Spirit Speaker

"Who was she?" Anna asked, examining the spider. 

"You know who she was, Anna," I replied. "Your whole being, every soul in your weave, knows who she is, as for her exact identity, well, think about it and once you're ready to make a guess come to me and tell me."

I had deposited the box in the safe in my apartment. I then sealed the safe with three layers of alarm and protection spells and hid it under my floorboards for good measure, which I covered in camouflage sigils, and then covered those floorboards with a carpet. And pushed a bookshelf on it. 

Now we walked back to the palace, the early afternoon sunlight baking everything around us. 

I didn't mind. Right now I loved the light. The more of it the better. 

"But that's not possible." She replied. 

"Don't make me dump a bucket of water on your head," I said. "Everything is possible. Well, almost everything. Why is the fact that a goddess gifted you your focus any different?"

"You're taking this awfully casually, Master, as if you deal with gods on a daily basis."

Not in the least, until this morning I wasn't even convinced of their existence.

"It's the mark of a good mage," I said mysteriously. "You pretend you know everything, especially when you don't know anything."

"So you're just as amazed as I am."

"Every bit," I admitted. "But it's not polite to point it out."

"Then this focus…" 

"Is a very special one. Did the spirit inside say anything to you?"

"It introduced itself. Or himself. He said that he's been watching over my family for generations and that it was about time he got more directly involved."

"And his name?"

"He hasn't told me yet. He said it's in the castle library, and that I should go look for it." She sighed. "Why does everyone want me to read so much?"

"Well, it's the fastest way to learn things that other people have already learned. A fool learns from his own mistakes, Anna, a master learns from the mistakes of others."

We greeted the guards at the gate, who ushered us in. 

"Now, do you want a lesson? Or would you like to rest for the day?"

The princess looked up at me surprised. "Really? I get a break?"

Perhaps I've been working her too hard.

"Of course. Go, get acquainted with the spirit in that amulet. We can resume our lessons tomorrow."

The princess grinned and caught me in a hug. "Thank you, Master Lukas!" And she dashed off, in the direction of the kitchens. 

I watched her fondly as she ran, happy, carefree. 

I walked to the pavilion, looked around, and sat down on one of the benches the servants had installed at Anna's insistence. 

I looked around, and I felt a warmth inside my chest. 

"Spirit King," I whispered. "Thank you for bringing me back."