Spirit Speaker

"Is everything okay, Lukas? You look a little ill." The king handed a glass of wine to me. 

I refused it. "Sorry, sire, I'm a little worried about the princess. She overexerted herself tonight, and is passed out in her room."

"Overexerted?"

I explained what happened, and the king smiled widely. "That's my girl."

"It was impressive sire, I didn't teach her any of that. She's a quick study."

"Books, Lukas. That's the power of books."

I nodded. 

A messenger appeared. 

"Forgive me, sire. Master Lukas? The queen is calling for you, the princess is awake."

I smiled. "Thank you. Sire? Would you like to join me?"

The king nodded. "I need to congratulate my daughter anyway."

The two of us followed the servant to the Royal Quarters, where the king and his family resided. I stopped outside the princess's door. 

The servant knocked. 

"Ma'am? I've brought His Majesty and Master Lukas."

He bowed and left. 

The king opened the door and stepped inside. 

I followed. 

Anna lay in her bed, her face pale, sweat beaded on her forehead. Her hair was damp and dull, her lips blue, her eyes dark and bruised. 

Magic exhaustion. Really bad exhaustion. 

I stepped forward. "Highness, may I?" I asked, reaching for her hand. 

"Master…" Anna whispered. She gripped my hand weakly. 

"Hush, Anna," I said. "This is going to feel a little strange. Don't fight it."

I leaned over her, and looked into her eyes, past her iris, behind her pupil. 

Her weave was dull and pulsed weakly. 

I focused. "Majesty, if you wouldn't mind," I said, holding my other hand out. I didn't look away from Anna. "Will you take my hand?"

The queen took it. "What now?"

"I want you to think happy thoughts. Good things about the princess. Things that only you know. Special, treasured moments."

I felt a rush of energy flow from the queen, through me, and into the princess. 

Her weave began to shine, and pulse. 

Once the pulse was steady as a heartbeat, I let go of the queen's hand and pulled back from the princess. 

"Feel strong enough to sit up?" I asked. 

The princess nodded. Colour had returned to her cheeks. Her lips were no longer blue, her teeth no longer chattering. 

I helped her up, gently, my hand on her back. 

Her clothes were slick with sweat. 

She sat up, though it wasn't easy. 

"Give it a few minutes, have something to eat." I let go of her hand.

"Now, I'll leave you to get dressed, Highness." I said. "And then you really should make an appearance downstairs. It's bad form to miss your own party. Miss Rita will have a fit."

The princess laughed. "Thank you, Lukas." Her voice was tired, but light, healthy. 

I smiled. "You're welcome, my lady."

I left the room.

*

It was a good party, all things considered. News of the princess's actions earlier that evening had spread like wildfire throughout the assembled guests, and she quickly became the main topic of conversation. 

The Weaver stood beside me, sipping on something alcoholic. 

"I didn't know you could eat?" I said, watching the crowds. There were quite a few odd glances at us. True believers then. 

Old Quarren, the Royal Chaplain, seemed to be having a particularly difficult time. 

The goddess shrugged. "If I want to. There's very few things I can't do, Lukas."

"I'm sure." I watched as she blew a kiss at the Royal Chaplain, who coughed up his drink. 

She chuckled. "See? That's how you're supposed to react when you see me, Lukas. You're no fun."

"Would you like me to fall over in religious fervour whenever you're around?" I asked, finishing my question with her name. 

"You know, on second thought, that might be a little too much. I'm happy with your heart."

I grinned. "And you have it completely, ma'am. Though it's impolite to mention it. I could very well lose my position at the Academy because of you."

"Presenting Lady Anna, the Royal Heir to The Kingdom of Arantha!" The herald announced, and the whole crowd turned to watch as the Princess walked in. She was well dressed, but not overly so, and she was the focal point of every single person in the room.

A nervous hush filled the room, and every eye was on her. 

Her antics had put the nobles on their toes. 

Several of them swallowed nervously as she passed, heading towards the table at the end of the hall, where the king and queen waited. 

The music started back up. 

The hum of conversation slowly returned, louder and louder. 

"She certainly knows how to make an entrance." The Weaver murmured. "Why are the nobles so afraid of her?"

"She reinforced her position as the Royal Princess earlier this evening, and many of the nobles are reevaluating their opinions of her. They're bound to be a little nervous."

"What happened?"

"She absolutely terrified a group of young nobles by demonstrating what she's been learning this year." I said, proudly. 

The princess looked over at us. The Weaver waved, and I saw the princess's face brighten with excitement. 

She left the table at the far end of the room and practically dashed over to me. 

"Princess," I said, bowing. "Happy birthday."

"Yes, Anna, happy birthday." The Weaver smiled. 

Anna curtsied. "Thank you, ma'am. I'm so glad you managed to make it."

"You went to such lengths to invite me, Anna, how could I possibly refuse?"

I watched the crowd and saw a few troubled looks. Old Quarren was staring wide-eyed at the princess. 

The king and queen shared equally troubled looks. 

"Though I appear to be causing quite the stir at your gathering." The Weaver remarked. 

"Ignore them, ma'am, I didn't want any of this to begin with." Anna waved them away. 

The Weaver smiled. "I have a gift for you, princess, and then I must go."

Disappointment flashed across the princess's face before being replaced with a calm, serene smile. 

A mask. 

"You've given me enough, ma'am," Anna said and lifted the rubied silver spider from her chest. 

"It's tradition, isn't it? To give gifts at a birthday celebration?" The Weaver pulled a small box from behind her. "Open it when you're away from all these people." 

And with those words, she disappeared. 

"See you soon, my friend." The goddess whispered in my mind. 

I smiled. 

"Well, princess," I said, drawing my own gift from my pockets. "I'm sure it's nothing compared to what the Weaver has given you, but I hope you like it."

Anna put the goddess's gift in her pocket and took the small black box from me. 

"Can I open it?"

I nodded. "Please, highness."

She lifted the lid on the box and gasped. 

Inside was a perfect miniature golden dragon statue. 

"It's beautiful." The princess said, taking it out gently from the box. 

"Hold it on your palm, highness, and focus on it."

The princess looked at me for a moment and then did so. 

The dragon shook gently and then began to move, spreading its wings, and fluttering around her. 

"The spirit in there is an especially gentle one, highness," I explained as the dragon landed on her shoulder and rubbed itself up against her. "As long as you show it kindness, it will never leave you."

The princess held her palm out, and the dragon stepped onto it. It walked to her wrist, retracted its wings and claws into itself, and wrapped itself around the princess's wrist like a golden bracelet. 

"I…don't know what to say." The princess whispered, holding her wrist up, looking at the dragon in wonder. 

"Don't say anything, Anna," I said. "Go, show your parents. Also, maybe say something to Quarren, he looks like he's about to keel over."

The princess looked at the old priest, who stood at the door, his face pale. 

She giggled. "Okay. I'll catch up with you later?"

I bowed. "As you wish Highness, tomorrow if at all possible, you don't want to spend your birthday with an old man like me."

The princess glowered at me for a second. "Who should I spend it with, then?"

I pointed at a group of girls, who were smiling and laughing. "Them." 

I recognised the girls. They were Anna's closest friends in my previous life. They valiantly stood by her side, drumming up support for the war effort, and recruiting soldiers to the cause. 

They were assassinated one by one until the Princess was all that was left. 

That was one of the hardest tragedies in her life, and she had felt miserably alone for a long time afterwards. 

Not this time, highness. 

"Them? I don't even know them." 

"Well, let's fix that shall we?" I said, linking my arm with hers, and dragging her across the floor to where the group of young women were standing. 

"Forgive me, ladies," I said, interrupting them. "The princess is a little shy, but would like to join your circle."

"I'm going to drown you." The princess hissed, softly, so that only I could hear it. 

"Princess! Of course! We were just talking about the ballroom, it's magnificent!."

"Have you never been here?" The princess asked, letting go of my arm, her etiquette training taking over, stepping into the circle of girls. 

"We're all from lower houses, highness, from other kingdoms, this is the first time we've been in Arantha."

"Can you show us the gardens?" Another girl asked. "I've heard they're beautiful."

Anna looked at me for a second. I nodded encouragingly, "Well, I'll leave her highness in your care."

I withdrew. 

Quarren was waiting for me in the corridor. 

"Master Mage, a moment!" He said, raising an arm. "I must speak with you!"

I sighed. "Yes, Chaplain?" I asked, stopping in front of him. 

"Don't yes me, Lukas. Was that who I think it was?"

I shrugged. "Depends, who do you think it was?"

The Chaplain shook his head. "Your evasion does you little credit, mage. I thought your kind had nothing to do with gods."

I shrugged again. "You're right, Chaplain, I want nothing to do with the gods, I'm not interested in them at all. I'm interested in the glorious, wonderful, kind, warm, impatient, brash and violent woman that you call the Weaver."

"Blasphemy." The Royal Chaplain said, stepping back, his face shocked. 

"Is it, Quarren?" I asked. "Tell me, what is worse? Worshipping and loving an idea? Or worshipping and loving a real, tangible, personal being with desires and feelings?"

I put my hand on his shoulder and looked him in the eyes. He looked troubled. 

"Quarren, you priests spend too much time learning about your gods, and not enough time getting to know them."

I let him go and walked to my room. 

"Think on that, Chaplain." I said over my shoulder as I walked away.