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Day 91 - Saturday
No work can be fun weekend for us. The morning will be spent at the Treasure Vault looking for the relic fragment the scroll says is there. We’ll return home for lunch, and depending on our luck, either go on to Dawnhope Cavern to look for the second fragment or return to the Treasure Vault to continue our search for the first piece.
I wish the relic fragment was hidden somewhere else. I can’t help but associate this place with the Peddler and he’s not exactly at the top of my Christmas card list. There are times when I wonder if he is the hooded stranger.
When I share my thoughts with Greg, he laughs and claims there’s no way the Peddler could be the hooded stranger. For one thing, the Peddler was in plain site of everybody when the hooded stranger materialized from that purple orb.
I just shrug. I hadn’t noticed the Peddler. I was too busy noticing Greg and being annoyed that he or the mayor wasn’t dealing with the ominous purple orb. Now that I think about it, that was very strange behavior for a man who claims his raison d’être is to protect me.
When I ask Greg why he didn’t deal with the orb, he flushes and mumbles something about being afraid I’d reject his assistance and make him look foolish in front of the crowd.
He adds that it was only the third day since my return to the kingdom, and he didn’t think I liked him very much. I had been so anxious to return to Beechwood Cove that he was sure there was someone special there that I wanted to be with.
I protest that I did like him from the very start. I was just afraid that somebody from Beechwood Cove was playing a practical joke on me and that he was in on it and laughing at me behind my back. I was anxious to get back to Beechwood Cove because I was afraid I’d lose my job, not because I was missing somebody. He and Lucky are special to me, nobody else.
Back to work. We’ve already found some useful things, a couple of mystic gemshorns to replace the one the Dark Chest gobbled and spat out, and some royal jewelry boxes, but we have to find that relic fragment. Just as we’re about to give up and head home for lunch, we find it!
After lunch, we head to Dawnshope Cavern. Maybe we’ll even find two relics. The Shaman claims there’s one here but it’s only visible to somebody of rank four. If that means what it seemed to mean in other locations, I need to search the place for a certain number of times before it’s revealed and I don’t think I’ve spent enough time at Dawnhope Cavern to have reached that exalted rank.
At Dawnhope Cavern we find lots of feathers and herbs. There’s certainly enough water to make a mermaid feel at home, so we search for any sign that Shelsea had been here, but find nothing. At least we can say we looked.
Finally we find the relic fragment and return to Skycrystal Atriums in triumph. When the fragments are placed in the pedestal, the Atrium Vigor relic is complete and the Skycrstal, which brings hope and light, is once again floating.
The grass is now thicker and greener and there’s flowers growing everywhere. The Mayor thanks me on behalf of the residents. Greg, Lucky and I return home to celebrate over dinner.
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Day 92 - Sunday
For now, I’m flavor of the month. Linea would not dare complain about me to Queen Sophia at present. But February is a short month. Before long, I’ll have to feed that Dark Chest again.
But not today. Today I’m going to go to Rosetum Gardens and try to get the dew nectar Ria needs. If I’m successful, tomorrow I will approve her request for the final expansion of Cloudspire Meadow.
Greg decides he will accompany Lucky and me. We can take our time and picnic in Airlash Grove. While I search for dew nectar, he will try and catch some lobsters so I can make lobster bisque for lunch next week.
Sounds good. Rosetum Gardens has become one of my favorite places. It’s so bright and colorful, it has a nice secluded place for a picnic and anything else Greg craves, and I always manage to find something useful like leafy green dresses, goblin worms, and radiant dust. I wish I found dew nectar as easily.
By noon, I’ve found enough dew nectar for Ria, so we can take our time eating. Maybe even take a nap. Or something. Or both.
There’s really no reason for us to hurry today. I really don’t have many work orders. I need to find the relic at Dawnhope Cavern and I need to find the Dark Chest’s next meal. Neither of those tasks appeal to me.
I also would like to find the last three tiles that are missing from the castle’s interior door, but it’s more likely that somebody else will find those tiles and bring them to me. All I can do is wait.
Eventually we have to leave Rosetum Gardens and return to Skycrystal atrium to give Ria the dew nectar and help her tend to the flowers. Ria shows me something she found while tidying up. It’s a door tile! Only two more to go.
The weekend turned out much better than I had hoped. We found two relic fragments and one door tile. We also got to spend quality time together for one of those days. And we’ve made progress with sharing our thoughts with each other. Best of all, Linea hasn’t reported us to Queen Sophia. Yet.
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Day 93 - Monday
No new work orders are waiting for me when I arrive at Town Hall. I suppose I shouldn’t be that surprised, after all, there’s not many buildings left that need to be upgraded. Only four, to be exact, not including Cloudspire Meadow. And I have already decided that today Cloudspire Meadow would be expanded and that I would give Ria the additional three thousand bolgins she needs to get everything ready for a visit from the Fairy Queen.
But what shall we do the rest of the day, Lucky? Look for the relic at Dawnhope Cavern or go to the Gnome Village and look for things to feed the Dark Chest? Like me, Lucky isn’t thrilled with either option. Guess I’ll flip a coin. Heads, we go to Dawnhope Cavern; tails, we visit Gnome Village.
Before I can get out a bolgin to flip, in walks the Forester. He’s become really paranoid after being attacked by the hooded stranger three months ago and wants some supplies to improve the security at the Orchard. I’m sure Shelsea’s abduction has done nothing to make him feel any safer.
I give him the golden oak, obsidian and bolgite he requests. The Forester thanks me and says he’ll ask Troglid to take a look at the materials. The Forester would also like me to come with him to forage for new ingredients. He wants to explore the Rose Garden, Rosetum Gardens, and Apricus Plaza and would feel more at ease if I were with him.
I’m delighted to have an excuse not to go to Dawnhope Cavern or Gnome Village and readily agree to accompany the Forester. And a chance to increase the good will the kingdom’s residents feel toward me is not to be sneezed at. Not now.
After exploring those three areas, the Forester thanks me and says he’s also dropping by Town Hall and would it be alright if I came along with him. Fine by me. Yet another excuse, er reason, not to go out to Gnome Village and Dawnhope Cavern.
The Mayor has a bad cough and needs help assembling posters. And glue to assemble the posters with. I leave the Forester in the safe keeping of the Mayor and zip down to the exchange with three sets of male puppets and return with thirty pots of glue. Posters are quickly assembled.
Once again the Forester thanks me and remarks on how much calmer he feels. Calm enough to make yet another trip, this time to gather herbs, that is, if I am willing to go with him. Of course I’m willing. Yet another chance to put off looking for that relic and things for the Dark Chest.
No, it’s not. The Forester wants to visit Sacred Grove, Dawnhope Cavern and the Gnome Village. I answer somewhat truthfully that I need to go to those places anyway, and I’d be glad for the company. In reality, I prefer to go about with just Lucky, or Greg if he’s available. However, it will be convenient to have somebody along to help carry what I find.
I don’t find the relic at Dawnhope Cavern, but I do find a pair of glass slippers and one face flower petal when we forage at the Gnome Village, which means if I should cross paths with Linea, I can honestly say I’ve made progress in finding the Dark Chest its next meal.
When we return to Town Hall, the Forester hands me a tile he found during our travels. A tile for the castle’s interior door! Just one more to find! Lucky and I hurry up to the castle to put the tile in place.
We meet Greg at the castle. He’s spent the day checking the inventory in the stockroom against the ledger books making sure that nothing has walked off. Everything is accounted for. Then men who’ve been dispersing the building supplies and transporting things between the castle and Town Hall are proving to be trustworthy.
Three good days in a row. And who knows, maybe tomorrow will also turn out to be a good day.
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Day 94 - Tuesday
Today is not going to be a good day. For one thing, Greg has informed me he will be spending the night at the barracks. For another, the Mayor’s cough is worse.
Yesterday, he asked me to speak with Blessilda and the Forester to see if they had any tips regarding what he should take for his cough. Both Blessilda and the Forester promised to visit the Mayor and see if they could help him. Obviously neither one of them were able to come up with a cure. Instead, their remedies made things worse.
This morning Blessilda, the Forester, and the Mayor all pay me a visit to discuss the problem. I’m not sure what they expect me to do. I’m neither a doctor nor a herbalist.
The Forester thinks we need to visit the places the Mayor went before he came down with this cough. Maybe something in the environment has made him ill. The Mayor says he went to the Gnome Village and Sacred Grove. Those are two of the places I visited yesterday with the Forester and I’m not sick. Then again, I’m not a Goblin. But the Forester is a Goblin and he’s not sick either.
At the Gnome Village, Blessilda points to the huge flower there and says she thinks that may be our culprit. When we get to Sacred Grove, the Forester puts the blame on the Singing Shrooms.
Blessilda’s is sure the way to cure the Mayor’s cough is to purchase something from the Peddler. Now I am going to be sick.
Ever the opportunist, the Peddler is waiting for us at Town Hall. Blessilda tells him that she thinks the Mayor must have contracted his incurable cough from the Magical Flower and Singing Shrooms.
The Peddler informs us that Singing Shroom and Magical Flowers are never a good combination. But lucky for us, he has a recipe for a cure. He’ll give us the recipe in exchange for ten Royal Jewelry boxes, seven puppet Kips, and 8,500 bolgins.
Looks like I won’t be upgrading any buildings today. I fill out a form and give it to the Peddler so he can pick up the items from the storage room up at the castle and wait for him to hand over the recipe.
If the Peddler has any thoughts of extracting further payment, he has a quick change of heart because Greg has just arrived and he’s carrying his sword. Suddenly I’m not so angry with Greg for yet again deciding to spend a night away from home without first discussing it with me.
The Peddler declares that it’s great doing business with me and hands over the medicine book. Before I can look up what is needed, Blessilda snatches the book from my hands and starts reading me a list of ingredients: twelve moon fountain tea mixes, ten dried snowbulbs, and six reigning star gems.
I already have the reigning star gems and eight dried snowbulbs in stock. I did have ten moon fountain tea mixes not too long ago. Now the Peddler has them - part of the extra payment he demanded for the relic divining scroll he sold me. I’m surprised he didn’t try to sell them back to me at some exorbitant price.
There’s still enough daylight for me to go to Dawnhope Cavern and find the rest of the dried snowbulb I need. The tea mix will have to wait until tomorrow. Greg and I kiss goodby. He’ll have dinner at the barracks. Just as well because I’ll probably won’t be in any mood to cook tonight. And I can get a good night’s sleep. I have a feeling I’ll be spending the entire day at the Gnome Village tomorrow.
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Day 95 - Wednesday
I want to get an early start today, but Lucky is taking his time picking out a hat to wear. And he still needs to pick some carrots for his lunch. I’m going to have to make do with fish sandwiches.
Before going to the gnome Village, I need to stop at Town Hall and leave a note for Greg asking him to meet me at the end of the day and to bring some of his men to cart back all the things I find.
And I intend to find a lot of things. In addition to the twelve moon fountain tea mixes I need for the Mayor’s cough remedy, I want to find the glass slippers and face flower petals needed to feed the Dark Chest. And I want to find enough puppet Kips to replace the ones I had to give the Peddler yesterday.
The work is arduous and makes me hungry. Even those fish sandwiches seem to taste better than usual. Of course, since I hate fish, that’s not saying much. However, by lunchtime, I’ve finished all three sandwiches and I’m casting covetous glances at Lucky’s carrots.
To my surprise, Greg arrives with two soldiers. It can’t be that late. The sun is directly overhead. As I found things, I had been sorting them into two piles. I point at the largest pile, which contains building resources, and ask that those things be brought to the castle storage room. The other pile I’ll bring back to Town Hall later.
Greg orders the men to return several hours later. They depart and he says he hopes I haven’t had lunch yet because he’s brought me some ham leftover from the dinner served at the barracks last night.
As we eat, I ask him if everything is okay down at the barracks or has some new problems arisen. Greg assures me that everything is fine, but he wants to periodically spent an evening or two down there to ensure that things remain fine.
An evening or two? Does that mean he won’t be coming home tonight either? I try to hide my disappointment.
After lunch, Greg helps me search. By the time the two soldiers return, in addition to the twelve tea mixes I’ve found twelve puppets, twelve face flower petals, and ten pairs of glass slippers. I’m not sure what I’m having for dinner tonight, but that Dark Chest will be fed.
Blessilda is waiting for me at Town Hall along with the Forester. She takes the moon fountain tea mixes, the dried snowbulb, and the reigning star gems and returns to the General Store to mix a potion for the Mayor.
The Forester says the remedy will also require some whispering lily flowers, unicorn feathers and dragon’s fruit. Praise be to Yura, I already have everything that’s needed. The Forester takes the requested items and goes to join Blessilda. He soon returns with the potion and gives it to the Mayor.
Now to feed the Dark Chest. The chest gobbles down a mystic gemshorn, five face flower petals, five goblin spurs, and six pairs of glass slippers. This time, instead of dark slime, we are rewarded with an orb which fits into the eighteenth empty slot.
Greg urges me to feed it again. For the second course, the chest is asking for a unicorn figurine, four jars of glittering dust, five air fairy runes, and five toolboxes. It’s not pleased and spits out more dark slime.
Let’s try again. This time seven puppylove flowers, seven fireblossum passion flowers, five exotic tantos and five Aquarius amulets are sacrificed in our efforts to find out what happened to Shelsea. The chest is pleased and gives us another orb, number fourteen.
Next on the menu is ten pieces of obsidian, ten pieces of bolgite, five traveler’s spyglasses and two traveler’s compasses. In return, we get more dark slime. I inform Greg that the chest is now asking for things that I don’t have in stock, so could he please lock the Dark Chest and take the slime up to the castle before he returns to the barracks.
Meanwhile I will update the ledger books. And I’m keeping track of everything that darn chest has devoured and billing Shelsea for its meals.
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Day 96 - Thursday
When Lucky and I arrive at Town Hall, the Mayor is waiting for us. He informs me that the medicine worked great and his cough is gone. I’m glad to hear it. I wasn’t looking forward to listening to him cough all day.
The Mayor has a message for me. Blessilda wants to see me. She’ll be waiting at the Shaman’s Hut. Like I didn’t spend enough time in the Gnome Village yesterday.
When I arrive at the hut, Blessilda is waiting inside. She tells me she visiting the Shaman to learn more about new recipes. Is that why she wanted me to come all this way? To tell me she’s got some new recipes?
Before I can ask her anything, she hands me a tile she found on the way here. It’s the last tile for the castle’s interior door! I thank her and quickly hurry back to Landsong Village. As I pass Town Hall on the way up to the castle, the Mayor notces what’s in my hand and congratulates me on finding another tile.
I can’t wait to see what’s behind that door. But I’m going to have to wait. When the tiles is put in place, the Bouncer attempts to unlock the door and stares in disbelief. There’s a magical barrier blocking the way. He claims it wasn’t there before.
Linea has followed me up to the castle. She sees the magical barrier and expresses her hope that I can dispel it. Why is it my job? I’m the one without magic, or has everybody forgotten that fact?
The Bouncer says it’s best to ask for help from the citizens. He’s sure they’d be willing to help and suggests that I speak to Mira, the Peddler (!), and the Mayor. My first instinct is to talk to Greg, but I don’t know where he is, so I guess I’ll do as the Bouncer suggested.
Mira wants to inspect the door before she’ll give an opinion. The peddler wants to check his inventory to see if he has anything useful. The Mayor wants to talk to the kingdom’s citizens. I thought that was what I was already doing. The Bouncer wishes me luck and says he knows I can dispel the magic. It’s touching that he has such faith in my abilities. I just wished I shared his faith.
The Peddler returns and says we can make a special glass lens that can hold magic to work with the door. I haven’t got a clue what he’s talking about. I do understand the next bit: he wants me to hand over some more items from the storage cupboard. I don’t know who consumes more of the things I collect: him, or the Dark Chest.
At least I have the items needed and don’t have to search for them. The Peddler tells me the rest is up to the Mayor and Mira. Then he takes the goods and leaves to do who knows what with them.
The Mayor has decided that Triffledore can help. He may have something we need among the many exotic items he sells. But I’ll have to go look for him. He was last seen in the Rose Garden, Skyfleet Docks, and Glitterstone Mines. None of those places are anywhere near each other. It’s going to take all day to find him.
Except I don’t find him. But when I return to Town Hall, Fahleed is there and informs me that Triffledore is out but that he said he’d be back shortly. The Mayor admits he’s been forgetful and says he will let me know when Triffledore returns.
I reply that it’s late and that I will see Triffledore tomorrow. I’m going home to see my husband. Before I can leave, Mira arrives. She’s inspected the door and has a list of things she needs to imbue magical properties to the lens. It must be my lucky day - once again I have everything needed right here in the storage cupboard.
Mira takes the things and goes off presumably to meet up with the Peddler and imbue the lens. Lucky and I leave to go home.
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Day 97 - Friday
Maybe today will be the day I finally get to see what’s behind that door. I hope that Triffledore will be in his shop and I won’t have to traipse all over the kingdom looking for him.
Triffledore is not in his shop; he’s waiting for me at Town Hall. The Mayor told him I was looking for him and he’s heard about the details for the magical lens. Even better, he has just what is needed to complete it.
But - and I just knew there would be a but - he’ll need me to look after his shop while he works on the lens. And of course I’ll need to bring artifact boxes. Lots of them. There’s quite a crowd waiting outside the shop.
So I’ll need to stop at the exchange and trade in three sets of fairy outfits. Forty-five boxes should be enough. No, they had better be enough. The past couple of days has seen way many more resources leaving storage than entering storage.
While I help people pick out their purchases, Triffledore puts the finishing touches on the lens. Finally it’s done, and I head up to the castle. Just about everyone in the shop follows me. I’m not the only one anxious to see what’s behind that door.
There’s a big crowd already at the castle. Greg is among them. He clears a path for me and I show the Bouncer the lens. I really don’t understand why it falls to me to use the lens to dispel the magic. Wouldn’t the lens be more powerful wielded by somebody who possess magic?
I ask Greg to hold on to Lucky so he doesn’t get trampled in the crowd. Then I tackle to the door. The lens dispels the magic and the Bouncer can finally open it. Before I can get a good look at what’s inside, the cloaked figure appears and fills the room with black smoke.
The smoke dissipates somewhat, but the cloaked figure has put a curse on what the Bouncer describes as a shrine of power. He says it was made by the wizard Patrick. I thought Patrick Dreadmyre was the bad guy, maybe this shrine was made before he went bad? I’ll have to ask Greg for clarification later.
The shrine’s orbs have been scattered by the cloaked figure and/or his curse but the curse will have to be cleared before the orbs can be searched for. According to the Mayor, we’ll need a big amount of light crystals. And we need to act fast before the curse spreads to other parts of the castle or to other parts of the kingdom.
The Mayor quickly enumerates what he will need: eight enchantress lamps, fourteen skycrystal guardians, and twenty sets of skycrystal earrings. Although not as pure as a light crystal, these objects contain magic and the Mayor thinks he can extract some.
Greg, Lucky and I go to check the storage cupboards at the castle and Town Hall. We have the enchantress lamps, and more than enough skycrystal guardians, which are shields forged from the strength of skycrystals. According to Greg they are rare, and he’s reluctant to part with them. They can’t be all that rare. After giving the Mayor the fourteen he needs, we’ll still have fourteen on hand.
The skycrystal earrings are a problem. I don’t have nearly enough. So I will be spending the rest of the day at Ancient Pond looking for some more. Lucky reminds me that it’s almost time for lunch. Okay, we’ll be going home for a bite to eat and then spending the rest of the day at Ancient Pond.
Once Lucky’s belly is full, I can begin my search. Too bad I didn’t know ahead of time I’d be needing so many earrings. Instead of trading all those fairy outfits for artifact boxes, I could have come here to get some and maybe have found the earrings at the same time. Oh well, at least I’ll have a supply of those boxes now. Triffledore is sure to need them.
It’s close to dark by the time I find enough earrings. The Mayor thanks me, takes the lamps, shields, and earrings and hurries off to try and extract enough magic. Lucky and I hurry home, where I hope I can magically make dinner appear on the table before Greg comes home.
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Day 98 - Saturday
It’s the weekend, but I won’t be spending time, quality or otherwise, with Greg. Instead I will be spending the entire day with the Mayor looking for runes: medical human runes, goblin runes of crystals, and life fairy runes.
I’m not sure whether we’re going to use the crystals I found yesterday to extract more magic from the runes, or the other way around. Not that it matters whether I understand what’s going on.
In addition to the runes, there’s a lot of other useful items that can be found at Mystic Copse, the Rose Garden and Fairy Dragon Nest. I’m going to need help carrying them back to Town Hall. Perhaps Greg would like to join the Mayor and me on our search?
Greg would not. He will assign one of the soldiers to accompany us. Whatever. I hope he has something to do outside of Town Hall because it’s going to be upgraded today while the Mayor and I are gone.
First stop is Mystic Copse. The Mayor decides to sit in the tree house and wait for me to find the necessary runes. The young soldier Greg assigned to carry things for me offers to help search. Together we find some pet food, puppets, a jewel egg, and various runes, including the kind the Mayor needs. Each time we find one, the Mayor comes out of the tree house to extract some magic from rune into the crystal.
Next stop is the Rose Garden. Once again, the Mayor makes himself comfortable, this time in the Rosepetal Cellar, while the rest of us search. Nice work if you can get it. I suppose if I had been born with magic I’d get to sit and watch while somebody else did the dirty work.
Items found at the Rose Garden include yellow and scarlet moonflowers, toolboxes, more puppets, and more runes. Once again, each time we find the correct type of rune the Mayor emerges and extracts the magic into the crystal.
Last stop is the Fairy Dragon Nest. The Mayor makes himself comfortable in the armory. I just need to find three more runes. The Mayor was in such a hurry to get started that I didn’t have time to go back home and pack some lunch. Lucky was fortunate to find some carrots at Mystic Copse, but I’m feeling a little bit faint from hunger. I wish Greg would show up with some food.
Last stop is the Fairy Dragon Nest. The Mayor makes himself comfortable in the armory. I just need to find three more runes. The Mayor was in such a hurry to get started that I didn’t have time to go back home and pack some lunch. Lucky was fortunate to find some carrots at Mystic Copse, but I’m feeling a little bit faint from hunger. I wish Greg would show up with some food.
Quickly I find the last rune for the Mayor. He extracts the magic, and hands me the crystal. It should be strong enough to clear the curse up at the castle. I wonder if he has an magic he could use on Greg to calm him down and make him see reason.
Once again, when I return to the castle, there’s a crowd gathered. I use the crystal to clear the curse and the Bouncer practically genuflects in my presence, proclaiming me truly worthy of being Steward. He says he can trust me with this place. I’m not sure just what he means by that. I’ve got enough to do as it is. I don’t have time to stand around and guard this shrine.
I steal a quick glance at Greg. He’s looking a little less grim since the curse has been lifted. The Bouncer tells me to look around the room. He points out three things I might want to take a closer look at: a door on the left, a bookcase on the right, and the shrine itself and adds that it is claimed that the Shrine grants power to the one who restores it. Greg no longer looks grim, he looks pensive.
I decide to examine the bookcase first. A number of books are missing from the shelves. The Bouncer informs me there use to be a passage where the bookcase now stands. He tries to push the bookcase aside, but it won’t budge. The Bouncer is convinced the bookcase is enchanted. He has a friend from Gizmotek who might know more about the bookcase and leaves to fetch him.
Next I check out the door. Ria and Quinn are also interested in that door. One the other side of it is a pet corral. Linea tells me that Cecil used to take care of the animals out there. The door is locked but Linea hopes we can open it soon. By we I know she means me.
Linea turns her attention to the shrine and shrieks that the shrine’s orbs are missing. Gee, I wonder who has to find them? Linea is sure that if I find all of them I’ll be blessed by the shrine’s power. She wants to ask for the Fairy Queen’s help. Linea is sure the Fairy Queen will be able to notice the dark magic released by the cloaked figure.
I’m not sure how that will help, but it will have to wait until tomorrow morning. Right now I’m going home to get something to eat. And an explanation from Greg for his behavior.
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Day 99 - Sunday
The walk home from the castle yesterday was a long silent one. Neither Greg nor I said a word. Dinner was equally as silent, each of us waiting for the other to apologize or offer an explanation.
When it became obvious that he was not going to be the one to broach the subject, I asked Greg if he planned to go to the barracks and apologize to the soldier he had lambasted at the Fairy Dragon Nest. He shook his head. In Greg’s opinion, he was the one owed an apology. How dare I let another man hold me in his arms?
Fine, I apologize. Next time I feel like I’m going to faint from lack of food, I’ll tell everybody to stand back and just let me crack my skull open on the stone floor. Now how about apologizing to me for leaping to the conclusion that there was something romantic going on between me and what’s his face?
What follows doesn’t sound like an apology. It’s more of a long, rambling attempt to justify his behavior. Surely I must have noticed that many of the soldiers find me attractive and would welcome any sign of encouragement from me...
Um, no, I hadn’t noticed and besides, I was not encouraging that sort of behavior. Surely by now everyone in the kingdom had noticed that I was in love with my husband.
Greg points out that ours is an arranged marriage. I point out that if I hadn’t loved him, no matter how many pieces of paper he produced, I still would not have married him. I’m just sorry to learn that he doesn’t feel the same way. Greg sighs and goes off to sulk in the armory. I run upstairs and lock the door and cry myself to sleep.
To think that last year I was unhappy because I didn’t have a date for the Valentine’s dance that bossy woman Fatima forced me to organize. I wish my problems now were that trivial.
I have a missing mermaid to track down, fourteen missing shrine orbs to locate, a relic to find, and a voracious slime spitting Dark Chest to feed. I need to appease a talking owl so she doesn’t have me arrested for treason. And the one person I should be able to count on thinks I’d like to go at it with the entire armed forces.
When I arrive at Town Hall and check my desk, I discover that the Centaurs wish me to visit them at the Stone Circle. Oh, and how could I forget, I still have all those papers that were moved from the castle to look through.
I promised to meet with the Fairy Queen this morning. That should get me started on finding those orbs. The Fairy Queen tells me she felt dark magic being released in the castle. She thinks the cloaked figure wants to impede my progress here in the kingdom. The orbs were cloaked by magic and scattered but she’ll try to undo the magic that hides them.
Of course she needs my help in gathering materials. I’m to bring her seven jars of radiant fairy dust, fourteen jars of coruscating fairy dust and ten Faita Conclave fairy crests. I actually have all that is needed on hand. But my supplies of everything are rapidly being diminished. If this keeps up, everything that’s left can be brought back from the castle to the newly expanded Town Hall.
The Fairy Queen thanks me for the supplies and leaves to start preparing the spell. It doesn’t take long for Mira to appear. The Fairy Queen has sent her to find more items. She needs me to accompany her to Coral Cove, Rosetum Gardens, and the Fairy Dragon Nest.
To my surprise Greg appears and says he will go with us. I’m going to need somebody to help carry things so I guess I should be grateful he’s offered to help. Mira finds whatever it is she was sent to get. I really don’t pay much attention to what I’ve found. It probably won’t be in my possession that long anyway.
After Mira leaves, Greg suggests we go home for some lunch. He insists that I misunderstood what he was saying last night. Of course he loves me. It’s just that other people don’t understand that an arranged marriage can also be a love match.
I don’t know what he expects me to do about what other people may think. I can’t control other people’s thoughts. I only care about what he thinks. And it hurts...a lot...that he thought I would want anybody except him.
No more time for talk. The Fairy Queen has cast her spell across the kingdom and determined the locations of three of the orbs. I’m to search for them at the Forgotten Glen, Mystic Copse, and the Rose Garden. Two of those three places have special meaning to Greg and me. Maybe visiting them together will help us get over this rough patch.
I do have one question I hope he will answer. The Bouncer said that the shrine would grant power to whoever restore it? What happens if more than one person finds the orbs and returns them to the shrine?
Queen Sophia, I interject. Who’s not here, Greg replies, but who has appointed...I interrupt and suggest that maybe we should send for her. Greg just shakes his head no. I’ve already spent more time ruling the kingdom than she did, he points out, and everybody is pleased with the job I’m doing. No need to send for her.
Perhaps he’s right. We should at least wait until we figure out what happened to Shelsea. But right now, we need to find those orbs. They’re a nice bright shade of blue and easily spotted. The Fairy Queen is waiting at the shrine and is pleased that I’ve found three of them. She suggests that I ask the other citizens for help in locating the rest of them.
I’ll do that. First thing tomorrow.
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Day 100 - Monday
Happily ever after sure is a bumpy road. I so much want to believe that Greg loves me, and that what worries him is that other people might think me no better than I aught to be if I’m alone with another man.
But this is no way to live and I need somebody to help me lug around all the things I’m expected to find for the residents of the kingdom. So Greg is just going to have deal with it. If anything, his outburst made it more likely that somebody will make advances toward me. Like it or not, he will have to apologize to his underling and assign him the job of assisting me to prove to everybody that his suspicions were groundless. And Greg does not like it one little bit.
The Bouncer has returned from Gizmotek and is waiting for me at Town Hall. He wants me to come with him to the Castle to meet his friend Keagan who used to guard the shrine room. The Bouncer is heading off to Gizmotek and Keagan will be taking over the guarding duties.
Keagan informs me that the bookcase unlocks, but only when the correct magic books are placed on it. Gotcha. I need to add find missing magical books to the long list of things that are missing and waiting to be found by me. I’m surprised nobody has asked me to find Lord Lucan or Atlantis while I’m at it.
Keagan has been thinking about where to find the rest of the books missing from the bookcase. But everything that has happened has left his mind foggy. I’m not sure what he’s talking about. He was back in Gizmotek when the door was unlocked and the cloaked figure scattered the orbs and presumably the books. I was there when it happened, and if my mind isn’t foggy, why should his be?
The upshot is Keagan thinks he needs a breather. He’s been guarding the shrine for what, five minutes? I’ve been working one hundred days without a day off, but please, take time off to clear your foggy mind.
During his time away from guard duty, Keagan would like to help out around the town. The Mayor has given him a list of supplies needed by various residents and Keagan wonders if I could help him out. Hmm. Actually he would be helping me out, since normally the Mayor would come to me with the list and I’d have to deliver it. But we’ll need to find somebody to guard the shrine.
For a change, Greg’s timing is perfect. He’s just arrived at the castle accompanied by that young soldier he went postal on. Guess he swallowed his pride an apologized. I explain to Greg about Keagan’s foggy mind. For at least today, I won’t need help. Maybe his subordinate would be able to take over guard duty? Greg is very pleased with the idea.
Good. Problem solved. Now to see if I have everything on Keagan’s list. Nope. I explain to Keagan we’ll need to go to the exchange to pick up some of the paintbrushes, pet food and fungi tiles.
While Keagan is delivering the goods, I decide to take Lucky shopping. Poor little fella is feeling unloved and ignored lately. I really need to pay more attention to him. Lucky picks out a red bow tie and wants to go home to put on his straw boater instead of his fedora. Sounds good to me. We can grab a bite of lunch while we’re there.
When I return to Town Hall after lunch, Keagan is waiting for me with another list. This time he needs thread, blueprints, and artifact boxes. We’ll need to make another trip to the exchange for the artifact boxes, but everything else I already have on hand.
Keagan returns from his deliveries and announces that his mind is now clear. And he’s found ‘it’ but I don’t want to know where he found ‘it’. Okay, I’ll settle for knowing just what ‘it’ is.
‘It’ turns out to be one of the books missing from the bookcase in the shrine room. I decide to accompany Keagan to the castle to put the book on the shelf. And Keagan can resume his guard duties.
I haven’t made much progress today finding things on that long list of missing objects/persons, but I’ve done a good job of mending fences and soothing hurt feelings.