The Alchemist’s cage

I was awakened by Dalia, my handmaiden who seems to love waking me up at the crack of dawn to get me ready for my daily routine. I always admire how much care she puts into me when it involves getting me dressed in the morning or making me breakfast. She's been my handmaiden since I was born and raised me when Mother and Father were away at work, so she's always been like my best friend.

She asked me, "Your mother wants to talk to you after breakfast."

I looked at her with a curious expression and said, "About what?"

She shrugged her shoulders. Then she sat me down in front of the mirror and fixed my hair in a half-up, half-down style with the upper half rolled into a braided bun. She helped me into a mauve-colored gown with ruffles draping down to my ankles and buttons on my wrists.

After I was ready, I opened my door and strolled downstairs to the dining room. When I walked in, I found my eldest brother, Brennan, sitting at the table—the star of the family, because he was able to show signs of essence at the age of fourteen. Now that he's twenty-two, our parents look to him as the heir to our family's fortune. But if you ask me, I'd say it's unfortunate because that makes me the disappointment in the family who still can't wield any magic yet.

But the priest said there's nothing to worry about, because there are many cases where individuals don't show signs of essence until the age of twenty-five. And essence is everything in our world.

Essence is the core of our magic, and we have variations of it. We have the Summoners, who are capable of summoning familiars at will from different regions—like demons, angels, and mythical beasts. Summoners can also manipulate the elements: fire, earth, water, and wind. But the most impressive part is their ability to perform necromancy—though only a rare few can wield it, because of the mental strain it causes.

Then there are the Amplifiers, who use their essence to enhance the abilities of others, as well as any magical item. They can also enhance themselves in areas like speed, strength, and agility, moving at an incredible pace.

Lastly, we have the Healers. They are a rare group, because only a small percentage are ever born. The king has always kept the Healers in his private manor, which is heavily protected. Only a few authorized personnel are allowed to enter, due to traffickers trying to smuggle Healers to corrupt organizations. Healers can cure any disease or illness—and, most importantly, bring back the dead. But magic always comes at a cost. It's a valuable gift that many would kill to possess.

Luckily for us, my brother is an Amplifier, so he is at the disposal of our parents, who are both Summoners. And me? I'm their late-bloomer daughter, who just sits and looks pretty when they throw elegant parties with all their classy, rich friends. They've told me if anyone asks what my abilities are, not to answer—because it would ruin their perfect reputations as Ileria's most prestigious physicians in the capital.

Ileria is the largest capital in our region of human magic users, which are separated into classes: the high-class nobles, born from money and strong essence gifts, and the low-born nobles, who come from nothing but worked their way up and built their own fortunes. That's our family. Before Brennan and I were born, our parents were humble merchants. Through their trade, they met an alchemist who shared their aspirations and taught them the ways of herbs and medicine. That's how they chose to become physicians.

Brennan sat there playing with his food. When he looked up and saw me sit across from him, he said, "You know today is a big deal, right?"

I looked at him with a questioning look.

"Did you forget?" he continued.

I had no idea what he was talking about, so I said, "Sure, I do." (I was totally lying.)

He let out a big sigh and got up from the table. "Father was called to the palace to meet with King Aidon today because he's feeling under the weather, and he wants you to come along to assist him with his work."

I totally forgot Father mentioned that yesterday, but it was so last-minute. It's rare for the king to call upon any physicians besides the royal ones. It must be a serious case.

Then Brennan gave me a scowling look and said, "Don't mess this up. This is a big deal for us—that the king called on our family."

Then he left the dining room and walked outside.

I was still wondering—how sick could the king really be? And why wouldn't he just call upon the Healers? But those are things we don't question.

I finished eating my eggs and toast, then got up to find my mother. I wondered what she needed to speak about so urgently.

I walked down the long hall to her study, where she usually was. When I opened the door, she wasn't there. I assumed I should wait until she arrived, so I walked around the room. I walked up to the window near her desk, where a big pile of letters was laid out. I didn't know how it got this way—Mother was always so organized. She would never leave her letters out in the open like this.

I thought to organize them for her, until I accidentally dropped a few on the floor. As I bent down to pick them up, the doorknob turned and the door swung open. I heard several footsteps rush in, and I froze—startled by the sudden intrusion.

As I began to raise myself to see if it was Mother, I heard a man's voice I didn't recognize.

"Why are we meeting in here, Madam?"

"Because my son is outside, and I don't want him to see you," my mother said.

I must be overthinking things, but... is my mother having an affair?

The man continued, "Well, I came here to tell you our shipment is coming in tonight, and you need to be by the docks to check that everything is on the list, since your husband won't be there to do it."

Okay... it's just the shipment of new medicine Father requested from the other regions.

My mother asked, "Did you make the arrangements? No one else but the crew knows what's inside?"

The man replied, "Yes, we made sure. They'll die anyways the moment they leave the docks." He let out a slight laugh.

What's going on? Why would they kill the crew over medicinal herbs?

I didn't want to get up and risk getting caught, so I waited for them to leave.

Then my mother said, "I'll meet you at the docks. Don't be late."

I heard the footsteps leave the room and the door close. I stood up and listened at the door to make sure they were far enough away for me to slip out quietly. I slowly opened the door, checked the hall, then quickly made my way back to the dining room, where I leaned against the wall and let out a breath of relief.

"What has Mother gotten into?" I whispered.

Then I heard footsteps again. As I turned to see who it was—there she was. Her face nearly collided with mine.

"Ugh... Alethia! You scared me!" my mother exclaimed.

Stunned, I just blinked and stared at her. "Sorry, Mother. I didn't mean to," I said.

"Well, I was looking for you. Didn't Dalia tell you I wanted to speak with you after breakfast?" she asked.

"She did. I just finished eating," I replied.

She gave me a scowl, then nodded in the direction of her study. I followed her back. Once we were inside, she sat down behind her desk and motioned for me to sit across from her.

She stared at me for a long moment. Then she said, "Do you remember Simon Yarro?"

I looked at her curiously. "The son of the royal advisor?"

She nodded. "Your father and I have taken the liberty of securing a marriage between you two. You are to be wed in four months' time."