Chapter Seventeen- That of Poison and Roses

Messy.

Messy.

Messy.

It's everything a royal shouldn't be, and yet it's everything this room is. The late King Aldridge's study was left a mess before his death. Papers, scrolls, and books are thrown across a grand wood desk, spilling off onto the floor. Everything looks old and weathered, as though he was investigating some sort of history before his death.

Maybe Casimir was telling the truth, that we could find some clues here.

When Casimir Aldridge told me he could provide some answers, of course I was skeptical. But I also never expected him to let a Thorne into his father's study.

Though, he didn't seem to care much about his father. 

I put those thoughts far out of my mind. Sure, I didn't fully trust Casimir, but I also doubt he'd murder his own father. Yes, he was intelligent, but would he really go through all the trouble to lead me to fake clues to trust him?

"Rose," he calls, "You just gonna stand there staring, or are you gonna help look?"

I go to kneel down beside him, shuffling through the browning parchment. I skim the tiny words, noticing that it's mostly old Eldorian history texts, nothing of interest to me.

"And," I draw the word out to get Casimir's attention, "Is there anything in particular that we're looking for?"

"Your patience and love of history astounds me, Thorne," He says, completely deadpan. After a minute, he adds, "Go check the desk." 

I stand up, carefully walking around the books and papers covering the navy blue carpeting. The desk has plenty of drawers lining either side, but I decide to start with the pile sitting on the wood desktop.

The first in the stack of letters is unfinished. It's addressed to a man named Martin Allswith, but nothing more is written. I flip to the next letter, which references the newly built trade routes to the land of Riverdell. An unrolled scroll beside me illustrates these trade routes on a map.

It's the letter after that which seizes my mind. 

"Casimir? You might want to see this one."

Dear King Soren Aldridge,

I am sending this letter because I believe our past is not what it seems. Our explanations for why the Great War started appear to be different, and our histories do not reconcile. Something has happened here, though I am not sure what. I know how this may seem, and that your people have your gripes against my family. However, I kindly request that you may send some of your history, be it textbooks, old scrolls, or letters. I truly think peace can be achieved if we strive for an understanding of each other, and of our history. Our true history may not be our perceived history, and I hope that, with your help, we may rectify this. 

Be this as it may, I do ask that you refrain from telling anyone about this search of mine. I do not want my family to worry, nor do I want someone who was involved in this tainting of our history finding out my interests. Should something come of this search, I think it would be best for the grounds on which we call peace to be left hidden.

Thank you for your time and potential cooperation.

Yours, 

King Emil Thorne of Briarwood