Hidden History

[Velaine Krome]

Hidden History

4th of Vhalar, Arc 717

Desperate. That’s what she must be.

The young woman could not believe she had actually dragged herself to the Library to look for some fairy tale story – especially considering that she did not even know which books to look for. Though to be fair, it probably wasn’t entirely made up. After all, Gerard Krome existed and some point in history and her being here was prove of that already. That was the believable part. The unbelievable part was that after all these time, no one had ever found a trace of it.

Everyone in Rynmere must have heard about Gerard Krome’s sunken treasure. Her ancestor was known for his unique request. He wanted to build a massive ship on the lake. While most would imagine the man was planning to travel with it, Gerard simply moved his wealth atop of it and decided to live there. He did not want anyone else joining him except for his three wives. The stories varied after that. Some say the ship immediately sunk once everything was loaded, others say that they had actually lived there before the ship suddenly sunk. Never to be seen again. Not even after countless treasure hunters had tried to find it. Meanwhile, her family believed that only someone of the wolves’ blood and deemed worthy may find it.

It certainly sounded like a fairy tale to her.

Earlier in the morning, Velaine had been wandering about the city without anything in mind. Sophia Krome had wanted to visit a tailor there and told her daughter to simply find ways to occupy herself. The young woman was more than glad to put some space between them. Besides, she hadn’t had the chance to truly explore Andaris since she returned. While the young woman never spent that much time in capital, walking through it still brought waves of nostalgia. For no real reason, the young woman recalled Zara rambling to her about the stories of Gerard Krome in a carriage ride through the city. The fabled riches hidden underwater for anyone to find. A treasure that was her family’s right.

Before she knew it, the Krome was already slipping through the doors of the library.

It had instantly reminded her of the Great Library in Ne’haer, but it was still not quite the same. Now that she thought about it, Velaine had never visited the library in Rynmere before – at least not that she could recall. She still thought that reading was a bore, but the young woman had grown fond of the serenity libraries offer. The silence was invigorating and allowed her to think clearly.

Well, now that she was here… Velaine was not sure what she had to gain by trying to find information of her ancestor’s story. It wasn’t as if she could dive into the lake and grab whatever treasure that was hidden there. Still, with her family suffering financially, the thought of a hidden cache of gold wasn’t a difficult idea to entertain. If Velaine was to waste time waiting her mother to finish shopping, she might as well do something slightly educational.

Walking between the shelves, Velaine let her hand run across the book bindings as she read them through. Rynmere: A Brief History. The Fall of Luthreign. Genealogy of Kings and Queens. She had at least correctly remembered where the history section was in the library. Nonetheless, it was still a whole lot of collection she needed to look through.

Sighing out loud, the young woman continued her journey deeper into the building.

[Caius Gawyne]

If Andaris had nothing else going for it, the capital had an impressive overabundance of libraries. Two, to be exact, both at the University and in mid-town proper, both large and rich with tomes that were, together, a healthy rival for the glorious library in Viden. That said, Caius was biased as a Gawyne, and the stores of knowledge his family kept written back in his homeland were, in his mind, superior in their meticulous detail, if nothing else, though that knowledge held the stale, dusty air of a family secret and even the northern noble kept to himself about such things.

Saun's warmth lingered this early into Vhalar and even though a single sun's light filtered through the large windows of the Library, the stacks were toasty and the glitter of gilding on book spines pleasant to see. To-trial, Caius had made his way from campus to mid-town after another long night of printing at the Gazette, his habitual lack of sleep worn as well as usual while he wandered through a particular stack of books, making his way through the Rynmere history section on his way toward the religious texts in order to find one more source for his class. He'd found that both the Andaris Library and the University libraries' religious texts were largely biased toward Rynlism and creating a more mythological view of the Immortals, but of both libraries, this one held within its shelves a bit more of a broader opinion.

Finding historical and religious texts on Treid would have been easier in Viden, and Caius could still remember the call numbers of several books he could have used. However, he was studying back in Rynmere now and had little choice but to sift through the dusty skitch and find the rare books worth using in his current research for class.

Black ink lingered under his fingernails and clung to the creases of his knuckles, and he ran a hand through casually unkempt blond hair while turning the corner toward the next section, noting it was occupied. The young woman in the aisle that—if he remembered correctly—was dedicated to genealogy and lineage was holding a thick tome in her hands and yet appeared dissatisfied with her singular finding.

Sharp blue eyes eyed the title and the young Gawyne smirked. His path lay past her, but he couldn't help but comment,

"That account is alright," Caius nodded at her book, gaze darting over the cover and yet lingering over her person, lowering his voice for a moment as if he worried who would hear him in the public library, "But I've heard the author is quite the populist and his works are often cited by the RCA to undermine historical legitimacy and add fuel to justifying their rumors."

He rolled his narrow shoulders in a shrug, looking over the books on the shelf, stained fingers smoothing out the violet brocade of his vest. He clearly wasn't a library clerk but he also wasn't at all bothered by sticking a boot into someone else's business, confident in his knowledge with a lopsided, amused expression while he continued his somewhat conspiratory words, "If you're looking for something a little more open-minded, I can make a few suggestions depending on what you're researching. But if you're into that sarding sort of thing, well, go on."

❦

[Velaine Krome]

There were so many books dedicated to genealogies and the young woman couldn’t really tell the difference. They seemed to come from different authors, but Velaine decided to just pick one and pulled it out of its perch. Flipping through the pages slowly, she paused only when the name Krome caught her eyes. As she followed the lines that supposedly showed the relations between the families, Velaine realized she didn’t even know how many generations it had been since Gerard Krome’s famed treasure sank.

Record keeping had never been her house’s strongest suit. The grand tales of their family are retold mostly from mouth to mouth, the stories changing the smallest bit every time it was told.

Velaine nearly jumped in surprise as a masculine voice floated from behind her. She turned her head only to be greeted by a young man with unkempt hair and blue eyes. Her first thought was that she had been fortunately approached by the few librarians that traversed the building, but a further inspection to his attire said otherwise.

“If you're looking for something a little more open-minded, I can make a few suggestions depending on what you're researching. But if you're into that sarding sort of thing, well, go on.” The confidence in his tone was more than enough to convince her that the man was knowledgeable about the library – at least a lot more than she did.

With an embarrassed smile, the Krome tucked the tome back where it belonged. “Admittedly, I have no idea what I am doing. I am looking for earlier records about the first people to settle in Rynmere, but I don’t even have the slightest clue as where to start. It has been ages since the last time I’ve been here.”

[Caius Gawyne]

"The first people to settle in Rynmere? In general?" Caius may have realized he startled the woman, but he didn't necessarily feel the need to apologize. The Library was quiet, and often speaking up had that affect. His sharp, blue gaze wandered over the books behind her as if he was trying to get a sense of direction from one stack to the next from the call numbers and titles alone,

"I believe we'll need the next stack over," Caius hooked an ink-stained thumb over his shoulder before leading the way to the next set of shelves. Running fingers over the spines, he looked at them instead of the woman while he talked, "Anything in particular? One of the House founders or perhaps a specific location?"

Pointing to the carefully scribed numbers on the shelves, the northern noble explained after running a hand through his unkempt dark blonde hair,

"These numbers are call numbers and they help organize the books. Each House has it's own section and then more general early Rynmere history begins here." He'd allow her the opportunity to explore, not quite in a hurry to head off in his own direction just in case she had any further questions. He dug at some ink under his fingernails while he watched her investigate the books, most of which were well-organized once she took the time to explore it and see how they were arranged.

"I'm Caius, by the way. I don't actually work here, but I spend far too much time here for my own good." The young Gawyne grinned then, but didn't give his title or his House name, just allowing himself a breath of anonymity. The young brunette may have been familiar, but in this moment, he couldn't place her. Given that he spent most of his time as far out of noble society as he could manage, he wasn't even in the mind to think about who she was other than just another student who felt like getting of campus and into town for a different library experience for the trial.

❦

[Velaine Krome]

Velaine’s eyes followed the direction where the man was pointing, still feeling mildly lost despite his explanation. She saw the call numbers he mentioned, the way it marked the books. It seemed like the books were arranged in order of the numbers. Helpful information and all, but that meant she probably needed to learn what the numbers meant.

“I am looking for Krome’s history, actually,” the young woman admitted as she looked up to him. He was certainly not the type of man she would expect to spend most of his time in a library. From the way he dressed, he probably wouldn’t be too out of place in Rynmere’s high society. Probably a student from the Rynmere University? She couldn’t imagine there would be a lot of people who knew how to navigate a library so well.

She returned Caius’s smile. “I’m Velaine and it seemed like I don’t spend enough time in the library.” The young woman refrained from providing her surname. Back in Ne’haer, the young woman would have no problem introducing herself as a Krome, but that name is far too recognizable here. Looking at man hopefully, she added, “Are you in a hurry or some sort? If not, I am hoping that you might be interested to be my guide? I’d rather not find myself lost in a library like a fool.”

“Do you think they might have detailed accounts of Gerard Krome?” Velaine mused as she scanned the titles on the next shelf. People had always boasted about Rynmere’s vast collection of books and knowledge, so they must have some good resources, right? “I have been wanting to research the tales of his famous treasure – I’m sure you’ve heard about it. The stories have been passed down through so many generations that I wonder if it was simply a folktale.”

[Caius Gawyne]

"Krome's history?" Caius smirked, an unobscured hint of judgement crossing his aquiline features. What could be so sarding interesting about that House, anyway? His blue eyes warmed noticeably toward a deeper green, his mixed blood heritage giving his emotions away, "There'd be more detailed accounts at the University's library, but, well, let's see what we can find."

He shrugged his narrow shoulders, considering her for a moment or two longer than was perhaps socially acceptable when she gave her name, clearly curious about both her topic of interest and who she may have been. Aware that Velaine was probably doing the same from her side of the conversation, the young Gawyne kept his smile and returned to looking over the books,

"Gerard? The first Krome." Caius revealed his awareness of House history, running a finger that still had hints of black ink under his nail along a couple of gilded leather spines, "Folktales and truths often blend together with the passage of time, and if I've heard of this famous treasure before, I can't recall. I'm a Ga—er—I'm from Gawyne, so our old stories are perhaps a little less focused on the likes of Gerard. Most of the time."

He laughed, quiet and teasing, choosing a couple of books from the stack. One of them he handed to Velaine right away, but the other he paused to inspect, noting how much it was showing wear. The leather cover had begun to peel away from the backboard it had been glued to and the spine binding was loose, implying the stitching that held the sections in needed re-sewn. Opening the older book, the printer's diri ran fingers over some of the hand-scribed parchment pages, testing their looseness with an annoyed expression passing over his features. He lingered on a page with a beautiful illumination and hand-tooled gilding with obvious admiration, the illustration was one of a boat and a lake, which seemed to imply the very old tome indeed had some of the history that the young woman was looking for,

"This one's probably rather relevant." He offered the book to Velaine gingerly, implying that she should also take care in handling it, "I don't think this tome should leave the library before Penelope looks at it, but it should do for now."

Caius watched the young woman for a moment, clearly curious, though perhaps just aloof enough to not ask all the wrong questions. She was easy enough to look at, and his still-green eyes studied her features as if wondering whether or not he should know her or of her. The grin that crept into his features was mischievous, and he kept his voice down because it was the sarding library after all,

"If you're not a student ... are you researching some family history?"

❦

[Velaine Krome]

At Caius’s tone when he heard of her interest, the young woman arched an eyebrow. “What? I find all history fascinating.” Her words were actually the truth. Velaine had always been somewhat interested in the old stories. While she was not the sort to sit down and plough through old books, she considered to take history classes in Ne’haer. Though, in the end, her curiousity of the human psyche won out. “Especially one that might offer some treasures to those who seek it.” At the last moment, Velaine noticed that the man’s eyes were now a pretty green. A Biqaj, then?

Velaine gratefully took the book from Caius’s hands and took in the beautiful rendering of the lake and a boat. She could see the piles of gold scattered on its deck. Did the artist drew it from reality? Or did he had to imagine it for himself? It certainly looked rather enchanting, something out of a storybook rather than history.

“Well, Caius from Gawyne,” the female Krome mused as her fingers tapped the cover of the old tome. She couldn’t recall if she had ever visited Gawyne before, but she had definitely about them. Her mother had made sure that her knowledge of nobility was more than adequate. “I heard that the people of Gawyne are historians? I’m guessing that’s why you seem so comfortable in the library?”

“If you’re not a student ... are you researching some family history?”

Velaine laughed lightly, waving away his question. She figured there was no need for him to know that she was looking for her family history. “I am flattered that you think I am some noble lady. Technically, I am a student… from the Ne’haer Academies, at least.” The young woman was certainly no stranger to lying, but she wondered if she had convinced him. “You’re not entirely wrong, though. I am from Krome.”

Glancing at the rows of books, the young woman wondered how she was supposed to find all the knowledge they might offer. Some of them must have something useful, right? “The gist of it is simple really. Gerard Krome was a treasure hunter and a very good one. He amassed quite the collection of gold and trinkets – mountains of them. One day, for some reason, the Krome built a massive ship and moved his treasure there. They say his wealth was too many that the ship sunk with him and his wives. Ghastly ending, if I say so myself.”

She turned to look at her library companion. “It’s weird, don’t you think? A pile of treasure with a sunken ship so big, yet no one had ever found it?”

[Caius Gawyne]

"All history? Mmm." Caius smirked at her comment, his eyes a warm green in curious amusement. Whether he believed her or not was unclear, but he shrugged his narrow shoulders, "I've yet to find anyone who suddenly found happiness with riches, but there are certainly more valuable treasures than wealth."

As a Gawyne, he meant knowledge, but history was also a treasure when recorded and passed on. He watched her look over the illumination on the page of the book, chuckling at her question, "Yes, it's true. My people value knowledge, both as scholars and historians, pursuing the truth and preserving it for all time. The lessons that can be learned from a meticulous and well-recorded history are indeed important. I grew up in Umbridge, where there's a library that sarding well rivals both this one and the University's put together, yes. But, uh, I'm also a student at the moment ... so I spend a lot of time here."

His tone was a mixture of both self-depreciation and pride, comfortable with his heritage even if he didn't feel the need to bring his title into the conversation,

"Ne'haer Academies. Ah. I've been to Viden, but I've yet to travel as far as Ne'Haer. I hear the tensions there aren't so dissimilar to Rynmere, although their opinions on the Immortals are certainly more open-minded." Caius reached for one more book, just barely careful enough not to improperly brush against the dark-haired woman looking for Krome's lost treasure in literature, grinning coyly as he did so,

"I certainly wouldn't want to drown," The young Gawyne agreed despite being aware that his thoughts on death were somewhat of an exception to most, pausing to thumb through the book he chose with fingers that had black ink almost permanently under his fingernails. Skimming over the text, he considered Gerard's story as Velaine told it. Masses of wealth, three wives, and a boat. It sounded like a recipe for trouble to him. Looking up from the page he'd landed on, he waved it in the dark-haired woman's direction, willing to hold it so she could read because he'd already made her hands full. The chapter was of an account of an expedition—led by a Gawyne—to Krome for the very same reasons. Unprepared for the weather conditions and the depth of the lake, they found nothing, but noted that the actual depth of the lake had never been recorded,

"But at least he was surrounded by everything he claimed to love. From the sounds of things, however, he must have been a man never satisfied, and that was most likely more his downfall than the wealth or the women." Caius laughed quietly, nodding at her concern over what had yet to be found,

"I'm surprised a mage hasn't done it, honestly. Or perhaps someone has and yet no one remembers? Stories back home tell of the first Gawyne, Warren the Half God, disappearing in the tunnels underneath Rynmere, in the Labyrinth—" He admitted shyly, watching her and the books with an unfiltered curiosity. She wasn't hard to look at, truly, but he also found himself caught up in her interests, his typical need to know the truth of things gnawing at his thoughts, "— One day, in my spare time, I hope to do some similar, erm, research to yourself."

❦

[Velaine Krome]

The young woman grinned, her eyes glimmering with amusement. “That’s fair, but you have to admit, having riches does make life easier.” It was something Velaine had taken for granted, coming from one the wealthiest house in Rynmere. Even when she was studying to Ne’haer, her family made sure she wanted for nothing – a decent residence, a maid, fancy clothes. Their house was known for its simplistic lifestyle, but with the loss of the gold after the rebellion, it was getting more difficult to supply their most basic needs.

A headache awaited her every time she reviewed the state of their finances. So much it seemed, that she was willing to entertain the idea of looking for a mythical treasure.

“Umbridge…” Velaine mused, wondering what it looked like. She had learned about it, deeming it somewhat important considering that Krome was just next door. Caius also mentioned a great library, so it must be the one near the Warren’s. It must be so different from her own barony, famed for its dangerous forests and giant wolves – instead of a place of knowledge. “Do your historians record information about other houses? Maybe I’ll have more luck there… Or is it only for the people of Gawyne to access?”

As she leaned closer to read the book, Velaine considered Caius’s words. The Krome thought of her own magic, the power to bend the element to her whims. A master defier would have been able to do it, dive deep into the lake with little trouble or even split the water itself to aid their search. “If a mage had tried it, they must have learned something. Either the treasure is there or there’s nothing at all. Perhaps it’s written somewhere, Unless, there’s a catch. Something preventing treasure hunters to reach it.”

“They do say that only the blood of a true wolf can find it. All very dramatic.” Velaine hoped it was true. That would mean the treasure would one trial fall into her family’s hands, instead of some random treasure hunter.

Velaine turned to the man with unkempt hair, smiling at his admittance. Definitely not a face she would expect finding n a library, nose buried between old books. At least she wasn’t alone in her curiosity of secrets hidden in the old tales. “Seems like each of the noble house has a story of their own. What of this Labyrinth? I don’t recall I’ve heard of it all that much. Why did he disappear? I’m guessing no one had ever found signs of this Labyrinth.”

For a moment, the young Krome realized she was actually enjoying herself, discussing all this. Ever since she returned, all her trials had been filled with talk of politics – marriage, alliances, trade – and forced smiles. Here, she did not need to pretend to be the oblivious noblewoman. It reminded her of the times she had in Ne’haer. When she was simply another girl with no troubles in her world.

[Caius Gawyne]

"Other Houses? Yes. Probably everything about everyone possible, to be honest. The people of Gawyne place a lot of value on knowing and understanding, and the history of others is an important part of that." Caius said this seriously, although he realized he may as well have said that Gawyne historians were the nosiest mortals in all of Idalos. What information they couldn't gather for themselves, they bought. What books they didn't write, they copied. What copies they couldn't make, they purchased as well. The vast archives of Gawyne were both beautiful and terrifying for the same reason: the sheer volume of history and truth they contained.

"Mages aren't generally forthcoming sorts of people, last time I checked." Caius teased quietly, shrugging his narrow shoulders as if to say that anyone could keep things to themselves, regardless of whether or not they had a spark living inside if their very souls, "So, what would one more secret to keep be? Very little."

Velaine spoke of Houses and history and the young Gawyne couldn't help but watch her watch him. It was not an unattractive sort of situation, being observed in his more studious element. His smile was lopsided, and his expression bordered on the knowing, suspicious. She was pretty, and her questions about Warren Gawyne and the Labyrinth enticed a chuckle from him standing in the quiet stacks of precious books,

"Supposedly, the Labyrinth is under Rynmere and there's an entrance somewhere near Warren's Peak in northern Gawyne, my homeland. It's probably all folklore and hearsay, but the monks keep their stories faithfully regardless. There have been signs of tunnels under Rynmere elsewhere, so there could be some truth to it. Maybe one day, I'll find out," Caius shrugged, his expression mischievous and his eyes shifting from sharp blue to a warm emerald green, "But it probably won't be by research in a sarding library."

It was with a wistful sigh that the printer's diri shifted restlessly, ink-stained fingers moving to smooth his vest,

"Well, if I've been of sufficient assistance, Miss Velaine, I must be looking for my own research—a few obscure notations on Treid, mostly based all from a rare collection of very old romantic poetry. Dramatic, I suppose, but that's the life of a research assistant. Good luck with your treasure hunt—"

He offered a curt, cheerful bow,

"—and may the Seven show you the true wolf you're looking for."

The young Gawyne would wait if she wanted him to, but if not he would give another broad grin and a wave before wandering off toward other shelves of books.

❦