...
They settled under a tree ringed by flowering ivy, where rabbits played among fallen petals. Grace lay on her stomach, chin propped on her hands, watching the little creatures. Aurelian slid down into the grass, curious. He moved with slow, careful grace, trying not to frighten them.
But the rabbits bolted anyway, scattering like fluffy stormclouds.
Grace burst into laughter. "Oh dear, Haze, you'll have to learn a gentler face than that if you want some friends."
Aurelian huffed, coiling with exaggerated dignity. After a moment, he flicked his tongue at a drifting butterfly instead. It danced away.
He was not trying to be playful and childlike. He was doing this to make sure he doesn't get mistaken as a harmful creature and killed, so he could only grit his teeth and act like a pet.
Grace watched with bright eyes. "You're not just clever, are you? You have a spark of joy. I think we'll be very good for each other, little Hazy."
The gentle hours slipped by until Grace at last brought Aurelian into a secluded part of their estate, a small outer library.
It was a lovely place, shaped more like a quiet reading grove than a formal hall. Slender pillars of living wood held up a lattice roof, woven with flowering vines that let beams of light spill through in shifting patterns.
Carved shelves nestled between tree trunks, filled with neat rows of books bound in leaf-patterned leather or pale hide. Delicate charms hung from archways to keep pests away and maintain cool air.
"Mother never lets me visit the core libraries, says too much knowledge can weigh down even bright hearts. 'Ignorance is sometimes blessings' she always says."
Grace rolled her eyes, then smiled down at Aurelian coiled around her wrist.
"But this little library is safe enough. Full of harmless histories, songs… and bestiaries. Want to see?"
Aurelian of course gave no answer. But his tongue flicked, catching scents of old parchment and the faint metallic tinge of ink.
Grace took it as an eager sign.
She settled into a carved seat by a window and chose a large, heavy bestiary, its cover etched with beautiful runes that glowed faintly.
As she flipped through the pages, Aurelian raised his head, drawn by the bright illustrations of fantastical beasts like feathered serpents, glowing frogs, armoured horses. He couldn't make sense of the intricate symbols, but the images created spark of curiosity.
Grace giggled, lightly scratching under his chin.
"Look at you, You like the pictures? How precious! I've never seen a creature so eager to look at drawings."
Then, after dozens of pages, she stilled. Her delicate fingers brushed the parchment, eyes bright.
"Oh… wait. Look at this…"
Aurelian stretched forward, his pale body tensing. On the page was a finely detailed painting of a small, snow-white snake, almost delicate in the way it curled around a sprig of silverleaf. Its scales shimmered with soft iridescence, catching hues of lavender and pale gold. Beside it were careful sketches of its fangs, eyes, and even its shed skin.
Grace read aloud in a gentle, awed voice.
"The Small White Snake, also called the Pale Silver Snake. A rare variety of snake, found primarily in cool, shaded groves. Their white scales possess a subtle luster said to bring fortune to those who spot them.
Among recorded serpents, they are notable for a curious grace and uncommonly calm nature.
In extremely rare cases less than one in many tens of thousands, certain individuals have exhibited minor enery anomalies, storing faint energy within their bodies.
Among these exceedingly few, there exist only whispered legends of some evolving still further, touched by the breath of greater forces, potentially birthing a transcendent lineage.
This, however, remains largely the fancy of poets and dreamers. True records are scarce, often dismissed as fables of wandering bards."
Grace's eyes were luminous with wonder. She lifted Aurelian closer to her face, her breath warm against his cool scales.
"Can you imagine it, Haze? Even among rare snakes, yours might be the rarest. And who knows perhaps you're that one in countless thousands. A tiny one capable of becoming transcendent beast."
She pressed her forehead lightly to his.
"I don't have the secrets Mother keeps locked away. She says the burden of knowing about transcendence is too heavy for me yet. But at the Academy, they will teach us truths even the court won't share with children. And when I learn them… I'll help you. We'll chase those legends together."
Aurelian couldn't comprehend her words. But he could feel the soft hum of her voice, the way her hands cradled him with a tenderness. His tongue flicked out, brushing her cheek. Grace laughed, her joy ringing through the little library like wind-bells.
"So it's settled then," she whispered. "Mother says you're clever as a child. I'll treat you as such, teach you, play with you, feed you little delicacies."
She gathered the book to return it to its shelf, then rose, carrying Aurelian nestled against her shoulder. His mind whirled with half-formed schemes, but for now he simply rested, letting the faint floral scent of her hair wash over him.
...