The southern road stretched before Eliza like a dusty ribbon unspooling across the landscape. Three days of hard riding had brought her party from the cool stone halls of Highcrest to the parched outskirts of Sunspire Province, where golden fields of wheat gave way to rocky terrain and the first signs of drought became impossible to ignore.

  "Water's low in the irrigation channels," observed Darian, the disguised King's Guard captain who led her escort. Nominally her cousin's huntsman, he rode a few paces ahead, his experienced eyes constantly scanning the horizon. "Lord Chancellor Solari reported drought, but this seems more severe than the royal dispatches indicated."

  Eliza followed his gaze to the farmlands on their right. Crops withered in fields that should have been lush with late summer bounty. The farmers they passed wore the hollow-eyed look of people facing hunger in the coming winter.

  "Drought alone doesn't explain this level of devastation," she said quietly. "These fields are served by the Gilded River's southern tributary. Even in dry seasons, it flows strong from the mountains."

  "The river's flow is diminished," Darian confirmed. "We crossed it yesterday, and the water barely reached the horses' knees where it should have been at their shoulders."

  Eliza's mind turned to the information that had prompted this journey—reports of boundary disturbances, whispers of strange magic, and now, a failing keystone at Sunspire. The keystones were ancient magical artifacts positioned at strategic points throughout the kingdom, forming the foundation of the Covenant that protected Lore from threats beyond its boundaries. When Tarek had restored the broken Covenant six months ago, all seven keystones had blazed with renewed power.

  For one to begin failing now suggested something was terribly wrong.

  *Or someone is deliberately tampering with it*, whispered the voice of suspicion in her mind.

  The small party crested a hill, and Sunspire City came into view in the valley below. Unlike the dark stone and soaring towers of Highcrest, Sunspire was a city of gold and amber—buildings crafted from the honey-colored sandstone of the nearby quarries, their windows glittering in the harsh southern sun. At its center rose House Solari's ancestral seat, a palace whose spiraling towers had given the city its name.

  And atop the highest spire, visible even from this distance, sat the keystone—a massive crystal that should have pulsed with amber light. Even from here, Eliza could see its glow was faded, flickering irregularly like a candle guttering in the wind.

  "By the Covenant," murmured Ser Kaila, another of her disguised guards. "It's worse than we feared."

  Eliza felt a chill despite the southern heat. "We need to get into the city. Quietly." She turned to Darian. "Remember, I'm Elina Varis, a merchant's daughter from the capital seeking investment opportunities in Sunspire's textile trade. You're my cousin's man, assigned to protect me on the journey."

  Darian nodded. "And Kaila and Jorven are your personal guards, hired for the journey. We understand, my lady."

  "Not 'my lady' while we're here," Eliza corrected. "Just Elina."

  "Yes, my—" Darian caught himself with a wry smile. "Yes, Elina."

  As they approached the city gates, Eliza adjusted her clothes—quality fabric but deliberately less fine than what she would wear at court, appropriate for a successful merchant's daughter but not nobility. She had darkened her naturally light brown hair with walnut stain and adopted a slight Eastern Provinces accent. Small changes, but enough to ensure no one would connect "Elina Varis" with Lady Eliza Vantian, confidante of the king.

  The guards at the gate barely glanced at their travel documents. More concerning than their lax security was their appearance—hollow-cheeked and weary, with the same haunted look Eliza had observed in the farmers.

  Something was draining this land. And judging by the keystone's fading light, it wasn't just the people suffering.

  "The Gilded Swan," Darian suggested as they entered the city proper. "It's respectable enough for a merchant's daughter without drawing undue attention."

  Eliza nodded, and they made their way through streets far less crowded than they should have been in late summer. Market stalls stood half-empty, their vendors calling out prices far higher than normal for meager produce. The few wells they passed had queues, people waiting with empty buckets and worried expressions.

  "This is no ordinary drought," Kaila murmured, riding close beside Eliza. "Look at the children."

  Eliza followed her gaze and felt her heart constrict. The children they passed weren't merely thin from hunger—there was a listlessness to them, a pallor that spoke of deeper illness. Some bore strange markings on their exposed skin, faint reddish lines like cracks spreading across porcelain.

  "Boundary sickness," Eliza whispered, horror dawning. She'd read of the symptoms in ancient texts while researching the Covenant for Tarek, but those cases had been recorded during the Dark Years, centuries ago when the boundary had nearly collapsed entirely. "We need to reach House Solari immediately."

  "Your alternate contacts first," Darian insisted. "That was the king's order. Establish our presence, gather information from your sources, then approach House Solari formally."

  Reluctantly, Eliza nodded. Tarek was right—they needed to understand what they were walking into before confronting Lord Chancellor Solari directly. If the boundary was weakening and children were already showing symptoms of boundary sickness, confronting the wrong people could prove disastrous.

  The Gilded Swan proved to be a handsome inn near the city's central market, its common room busy but not crowded. After securing rooms, Eliza retired to wash away the dust of travel while Darian arranged for their horses to be stabled and cared for.

  Alone in her chamber, Eliza removed a small wooden box from her pack, opening it to reveal a delicate silver necklace with an amber pendant. It wasn't merely jewelry—the amber contained a sliver of the royal Bloodright, given to her by Tarek before her departure. A way to communicate across distances, though its magic was limited.

  Cupping the pendant in her palm, she focused her thoughts as Tarek had instructed. The amber warmed against her skin, then began to glow with soft golden light.

  *Tarek*, she thought, picturing his face. *We've arrived at Sunspire. The situation is worse than we feared.*

  For a moment, nothing happened. Then the amber pulsed once, twice, three times—acknowledgment that her message had been received. There would be no reply; the connection wasn't strong enough for two-way communication across such distance. But knowing he was aware of their arrival provided some comfort.

  A soft knock at her door interrupted her thoughts. Slipping the necklace beneath her bodice, she called, "Enter."

  Kaila stepped inside, closing the door carefully behind her. "The innkeeper's wife is quite talkative," she reported. "Especially when complimented on her excellent wine selection. She claims the drought began three weeks ago, shortly after Lord Solari's eldest son returned from a expedition to the southern ruins."

  "The ruins beyond the boundary?" Eliza frowned.

  "The very same. Apparently, it was an officially sanctioned research mission—the first time anyone has been permitted beyond the boundary since its restoration."

  Eliza's frown deepened. "No expeditions beyond the boundary have been authorized by the crown. Tarek was explicitly clear that the restored Covenant needed time to stabilize."

  "Which suggests Lord Solari is operating with considerable independence." Kaila lowered her voice further. "There's more. The innkeeper's wife says people have been disappearing—not just commoners, but members of minor noble houses as well. House Solari's guards claim they're being quarantined due to boundary sickness, but no one has seen any of them return."

  A chill ran down Eliza's spine. "And the city does nothing?"

  "Fear keeps them silent. Those who speak against House Solari tend to disappear next."

  Eliza moved to the window, looking out at the city bathed in late afternoon sunlight. Beautiful and serene from this distance, hiding darker truths beneath its golden facade.

  "We need to move more quickly than planned," she decided. "Tonight, I'll meet with my contact at The Amber Scholar. Tomorrow, we'll seek audience with Lord Solari under our merchant's daughter pretense."

  "And if he recognizes you?"

  Eliza turned, a grim smile playing at her lips. "Lord Solari has never bothered to look directly at me in all the years I've attended court. Like many men of his generation, he sees a nobleman's daughter as merely a decorative extension of her father's power. His blindness will be our advantage."

  As night fell over Sunspire, Eliza changed into even plainer clothing—the simple gray dress and hood of a scholar's apprentice. In this disguise, with a smudge of ink on one cheek and her hair pulled back severely, she could move through the academic district without drawing attention.

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  The Amber Scholar was not actually a tavern but a discreet bookshop specializing in historical texts and rare manuscripts. Its proprietor, Master Thorne, had been Eliza's tutor years ago, before he'd relocated to Sunspire to pursue research on the ancient Solari archives.

  More importantly, he remained a loyal correspondent of House Vantian, and one of her most reliable sources of information in the southern provinces.

  Darian accompanied her as far as the street corner, then took up position in the shadows where he could watch the shop's entrance. Inside, the familiar smell of old parchment and binding glue brought a rush of nostalgia, momentarily displacing Eliza's concerns.

  "We're closing for the evening," called a voice from behind a towering shelf of scrolls. "Return tomorrow if you wish to browse."

  "Even for a former student who's traveled far to consult the master's wisdom?" Eliza replied, using their old coded greeting.

  A tall, thin man with wire-rimmed spectacles emerged from behind the shelves, recognition dawning as he saw her face beneath the hood.

  "Lady—" he began, then caught himself as Eliza raised a warning finger to her lips. "Apprentice," he corrected smoothly. "How unexpected. Come, we should discuss your studies in my private office."

  He led her through a hidden door behind one of the bookcases, into a cluttered but comfortable study where maps and diagrams covered nearly every surface. After securing the door, Master Thorne's formal demeanor dissolved into genuine concern.

  "Lady Vantian, what in the Covenant's name are you doing in Sunspire? It's not safe, especially for someone so close to the king."

  "That's precisely why I'm here, Master Thorne." Eliza took the seat he offered. "The king has received disturbing reports about the keystone and possible boundary disturbances."

  "Reports that grossly understate the danger," Thorne said grimly. He moved to a large map on his desk, removing several books to reveal it fully. "The boundary is failing in three locations around Sunspire Province. Small breaches, not yet visible to the naked eye, but growing."

  He indicated three points on the map, each marked with a red X. "I've been monitoring them since the symptoms began appearing in the populace. The boundary sickness, the drought—these are just the first signs. If the keystone fails completely..."

  "The consequences would be catastrophic," Eliza finished. "But what's causing it? The Covenant was restored, the keystones renewed."

  Thorne's expression darkened. "Someone is deliberately draining the keystone's power. My research suggests House Solari has discovered something in the ancient archives—a ritual dating back to before the Covenant's creation."

  "What kind of ritual?"

  "One that diverts the keystone's magic for personal use." He lowered his voice, though they were alone. "I believe Lord Solari's son brought something back from beyond the boundary—something that requires enormous magical energy to control or contain."

  Eliza felt the amber pendant grow warm against her skin, responding to her accelerating heartbeat. "The Order of Whispers. We thought them destroyed, but if some faction survived..."

  "The evidence points in that direction." Thorne moved to a locked cabinet, withdrew a small journal, and handed it to her. "This belonged to Lord Solari's youngest daughter, Lienna. She was my student—brilliant, curious, and increasingly troubled by her family's activities. She gave me this for safekeeping a week before she disappeared."

  Eliza opened the journal with careful fingers. The handwriting was neat, precise—page after page of observations about the keystone, diagrams of the boundary's magical structure, and increasingly frantic notes about her brother's expedition.

  The final entry chilled her blood:

  *Julian returned today, but something is wrong. He brought objects wrapped in black cloth that pulse with sickly green light. Father has closed the southern wing of the palace. I heard screams in the night. When I questioned him, Julian said only that they had "made contact" beyond the boundary. His eyes were different—clouded, with strange golden flecks that don't glow like the king's Bloodright but seem to... writhe beneath the surface. I'm afraid. Tomorrow I will try to access the sealed wing.*

  There was nothing more. Lienna Solari had vanished the next day.

  "This was three weeks ago?" Eliza asked.

  Thorne nodded. "Precisely when the drought began and the keystone started to fade."

  "I need to get into House Solari. See this sealed wing for myself."

  "That won't be easy. Security has tightened considerably. No one enters without Lord Solari's explicit permission."

  Eliza closed the journal, her mind racing through possibilities. "What about the service entrance? The kitchens? There must be merchants and suppliers who come and go."

  "There are," Thorne acknowledged. "But getting you inside would require credentials that would withstand scrutiny. And once inside, navigating to the southern wing without being detected..." He shook his head. "It would be extremely dangerous."

  The pendant grew warmer still, almost as if responding to her determination. Tarek had warned her not to take unnecessary risks, but time was clearly running short. If the boundary was already failing in three locations, they couldn't afford to wait for royal forces to arrive from Highcrest.

  "The king sent me precisely because I can go where his soldiers cannot," she said firmly. "I need a way in, Master Thorne. And I need it soon."

  After a moment's hesitation, the old scholar sighed. "There may be a way. House Solari is hosting a gathering tomorrow night—ostensibly to reassure the local nobility that the drought situation is under control. They've requested rare wines and spirits from various merchants... including one who owes me a considerable favor."

  "You could get me in as part of the merchant's staff," Eliza realized.

  "It would get you through the gates, at least." He adjusted his spectacles nervously. "But Lady Vantian, if you're caught..."

  "I won't be." She stood, decision made. "Arrange it, please. And one more thing—I need everything you have on the keystone's location within House Solari. Its defenses, access points, anything that might help me assess its condition firsthand."

  As she prepared to leave, Thorne caught her arm gently. "There's something else you should know. The boundary sickness—it's affecting people differently than historical records describe. Those who disappear, who are taken for 'quarantine'... some have been seen again, but changed. Serving House Solari with unnatural devotion. Their eyes..."

  "Like Julian's?" Eliza asked, remembering the journal's description.

  "Yes. Whatever lies beyond the boundary, I fear it's not merely crossing over. It's taking control."

  The journey back to the Gilded Swan through Sunspire's darkening streets gave Eliza time to process Thorne's warnings. If the Order of Whispers had indeed found something beyond the boundary, something capable of possession or control, then the threat was far greater than a simple power grab by House Solari.

  It was an existential threat to all of Lore.

  In her room, with her guards posted outside, Eliza again took out the amber pendant. This time, when she held it, she poured all her urgency and fear into her thoughts.

  *Tarek, it's worse than we imagined. The Order has breached the boundary deliberately. They've brought something back—something that can control people. I'm infiltrating House Solari tomorrow night. If you don't hear from me by the following sunrise, send Frost with whatever forces can be spared. The boundary cannot fall again.*

  The pendant pulsed in response, more intensely than before. Once, twice, three times—then, unexpectedly, a fourth pulse, stronger than the others. Warmth spread from the amber throughout her body, and for just a moment, Eliza felt as if Tarek himself stood beside her, his hand on her shoulder, his voice in her mind.

  *Be careful. Come back to me.*

  Whether the words were truly his or merely her imagination giving form to her own longing, they steadied her. Slipping the necklace back beneath her dress, Eliza Vantian—spy, noblewoman, and perhaps one day queen—began preparing for the most dangerous mission of her life.

  Outside her window, the keystone's light flickered again, fainter than before. In the streets below, shadows seemed to lengthen and deepen, stretching toward the palace like hungry fingers.

  And somewhere in House Solari's sealed southern wing, ancient evils stirred, anticipating the fall of the boundary that had contained them for centuries.

  Darkness was gathering in Sunspire. And time was running out.