them will be..." Eva pursed her lips, trying to search for the word. 

"Surprised," she said, sounding political. "That Harry Zenov managed to make the first four-sphere mage by going to Avente, I can only imagine that will increase the call to reunite the three kingdoms into Zenovia's former glory." 

I sipped my wine and looked off into the distance. The sunset over the arid lands of Garrish was picturesque atop this cliff. "Well, that's a talk for another day. What about tonight?" 

She followed my gaze to the sunset. "Tonight's beautiful. It is wonderful. And I couldn't think of someone better to be here with." She looked at me through her lashes with the kind of smiles that went straight down into tightening my pants. 

"Eva..." Maribelle broke the moment walking up to the table with two steaming plates. "It isn't a dish fit for two royals, but what we can do with what we can scrounge around here." 

The plate was a bed of vegetables and rice, all coated with a thick, creamy sauce, and then a small tower of meat in the center. Everything was dusted with a fine sprinkle of herbs. I took up a fork and took a first bite before groaning into the flavor that filled my mouth. 

"Regardless, Maribelle, as always you've made something incredible." I told the maid.

Maribelle curtsied, lifting her skirt.

Eva gave a small moan, drawing my eyes to her. Her eyes were crinkled in pleasure, her shoulders back making her neck look extra slim and pushing up the depth of her cleavage. The dress she was wearing did a very good job at pushing her chest up too, it seemed as if she had far more than usual. 

"I think I'm going to enjoy this meal far more than I expected," I said, staring back into Eva's eyes as she opened them back up. Her smile grew wider. "I think tonight will be an absolute delight." 

She pursed her lips like she was smothering a smile, though it snuck out of the very corners as she kept her eyes locked with mine and she dug into the dish.