I kept myself rather violently busy in the library when I suddenly heard a familiar voice behind me.
"Princess Elowen," he called.
I turned, and it was Father Amos.
He approached with his hands clasped neatly behind his back.
"Father," I said, almost surprised to see him.
Right. I had just realised I hadn't seen Father Amos in quite some time. I turned fully to him, the question already written plainly across my face. He chuckled softly and lowered himself onto the floor beside me.
"I have a feeling I know precisely what's on your mind, Princess Elowen," he said as he adjusted himself comfortably like someone settling in for a story.
"You must be wondering why I suddenly look so much younger." He touched his face dramatically. "I suppose my prayers have finally been answered."
He laughed lightly.
I narrowed my eyes. He was obviously teasing.
"Father Amos…" I began impatiently.
He cut in smoothly.
"I do hope you've been taking your medicine properly? And tell me have you been keeping up with your prayers?" he added, clearly shifting the subject.
I sighed. Lately, he'd been keeping so much from me—unlike before, when he was practically an open book, so open my father would be mildly alarmed. But I did not blame him, there are moments when it is wiser not to be burdened with grim tidings.
'The attack has really changed so much', I thought.
"So," he went on, "what have you been up to these days?" His gaze drifted downward to the chaos on the floor. "It seems you are having quite the… adventure without me."
"I wouldn't exactly call this a fun adventure, Father," I muttered. "I still cannot understand why the Church insists on hiding the maps in the library." The frustration in my voice was embarrassingly clear—I had been searching for them for ages.
"What do you mean hidden?" he asked. "The map is right here." He pointed at one lying open on the ground.
"That's the map of the Three Kingdoms. I'm looking for the one of the outer lands. I heard the Church has one."
With a gentle smile he replied, "We didn't hide the maps, Princess Elowen. We simply did not keep them here."
I paused and looked at him properly now, fully interested. I parted my lips to speak—but before I could, three young acolytes walking past suddenly stopped dead in their track at the sight of us__ Father Amos and I sitting on the floor like toddlers caught in mischief amidst a sea of scrolls.
Their stare was so intense I instinctively glanced down to check out myself. Father Amos, sat perfectly calm, as though this were the most dignified posture one could possibly assume, he looked perfectly unbothered while I looked as if I had misplaced half my self respect. At this point, I might as well hand over my crown and call it a day.
I let out a quiet sigh and cleared my throat, the sound snapping the boys out of their daze. They bowed hastily and turned to leave, only to freeze when Father Amos called them back.
I let out a quiet sigh and cleared my throat, the sound snapping the boys out of their daze. They bowed hastily and turned to leave, only to freeze when Father Amos called them back.
My eyes darted to him in alarm and disbelief
'Why bring them back now, of all moments, when we looked utterly ridiculous? why on earth was he summoning witnesses to our humiliation'
But he simply rose to his feet, hands clasped behind his back, wearing that harmless, saintly smile of his.
"Good thing you're here," he said warmly. "I had hoped for one of you to wander by, but it seems God has sent me three."
I arched a brow at him.
He then turned to me. "Princess Elowen," he said gently.
I scrambled up from the ground, looking utterly ridiculous I'm sure, as i dusted off my skirts as if that would restore even a shred of my royal composure.
He faced the boys again. "Now then," he said pleasantly, "since the Lord has granted me such unexpected assistance, perhaps the three of you might… restore a bit of order here. Nothing strenuous, just return creation to how it was before Princess Elowen and I reenacted the Great Chaos."
It was subtle, indirect, and sneaky in the most typical Father Amos way.
The boys bowed unevenly, the youngest looking utterly lost, as if he was still trying to decipher whether he'd been given a holy task or a punishment.
I quickly averted my gaze. After all, this mess was mine. I had scattered half the library in my search, but I'd promised myself I'd clean it up alone.
Unlike the castle, where I could give an order and the servants would oblige without complaint, as It was their duty and they had pledged themselves to it. But here? This place thrived on the principle of 'you are on your own'
Except for Sister Dorathy, who had been assigned to help me with small things, the rest were… unbothered by my royal title and perfectly content to let me fend for myself.
I dipped my head in a subtle, apologetic bow toward the boys, then hurried after Father Amos, who was already walking off and gesturing for me to follow.
---
Father Amos led me through several sections of the vast library while I followed quietly.
"Might I ask what you want with the map?" he said. "I doubt staring at one is anyone's idea of afternoon leisure."
"I'm trying to find a way to help locate Genevieve," I answered.
"And you suspect she may be beyond our borders? Not within the Three Kingdoms?"
"I do. It only makes sense they took her into their own lands, besides the intruders were foreigners."
He nodded. We continued walking in silence for a few moments before I gathered the courage to ask something I knew would yield little to no answers.
"By any chance… do you know of any outer kingdom that desperately suffers from illness? Perhaps a prominent figure, someone of high standing, who might be in need of...healing?"
"There are countless prominent souls out there," he said. "Many of them gravely ill… some far closer than you imagine. Searching for a specific one among them is as good as chasing smoke in a storm."
I swallowed. I expected as much.
We continued in silence for several minutes until we reached the same discreet passage that once led me to the exorcism chamber. My steps faltered, confusion knotting in my chest. Why are we returning here? I wondered
Father Amos gave a soft chuckle.
"Do not fret young one. We are not heading to the exorcism room. We won't even come close," he said, clearly amused by my sudden tension.
Then something occurred to me, and I turned to him.
"How did you know I had been here before? You were not present that day."
He smiled lightly.
"News travels quickly among priests. We speak little, but we hear much. Nothing that happens within these walls stays hidden for long." He explained.
Just then, we stopped before a wooden door. He was right—the room wasn't anywhere near the exorcism chamber.
But what truly goes on down here? I wondered. Each room seemed to serve a different purpose, and the dark hallway stretched on endlessly, lined with doors I had never noticed before.
"Here," he said as he struck a flint, lighting a torch. One flame sparked another, until the entire chamber glowed.
Inside, the room was simple but heavy with age. Wooden shelves filled with stacks of scrolls. Tables were cluttered with old ink pots, dried quills, and half-rolled parchments. Dust floated softly in the air, dancing in the torchlight. At the far end stood a massive wall, bare except for one enormous illustration.
He stepped further in, and I followed.
"This room holds information older than many kingdoms," he said. "Records of lands, people, paths, and wars, knowledge gathered through centuries."
My gaze drifted to the drawing on the wall—a wide, detailed sketch. I moved closer, touched the lines carved into the stone.
"A map," I breathed, awe warming my voice. "A world map."
Father Amos came to stand beside me, smiling.
"I think it's better to call it a map of the known realm, for it only reflects what our explorers have uncovered so far. I'm certain the world is far larger than this, but for now, this room holds the most complete collection of roads and lands ever recorded.
Explorers from the earliest days spent years wandering beyond our borders, crossing deserts, climbing mountains, sailing every coastline. They returned with journals marked with the shapes of continents, forgotten passes, shifting borders, and hidden valleys. The priests gathered every scrap of their discoveries and, stone by stone, carved the world as they understood it."
I stared, stunned. I never imagined such a map could exist. Somehow, seeing all the lands in one place made the world feel smaller… and more reachable.
My fingers traced the familiar mark near the center.
"House of Aurelen," I murmured. Home.
"So," Father Amos said gently, "what is your theory on the whereabouts of Princess Genevieve?" He asked
Without hesitation, I pointed to a narrow stretch on the map—a thin passage between our kingdom and the outer lands.
"That border," I said. "A narrow road, barely guarded, almost forgotten. Traders rarely pass through it, and soldiers don't bother with it. Anyone could slip through unnoticed." i narrowed my eyes as i turned to him.
I continued
"It's only likely the intruders came through here," I said, tracing the line with my fingertip. "So I believe they left the same way. Which means—" I slid my finger across the stone and pointed to another mark. "They must have passed through this place as well."
It was the stretch of land linked directly to that narrow border road—an abandoned, forgotten path the priests called No-Man's Town, though it was hardly a town at all. Just a lonely strip of earth with empty houses, silent wells, and roads that led nowhere.