Marigold finally woke Harlan..

When they exited the room he almost expected a royal guard to arrest him for insulting the princess.

Instead he found nobody.

“Sir Fomoria, I thought it best to ask Countess Blackstone to allow you to rest past the end of the party.”

“Thank you, Maria. I hope I’ve not made my family wait.”

“They are currently visiting with the countess. Would you like me to fetch them?”

“No, I’ll walk.”

Harlan moved through the house as well as he could, but he was mostly relying on his armor to put one foot in front of the other.

She whispered to him.

“Are you sure you don’t want to just let me get them? I can see you aren’t doing well at all.”

“No, I need to just-”

“You are getting a fever, you tossed and turned the entire time you were asleep.

I can’t even use my serious healing spells because I’m afraid of what it is going to do to your soul.”

Harlan stopped walking in the middle of the hallway and instead leaned on Marigold.

“I’m sorry-”

“I don’t mind you leaning on me like this.”

“I meant I’m sorry for not doing this sooner, I don’t like seeing you worried.”

“Everyone is weak sometimes. The important part is that you listened to me instead of trying to power through it.”

“Pain without reason is a waste, pain that brings a lesson with it is worth every scar.”

“The journal of an army?”

“Yes, but which one?”

“Third collection, that section was written by a drill instructor. Immortality without hobbies is an awful thing.”

“I would’ve never read it without Yara, we’ve been trading books back and forth for almost as long as I’ve known her.”

“She is a bright girl. I hope that her sister leaving doesn’t affect her too badly.”

“Liat is going to do some work for me. Just as soon as she crosses the border with her personal items from her home, I’ll… I need you to pick her up, I can’t believe I let it slip my mind.”

“Why wait for her to cross the border?”

“Apparently I’m not allowed in the desert after an incident with my empathy.”

Before Marigold could get into what she thought about that, a pair of maids got closer.

“Sir Fomoria, do you require some assistance?”

“No, I’m fine.”

They walked away and Harlan could already hear them gossiping. How his super human hearing hadn’t become more well known to people who speak behind the backs of others he wasn’t sure.

“Great.”

“You and Adina know you don’t have eyes for anyone but the other, they can spread whatever they want about you leaning on me and staggering.”

“Yeah, fuck them I guess.”

“Language.”

“Sorry.”

She chuckled, not actually caring about his words, she simply found it amusing to scold him.

When they entered the room all eyes were on him.

“Harlan, what’s wrong? Have you been attacked? Was it the prin-”

“No, not her.”

He made his way to a chair and had the armor shift to make a cooling headband for him.

“I’m sick, the details aren’t something I’m going to get into.”

Harlan began to nod off, his fever was getting worse.

“I need to go, I need sleep.”

“I’ll have a guest room prepare for-”

“No need, this woman is an acolyte of Marigold, sent to watch over me until I have recovered. She can cast gate to get me back home, I’d feel more comfortable in my own bed, and she can take everyone else back home.“

Aida and Adina both had their arms crossed.

“I knew there was something wrong, I just didn’t think it was so bad. You should’ve never even come here.”

“Yes, you should listen to your mother, no going out until you are better, no pushing yourself. I’ll be there to wait on you hand and foot if you need it.”

“I’ll be…”

Harlan swayed forward and then awoke to sit himself straight again.

“I don’t want any of you to bother yourself with me, Maria can handle it.”

Everyone just skipped past the entire acolyte part, Harlan’s nature was a far bigger concern, resting was not something which came easily to him.

Aida cupped her hands around Marigold’s.

“Maria, you are free to restrain him by any means, physical or magical if need be. My son is stubborn and hard headed and going a day without magic is going to be hard for him. Going weeks is going to be torture.”

“I’ve been taught by one of the best mages in the world, I am certain I can keep a 16 year old boy in his room.”

Marigold took him home first, checked his vitals and helped him out of his noble clothes while also applying cold magic to him. His fever was being put under control, but only by using arrays that could soak up all of the extra mana that was being pushed out of him.

Harlan still slept soundly and Marigold was looking at the books in Harlan’s room for something to read when she heard the door click, whoever this was, they snuck past her mental senses.

In walked a girl, perhaps seven or eight, wearing a frilly pink nightgown.

“And you are?”

“Of course you don’t recognize me like this.”

She turned into the form that Xol knew as Periwinkle. Her size hadn’t changed much, but her eyes were large and black like some kind of insect. From her back was a pair of wings not unlike a stained glass dragonfly. Yet unlike the form she had shown to Harlan, she seemed to be a fully grown woman.

“How did you get past me? What do you want from him?”

“I’ve been living here for some time now, it would be very rude for a guest to allow such harm to come to her host.”

“How did you get past Harlan’s senses then? His kind are designed to find you out under your disguises.”

“He knew what I was the entire time. The only lie is that my memories never returned after I died. Oh how sad he was to first see me again, now I cannot bear to tell him I am my old self again. Have I ever told you-”

“If you intend to help him. What are you going to do?”

“His soul is far too small to handle such a large amount of mana, so I’ll make another one, put it in a box for him, maybe he is going to want it.”

“How about I take it instead?”

“Harlan has a right to that part of himself. Think of what he could do with a free soul like that.”

“That is why I don’t want him to have it, not yet.”

“Why don’t we ask the opinion of another then.”

She walked to Harlan, sprinkled some dust from her wings over his forehead, and a light appeared.

“Dawn, should I give this power to Harlan? Or to this woman? Perhaps, even to you? Also, not a word of this to him. I like it when he dotes on me like a child.”

“How did you know I was here?”

“Call it a gut feeling.”

“Alright. But what would I do with it? Harlan could use that power far better than I.”

“You’d not be cast out of him again like you were. The crossroads dislike souls traveling within them.”

“But what if I want to travel between them? Harlan has more than one body.”

“Hmm… that is an issue. I suppose I could… no no no… maybe? No… unlikely.

Wait, how does he travel between bodies? Each of them already has a soul?”

“Yes, that is how my husband does it.”

“No, Harlan has just one soul. It’s just in both bodies.”

Both of them looked at her with confusion.

“When he wakes up, I’d like him to explain that. You are certain they both share the same soul? Even across vast distances.”

“At least 2000 miles, more than he can gate.”

“How very peculiar. Why don’t I take a look.”

As she reached her hand toward him, her senses screamed at her.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

“Or perhaps not.”

Lilly returned to her home and went to her father.

Safira opened the door for her, naturally Rosewell was still beside him in every moment of her free time.

“How goes this train project? I hope it is worth his investment, and soon to be ours.”

“Harlan Fomoria directly insulted-”

“The train, how was the train.”

“But he-”

“Called you a child, of course he did, because you are one. Your mind is brilliant, your attitude could use more work. You and him are very different people.”

“I want something done about him.”

“He has more worth in his inventions than you do as my daughter. You taking offense at a truth you dislike means nothing. Now, the train, describe everything about it to me.”

Lilly froze for a few moments before answering back to her father in a neutral tone.

Back at Harlan’s home.

“I can’t look at anything, but I can give him something which will put off the choice of what to do with this extra power.”

“Explain to me the details of the item and the cost of it. Then we can speak about what to do.”

“I’ll make a bracelet to drain the extra mana and hold it. For cost, nothing, I am doing this for Harlan, not for you.”

“How long would we have?”

“Two weeks, then the bracelet must be planted.”

“Explain.”

“I simply think the energy should be used for a tree, nothing more.”

“A Pixie tree.”

“Why what else would I grow?”

“I’m not letting you introduce a new species to Aarde.”

“Come now, no need to be so harsh. Why not give it a try first, see how things go.”

“How very Fae of you.”

Periwinkle's face distorted in anger.

“Do not call me that.”

“You are entirely uncaring for the consequences of your actions. A new intelligent race will always be a problem. Xol said you are level headed for your kind. So why right now? And why are you living in Harlan’s home? Because I doubt that is a coincidence.”

“If I answer honest, you will never agree.”

“I’ve let a lot of things skirt the rules, try me.”

“The boy has a touch of paradox.”

From seemingly thin air Marigold produced a pair of ornate curved swords made from gold veined white steel, causing Periwinkle to step back in fear.

“Why don’t we talk like adults? Why would I possibly allow you to take that power for your purposes?”

“If we intend to just speak, why bring out the God Touched steel?”

“To ensure you understand, I could kill you and plant your body out in Harlan’s yard. In another few months, you will be back, and this will have already passed. Why would I allow you to use paradox? And did you already know this might happen?”

“If I use the paradox, they could be born as if they belong here. I’ve tried to make new Pixie trees, the body may form, but no souls can grow from my magic not of this place, nor from the magic of those who I have taught.”

“You didn’t answer my other question.”

Marigold ran her fingers across one of the blades in her lap, not even looking up at the Pixie.

“Perhaps… I may have received word that something like this could’ve happened.”

“From who?”

“To get an answer from a Pixie, I reque-”

She never saw Marigold get up, but Periwinkle went to her knees, one of her hands had been severed and wasn’t healing.

Marigold tossed her some fabric to stop the bleeding.

“For your help I could compensate you, but if you intend to be a bother, I’ll toss your soul in alongside your kin.”

“Badb. She-”

“She is dead. Her soul was taken some 1500 years ago for playing as a god.”

“She said this to me many many centuries ago. The consuming dark shall bring forth new kin.”

“So you are just going off an old prophecy?”

“Yes, but think about this, who else fits the description? Coronach is a killing dark, their god is already a creator. Harlan consumes, taking new life into him to change himself and others.

He has already proven himself capable of creating life. Please, I simply wish for my people to return, and they would follow the rules of this world.”

Marigold’s eyes turned a void black and then blinding gold and she returned to herself with an answer.

“The Darkness says she has no idea where Harlan got any paradoxical power. Aarde says new life generates more mana. They will be given 50 years outside, if they can survive as you claim them to be, then they may be allowed inside the veil.”

“With those animals? They’d never-”

“Find a niche they can fill, and put them in it, there doesn’t need to be a new people to war for resources out there.”

“Fine. I will accept such an offer.”

“You will graciously accept it.”

“Of course, Lady Marigold.”

“Clean your blood and put your hand back on, I don’t want Harlan seeing this when he wakes up.

Dawn, not a single word to Harlan. This is the duty of a champion, and I know he would react poorly to what I've done.”

In the late morning Harlan awoke.

“How long was I out?”

“11 hours.”

Marigold was still reading one of the books from Harlan’s collection.

“Your collection is very… diverse in its quality.”

“It’s everything I’ve traded back and forth with Yara. Sometimes we just picked random things from the library.”

“It needs culling then.”

“If they start tossing out books from the academy, I’d buy them for a fair price.”

“If they aren’t worth keeping at the academy, why would you even want them?”

“Even if some of these things are poorly written vanity projects commissioned by big headed nobles and priests, I find them somewhat fascinating. I think about what kind of man would pay another to write a story where they whisk some princess off her feet or fight a heroic battle against dragons to save a poor destitute village.”

“Some of these are little better than propaganda, things to give to peasants so they believe they more than men.”

“And yet they work.”

“That look of longing, what do you have planned?”

“Stir up unrest over a lack of golem units in cities, tell people how nice having a stove that you don’t need wood for it, or a box that keeps everything cold no matter the heat outside. Balor said he could handle it if we ramped up production of these things, he could make contracts with cities and towns for our people to mages and blacksmiths.”

“Sounds quite profitable.”

“No, we want to be breaking mostly even, with just a bit of space to handle lost merchandise or theft. Whenever anyone cooks a meal, morning, noon or night, I want them to know my name. I want them to see the lights out on the street and think of me. I want them to-”

She was holding back a giggle.

“What industrious young boys you are. I wish you luck in making the lives of the people easier.”

“Thank you, but I feel silly when you laugh at me.”

“You are just so full of vigor and life when you speak like this. Are you certain you don’t want a throne someday?”

“I’m not a leader, I’m just a craftsman.”

“And Yggdra was just a priest who was trying to keep the peace.”

“Why do you keep pushing me towards being a ruler?”

“I’d rather keep the good mood we both have here. I’ll bring you breakfast in bed.”

When she returned, she had a little guest with her.

“I made you a new bracelet, I hope you get better soon.”

Harlan hugged Periwinkle.

“Thank you very much Peri, I’ll keep it safe.”

“You broke my other ones.”

“I’m sorry, that was a mean Fae’s fault, she broke them and I couldn’t stop her.”

“It’s alright, you only lost a few of them.”

She left as suddenly as she came.

“What a nice young girl she is.”

“I probably should’ve told you about her.”

“She came to visit in the night, we discussed some things.”

“I know making a Pixie pact probably sounds bad.”

“Not at all, she is one of the few trustworthy Fae.”

“Please don’t call her that. She doesn’t like it.”

Harlan ate his meal and got dressed.

“I forgot how much I hate normal clothes, luckily the shifting set from my copy just needed to be cleaned instead of remade.”

“Isha was up quite late to get that done for you.”

“I will make sure to thank her.”

Harlan had to pretend to send the girls to the academy to keep up appearances.

Officially, Harlan was taking a sabbatical to help with the train project. So he would be missing the start of the schooling year.

When he returned home he barely got back to his bed before another problem arose, though not one that he needed to deal with directly. Balor would see the Princess and work with her then report anything worth reporting.

“Princess Lilly.”

“Sir Balor. I am here to give you the promissory notes for the rail system, and to hopefully lay out the theoretical rail network. Work can begin as soon as we have finalized the system. Today I hope we might get a simple first draft for just this barony.”

She didn’t make eye contact with him as they sat in his living room.

“Are you ok? You don’t seem like yourself. If this is about last night-”

“This is simply business, I shall not be putting on false smiles for you.”

“If that is your choice.”

“It is.”

“Alright then.”

“Fine.”

Once they were gone she brought out plans she had already drawn up.

This phase was to be a test for him, if he didn’t have the sense to point out the flaws she put in this system then he could be cut from this part of their discussions without issue.

“Why have you erased the track to this mine right here?”

“We could put a track directly to the mine, but the valleys in the area make that an issue and from the information listed here, the mine has an expected life of 8 more years unless they find another large enough vein to bring in investors. Otherwise it is just going to turn to a place where private miners delve. The cost of it outweighs the long term benefits..”

“Fine.”

When an hour passed she was satisfied that he could be trusted with the job, but Balor was bothered by her refusing to meet his gaze.

“With that much done, can we talk?”

“Is this how your brother grows his gaggle of young girls, wait until you believe they are vulnerable, then prey on their weakness? I’ve no interest in such a thing, so I will decline to answer. He said he just wanted business between us.”

“No, he said that even if it is just business, we can still be pleasant to one another.

’m sorry, I really am about what he said last night. Almost dying can make him… candid.”

“Fine, I will play along with your little game. What do you know of my father?”

“That is a loaded question, please refine it a little more.”

“What do you know of him as my father?”

“Very little, I’ve only spoken with the man a few times. But there is a story from Harlan, or rather the memories from before I was split off of his soul. Rosewell was tasked with gaining his trust, to make him see her as a mother figure. So your father sent assassins for him to be rescued from, without warning her first. There is also something he said about his why he has so many children.”

“What do you mean?”

“You don’t know? I probably shouldn’t s-”

She slammed her hand on the table, her soft skin stinging from the action.

“Tell me, why?”

She gripped her dress tightly, Balor noticing her knuckles going white.

“Please, don’t hold it against him, he isn’t normal, and his actions only truly make sense to him.”

“Stop stalling.”

“He has so many children because he knows that he cannot raise them to be better than he is, so he hoped that at least one of them would be good enough to be his heir. The ones who inherited the royal blood were raised as princes and princesses, those who got only a lesser power ended up as Unseen or guards.”

Tears welled up in her eyes.

“I understand now, he said I was less valuable as a daughter than Harlan is as an inventor. He has Rosewell, so the rest of us are just leftovers, failed plans.“

“Don’t define yourself by what he thinks, even he knows he is a terrible person.”

“And how should I feel? He’s abandoned me, I wanted to ask for Harlan to be flogged, and instead he called me worthless, demanding that I tell him about the trains.”

When they left the room both of them looked deeply unhappy and she had puffy eyes from her crying.

The guards nearly drew on Balor, but Lilly spoke up first.

“Sir Balor, explain yourself immediately.”

“Roia, I’m alright. I just want to go home.”

Balor would’ve received a visit from Seekers, but she convinced them that it was a private matter, not a legal one.

It would take little more than a single servant seeing her after knowing she returned from a visit to Harlan’s home for rumors to burn like a wildfire, engulfing those within its path without regard.