Paradox’s Key was strapped on my arm, ready to be submitted at Mount Esser as soon as I departed from Satena. Of course, all these celebrations slowed it down, but there wasn’t much of a rush. Alisia showed me around the hidden parts of Draudor, like the Royal safe, the family artifacts, and a secret dungeon below the Alcazar. (Although when I asked what the dungeon was for, they were weirdly dismissive).
“Well, you know I don’t want you to leave,” Alisia said as we entered the Alcazar.
“Yeah, but today was fun, right? And still, I’ll be back soon. I just have to drop off this artifact with the Timelord.”
“I know. I just don’t want you to leave.”
“Yeah, it’s jus—”
“Eric!” I was interrupted by Alisia’s grandmother, who stormed toward me, grabbed me by the arm, and pushed me upstairs. “I must speak with you. Hon, I’m sure you won’t mind.”
“Grandm—”
“Good, I’m glad you understand. Now, just follow me. Up here, Eric. In this room. In you go. In you go.”
“What?” I asked while the door closed. “What is it?”
She sighed and tried to contain herself. “What were you thinking!?”
“When? What?”
“By the Goddess, I—I said to end her infatuation with Mianite, not to replace it with you.”
“Well, I—I thought you said to show my love.”
“Show your—yes, as a damn apology!” The grandmother lightly yet forcefully tapped the table in frustration. “Now, this is unprepared. Everything is unprepared!” She looked at me and saw the confusion on my face. She continued, “Look, son, I don’t oppose this marriage, alright? Don’t get that idea.”
“Wait, then what’s this about?”
“It’s the fact that you need to do things now. Traditional things. You can’t just ask a queen to marry her without reading the great book of culture she hails from.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah, oh.” The grandmother shook her head. “A bit hasty, but it’s fine. We’ll get you started as soon as possible. Tomorrow, if time allows.”
“Wait, I—I don’t want to be disrespectful, ma’am. But I need to get to Mount Esser.”
“Mount Esser?”
“For the Timelord Trials. I’m not on a time crunch, but I can sort of win the trials once I submit this.” I flashed the watch.
“Saul told me about that one,” the grandmother mumbled. “Well, anyways, you still need to do the cultural preparations. There are certain criteria you must adhere to.”
“Criteria?”
“Grandmother!” Alisia barged through the door. “Criteria? Don’t be scaring him with your old standards!”
“They’re not standards!” The grandmother shoved Alisia inside and closed the door again. “They’re necessary traditions.”
“Necessary? Or else what? Some shadow army is summoned? The undead come back? Oh, god forbid, my father rises from his grave?”
“Enough with you! Hon, listen to me. Eric must partake in our culture; I am sure he has some things you have to do, too.”
“Actually—” I spoke up. “I don’t necessarily—”
“Okay, well fine. Alisia has to do nothing, while you have to do something. Happy? Good.”
“Grandma,” Alisia said flatly.
“Hon.”
“Please.”
“I’m only doing this for your own good. If you don’t respect our culture, you can lose the people’s trust. What if you need to leave Draudor, hon? And Eric is here and the people aren’t respecting him.”
“The people aren’t going to care if Eric didn’t perform some bygone ritual, or speak backwards, or do—”
“He doesn’t have to do any of that! All he has to do is go to the Oracle, answer some questions, and then the Oracle will give him a task.
Alisia went quiet.
“Who’s the Oracle?”
“A weird—”
“A very nice man, actually,” the grandmother said. “Why don’t you go to him before you leave? Maybe you can think about what you have to do while you’re hiking up Timelord’s Mountain.”
“And where is this… Oracle?” I asked.
The grandmother smiled. “Let me get my good shoes and I’ll show you.” She exited the room.
Alisia scoffed. “If he asks you to do something stupid, don’t do it.”
“Oh, alright.”
“And don’t believe what he says. He’s… a weird… ugh—” Alisia tensed. “I don’t know why she wants you to do this! It’s old, it’s sad, and it’s the last thing I want you to see about this city. Preferably never to see it at all, but—”
“Ready!” The grandmother shouted. “Let’s go, you two!”