“Oh, that's great. I can't wait to meet the Emperor.”

Rinaldo couldn't honestly tell what she was thinking. Was she happy or sad? It wasn't easy to tell. They reached the main room, or, as Rinaldo liked to call it, the throne room. It was a large rectangular room with several pillars and statues.

Large white marble columns stood in the centre of the room, connected by arches and arches. There was a grand white wooden desk, with several chairs and many benches in the large room. A staircase led to an elevated platform, and this led to the throne of the Emperor.

The Emperor sat upon a large stone throne. The throne itself looked like the craftsman had carved it out of a single piece of marble, or perhaps it was from a single rock. His Majesty's robes were a brilliant royal blue, a colour known throughout Holy Norman, which had the imperial symbols embroidered onto them.

“How nice.” Clarissa walked to the dais with excitement. “It's so grand.”

Clarissa looked at the throne. There was a guard with a helmet sitting there and another in front of the dais. She wondered what would happen if she just went there and sat on the throne. However, she was sure she wouldn't get past the guards before they got in trouble.

Rinaldo was still in the lead, and the group followed behind him. They walked up to the dais. Clarissa was looking at the Emperor, smiling. She wasn't afraid of him in the slightest. No one was.

Rinaldo stopped near the dais. “We are here to see the Emperor.”

The guard in front of the dais, wearing a helmet, looked around and then turned to Rinaldo. “You may pass, Sir Rinaldo.”

“Thank you.”

They walked forward, Olivia next to Rinaldo and Clarissa behind them. The guards let them pass and watched as they got on the dais.

Rinaldo was looking straight ahead at the Emperor. The Emperor was a young man with black hair. He was gazing at him with his blue and bright eyes, smiling as he did so. The Emperor looked up from his throne. He didn't react, but he looked around at the three with a delighted expression instead.

Rinaldo knelt down before the Emperor. “We have returned.”

“It's good to see you, Rinaldo.” The Emperor smiled. “Olivia, it is good to see you as well. You both look well.”

Olivia knelt next to Rinaldo. She also bowed down before the Emperor. “Thank you for your kind words, Your Highness.”

Clarissa was feeling more nervous than she did when they went inside. The maid was wondering what to say, if she could say something at all. She couldn't think of anything. Her mind went blank. She took a deep breath and tried to focus. Rinaldo seemed to notice her unease.

“It's okay, Clarissa.” He stood up and turned to her. “You don't need to say anything.”

The Emperor looked over at Clarissa, who was still on her knees. “You can stand up, too. Clarissa, is it? I see you have been through a lot.”

Clarissa couldn't stand up straight. Her body felt heavy, as though the weight of the entire empire was on top of her. Her limbs were trembling, and her vision blurred. Clarissa felt like she was going to faint. She hadn't even got a single word out before she was on the floor.

The guards quickly stepped forward and assisted her. They helped her up. She looked up at Rinaldo, and he was staring at her with a worried expression on his face.

“Clarissa, are you okay? Are you sick?” Rinaldo inquired. “You look really ill. Are you okay?”

“Sorry about that.” Clarissa tried to control her breathing. “I… I can't help it. It happens when I get nervous.”

“It happens to everyone, Clarissa. Don't worry.” Olivia gave her a reassuring smile. “It will pass.”

The guards led Clarissa to an area where she could rest. They helped her sit down on a chair. Her head was spinning, and she couldn't quite figure out what was happening to her. She stared at the marble floor, which looked even whiter than it did before.

Olivia stayed near Clarissa as she sat. “How do you feel?”

“I feel… well, I'm not sure what I feel. It's kind of confusing.”

“That's what happens. When you're nervous, you get tired and can't think clearly.”

Olivia remained with Clarissa. She could tell from the look in Clarissa's eyes that she was having a hard time with what she was feeling. The Emperor stood alone with Rinaldo. He followed the Emperor away from Clarissa, while the rest of the guards stayed behind and watched her.

Rinaldo turned to the Emperor. “May I ask why you called for us?”

“I wanted to show you something. Follow me.” The Emperor's tone was friendly. His gaze was calm and peaceful. He didn't seem to be angry or displeased, which made Rinaldo happy.

Rinaldo followed the Emperor. He led Rinaldo through some corridors, then up a flight of stairs and through another set of corridors and hallways, and finally to a door where a guard sat in front of it. They reached the door, and the guard bowed to the Emperor before opening it.

The room beyond the door was large, like the rest of the palace, but with nothing lavish. There were no paintings, carpets, statues, or anything that would make the room seem extravagant, although the light coming from the windows in the far walls was bright and pleasant.

There were several bookshelves, tables, and chairs set up in the middle of the room, but no people. Rinaldo thought the room was empty, but as he continued to look at it, he saw someone at the far end of the room, sitting next to a window, smiling.

“Sit, please.” The Emperor sat in an oversized, comfortable chair.

“Thank you.” Rinaldo sat on another chair.

The figure in the corner turned and came towards the Emperor and Rinaldo. It was a woman wearing loose-fitting, flowing, white-coloured clothes. The most striking feature of her face was her eyes, for they were the palest shade of purple Rinaldo had ever seen.

“Meet the Court Mage, Merluse. She's my advisor, and one of the most powerful Mages in the world.”

Rinaldo looked up at the woman. He had never spoken to her before. She looked young. Her hair was white and tied back with a ribbon that matched her outfit. Her face was pale, but Rinaldo thought it was too fair to look completely human.

There was something odd about her appearance. The skin on her face was very smooth. It looked as though it was a mask, not an actual part of her. Rinaldo inspected her. There were some intense purple lines under her eyes, and she had slanted, almost cat-like eyes.

“Hello, Merluse.” Rinaldo gave her a little bow.

“How are you today?” The Court Mage's voice was gentle and kind, with a pleasant lilt in it.

“I'm well, thank you.” Rinaldo smiled at her.

The Emperor beckoned to a chair, and the Court Mage sat down. She pulled a book out of the pocket of her outfit. The book's title was in golden letters, and it looked almost as if someone had drawn it in gilded ink. It was not a book Rinaldo recognised.

“Her title isn't official, but that doesn't mean it isn't real.”

“May I read you a story?” The Court Mage opened the book to a page that contained a picture of a young man. His black hair fell over his shoulders, and his eyes were the brightest blue Rinaldo had ever seen.

Rinaldo nodded. “Sure.”

The Court Mage read, and Rinaldo listened to her soft voice as she read to him about a prince named Louis. He wondered why she was reading to him. He turned to the Emperor, expecting him to say something about what the Court Mage was reading. The Emperor remained silent instead.

“As a young prince, Louis had little to say in who he would marry. It was all arranged by his parents, but when he met his betrothed, Princess Gisella, he instantly fell in love with her. She was kind, beautiful, and had a sharp wit.

“However, all was not well in Gisella's home country. Her father, the King, was a cruel man who didn't hesitate to kill those who defied him. When Gisella's mother and brother were executed for speaking out against the King, Gisella knew she had to flee the country.

“She disguised herself as a maid with her maid and snuck onto a ship bound for Louis' kingdom. When she was finally safe, she revealed her true identity to Louis. They got married soon after, and Louis swore to protect her from her father's wrath.

“For years, they lived happily together, but Gisella always feared that her father would find her and kill her. It didn't happen, but she continued to live in fear. Finally, after over two decades of fear, she gave birth to a son, Charlus.”

“What do you think of the story so far?” The Emperor broke Rinaldo's attention, interrupting the Court Mage's story.

“I like it so far. But what does it have to do with what I came here to do?” Rinaldo couldn't hide the confusion in his voice.

“You will see in a few minutes.” The Emperor turned to the Court Mage. “Go on with the story, please.”

The story continued with Charlus growing up to be a noble prince, just as Louis had, but he didn't do most of the things a young prince would do. Instead, he spent his days wandering the lands, living the life of a commoner.

“He was happy and good-natured, and everyone loved him. When he turned twenty-six, he united the Northern Continent and became the Emperor of all of it.”

Rinaldo listened carefully, but when the story reached its end, he felt confused. Some events described in the story followed a pattern Rinaldo recognised as real-life events that took place in the past. However, some parts seemed to take place in the future since it hadn't happened yet.

The story ended with Charlus becoming the master of the seven Sage's relics and uniting the world as a single nation. He became the greatest ruler the world had ever known since the Great Sage's time. It was a peaceful ending.

 “That was the story of the Great Charlus. Thank you for your time.” The Court Mage closed the book and bowed before returning to her previous seat, taking up a quill, and sitting back down to write in her journal once more.

“Now I see.” Rinaldo looked at the Emperor. “This story is about you.”

“Now you know what I wanted to show you. It's cool, right? Just like a fairy tale?” The Emperor smiled at him.

It was one thing to know about events that had happened in the past, but quite another thing to think about events that had yet to happen. Rinaldo looked at the Emperor, hoping he would provide an answer. He was the main character in that story, after all.

“This book suddenly appeared in my office one day. The writing isn't the most fluent, but the story is true. Even if some events hadn't happened, they could easily happen in the future.” The Emperor's voice was calm, but the look in his eyes was intense.

Rinaldo couldn't help but wonder why the Emperor was showing him the book. He was just an ordinary person, like everyone else. So why was the Emperor telling him such a story? He'd have to understand the mystery.

“So it is a prediction of things that are yet to happen?”

“Yes. That is why the book's existence is such a mystery to us. What is inside the book is something that hasn't happened yet, but will, because it has the power to happen.”

“This is all quite interesting, but I still don't know why you wanted to show this to me.”

The Emperor looked thoughtful for a moment. He seemed to weigh something on his mind. “I will explain that later. Right now, let me ask you something.”

“Yes, what?” Rinaldo wasn't sure what the Emperor wanted to ask him, and he wasn't sure he should answer, anyway. He had a bad feeling about this.

“What will you do if you know you only have a year to live?”