CHAPTER 30: IT IS MIRACULOUS

Ian looked down at his hand, still half-expecting the orb to spark back to life again. His fingers twitched nervously as if they were carrying leftover static. He cleared his throat and asked, "So... is anyone going to explain what just happened, or are you both just going to keep staring at me?"

Chloe finally blinked and let out a delighted laugh, her voice carrying a note of pure wonder. "My lord, This is extraordinary. People spend their entire lives dreaming of one strong affinity. And you..." she gestured at the orb, still faintly shimmering, "....you awakened every single element at once. It is miraculous."

Piper, however, wasn’t smiling. Her sharp eyes darted from Ian to the orb and back again. Her jaw was tight, her hand curled into a fist. "Miraculous or not, it is not normal. Not in the slightest. This is beyond anything we were prepared for." She turned abruptly and called toward the house. "Lyra! Fetch the Queen immediately. Go now."

Lyra, who had been watching from the side with wide, stunned eyes, gave a quick bow and darted off without hesitation.

Ian exhaled, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Great and fantastic. Really, this day just keeps getting better and better."

Piper turned her stern gaze back on him. "You do not grasp the weight of this matter. We prepared to guide you through a normal test, to discover whether you might align with fire or water or wind. But this..." she shook her head, her tone tight, "this has never occurred in recorded history. I do not even know how to begin."

Ian raised his brows. "Well, I did warn you I wasn’t from around here. Maybe I just bend the rules a little. I mean, where I come from, this kind of thing would be a neat party trick, nothing more."

Chloe gave a soft laugh again, her smile as bright as the orb had been. "I don’t care if it is impossible or dangerous. This means he can be anything, Piper. Do you realize what it means for him to hold all the affinities? He could learn any spell, any art, without the limitations the rest of us face."

Piper gave her a sharp look, but Chloe only shrugged lightly, still smiling at Ian with almost childlike excitement.

Ian gave a nervous chuckle and spread his hands. "See, I like Chloe’s version. That sounds hopeful. Inspiring even. Much better than the doom-and-gloom script you’ve been giving me, Piper."

The taller woman’s expression hardened even more, though she did not argue. Instead, she folded her arms and said flatly, "For now, we wait. The Queen will decide what comes next. Until then, do not take this lightly, my lord."

Ian leaned back against the nearest post, shaking his head slowly. "Yeah, story of my life. Step one, fall into the wrong place at the wrong time. Step two, find out I’ve broken every rule in the book without even trying. Step three, wait for the consequences." He looked at Piper and added with a lopsided grin, "You sure know how to keep a man calm, you know that?"

Chloe giggled again, unable to hide her amusement. "At least one of us is happy about this," Ian said, pointing at her with a faint smirk. "Finally, someone with a bit of cheer. Honestly, if it were just me and Piper, I’d think the world was about to end."

Piper ignored the comment, her gaze still fixed on the orb, she wondered if it was broken and gave the wrong results. Chloe, on the other hand, beamed at Ian as though she had just witnessed the dawn of something wonderful.

_________

Lyra hurried through the marble halls of the palace, she was almost out of breath when she reached the Queen’s chamber, but she did not wait to catch it. She knelt quickly and spoke, her voice urgent. "Your Grace, I bring a message from Lady Piper. It is most unusual... it concerns the Young Lord."

The Queen raised her eyes from the parchment she had been studying, her expression sharp but calm. "What now? Speak clearly, Lyra. Do not waste words."

Lyra swallowed and continued, "The test has been done, my Queen. Lord Ian has placed his hands on the orb as commanded, but instead of showing one element, or even two, it... it glowed with every element. The colors shifted and changed one after another, all of them bright, and none of them faded."

For a moment the Queen stared at her as though she had spoken nonsense. Then she gave a short, incredulous scoff. "Do you think me so easily fooled? No man can awaken all affinities. Such a thing is beyond reason. Piper is strict, but she is not known for playing tricks, so why would she send you with such a tale?"

Lyra’s head lowered further. "Forgive me, Your Grace, but I saw it with my own eyes. The orb blazed as though it would burst apart. Every color, one after another, shimmering at once. It is no lie. I could not believe it either, but it happened."

The Queen leaned back in her seat, her fingers tightening around the armrest. Her voice was slower now, carrying the weight of thought. "You stood there and witnessed it yourself? You swear this is the truth?"

Lyra nodded frantically. "Yes, my Queen. I swear it by my oath of service. It was unlike anything I have ever seen."

The Queen turned her face away slightly, her gaze fixed on the tall windows where the light filtered in. For the first time since Lyra had known her, she looked as though she were doubting her own certainty. She murmured, half to herself, "If what you say is true, then the boy is no ordinary heir... but such things do not exist. They have never existed."

Lyra hesitated before daring to speak again. "That was why Lady Piper sent me in haste. She said it was beyond her understanding, and she thought only you could decide what must be done."

The Queen’s eyes returned to Lyra, still sharp but with an undercurrent of unease. "Beyond her understanding, she said? Hmph. Piper has trained soldiers, mages, and nobles for years. She has seen hundreds take that test. If even she cannot comprehend it..." The Queen stopped herself, her lips pressing into a firm line.

Lyra stayed silent, her hands clasped tightly before her.

At length, the Queen rose to her feet. "Very well. If Piper claims such a thing, and you dare to confirm it, then I will not sit here and speculate. We will see the truth with our own eyes. Prepare the carriage at once. We go to the mansion."

Lyra bowed deeply, her relief evident. "At once, Your Grace."