Ulius was jumping around, excited.

„This is a real mystery! The moment I’ve waited for all these years! I’m sure of it. I’d give a hand to know what it says.”

„It’s not elven, neither beauhemian nor dwarven,” established Vella, who had learned all three alphabets at her school.

„It’s not in Western Autarchy’s characters either,” said Estella, who was familiar with those.

„Let me try something,” proposed Sirinn.

He stretched his hand forward, touching the metal sheet with his index. A small red ant crawled from under his sleeve and onto the object.

"Iiii! What’s that THING!" jumped Estella back, like electrocuted. "Crush it, crush it! I hate bugs!"

The ant had meanwhile dissolved in the sheet. After a second, the mysterious characters began to shift on their own, rearranging themselves.

„It's not a bug,” Sirinn tried to calm her. “It’s a multipurpose spell, now it will function as a sort of universal translator. Very useful for trade.”

“If it looks like a bug, it’s a bug!” the princess retorted. “Don’t do that again!”

“Sure. Now let’s see...”

He took the folder and sat back on the chair, putting his feet on the desk, examining the writing and enjoying the attention that the rest of them were giving him, waiting quietly. His forehead started frowning, more and more until finally, he spoke.

„That’s... beyond strange. Better listen:

Most Brilliant Highnesses,

I humbly wrote to you to let you know I’m doing well and am now d’Ornia. I’ve established shops in all the important cities on the Continent, as ordered.

D’Ornia, political analysis

D’Ornia is a particular case. It’s ruler, the Governor, is infirm, for causes I’ll explain later. His only daughter has no children, so d’Ornia has a real succession problem. Talks had been made with The City that one of the Royal Princes, Ulius or Estella, to take the Governorate when they reach adulthood...

„What? What? This cannot be; they never told me!” shouted Ulius. His sister's expression was still as a rock. „You knew?” he asked her, furious.

„Yes. I’ve felt it, never mind how much they tried to hide it,” she confessed. “And I plan to be the chosen one because here my powers are weakened tenfold, and I can sleep.”

„No way!” he protested. „It will be me; I know this city by heart. I know every policeman by name. I’m a junior honorific detective in the force. I...”

„Let Sirinn continue, or I’ll pull your ears off!” menaced Vella.

„So... where was I?... Here...

„The two children are sent here every year for the summer holiday, to learn the d’Ornian ways. While princess Estella is highly respected by all – see? she said – due to her powers, the boy really takes this city to heart and always asks around about the wheels that make it work – now was Ulius turn to look back proudly. But, most high and brilliant masters, let me tell you how it came to this and use an article from The Ohst Daily because it looks like the author has intimate knowledge about the subject.

Now comes the article. It is written by Ernest, my boss, well, my former boss, as he gave me to you. He writes art and culinary chronics in secret. A little like your dad, Vella, only he is good at the job.”

„Dad is good too,” she stated. „Mom reads his poems to students when they break the rules and need punishment. It has a potent deterrent effect. Sorry for the interruption, please continue.”

„As I’ve said, he writes all sorts of things, under the pseudonym Tersen Selenius. Tersen is Ernest’s anagram, and Selenius, well, he’s a clone from the Second Moon, like your mother, Vella. Here comes the article.”

„How’s all that on a sheet of metal? Looks too small to hold so many words.” wondered Frey’r.

„It’s a magical scrolling scroll, mate. Never saw one before, but if you read Prince Consort's adventures, you learn about them. They just go on and on; you just wave your finger up or down and the content change. Can I continue, please? Thanks. So:

The Madness Aria

Yesterday, the Theater Hall of the Rhits Palace – we have a theater too, in case you don’t know – hosted the famous La Musa opera company, owned by Ejlsa Scarabeida. We had the pleasure - or should I say the discomfort, because I had tears in my eyes? – to hear the premiere of the opera The Madness Aria, music by Ejlsa Scarabeida on a libretto by Anthonide Greghor.

How was it? I’m afraid that words cannot describe it, and yet, I have to try. If you still don’t trust my words at the end of this article, please see the opera. It will be represented every fourth evening until the middle of the Middle Month Festival; afterward, it will move to the Western Autarchy.

The artists are exceptional.

Ejlsa Sarabeida holds the leading role, representing a young artist named Flora.

Sall Mandera, the co-owner of the Rhits, sings Amanita, the secondary female character; she will be replaced by the tremendous elven mezzo Doremifairiel – I suspect this is a pseudonym – in the Autarchy.

A pupil of Ejlsa Scarabeida, Rhodrigo Sgrer, sings Janosh, the lead male role. While we sometimes wished for less vibrato and more maturity from him, he has a most impressive voice.

And finally, The King was sung by the dwarf Nick O’Vale. A profound base, who makes us wish that more dwarves would consider the Arts as a professional option.

Of course, the choir and orchestra were perfect. They were directed by Maestro Ulfsen, another dwarf, and his lead had the impressive dwarven precision we all expected.

And now, dear reader, should I tell you a secret? THE secret? It is said that this opera represents Ejlsa’s own life...”

Sirinn stopped abruptly, gasping.

„Oh, Providence! It’s true... I’ve seen the rehearsals, just before we left for d’Ornia... How could I’ve been so blind... how? It’s so obvious! Oh, my... this is a sad story...”

„Shut up and read on!” pressed him Vellantina, not in the most logical manner, and he obeyed, although they all could feel the knot in his throat.

„Can it be true, dear reader? You be the judge. Even before it was finished, the opera was interdicted in d’Ornia, where Ejlsa is Persona non Grata. Maybe those events are related? Hmm.... – he says hmm, not me, made the point Sirinn.

The action takes place in the „imaginary” kingdom of Nordia. In the royal palace, the king gives a ball for his mistress, Flora. He asks her to sing something for the guests. Ensues one of the most beautiful and serene arias: Clouds, don’t rain on my happy blue sky. Its serenity is in stark contrast with the rest of the opera. At its end, Flora’s voice hiccups; she recognizes among the guests her former lover, the brigand Janosh. She mimics a cough crisis and follows him to a balcony, where he sings the aria, „Oh, why did you leave me, return, oh, return, my love.” During the following recitative, we learn about Ejlsa’s life – sorry, my bad, said Sirinn, it’s written Flora, but it’s obvious it’s about her, Ejlsa. When she was young, she loved an elf, and they had a daughter together. Fate was cruel, while on a trip, their ship sunk hitting a piece of ice... – hmm, seems familiar somehow, maybe from some old legend - and the rescue boat on which the elf and the girl were was taken away by the Current, never to be seen again. Heartbroken, Flora erred on the Realm, singing for a living. When she met Janosh, years later, it was a second chance at love, but he had a risky life, not suitable for a family, and she succumbed to the advances of the King, who wanted the most beautiful woman on the Realm as a trophy mistress.– well, Ejlsa IS the most beautiful woman around, said Sirinn.

“Moms are!” said Estella forcefully, but he continued his reading.

“Janosh asks her to return to him, again, but she refuses. Act two. In the brigand hideout. Enter Amanita, the King’s ex-mistress. Bad places have no fury like a scorned dame, says the proverb, and such says her poignant aria too. The woman proposes an alliance. Together, they’ll assassinate the king. She’ll take power, and he’ll take back Ejl... – Flora, sorry. Reluctantly, he agrees.

Act 3. During the king’s visit to an industrial plant. The conspirators sabotaged it to explode. Janosh and Amanita prepare to start the fuse at a safe distance, but suddenly he sees Ejlsa accompanying the monarch. They argue, she moves to light the fuse, but he shoots her with a crossbow and runs towards the plant. He sees, in his back...”

„How is it possible?” asked Ulius incredulously. “He runs forward, and he sees in his back?”

„It’s how things work in the operas, kid. They stab someone, and he sings on for hours. Let me read.

He sees in his back Amanita, still alive; she was only wounded in the shoulder. She lights the fuse, a magical unextinguishable fuse – I know, it’s not possible, just indulge me – and he runs again toward the plant, singing his aria: Get out, it’s a bomb. Due to the moment's tension, the aria Get out, it’s a bomb was shortened to three minutes. He does three tours of the stage while singing, then grabs Ejl... Flora in his arms and runs back. Ensues a colossal explosion, the special effects created by Maestro Ulfsen, this time in his quality as an engineer in explosives. The act ends with Amanita exiting while singing one modified Refrain from her aria: When a scorned woman walks, the Realm tremble.

Last act. The royal palace. The monarch is now in a wheelchair, on a balcony. The explosion broke his legs. All the conspirators, save Amanita, who ran away, were arrested and are now executed in the yard below. Mister Karelich the Little, a northern barbarian and Ejlsa’s Scarabeida’s bodyguard, plays the executioner, using some mannequins. Although the company gently asked the City Council for some real criminals to make the scene even more dramatic, it was denied. Last in the condemned queue, Janosh.

On her knees, Ejl... Flora asks the king to spare Janosh. She cries. She promises she’ll be forever his’ mistress. Then menaces, she’ll leave him. The king replies that she loves too much her gilded cage to ran away. Looking into her eyes, Janosh loses his head. Total darkness. Then, light on Flora. She is surrounded now by a black magic aura, and that one is real. You, dear reader, might know that she is one of the most potent magicians on the Realm, almost au pair with the Royal Consort. This is the moment. This is THE MADNESS ARIA. She curses the king, will be the last of his line to hold the throne, and everybody in his family will become sterile by the power of her curse. When the final notes are sung, she jumps from the balcony into the yard to end her life. A small ray of light sits now on the body. Slowly, she raises. It’s the Magic itself who healed her. Silently, she exits. Curtain.

This... this ends the... article... „ sobbed Sirinn. You cannot imagine how powerful that aria is. Just thinking about it raises the hair on my arms.”

„Shut up. Just shut up!” whispered Estella, tears flowing on her cheeks. „I swear not to love, ever. Too much pain!”

„What’s the big deal, some heads cut,” pretended Vellantina to be strong while wiping her nose on her sleeve.

„Poor Governor, poor Missy...” sighed Ulius. „Sterilized!”

„Common guys!” said Frey’r with disgust. „Get a grip. Wake up! I can’t believe it! Seriously?”

„What can you expect from a barbarian?” rose Vellantina her nose. „How can he understand art?”

„Art is the least of our problems. Don’t you realize? A shopkeeper who has a magical scrolling scroll, knows state secrets, and does a political analysis? THIS. IS. A. SPY. REPORT. Who is Sem? Who is his master? What do they want? He knows one of you is in line for the succession here, and he’s acquainted with both of you. This is serious.”

„Oh...” said Vellantina. „If you put it this way...”

„There’s a red light beeping on the sheet,” warned Sirinn suddenly. „What should I do about it?”

„Shut it, shut it!” shouted Estella.

Before he had the chance to say he had no idea how to do it, a flash of light blinded them.