Aire and Skye Alchemy-Trifecta

Part 6 of Ariadne's story- See tab above

 Count Reiner strode into the courtyard with his courtier, who began probing about the garden. When Reiner bobbed his head in her direction, every pleasant buzz and bird song stopped. The sun moved behind a cloud, turning the garden shadowy and ominously silent.

“Lady Ariadne, there are few servants and soldiers to guard the castle. A household magician will be spell casting to ward off dangers. You must not hinder his work. Stay in your room or here in the garden,”

“I will cause you no reason for concern.” She replied without hesitation. “Count, won’t be seated?” Smiling weakly, she directed him to the garden seat.  The Count amused at her discomfort, continued standing.

Ariadne sat opposite and tried to stay calm as she slipped her mother’s spell book into the folds of her gown. If discovered she would not even have the freedom of the garden and her devas. Skye, what should I do, she thought?

“What are you reading?” He asked, dark eyes following her movements.

“This?” She said lightly, as she placed the book, near her, on the low wall.” It’s only, about flowers and plants."

He signaled to his attendant, to bring him the book, horrifying Ariadne. “I enjoy good books about flowers,” he replied; grinning at her discomfort.

The garden song began again as hummingbirds, crisscrossed the equerry’s head. Flapping at the air, as if swatting insects, was almost amusing. Grumbling, he handed it to Reiner. The Count opened it, fanned the pages, searching. He scowled, snapped the book closed and turned on his heel. “Lady Ariadne, you will go now; so the magician can cast protection spells.

“Yes, Count.” Relieved that he couldn’t understand the book, she retrieved it and rushed to her chamber. She wondered what alchemy had blinded Reiner from true understanding. Sinking into a chair, she opened the book, watching letters and pictures whirl on the pages, changing mysteriously back to her mother’s diagrams and formulas. “It was Skye!”

Alchemy (noun)

1: a medieval chemical science and speculative philosophy aiming to achieve the transmutation of the base metals into gold, the discovery of a universal cure for disease, and the discovery of a means of indefinitely prolonging life.
2: a power or process of transforming something common into something special.
3: an inexplicable or mysterious transmuting