In the hall of kings there was a room of ceremonies. And in this room was a raised floor with a backdrop of red tapestries embroidered with gold threads. Light filtered through the windows that lined the upper half of the room, and glinted off the red velvet in hazy softness.

  A man swirled onto the stage in his robes of sunset yellow. With dramatic flair he produced a stick. He waved it around and little sparks of light danced in time with his movements. He danced off the stage to the applause of the small audience, as a small cloud of sparks shimmered behind him.

  He was followed by a small woman with huge round glasses. Her show was less enchanting than the rest, but was more useful to Cecil. She showed off the little rock that held some of the basic runes of engraving. And when she traced it with her finger successfully, it moved onto the second one, then the third.

  He couldn’t wait to get his hands on one. Every year some student engravers applied to attain master status, and they all had to make a piece for the king and queen. And every year, the royal children would sometimes have access to them. His favorite from last year had been a glowing orb that changed to the color of whatever last touched it. He had gotten gloves of every color just to play with it. And the engraving was right on the glass where anyone could see. Unfortunately, the light was bright enough that seeing the glyphs were impossible. Still, he had held it for hours, feeling the etched words of power on its surface as it shone in various tones of pale skin.

  He wanted to know how these people did impossible things. Then he wanted to do the impossible.

  As the third and last candidate walked to the stage, he took things differently. The smiling man in red led the audience, which consisted of a committee of teachers and the royal family, into a room on the second floor of the library.

  Cecil watched in rapt wonder as they walked up the grand staircase. Each floor above was warded against entry, but today an exception was made. They passed a hallway of locked doors with forbidden secrets. Towards the end, the man finally led them through a door. Inside there was a table with its sides covered with panels which hid the engravings required to accomplish the map in the middle. Above it, small clouds floated serenely, some of them heavy with rain.

  “This is a map of our country that has the current weather indicated on its surface.”

  “Very useful!”

  The king said with a calculating gleam in his eye.

  Cecil clapped with the rest of the audience as the king and queen gave a bracelet to the three presenters to cement their mastery.

  He would be up there one day. Mother and Father would be proud of his work. Proud of him.

  As they walked down from the top of the library he eyed the restricted rooms. What secrets did they hold? Things that could let you fly? Or run faster than a horse?

  But there was no use thinking about things he couldn’t access. Only the king and queen and those they allowed had access. Which didn’t include him. And with three older siblings, would never be him.

  Unless he made himself stand out, or he got to a point where he could make them himself.

  They passed the last of the doors sealed away by runes of power carved into the door and paving stones.Then the first safeguard, which was in the staircase to the second floor. It wouldn’t even let the unauthorized up.

  But as he walked down; he noticed that one of the stones squeaked a little under his foot. He leaned back on his heel to feel the stone shift slightly, then continued down the stairs with the rest.

  His eldest brother Arron was practically guaranteed to be the next heir. He was physically strong and already proficient at the sword. Their father respected strength, and Arron had it in spades.

  His sister Erris had a pretty good claim too. She was good at court life, and always knew what was going on. Mother would probably put her forth as her choice for heir.

  Cecil pursed his lips. Tavv was too troublesome. No one would pick him for a role that required responsibility. Especially since Arron and Erris were options.

  And then there was the youngest sibling. He didn’t have any bad traits, like Tavv, but neither did he have any great redeeming qualities like the other two.

  On the other hand, he would be fine if he didn’t become king. He wouldn’t mind ruling the counsel of lords like uncle Chambers, or perhaps some committee of some sort.

  The only problem was that he didn’t know what sort of Talent he would get, nor when he would get it. Most powers broke through at ten to twelve years old. Which meant he was two years away at best.

  Cecil watched the rest leave the library, but went further into the stacks, passing rows upon rows of darkwood shelves heavy with tomes on every subject.

  He turned to the right, and sunk into a leather chair that creaked comfortably. Cecil pulled out the training rock that he had stolen from the lady and traced the faint glowing lines with his thumb. Maybe some of Tavv’s habits were rubbing off on him, but as long as nobody knew, then there would be no issue. Especially when he was trying to pursue engraving.

  Power was the great equalizer, and there were many studies on how people got their talent. Much of what they said also contradicted each other. What they could agree on however, was that innate talent had a much larger chance of happening than the ability to engrave. And that there were higher concentrations in some places than others. Some speculated that it was the bloodline, the concentration of energy, knowledge, and even the want of a person.

  Since his siblings had powerful innate talents, he needed something that would let him stand out. Blood was a dud when it came to engraving, since no one in the family had it that he knew of. Which left knowledge and want. This meant he needed to know more about engraving, because he already wanted it badly.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Cecil stood and pocketed the smooth stone. Since his classes had been canceled due to the ceremony, he was free to do a little more research. The last book he had read had condemned the personal research practices, and hygiene, of the author of a book called, “The State of Sovereignty.” And he aimed to read it for himself to see if the theories within were as stinky as his detractors claimed.

  As the sun began to set, it cast a golden hue through the large windows of the library, which caused the motes of dust to upon the silent room, Cecil set his book down and stretched. It had less to do with innate power, and more to do with the theory of power, but was interesting nonetheless. He returned it and walked past the snoring librarian to go back to his room early.

  He opened the white door to his room and found his maid knitting a blanket in the rocking chair.

  “Fanny,” he said as he closed the door behind him, “I’ve decided to learn how to engrave.”

  She laughed while her needles continued in steady rhythm.

  “You don’t even know if you’ll get the talent for it, and that won’t be for many years yet to come. Don’t stress about it, you’re too young for it.”

  “Well, you’re only seventeen. That's not too much older.”

  “I’m an adult and you’re not. Speaking of which,” she nodded in the direction of the bed, “Go ahead and get your bed clothes on. You’ve got Madam Wyntrop first thing in the morning, and you know what a stickler she is.”

  Cecil walked to the bed and grabbed his clothes on his way to the bathroom, “yeah yeah.”

  Fanny was common born. She may have been forced to accept her lot in life, but he didn’t need to. She knew nothing of talents nor engraving. He did.

  The next morning he rushed to etiquette class, excited to tell someone else of his plan.

  “Madam Wyntrop! I need to learn engraving-do-you-know-anyone-who-would-be willing-to-teach-me?” he asked in one long breath.

  She sighed delicately, her silver eyebrow arched.

  “That is not how you enter a room, nor start a polite conversation.”

  He sighed.

  She hadn’t been his tutor for a while, as she had been traveling. He had forgotten how strict she was with Talmage as his only teacher. He walked out. Waited half a second. Then entered again.

  Properly this time.

  Once he had taken his seat, and placed a napkin with scalloped edges on his lap. She nodded approvingly, then poured him some tea.

  “Lord Cecil, I heard recently that you had some news to share?”

  She poured her tea and started mixing in milk and sugar.

  “Yes!”

  “Too much volume dear.”

  “Oh. Yes of course.” he cleared his throat, “I have decided to make a study of engraving.”

  One eyebrow slowly inched up her forehead, “Oh? And what brings this about?”

  Cecil leaned forward.

  “Well, since both mother and father have talents, and so do Arron and Erris, why wouldn’t I? It's just a matter of time before they appear, and the sooner I learn the basics, the sooner I can become a master. And besides, the books say that if I expose myself to engraving I’m more likely to be able to learn it.”

  She gave a delicate sigh, “There is no guarantee that you will be able to engrave child. You should know that there is a difference between-”

  “Yes yes, but I'm certain!”

  She glared at him.

  He grasped the napkin and twisted it back and forth.

  “Ah, pardon. Please continue Madam Wyntrop.”

  “Of course. As I was saying, there is a difference between the internal and external talents, and your family is not predisposed to the latter.”

  “But-”

  “Do not interrupt. As I was saying, even if you do somehow break with that particular talent, your family… prefers the internal talents rather than engraving. I wouldn’t even bring it up to them if I were you.”

  “Of course.”

  She squinted her crystal blue eyes, “You aren't just saying that are you?”

  He took a sip of tea and smiled demurely, “Of course not madam. How could I possibly contradict your wisdom?”

  She harrumphed.

  Cecil ate his next berberry scone with relish. “Have you any news?”

  “Why, yes as a matter of fact. Inatol is currently dealing with a rebel faction that-”

  He smiled and nodded absently. He would just learn engraving without his parents' help. And considering how much Tavv got away with, it would be easy to do so without them noticing. Then when he manifested his power, he would be able to show them all.

  When he left, Cecil gripped his book bag strap with excitement as he half jogged across the red carpeted floors, and past the paintings and doors that lined the walls. All he needed to do was get Talmage to give him extra lessons. Or better yet, get a personal tutor for it! Then he needed to get permission to see those books on the second floor of the library about engraving rules and letters.

  The theories were free knowledge, but the words, techniques, and schematics were all restricted knowledge.

  He had thought about the loose stone for a brief moment last night, but it would take months to get the step removed in secret.

  Asking for permission would take less time, and would make things easier with the help of someone who knew what they were doing. He opened the door to the classroom and found some of his other siblings already there. Aaron and Erris sat together at the front talking over some papers, while Tavv was absent. Even though they usually had private lessons, they all had this one class together in which they discussed current news and affairs.

  Cecil picked a table by the windows, opposite from the door and the floor to ceiling bookshelves. Soon after Pro Talmage walked in, and leaned on it with his left hand. His right hand had been mangled by skirmish in the north, and had changed careers to the one he know had. Teacher.

  Seconds after Pro Talmage had entered, Tavv sidled in and slipped into a seat near the back.

  Pro Talmage smiled cruelly as he pointed at his first victim, “Tavv, tell me something I don’t know.”

  Tavv grinned, “I heard that there is an engagement planned between house Yenno and Strit.”

  “Wonderful!” he smacked the desk sardonically, “You only brought me a rumor. Though, credit where credit is due. Unconfirmed information still tells a story even if it is false. Can anyone tell me why these houses might want an alliance?”

  Erris straightened up, “Because Stritt needs the money and Yenno needs more connections in the capital.”

  “Very plausible theory, but let's move on. Someone tell me who might benefit from spreading this rumor?”

  Before anyone could come up with an answer, a boom rocked the castle. For half a second, the world was void of sound. Then the windows in the room quivered and burst. Distant screams echoed in long hallways. Glass shimmered against the floor.