Try to see what's been done to the king

Whether Cerralla or Davris will make a better monarch is a moot point if their father is in better shape than people say. King Caravis' condition is hot news but practically no one has seen him. You're trusting the words of a few close counselors, doctors, generals and Davris. You don't know what has really happened to his majesty, the King. It's highly unlikely that it's nothing, but it would be interesting to see him up close and undisturbed by pesky courtiers.

Normally it would be impossible for a mage to sneak into the king's bedchamber. Most mages would fail at the 'sneak' part and those that did succeed would run afoul of the many, many wards placed by powerful mages from all over the kingdom. Like most of his ancestors King Caravis had mages create numerous subtle alarms and wards. Each mage knows his own work quite well, but none are going to share their secrets with the others. An excellent means to protect the king from all manner of sorcerous influence as well as ****. Only a few people in the palace know how to deactivate some of them and you bet that only the king or a single trusted aide knows how to deactivate them all.

But here you are with a member of the order of Bast. Very likely the leader of that order, given his actions. You tell Leshak what you're considering and his eyebrows rise. He doesn't say no, instead he focuses on something in the distance and thinks for a good ten count or so. "As long as it's just the two of us I think it can be done."

That gets some complaints from Iryne and from the freshly returned Kalina, but Leshak tells them it's simply a matter of space and movement. He will have enough trouble sneaking a second person in, three would be impossible. Neither is pleased, but they agree to go downstairs and let Lessia and the others know what you're up to. Once they leave Leshak says "It will be dangerous too, but you knew that already."

"No need to worry them."

"Exactly. Oh, by the way, where are Doe and your other - ah - close confidants?"

"My ladies are all at home. One half wouldn't let the other half go because they're pregnant. The other half wouldn't let the first half go because they have babies to care for."

"Heh, very smooth" he says, nodding appreciatively.

"You're going to have to do this kind of thing yourself if you're planning on making Iryne, Kalina, Nelayne, Avina and Carina your close confidants."

"They are children of my Goddess," he says, "I couldn't... besides, all of them..."

You almost laugh, but manage to hold yourself to giving him the same raised eyebrow he gave you moments ago. He may have lecherous eyes that follow every jiggle, bounce and curve, but somehow this priest of Bast has more trouble picturing himself in bed with catgirls than you do.

"It's in their nature," you tell him, giving him a clap on the back. "Up there in the north it was probably about one catboy for every eight or nine catgirls. Even if some catgirls weren't interested in men, even if the catgirls died more frequently - and I don't think they did - that would still leave them feeling at home in a nice, big harem. It's not as though I set out to have so many catgirls to call my own."

"I..."

"Just be glad Nelayne wasn't here to argue about us going it alone. She's got 'protector' written right into her soul."

"Ha. Yes, uh, let's get past a few wards before news of what we're doing gets to her. Unless you want to see how well she matches your Yvonne."

It takes quite some time to bypass the wards. The two of you picked a path through the attic and down through the small, private bath that's next to the king's bedchamber. There are few opportunities for you to deactivate one of your own wards but the advantage is a path that no party goers or guards are likely to check. You deactivate the last ward you know of, a cunning silent alarm on the connecting door.

Leshak takes the lead again, stepping slowly and letting his magical senses feel for the next ward. Just beyond the door he finds it. He crouches and, for the tenth time today you get to witness his odd power - so often whispered of with fear by mages. Even standing right here next to him you barely perceive the strange twisting of mana that redirects and smothers the spell, deadening it just enough for him to let you pass.

Even more amazing is the way the ward rekindles itself after he steps aside. With a few more invisible strands he undoes his work and the ward fades from your sight. Even the mage who cast that spell probably couldn't tell that someone passed this way. You knew Leshak was good at what he does, having seen the effects on your own wards at the manor. This is on another level and is the kind of thing that gives even powerful mages like yourself chills.

No mage can make themselves truly safe against this power through magic. Unexpectedly you've made yourself effectively immune by 'helping the children of his Goddess back into the world'. Talk about a powerful and mutually beneficial alliance. Even with your history of scheming you're almost at a loss for what to do. Working together you could achieve almost anything.

Inch by painfully slow inch Leshak moves toward the king's bed. Only one last ward blocks your path. It takes him longer to deal with this one and you recognize a nasty piece of work once the magic is revealed to you. Like staring at a nest of interlinked tripwires.

Once across that final barrier you can finally sense the life **** of the king. Until now it has been shrouded from you. In the darkened chamber you see his chest rise and fall slowly. Feeling the flows of magic and life inside him you find no poison, no serious organ failures. His life is definitely weaker than it should be for a man his age. Strange.