The king's eyes

These three days of travel were tiring, both for me and for my faithful Cyrano who will finally be able to sustain himself. I’m not far from the castle looming on the horizon.

I didn’t only meet beautiful people like Jenny. Wizards are everywhere, good and bad. Some observed me in a way that was a little too intense for my taste. I felt that they liked my appearance but also that they suspected something in me without knowing what.

I prepared myself a little to be spied on by wizards. If they ask me questions about my abilities I will tell them that my specialty is necromancy.

Necromancers are often a bit wacky and strange people, they tend to be loners by nature, and also because other wizards think they’re weird and asocial. A perfect cover to leave me alone.

In truth, my sorcery is specialized thanks to my origins. I influence nature, I concentrate the energy drawn around me to connect a little more with what needs to be connected. I modify moods and transform negative emotions, I intensify moments of joy and happiness, and I bring clairvoyance to those who lack it. I’m kind of like a super-elf.

Except that I am also capable of doing evil. I don’t know to what extent and I don’t want to find out. The bad feeling will invade me if I let it, I am a being made entirely of feelings. I had to work all my life like the other elves to master my own emotions in order to then be able to influence those of others and always the positive, of course.

Unless a malicious person really comes to ruin my life...

But so far no one has bothered me or asked anything about who I am and what I do. Apart from Jenny, I mean. And I hope that within the castle I will be just as peaceful.

Well... I’ve been waiting for a while now for someone to come and greet me and open the doors... I know the guards saw me and they know I know that they saw me... So what?

Finally, the large door opens to one side. A guard approaches me so that I state my identity.

“I am Iris Du Néflier, witch. I have been summoned by the court.” I hand him my invitation.

“But you’re three days early.” He said.

“Indeed, to achieve what is expected of me, I will need time. So I preferred to anticipate. I put myself in the service of the king sooner than expected, that’s good news, right?” I tried.

“We already have a wizard on site. You must wait your turn.” He answered, firmly.

I’m starting to get annoyed.

“Listen, I traveled miles to get here, 3 days of travel, at the request of the court. I kindly ask you to reconsider your position. I will not bother the wizard already present. I will only ask my Lord for a few minutes a day to start.”

I transform his mood and encourage him to be courteous and eager to satisfy me.

“...I see... Good... We’ll let you in. I’ll ask the governesses to install you. I welcome you.”

It’s not perfect but it will be fine. I can’t bend people to my will, that would already be sordid, and then I don’t have that power. I can just improve things a bit.

We enter and the guard rushes to a small side door of an adjacent building. I guess it’s the governesses.

A very austere dark-haired woman, dressed in a neutral and classic way, comes to meet me.

The two of us face-to-face is rather laughable. I’m light blonde, a little wild in the colors of nature and she’s all in black, very strict. We are opposites, and most certainly in spirit as well.

“Lady Du Neflier, we weren’t expecting you so soon.”

How irritating they are for god sake... I don’t eat like an ogre and don’t ask for a deluxe room. As if I was going to ruin them in anything. It’s a huge castle with an incalculable number of staff... one more is not such a big deal!

“Indeed, as I said to the guard, my work requires time so I preferred to come as soon as possible, forgive my devotion to my king!

Ma’am, I’ll only settle for the bare minimum, I’m not here to profit from the riches of the court that aren’t that valuable to a forest witch. And just call me Iris will be perfect.”

Bang. I am annoyed and tired. This journey was long and difficult, is it too much to welcome me properly?

“Lady Iris, with all due respect to your noble intentions, our king is vigilant, he is not friendly with your species today, and an early arrival may be viewed as suspicious. I would have liked to introduce your arrival to the king in a manner more in keeping with the rules of the court." She said, formally.

"I will introduce myself to the king. So you won’t be held responsible for his discomfort.” I suggested.

She finally nodded, even though she disagreed. It looks like the king has sown a little fear around him... But I trust my aura to relax him a little.

Berenice, who told me to call herself next, asks me to follow her to the guest quarters. I entrust my Cyrano to the master of the stables, I let one of the guards who will serve as our escort take my bags, and we cross the courtyard of the castle.

I am installed in a large flowery room. I wasn’t asking for that much, but I think it’s customary for the guests of the castle to be comfortable. I’m not going to complain about it. Bérénice told me that I will be presented to court this evening and that I, therefore, had to prepare myself accordingly. It’s not going to be very complicated, I don’t intend to cross-dress. A bath and a not-too-lively outfit should be enough.