(Imperial library, The Main palace)
"Iyan."
The Crown prince lifted his head and looked around, he could swear someone called him. But he was sitting alone at the table in the library reading about the subject his history professor assigned and then left to roam the library in search for more historical records to show to his student.
There was not even a single librarian in sight. Iyan scratched his head, he did get up pretty early this morning, perhaps the exhaustion was finally getting to him. The prince turned a page and then he heard it again, it was like a whisper, very very creepy whisper.
"Iyan."
Iyan might not be the brightest person in the world but he knew that books don't speak, yet, just to be sure, he turned another page. This time there wasn't a noise. He closed the book because he felt stupid and rubbed his eyes.
"Iyan!" This time the voice was loud and very much recognizable. Iyan flinched and almost fell from his chair. Neftali was in front of him, with a book over the bottom half of her face.
"Brother."
"I heard you." Iyan said and leaned on the table. "What do you want?"
"We need to talk." Neftali placed the book down and looked around.
"I don't really have time to talk right now." Iyan opened his book again, the truth is he would very much like to talk, but with new rules his father set Iyan barely had time to eat, after this class he must go to the Emperor's office. Sullivan will even come to get him just to make sure he comes on time.
"Then don't talk, just read this." She opened her book and switched it with his before he could say anything.
"What-"
"Read and shut up."
"What is -"
"Shut up." Neftali said through her teeth and pushed his head down. "Professor Rupert! It is so good to see you again sir." Neftali stood up from her chair, Iyan's history professor just returned with a pile of books in his hands.
"Good day Your Highness, I am glad to see you too. How have you been? How are your studies?" Professor Rupert was an old man always dressed in a dusty brown colored suit with a gold pocket watch hanging from his pocket. He is a librarian and a history professor from the palace, unlike other mentors that came to teach Iyan, Professor Rupert never actually left. He taught both of them when they were younger, before they started attending the academy. He was way past retirement but still did both of his jobs. He tried to retire a few years ago but came back because he was bored and said he would rather die working than be locked in his bedroom until death came to collect his soul.
"Excellent, I am excellent and my studies are excellent. I still have some free time before returning to the academy so I thought it would be good to come here and do some reading. Prepared for the new semester." Neftali glanced at Iyan, he was scratching his head.
On the page his sister opened the book and showed it in front of Iyan's face was a letter, with words rather than sentences.
Banquet - mother not coming. Mother - sick. Page 36.
Iyan started turning the pages just as professor Rupers placed the books he brought on the table. While flipping through the book Iyan realized it was some kind of medical literature.
"Do you know what is the next subject you will work on at the academy?"
"We have just finished the regency of my grandfather. I believe we should start modern history, end of the war with Yalan."
"It must be weird to study about events you lived through. Even for me it is hard to understand everything that is written about it. There are so many documents we have here at the library that are not even reviewed yet."
"Well I was a child when it all happened. So even if I lived through it I don't remember any of it."
Iyan finally found page 36 and started reading. It was a description of some sickness caused by a parasite that lived in the blood. Symptoms were described as visible bruising on the patient's body that drastically got bigger every time the parasite started to feed itself. If it came to multiplying, the effect on the patient's body could be brutal and cause severe bleeding. Parasite can be calmed but never fully cured as it is a disease of the blood, the patient can live a long life with proper care but early death is still not entirely possible from stopping.
Iyan didn't quite understand what he had just read.
Neftali glanced at him again, "Could there be any books that describe the very beginning of the war? We covered some of it in class but I just don't believe it is enough for me to understand the story from there."
Professor Rupert adjusted his glasses, Neftali could see the spark in his eyes. "Of course there is Your Highness, this is the Imperial library after all, home to all books in the empire!"
He said that a little louder than he intended and cleared his throat before speaking again, this time quieter. "I will find something for you right away."
Before he left, the professor spoke to Iyan. "Prince Iyan, have you finished the chapter?"
Iyan was still confusingly rereading the page Neftali assigned to him. He nodded his head the same way every time somebody asked him if he understood something he definitely didn't. Professor Rupert took that as a yes and walked away into the maze of bookshelves.
Neftali sat back down as soon as she couldn't see him again.
"What is this?" Iyan lifted the book up and shoved it to Neftali.
"What do you mean what is it? I think mother is sick, sick with that thing." She stabbed her finger in the middle of the page.
"Mother is not sick." Iyan said calmly and closed the book.
"What do you mean she is not sick, do you even know what has happened to her since she proclaimed you the Crown prince? She was so sick we could not see her for a week, and this morning," Neftali looked around and talked even quieter, "I was her maid carrying a bloody bed sheet from mother's room."
Suddenly the sight from that morning flashed in front of his eyes. Iyan saw the very thing his sister was just telling him about. But after the conversation with father, he kind of stopped thinking about it.
He wanted to believe Neftali, but something made him think that just isn't right. "There must be another explanation to all of this."
"What other explanation? It is either this or someone is poisoning her, these things do not happen to healthy people."
"I know," Iyan leaned back into his chair, "But it just doesn't make sense."
To him, it didn't just make no sense because father told him so that morning. No, Iyan truly believed mother wasn't sick. He never saw his mother get a cold, how could she have a life-threatening disease and not tell them. In any other way, father would know, if anybody knows about her true health conditions it is the Emperor. Not because he cared for his wife but because he needed to keep her healthy. The Empress can not die before him, if Iyan knew anything he knew that. Everyone knew that.
Neftali was silent for a long time before speaking again. Her voice was so thin Iyan could barely understand what she said. "They sent me to call for the priest that day."
"When?"
"After the court assembly," She was looking down, "Lady Maria sent me to get the High priest the moment she saw mother. Why would she call for the priest if-"
Iyan stopped her before she could finish. "It can't be that. Don't speak like that."
"What is it then? I need to know Iyan, I need to know."
Iyan leaned back on the table, "I do not know what it is, but I know this, mother is not sick and she is not dying."
Neftali took the book she gave Iyan and opened it back to the page where she stuck the letter. She pointed her finger at the first part. Banquet - mother not coming.
"Why doesn't he want her there?" She was getting upset now. "You were with him this morning, so you should know. Why is the Empress not invited to the banquet?"
Iyan's palms started to sweat. "I didn't know about that until now."
It was true, Iyan didn't know anything besides that the preparations for the banquet are going according to the plan. He didn't feel like this was a coincidence, Neftali must have felt like that too, that is why she came to talk to him. They exchanged looks.
"Bring her." Iyan told his sister. "Make sure she comes tonight."
Neftali left without a word and took her book with her, just a moment later professor Rupert returned with two books he wanted to give her.
Iyan said to him. "She just left."
"Oh, well. Let's return to our lecture. What caused the tragedy of the "Bell" village?"
Iyan straightened his back, cleared his trough and opened the book he was reading again.
"I should read it again."