Verlo was full of something, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Something was brewing deep in the city walls, and it wasn't good. It was fear that I saw in every eye, and it had started to worry me. My sleep had been scarce since war was announced in a neighbouring Kingdom and it seemed it had been on my father's mind, too. He would walk in and out of Erlan's room with maps and letters and the wizard advisor was following the king with papers to show off. Although it was stress that had given the palace some life, it was still better than no life at all. I wandered the palace maze looking for something to do when I ran into a curious gaze. It startled me a bit, but the little crow seemed friendly. All black, he seemed to be a carrier of death, but so was this palace that held a joyful wizard in it. I entertained the idea and gave the bird a graceful bow and went about my walk.

            That is until I heard footsteps. It was my father rushing with a stack of papers from Erlan's room, dashing right past me and heading for the throne room. Seemed both men had had a meeting just now, and it had come to an exciting end. Curiosity took hold of me, and I ran to the little wooden door to the wizard's den. Oh, how I ached to see it!

            “Princess?” A kind voice opened the door. It was him! His lovely bright eyes and his even brighter smile made me glow with happiness. “Are you here to see me or are you just lost?” He tilted his head, trying to lean in the door. He stumbled, and the door swung open, revealing a beautiful room full of colours that I had only seen in my dreams.

             “Well,” I stuttered. Erlan seemed to see through my amazement and pulled me into the room, closing the door behind.

            “Welcome! I have made myself quite comfortable here, as you can see.”

            Plants and flowers hung from the ceiling, making the room feel like a forest. The place was full of all sorts of little trinkets, books and, most importantly, maps. Little stones in all shapes and sizes, horns of unicorns, barnacles, spell books, seashells, unrecognizable treasures in all shapes and sizes, feathers, scales of dragons and so many other things I couldn't even recognize. Seemed like he had settled here years and years ago and it hadn’t even been a month. “Where did you get all this?” I couldn't help but ask.

            He seemed to like this question. “I collected a lot over the years. It's always with me!”

            “But how? You weren't carrying any of it when you arrived!” Erlan Dolos became more and more peculiar.

            “Well, that's the help of magic, princess,” he said with a smile.

            Until now, I was convinced that only princes smiled that way. “I love it,” I spun in amaze as the room revealed more and more that I had failed to spot at first. It was straight out of a storybook, and it fed my imagination with wonder and all the places he must have visited.

            “Your father thinks I have overfilled this place,” he laughed with delight.

            “That's right, he comes here often. What are you both so diligent for?” I asked with curiosity while lifting and placing crystals back on their shelves.

             “Oh right! We just finished one of our meetings,” he put his head down to work on a map, swinging his attention between it and a book in his lap.

            “Am I interrupting?” I asked politely. Seemed sad to have to leave, but better than to come off as rude and never be able to visit the young wizard again.

            “No! No, not at all, I work better with the company,” he shrugged it off and added a line in the map. Then he lifted his head up to grab my hand and pull me closer. “Look! This is the barrier they have built between Questin and Verlo. Me and your father are trying to gain as much information as possible about Questin, for it seems war is coming.” Seemed I shouldn't be told this, but I couldn't help but be intrigued. “Your father appears to be a very precise man because he's been coming in every morning at the same exact time.” He said in between his work. “He's also very wary, which I like about him, shouldn't take everything for granted, especially in this time of war,” a shadow covered the little window, and the room became dark, but not black and dim. It glowed with little lights from all the magic stored in the room.

            “But if war comes, what are we to do? We do not have much left after the famine,” surely there wasn't much father's precision could do in this case.

             “Ah! But you're wrong! That, too, has been solved! Your father is a wise man, and he will not leave anything up to luck!” Seemed Erlan was excited about it. It intrigued me more, and I leaned closer to the map trying to make out the tiny writing.

            “What is it that he plans to do?” The room filled with a more serious tone as the wizard spoke.

            “That is not for me to say, it's your father's secret and it's not my place to tell.” I nodded. Seemed all the curiosity had been sealed away momentarily, as if the wizard had cast a spell.

            Then I heard a pecking sound. “And who's that?” The crow from earlier sat on the windowsill and blocked the light.

           

             “His name is Rafael. He likes the berries and I like his company,” He pointed to one of the plants from the ceiling that hid tiny little red berries.

            “Does he speak? I have read crows are used for sending letters in other kingdoms and they are taught to speak on some occasions.” the bird tilted his head as if he was listening and it seemed to be a possibility that he did indeed understand.

            “I tried, but I think he's just a curious little friend in need of attention!” He laughed, and it made me stop in my tracks and question if it truly wasn't a dream.

            After that daytime seemed to race, because visits became constant with both of us making potions, colouring or fixing up a corner of the castle, exchanging books and then talking non-stop about them. Having another soul in the palace made it less lonely and less grey. My world truly had been turned upside down, with colour pouring out of every crack.