Yes, the garden was calling her this morning.
Quickly putting on one of the simple dresses she had brought from home, she grabbed a book from the stack on her table. It was a collection of stories from a whimsical Iseldis writer. The author’s name was male, but her father had told her the stories were actually written by a woman, which made Isa appreciate them all the more. She could find precious few books written by women.
The courtyard was dazzling in its morning glory. The crisp air promised another warm day, but the heat had not yet arrived. Birds sang to each other across the treetops while little squirrels dashed across the pathways, jumping between the safety of the bushes.
A puppy yelp sounded from the rose garden, and she followed the sound to investigate.
Warrior was huddled on his front paws in front of a bush, no doubt waiting for a squirrel to make a reappearance. “Be nice,” she scolded. “They just want to get their breakfast, same as you.”
She looked past the pup to glance through the empty rose garden.
Aden was nowhere to be seen.
Isa tried not to feel disappointed. She had come to the garden for her own benefit, not to see him.
Walking past a wooden bench, she chose instead to sink into the small patch of grass beside it. The grass was lightly warmed, cushioned with moss, and without a single droplet of dew. It truly was the perfect morning.
Isa opened her book and let herself get lost.
When she eventually pushed open the library door, her heart and mind felt aligned and more peaceful than they had in some days. Reading really was magical.
However, what she saw when she entered the library was not what she’d been expecting.
The circle of chairs near the fireplace had all been pushed aside except for one, which sat in front of a small table. A single leaf of parchment rested on the side of the table along with a quill and ink.
“Ah, there you are.” Aden stepped into view from behind a shelf of books. “I was about to start the exam without you. Tardiness will not be tolerated.”
“Exam?”
“Sit!” Aden raised his voice, pointing at the chair and table. “I will be the one asking the questions here! The Circle of Scholars sent me, their most highly respected member, to conduct your final exams.” He paced back and forth, elaborating on his words with dramatic hand gestures. “They value the important work you are already undertaking and have thus decided to allow your exams to take place outside of their normal process.”
Isa grinned and took her place at the table. “I am afraid I was not informed of this generous offer from the Circle,” she said, playing along, “so I have had no time to study in preparation.”
“Silence!” Aden spun to face her. “A true scholar is always ready to discuss their opinion, studied or not.”
“My apologies,” Isa replied, folding her hands on the table in front of her. “I am more than ready to take this exam, Professor...?”
“Professor Aden the Wise.” Aden scratched the back of his neck as though pretending to be flattered. “That’s how I’m known in the scholarly circles, you see.”
Isa snorted as she attempted to hold in her laughter.
“Let us begin!” Aden announced. “Start with your full name in the upper corner of the parchment you will find on your desk.”
Isa positioned the sheet of parchment in front of her and dipped the waiting feather in the pot of ink. She carefully wrote her name in the upper corner of the parchment as instructed, looking up when she had finished.
Aden stepped forward, lifting the parchment from her desk.
“Are you already checking my work, Professor?” she asked, surprised. “It’s just my name.”
“It is imperative to ensure you have no opportunity to swindle the scholars. I must check your every answer.” He squinted at the paper. “Hmmm. The margin for error is too large.” He crumpled the parchment and tossed it into the empty fireplace.
“I messed up my name?” Isa asked incredulously.
“No, but we will continue this exam in spoken word rather than written word.” He sniffed, brushing a mop of fur away from his eyes.
“Of course, Professor Aden the Wise, I would never want to be caught cheating my exams. The horror!” She gasped dramatically.
“Excellent. Now, your name.”
