Afterwards, the nanny took the form and delivered it to her father’s aide. She didn’t request for her to return and was once more left alone in the nursery. Cacilie felt a pang of loneliness well up inside, so she decided to open up her special chest. It had been the only gift from her betrothed she had ever been allowed to receive. According to her tutor, the rest of the gifts wouldn’t be hers until she reached maturity, but the chest in which they arrived could be hers. This was also the only time that her tutor taught her anything of interest. Apparently, this chest was a product that only a Master Mage or an Archfey could be capable of creating. It was intrinsically tied to her magical signature and nobody but her would be capable of opening it. 

And it was here, Cacilie kept her most precious treasures. She had the results of an aptitude test she had taken without her parents' knowledge. It was outdated, but there had been a spare copy in the family library that she had taken. It tested one’s compatibility with different fields of study done at the Imperial Sonnenuntergang Conservatory. She had taken it out of curiosity and had gaped in silent delight as she scored high compatibility for magical studies much like her brother Carolus. 

Everyone in Chaia had enough magic to activate rune and crystal products made by alchemists and mages, but not everyone was capable of bending raw magic to their will. That was something only one in a hundred were capable of doing, at least amongst the human population. It was something that might convince her father to one day send her to the Conservatory before she was to wed the High King of Casia. Something that she could finish in honor of her deceased brother even. 

The second of her most favorite treasures was a set of 22 tarot cards she had gotten from the capital of the empire. It had been gifted to her by a wandering fortune teller. She wasn’t skilled at the readings the way the fortune teller had been, but she could find a measure of direction by using the cards. It was like having someone to advise her, someone who wouldn’t belittle or undermine her. 

She spread the cards out before her and closed her eyes. The fortune teller had told her that in order to find answers she had to have a clear intention. Cacilie took a deep breath and concentrated. “What will Daddy’s answer be?” She whispered before selecting her three cards. 

The Tower was in the upright position, the Wheel of Fortune was reversed and the Moon was reversed as well. Cacilie chewed on her lips as she pulled out the small book which held a brief description of each card. 

“According to the book when the Tower is in the upright position it references a sudden change,” she mumbled as she looked from her book to the card laying on her desk. “A change and a sudden one…well, I am reminding Daddy about his promise, so he might act quickly. That has to be a good thing,” she determined. 

Cacilie was about to look into the other two cards when she heard a knock on her door. “Come in!” she announced as she hastily stacked the cards back into a neat pile. A hint of shame or was it embarrassment caused her to carelessly shove the cards back into the chest. She hefted it closed and spun around to see the nanny returning with a bitter expression on her face. “Did my father send a reply already?” 

The nanny cleared her throat and handed an enclosed envelope to the ten year old. Cacilie took it and didn’t hesitate to open the response. 

“My sweet Cacilie, I had forgotten about my promise amidst my many responsibilities. I apologize that it took you reminding me to do anything about it. I will have our servants prepare a room soon. In the meantime, your nanny has informed me of your recent restlessness. I’ll arrange for the both of us to pay a visit to town, so we can select some furnishings for your new bedroom.” She read, her voice measured and slow. A small seed of happiness planted itself in her chest. 

She turned to look at her nanny, a hint of a smug smile on her face. “See, I told you. Daddy merely needed a little reminder. He always keeps his promises in the end.” Cacilie set the paper in the top left drawer of her desk. Inside were a pile of responses that she had received over the years. Each of them were treated as priceless artifacts to the ten year old as they were her irrefutable evidence that her Daddy was a good father.