Reassessing Options

The heir to the throne survived. Prince Arco was coronated King Arco tree days after the Healer Magister Verenice heal whim with some secret ritual. Other healers were not necessarily happy about, other mages were not happy either, but given the circumstances they had no option but swallow their wounded pride and force smiles. With the legitimate heir of the throne alive and strong the Headmaster of Orris Academy declared his loyalty to the throne, man was too old to be much more than symbolic support, but carried considerable legitimacy. As for the High Commander of Military Academy, the man who had occupied the position for over a decade was gone, in the secret mission to destroy the Evil Demons in Bloody Cunt. His replacement was dead, recently assassinated, probably by someone send by one of the nations allied against ours. The current High Commander was still finding his boots, doing anything in his power to postpone any demonstration of support to one side or another.

The First Mage of Royal Cabal Inner Circle, Archemage Ephesus was now exposed as the man who tried to murder the heir to the throne, and actually murdered the king, his father. If he had succeeded, the victory itself would clean his name. Not as good as practice regicide without being caught but the next best thing.

Unfortunately for Ephesus Party the plan had failed twice, once when they didn’t managed to hide their involvement, another when the prince survived.

Even isolated, the Royal Cabal was a powerful tool. Was hard to say for sure how many archemages still supported Ephesus, despite the exposition of his crimes. And failures. The Cabal, as all Cabals, worked by rigid protocols of tradition and isolate secret channels of communication. Loyalties at that level are never granted without nuances or ambivalences. Personal respect is often more important than law among mages, and sometimes they do something for no other reason than defy expectation.

Usually, the Inner Circle is completely reliable, strong, and fast in its actions. Also, merciless with those who show incompetence.

The regicide itself was likely less serious offence in the eyes of many members of this institution. The worse thing was the failure in kill the heir to the throne.

Meanwhile the North of the country was occupied by armies of orc mercenaries and their human clients. Practically one third of the territory of our nation. My father was somewhere in that mess, was impossible to know for sure what was going on. Every day there was more combats than anyone could register. Small commands of Battle-Mages and Arcane-Knights moved in both sides, taking tactical decisions too fast for the strategists in either side to follow the results.

On the same time, our forces had been divided in missions in four different nations. Very confuse.

My situation on the other hand was comparatively simpler.

I was not dying, anymore.

My aspect was a close to the look of a dissected corpse, I was barely capable to stand with the help of a walking stick, fourteen days after start eating again. That part didn’t worried me too much. Because both Verenice, the healer, and Sheva, my mentor in the martial Path of Cold-Iron had guaranteed to me that full recovery was possible. Would take effort, and time, but my life being in no immediate danger, everything else was contingent to my determination. That part didn’t worry me too much.

Elizabeth was advancing her training. For a short period I was stronger and more vigorous than she was, my stamina had surpassed what she could endure. Her technique was still superior, but it meant most our exercises would end in tie.

Now, obviously, my chances to raise to her level had disappeared. Not a problem to me, my character had many well-developed defects, but being overcompetitive is not among them.

Elizabeth’s family was in the city, they had been at the public event when the King was murdered. Now, the capital was separated between the supporters of King Arco and his mother, the queen. And the supporters of King Lucius, his aunt, a sister of the queen. And Archemage Ephesus as well, naturally.

Smoke cannabis every day, lots and lots of it, was helping me eat. Nausea was less intense every passing day. Sheva had started giving me exercises again, mostly guided meditations, but she worked my body to its limit too. My limit was just no longer what it used to be.

I was recovering in the house of Verenice’s brother in the capital. Apparently, they are an important noble family. Close to royalty. Politics in this country is a bit counter-intuitive to me, sometimes.

The dwarf merchant, Madam Gwanda, wanted to have a children with my father. Because half-humans are a sort of ambassadors-by-birth. They human father must be from the right noble family, for the specific role it is supposed to play. That’s how humanity manages to survive a world full of long-lived races that have more powerful magic and many other advantages. We plan long term alliances, generations ahead, and use every opportunity available. Including half-breed bastards. Verenice’s brother is the same thing that son between my father and Madam Gwanda would be if had existed. Except the non-human parent in this case is not a dwarf.

Verenice is High Faery, she hides it by some reason but is a well know secret. Her mother and her father had a Domain, a Fae Realm. They lost it in the political disputes of their people, Verenice’s father died in battle. Her mother found shelter and comfort with a nobleman. Verenice’s brother is son of that man with her mother.

Her mother got a chance to avenge her first husband and retake her former status among the Fae. The took it, risked all and lost. Costed her life. Her half-human son was 15 years old at the time. Ever since, they have no family beyond each other. The human side of the family is all dead too, I understand.

My participation in the ritual to heal the heir to the throne remains secret. Verenice has promised to compensate me for that favour, somehow. My status of guest in this house is part of that compensation, probably. Aunt Fany visits frequently, Elizabeth never came, Sheva comes less often.

This curse is a very special, original, achievement of Archemage Ephesus. As former mentor of him the Magister Healer is very proud of him for it. Despite counting the man as his enemy, today. Se only recently deciphered the core of the curse, and still don’t know everything about it’s potential.

“The bad news I have to you are that. You may never be able to use spells, or even receive healing magic of any kind. This thing inside you, this curse, is something alive. It grows roots and adapts. Since your internal mana is far denser than normal, due to the Cold-Iron practice, it is developing slowly. We managed to contain it. However, the few passages of fast mana in your body are now completely blocked.

You are still capable to practice the Cold-Iron Path, when your body recover, the exercise will help you. I don’t believe you can fight spellcasters anymore. Because any spell used against you may awaken the curse and contain it after that would be practically impossible.

I know you love magic, and I see you have a great mind for it. Your intuitive grasp of arcane theory is rare, specially in ephemeral races.

My offer to you is this: I will keep seeking for a better solution. However, you must now start considering the possibility that no better solution can be found. If that happen, I will still keep you as my apprentice and teach you magic. Just the theory, no spellcasting.

As long as you never came too close to a magic ritual, and take some precautions when touching magic tools. You should be safe.

You don’t need to give me any answer right now. Take your time, think about. “

I can live without magic, she don’t know that but I have lived without it. For a entire human life. On Planet Earth. There as only one thing really bothering me.

“If I have children. This curse will affect them?”

“I cannot answer that question yet. I am in the middle of my research, still. Any answer I give you now would be groundless speculation”

She saw the desolation written all over my face. I am sure.

The only thing I decided to do in this life, the measure of my value as a person. That I elected for myself since I was a baby. Was that.

I want to have my own children, and raise them. I want to see them grow into strong adults. Capable to build have their own children, take care of them and educate them. If I can achieve that in this life, I can die happy. Don’t even matter to me if that is the end, my second and last life, before darkness and oblivion. Or not. Either way, I count myself satisfied.

However, if my children have to be born like that. Caring such a heavy curse that would greatly limit their chances in this world. Then perhaps the best decision would be to abandon the idea of marriage and fatherhood completely.

I could write books instead, maybe.

Many fates are worse than that, in any world I can imagine. I already saved the life of a king! Well, helped to save him. How many people can say they did that once in their lifetime?