The Celestial Ledger of Master Kaelen

Fiction

12th of High-Summer Reading for Archduke Varos: The Crimson Star lingers in the House of Glass, weaving a tapestry of fragility. He who builds his fortress upon the echoes of old victories shall find the walls translucent and the gates unbarred to the coming tide. Humility is the only mortar that may hold the stone. Private Note: Varos spent the entire session complaining about the humidity. He will continue to rebuild the East Wall with the same porous limestone that failed during the last siege. I suggested a change in materials, but he told me the stars do not understand masonry. 4th of Deep-Frost Reading for High Priestess Lyra: The alignment of the Silver Veil with the Obsidian Spire foretells a silencing of the oracle. The truth shall be cloaked in velvet, and the ear that hears only praise shall be deaf to the tolling of the funeral bell. One must seek the voice in the wilderness to find the path home. Private Note: Lyra is surrounded by sycophants who tell her she is a living goddess. She will ignore the warning because the velvet is too comfortable. I hope she at least enjoys the vintage wine she ordered for the feast; it is a shame to waste a good Pinot. 19th of Seed-Wake Reading for Chancellor Malthus: When the Azure Eye closes upon the Horizon of Debt, the accounts of the spirit shall be called to balance. The gold of the earth is but dross when the scales of the firmament demand a payment in sincerity. The ledger of the heavens does not accept substitutes. Private Note: Malthus tried to tip me to change the reading to something more prosperous. He believes the accounts of the spirit can be settled with a purse of coin. I took the money, of course, but I know he will still lose everything by autumn. The math of the stars is far more rigid than his bookkeeping. 22nd of Bloom Reading for General Thorne: The convergence of the Seven Sisters with the Void-Sect whispers of a hidden blade. He who trusts the silence of the garden shall find the soil thirsty for royal blood. Vigilance is the only shield against the invisible storm that gathers at the periphery. Private Note: Thorne is currently paying his guards in copper and trusting his mistress with the treasury keys. He told me the invisible storm was a metaphor for his tax disputes. He will be very surprised when the blade actually arrives.