Reports From The Elders
POV: Lucien
I was whisked away from the camp almost as soon as I was deemed healthy. I had just enough time to meet with Alexandra and she too insisted that I leave. I had all the worries in the world about leaving her behind. I didn’t like it one bit. The rest of the Queen candidates were evacuated from the site but Alexandra remained behind because of her task. I had requested that the Elders order her to come home just as soon as she found the solution. I got daily reports from each candidate. Today was the fifth day since I left the camp and each day since I was told that her results were failed. I was promised that she would remain far from the quarantine tent but I was still anxious about her being out there. I was pacing my office anxiously awaiting the reports to come in. Malinus knocked on the door and came in carrying a report, “This is a report for Rayla Ligidew, Your Majesty.” I grunted as I stopped my pacing and sat down to read the report. It stated that she wasn’t really taking her tasks seriously and the Elder doubted that she even wanted to win the competition. I knew that she didn’t want to win since she was meeting secretly with Garrett Chalshin at the camp when we were all out there. I was sort of relieved to hear she wasn’t serious because that meant one less competitor for Alexandra. I signed the report acknowledging that I read it and placed my seal. I handed it to Malinus and I got back up from my chair and began to pace again. He left the room to have the report acknowledgment delivered to the Elders who were observing her.
I stopped to look out the window towards Blackwood, I could just see the roof of the manor from the top of the trees. I had wondered what the rest of her family was doing and suppressed the urge to take my passage to Blackwood to visit. I thought to myself that I was having these thoughts because I thought I could take solace in being where her loved ones were. Malinus knocked on the door again and brought in another report, “This is the report from the Elders monitoring Melody.” I rolled my eyes and sighed, “No sign of the report from Doc?” He shook his head, “No, Your Majesty. He’s probably busy with his rounds. I know you are anxious, Your Majesty but we need to be patient.” I sighed and sat down to read the report for Melody. She had her elders changed out since the two that were observing her were biased toward her. Since then, the reports coming back for her were not entirely positive. The new elders poured through her old reports and asked for testimony from the residents at the Glades. Many of the reviews for her weren’t entirely glowing, many of them commented on how her supposed kindness didn’t seem genuine and that she was there only because she had to be. In an effort to make it fair towards her, the Council determined that we would gather the same testimonials for each candidate. Melody’s tasks were to write mock letters to Queen of Seely to temper tensions between us and Seely. She was given a similar scenario that my grandmother faced during the war. She was able to secure a way for an envoy to come into Seely to have peace talks. My grandmother was ultimately responsible for helping to end the war alongside Darren Batiste. No one was able to see what she wrote to convince the Queen to allow such an envoy so it would be interesting to see what Melody wrote. The Elder reported that he didn’t think she had the magic touch that would have ended the war if she had been Queen. He reports that she was cordial and she tried to be diplomatic but the tone in her letter would not have suited the Queen of Seely. She could not adapt to the ways and customs of the Seely. I signed the report to acknowledge that I had read the report and placed my seal on it just like the last one. Malinus took the acknowledgment so it could be sent off to the Elders that were observing her.
I went back to the window to stare out at Blackwood silently praying for the day that she would be safely tucked away in there. It was bad enough that we had to postpone the masquerade ball because of the disaster and now the disease. I now had to worry about whether this disease could spread through Vellum. We took every care to keep the ones infected away from the healthy but who knew if we had caught the issue in time. I had commanded that anyone leaving the Glades should be tested before leaving so that way we knew if it would spread. So far no one leaving the Glades was infected but that could very well change. Another knock on the door sounded in the room and I turned to see Malinus carry in the report that I had been waiting for, “This is a report from Doc in the Glades about Alexandra Batiste.” I sat down at my desk, ready to read the report about the one I was truly interested in. He placed the report in front of me and as usual, I read it out loud so that Malinus could know what his cousin was up to.
“Greetings Your Majesty,
I am writing yet again to report on the activities of Her Grace, Alexandra Batiste. Her day started out like normal, she gathered her supplies and brought them out to the middle of the field where Apollo had earmarked for her to go. She went through the ritual that brought forth what they called Tears Of the Sun. She was able to fill this cauldron this time. She was gracious enough to show me how to make the potion. Of course, I could never replicate what she does since I do not have the powers of the Sun God. Nevertheless, it was a good thing that I was able to observe her. I am becoming more and more convinced that Her Grace should be in the medical field. Her precision and care in getting the potion ready was truly a marvel to behold. This prototype potion was administered while I was out of the room but I was able to observe that this potion completely healed the General. We decided to test another vial on a second patient, Countess Kastilidan, and I am pleased to say that the potion was effective on two patients. Her Grace has made enough potion to heal those in the quarantine tent, assuming that the potion is effective on an infected person. Mordred will take a few vials to the tent to test them out later. With that being said, Her Grace will be sent home after a negative test for the disease. I shall send her home tomorrow morning. She insisted that she bottle up the rest of the potion for my use minus one for a friend of hers. She has also graciously agreed to produce one more batch for me in a week’s time from the comfort of Blackwood of course. Whisperia le Fey has agreed to deliver the next batch when it comes available. Please pass on my sincerest thanks to the Elders for lending her to me in our time of need. She has been instrumental in helping out here in the time she has been here.”
I signed the acknowledgment and placed my seal upon the page. I handed it to Malinus who hung around, “Do you think we should inform her parents that she will be home tomorrow? Also, should we send home Derek and Jess along with her?” I nodded, “They are her personal guards so they must go where she goes.” He nodded, “Yes, Your Majesty. I will send the order to the General so he can have Doc set up a test for those two as well. I pray that the three of them come home happy, safe, and healthy.” I got up from my seat, “I hope that they do too.” Malinus left the room to send word to the General to order the tests and give Derek and Jess official orders to accompany Alexandra home. A short time later, Malinus came back into the room, “It is done, Your Majesty.” I looked away from my window and nodded at him, “Good, I am glad. All that is left is informing House Batiste of the return of their daughter.” He sighed, “Should I then send a courier to Blackwood?” I shook my head, “No need, I have a better way to send word to them.” Malinus looked confused, “Oh what is this better way of informing them?” I walked up to my chair and pulled my coat on, “It is simple, I shall deliver this news myself.” He followed behind me, “By carriage?” I shook my head, “Nope, I shall take the passage. There is something I wish to speak with Reginald about and I don’t want anyone to know that I have visited.”
