Chapter 1
Adelaide pressed her back to the hard stone wall as much as she could, stifling her breath and turning her head to the side, seeking to flatten herself as much as possible. raying that she could go any further. She stood on her very tippy toes behind the tapestry, hoping against hope that no one would notice her. She could feel the rough stone on her left cheek, and the rough decorative tapestry on her right. Adelaide ran through the instructions in her head again. Sneak in while the guard is changing, one will be late you will be fine. Go up the stairs on the right with your head down. If you act like you belong there, no one will question you. Find the book at the bottom of the chest and take it with you. Ten seconds after re-entering the corridor, hide behind the tapestry of the stag hunt. Adelaide could feel the weight of the book in her satchel. She squeezed her eyes shut, willing to be as unnoticed as possible. She was by no means a large or wide woman, but she was taller than most men. If she was seen, even if she managed to escape, she would still be found almost instantly in the village. She heard faint footprints passing down the hall, slowly drawing nearer. She had only glimpsed him before dashing behind the tapestry. Adelaide’s heart sped up even faster, and she had to gasp to keep her breathing normal. Despite everything screaming at her to be scared, she was surprised to realise she was smiling uncontrollably. Oh Stars above I have never felt so alive! The footsteps seemed to pause where Adelaide roughly guessed was a meter from her hiding spot. Has he caught me? Is it up? Have I truly failed the Stars? And yet, despite all her worry, her blessing inside told her there was nothing to fear, and so she continued to hold her breath. Soon enough, the footsteps resumed and went down the hall where Adelaide had just come from. She heard a door open and close, and the hallway was silent again. Adelaide let out a huge sigh, clambering out from behind the now intolerably hot fabric, bending over and bracing herself on her knees. Once she had recovered, she straightened up, breathed in and out deeply, and carried on. The castle was older than anyone who lived in or around it, but not by centuries, only decades. Starheart castle was built on the reported foundations of where star fell and an Elf took care of it. The myth went that she nursed him back to health, but once he was ready to return to the sky, he had fallen in love, and they built their home here. It made a good story for children, and many people believed it, but they didn’t know the Stars like Adelaide did. She knew they were more than human to come to the ground. They relied on her if they wanted something down on earth. The walls were made of squared quarried stone that was cold to the touch, even if the late summer heat infused the air outside. The walls were lined with various tapestries depicting great scenes of Edderland history or important moments from the Book of Birds. The one that hid Adelaide showed a big western red bird guiding a man across foreboding landscape; Adelaide recognised the story as the second chapter of the book of the Cardinal. Thought the sun had set, the heat of the day had not quite faded away, and the lit candles along the walls did nothing to cool the place down. Behind the tapestry had been even stuffier, and Adelaide could feel the gross accruement of sweat on her scalp. She could feel is soaking her shirt and boots. She needed to be done soon. Adelaide walked to the corner and peered down the turn in the corridor. There was one, quiet short, guard outside the room she was headed to next. He couldn’t see her perfectly thanks to the helmet and Adelaide’s quickly learned sneakiness. She thought about the next set of instructions she had been told. Distract the guard long enough to slip in to the room and give the boy the book. Tell him it details the wonders of the stars and he cannot share it with anyone. Leave the way you came, and never mention this night to anyone again. Adelaide steeled herself and thought. Men like him won’t fall for a tempting lady if she’s that much taller than him. I’m too plainly dressed to be his better. I need something else. Adelaide breathed in, ran her hands down her dress, and turned the corner. She walked with her knees quite bent and with quite a slouch to hide her true height, and with a bit more hair than usual in her face so he wouldn’t be able to remember her face as easily. She folded her hands together and began neurotically fidgeting with them. “Excuse me sir,” she said in a quiet voice, not making eye contact, “someone asked for your assistance.” She added her best impression of fancy person accent. “Who?” He asked in a gruff voice as he straightened up. After Adelaide’s impromptu “disguise” she was still a bit taller than him. “One of the men in the stables, with a large moustache.” Adelaide hadn’t even passed the stables; this was the only outright lie. Thankfully the man seemed to recognise whoever this person was. “Okay, just wait here while I find someone to take my place.” And he rushed off. Once he was out of sight, Adelaide straightened up and opened the door. Inside was a teenage boy looking at a book intently in his lap. He didn’t seem to notice Adelaide until she closed the door behind her. His blonde hair was a little short and quite poofy. He had shocked blue eyes, and acne marked skin. He quickly closed the book and threw his blanket over himself as if in shame. “Who are you?” He said in an overly squeaky voice. “What are you doing here?” “I come bringing a gift.” Adelaide said in a calm voice, and she pulled out the book she had stolen earlier. It was an old thing, made of leather but treated in a way people didn’t treat books anymore. There were no words but Adelaide had checked inside, and it said “Tales from the Night Sky” like the Stars had said it would. “Well I don’t want a gift, or a book, or anything from a stranger in my room!” he squeaked out. Adelaide ignored him and continued. “Inside this book are some of the most beautiful stories you can read. The Stars are a beautiful gift, and their knowledge will change your life.” She offered him the book with both hands. He blinked a few times quite fast, and tentatively reached out to accept it. It was heavier than he expected, and he had to catch it with his other hand to balance it. “Change my life? How?” “After you read these stories, the Stars will find you someday, and talk to you, and reveal truths you never thought about before. This castle is called Starfall for a reason.” He looked at the book, and then back up at her. “Who are you?” “No one of consequence. I was never hear, and you will never tell anyone about that book.” She turned to leave. “When will you be back?” Adelaide looked back at him and smiled. “When the stars choose it to be.” And she closed the door behind her. Once it was firmly closed, Adelaide dashed across the corridor and turned the corner before he could see her if he opened the door. That’s big part done. Unfortunately she walked almost instantly into a much bigger guard, clearly sent to replace the shorter man’s post. Judging by his face, he was in no joking mood. Oh stars, please save me! “What are you doing in the young lord’s chambers?” His voice left no doubt in her earlier assumption. Adelaide breathed in, breathed out, panic spreading across her face. She began sweating again. “The young master is not to be accosted in his sleep. Why are you here?” He began walking forward, and Adelaide walked backwards in response. She tried to speak but only half syllables and stammers came out of her mouth. She could smell the stink on herself now, the horrible heat exasperating her sweat. The guard leered even closer to her, one eyebrow raised in inspection. Stars! Save me! And then he backed off. He stood up straight, coughed uncomfortably, and began avoiding eye contact. Adelaide could only stare. “I apologise, uhh, miss. It’s only… No one told me we were…” He licked his lips. “Starting.” Adelaide stayed stock still, determined not to let anything slip. The guard walked around her, giving her a good berth, and stood at the position his comrade had stood just minutes earlier. “I know many look down on your line of work, but young men, such as the young master, will need this experience.” He said. Adelaide still said nothing. “I understand men his age are quite… active. Do you happen to know how many nights a week you will be visiting?” Stars above, he thinks I’m a prostitute! Her eyes grew wide but she didn’t let anymore surprise show. I will take whatever you offer me. “I will be coming rarely. We are in rotation, and appreciate if this system is a discrete occurrence. Can the Lord and I count on you keeping this discrete?” “Unconditionally.” “Perfect,” Adelaide said, and she turned and left like a lady in the night. Turning another corner or two brought her to the staircase she had come up to get there. Thank you Stars for the idiocy of men! Adelaide couldn’t believe how happy she was for being confused for a prostitute, but had no time to dwell any further. She descended the stairs quietly, keeping to the side but still on the carpet. There was a modest draft at the top of the stairs, the cool outside breeze was tickling her face. She knew a guard would be posted at the door outside, she didn’t want to do the prostitute routine the whole way out, it would raise too many questions. Adelaide felt closer to where the draft was coming from, and found it was the door to her right. Inside, she found the privy. It was a simple wooden seat with a whole in it, and on the wall was a very wide window with the wooden shutters left open. She stank of sweat, and was close to overheating. The cool night air was like a friend, beckoning her to go forward. Looking out the window, Adelaide adored the beautiful night sky. Stars twinkled where they weren’t covered by clouds. They were the only thing in the sky that stopped her from fully basking in her light. Adelaide felt inside herself, and focused on her blessing given to her by the stars. It had been a long time since they had renewed it, and not much was left, but Adelaide knew it would be enough for her miracle. She focused on her blessing, moulded it in her mind and prayed aloud. “Merciful stars above. I have been your loyal servant this night. The book is delivered and the boy knows the truth. I need your guidance and your safety one last time to see me safely to my bed. This I say in the name of the Ones who look down, for your faithful servant, Adelaide of the Roses.” When she finished her prayer, she opened her eyes again, looked down at the water below, and jumped.
It was just a quick swim over to the bank after she hit the water, and she heaved herself up and laid on her back for a bit, the sudden adrenaline flowing through her system. The water had done a lot to cool her down and wash the sweat from her skin. She crawled up on the bank with a sigh of relief. Not a single shout went up from the castle. Her body felt exhausted and more than a little cold. Her blessing was gone, and she felt empty without it, but she was intact. The impact of hitting the water had been minimal, and she had escaped without notice. She heaved air back into her lungs and stared up at the starry sky. Clouds patched the stars out, and a sliver of a crescent moon still stopped her from being able to talk to them, but if she concentrated, she could feel them waiting to break through, waiting to talk again. Adelaide knew she needed their blessing soon. I do your loyal duties oh Stars. Eventually she got her energy back and stood up, ready. The woods still bore the heat of the summer, though the trees had absorbed much of it. A pleasant breeze accompanied her, which along with her drenched clothes, made the walk almost enjoyable. If only she could properly see where she was going. The slim light made her trip and stumble over almost every root and stump in the path. If she hadn’t been born and raised here, she would have been lost beyond saving. Almost an hour passed before Adelaide got home. Thankfully, Vale had already gone to bed, so Adelaide could move in peace. She set the kettle boiling and changed into dry, free flowing clothes. She sat and stared out the window, the clouds slowly drifting away. Then, without warning, the kettle let out a whisper of a whistle, and Adelaide rushed to take it off the stove before it woke Vale up. Thankfully, the carpet was thick enough to hide the sounds of her footsteps. Adelaide got two cups from the kitchen along with a tea strainer, and poured tea into both. While she waited for it to settle and cool off, Adelaide walked silently over to the window and looked up at the sky. It was a new moon, and cloudless. Nothing but the bright and shining stars hung in the sky. Adelaide smiled wider than she had all day.