Harlan slept through the day, and then into the night.
Maids and his family had tried to wake the couple for dinner, but neither he, Adina, or Vivi would budge an inch.
Viviane was the first to wake, and the instant that she began to whine both of them awoke.
“Are you alright? Are you hungry? Is your diaper-”
“Harlan… she’s a baby.”
“Right. I’ll just check.”
“Give her here.”
Adina sat up against the backboard of the bed and uncovered herself.
Viviane latched on in an instant.
“She’s so perfect. Do you think all parents feel like this?”
“From personal experience, no. Eliza hated me, and your father is a piece of shit.”
“Don’t burst my bubble so quickly.”
“But with a mother who hated me and a father who hated you, we both know a little more about what we can’t be. Every trial is a lesson. Vivi, where did you hear the name by the way?”
“The other Harlan said she was his lover who was murdered.”
“And you decided that for our daughter? I don’t… I don’t like that.”
“I just thought the name was nice, I wasn’t exactly in the best state of mind. But it’s too late now.”
“Not really, we could still-”
“I like the name, you agreed. Vivi is a very cute nickname.”
Harlan sat up next to her and put an arm around her, she leaned her head against his shoulder.
“I’ve been putting it off, but when you told me that you only had sex with me because I liked it.
That hurt, it hurt a lot, and I know you said we’d talk about it later, but I know you never planned to bring it up again.”
“I’m not traumatized by having sex, it just isn’t something that I look forward to, it is just something to do with you.”
“But it is something that I like doing, and hearing that you don’t like it but you kept doing it so much for months with me, it’s just…”
“I think you are putting too much thought into this.”
“What about something else we can do together? Something that you like?”
“I don’t know, I spend most of my spare time working on designs. And, I don’t mean to offend, but you would need months to get anywhere near my level, but if your heart isn’t in it, you won’t really make anything worthwhile.”
“You say you don’t mean to, but that doesn’t make it any nicer to hear. What about carving?”
“I haven’t carved for fun in far too long… I’ll get some tools and some good wood tomorrow.
It shouldn’t take long to teach you, you already have blade control and visualization from your training.”
“What time do you think it is?”
“Considering we are in a windowless room, not sure.”
“Can we walk around the palace?”
“Sure. Are you alright to walk around?”
She tried to step down from the bed, but without taking a step, she knew that it wasn’t happening.
“Get me one of those pushchairs. I don’t like this place, I want light that isn’t from a gem.”
She spent most of her life without sight, and once she got it, she liked the warmth of the sun and the coolness of the moon.
Light, the color, the tone, it was something she put importance on, and the white that most magical lamps defaulted to just felt lifeless to her.
“I’ll go find one, but for now, here.”
He touched the gem that let out the light and yellow spread through the crystal structure until that white light changed entirely to a warmer yellow.
“What about red?”
He touched it again and it turned orange and then red.
“Hmm… I liked the orange better.”
So he changed it once again and then he went out.
Outside of each room were soldiers, and at both ends of the hall, stood a royal guard.
“Sir Fomoria, is there something you need?”
“Adina would like to see the palace, but after giving birth she is weak, so I'd like to find a wheelchair for her.”
“I will get one for you, is there anything else?”
“I’m hungry, what time is it?”
“Just past six in the morning. Breakfast will be served at eight, would you like me to have the kitchen prepare you something?”
“Just a light meal for now, for me and for my wife. Something easy on the stomach for both of us.
And wood, and carving tools, if we are going to spend time here she would like to have another hobby.”
“I will return as soon as possible, please return to your room now.”
“Very well.”
He stepped back inside.
“I should’ve expected that.”
Adina had already fallen asleep once again, her armor making sure she kept a grip on Vivi and didn’t roll over on her.
He didn’t want to shift them by getting in bed, so he sat in one of the chairs and just watched them.
At some point he got a call.
Harlan put up a veil to answer, who would be calling so early in the morning was the biggest question.
“Hey…”
“David?”
“Yeah, just wanted to talk a bit. How’s the baby? Boy or girl?”
“Girl, Viviane, but we’re gonna call her Vivi. Pretty green eyes, they sway like mine, it’s like looking at a field of grass.”
He paused for over a minute.
“David, are you still there? Is something wrong? Can I help?”
“You know how to make a guy feel like shit. But I’m just tired, that’s all, lot of work to be done.
Mostly I wanted to just make sure you three were alright.”
“We got out mostly fine. I don’t have a list of the dead, not sure if I lost anyone that I know or not. But I know some of them got hurt.”
“I wish things weren’t like this.”
“I feel the same.”
“Hey.”
“Yeah?”
“Tell Shelly… tell her that I’m sorry.”
When the veil dropped, a maid was there in the room with a food cart and a soldier was watching her closely.
“Oh, I’m sorry, you didn’t answer when I knocked.”
He just waved her away.
Harlan looked at the food, but he didn’t feel like eating, he just sat there until Adina woke up.
It was a simple onion soup with beef broth, and a few slices of white bread with butter and jams to the side.
“You haven’t said anything all morning.”
“I don’t want to talk, not until I decide what to do.”
Harlan stepped outside and had one of the soldiers deliver a message to Rosewell.
In another hour, he was told she was ready for him.
“What seems to be the issue?”
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“David Haywood. I believe he is part of the noblist faction, and I believe that he was involved in the attack on the academy. Parnell Pearl may also be with him.”
“These two are friends with you, correct?”
“They are, were, I’m not sure right now. He called me, but he didn’t directly say anything about what he was doing. He just asked me to apologize to Shelly Mayford, and when I’m done here, I would like to visit her in person.”
“It would be best to have you remain here. The wyverns have been dealt with, but the rebel attack in the east has led to unrest, and I will be going to see Fragile Peace today to figure out if Reino can be allowed to exist.”
“I only ask for a short time away.”
“Go, I will call you back.”
“Thank you. And, Sheron Mayford, I don’t know if she knew what Magruder was planning.”
“We have Unseen there with her already. And before you go, take this.”
She held out an icon of the tree of blades not unlike the one he received as queen’s blade, but in gold.
“Another badge?”
“With this you have the authority of a royal guardsman. You can freely come and go with your gates, you have access to almost any room in the palace, and the arrays and wards will recognize and protect you specifically instead of just as a consequence of your being here, finally, you can command the arrays and wards to a limited extent.”
Harlan reached forward but she pulled it back.
“This is a physical representation of a new pact between us, and I do use that term as the gods do.
This nation is one founded by and for hundreds of years maintained by a wizard. Fae magic is part of this, you may need to consult your god before you take this new badge.”
“Alright.”
They were in a city of faceless people.
“Is this mine or yours?”
“Now I think it is a reasonable time to explain.”
“For you or me?”
“I shall speak. When you destroyed Haldren, Xol took you outside of the veil to give you a new purpose, one which would allow you to maintain your sanity. This was my plan for you, this is what I expected and worked towards. But that magic that bored itself into your soul, paradox, it split you, one Harlan stayed here, and the other left to become a god in living flesh.”
“So that other man was me then? And what about him being a god? He still felt like a person.”
“I don’t mean a god in the sense that he becomes like me, an integral part of the functions of reality.
I sent him there because things were simply too calm here, too peaceful, and strife will breed power.
Yes there is the war, but it doesn’t matter, those who oppose his side would simply be crushed by the archmagi and the royals without your presence…”
“But?”
“But you stayed. This man, Bloodgem, he should not have had his research work, you should not be a father, not yet at least, your friend should not have this knowledge from archmagi of the past and present. You are my champion, you are change given flesh, chaos in form.”
“So this is my fault? The academy attack? David turning sides?”
“If one knows of a fault, and chooses not to act, is it not theirs? I should’ve killed you when you split, because perhaps you represent Nemain’s plans, and from your actions, the escalation of the war will be your doing, so you’ve acted as her puppet much like mine. Yet I see another opportunity, to sight a path that I could’ve never made, that perhaps two of you are much better than one, even at the cost of the millions that shall perish. Take the badge, become a royal guard. I wonder what will happen next?”
“Is this because I’m just the backup? A spare champion?”
“You should not exist, you are a mistake, you are not my true champion, but that doesn’t mean I mean you any harm, nor does it mean I hate you. Even if this chaos destroys everything inside of the veil, even if you die a true death, I have my real champion.
Live your life according to your wishes, speak to me as you wish, you are perhaps more free than you ever have been, as I don’t intend to interfere like I did before.”
“How much were you really interfering before?”
She just smiled and waved him away.
He reached for the badge.
It scattered into motes of light and entered his body, his veins turned a bright golden color and then returned to normal.
“I don’t feel much different.”
“I trust the conversation with your god went well?”
“There was a blue man who helped to secure the academy, that man was the real me, I am the result of Nemain’s interference with reality by way of paradox magic, and everything that has happened with Magruder and the noblists that will turn this war from a quelling of disloyal nobles into a continent spanning slaughter that might just kill everyone is her fault. I am not supposed to be here, I am a mistake.”
“Are you alright?”
“She told me that she won’t be pulling strings behind the scenes to send me down a certain path anymore, she’s just going to let this play out. I also shouldn’t have a child, Vivi exists because of this, so maybe it is all worth it. Anyway, I should go see Shelly.”
“This isn’t one of those moments where you claim to be alright and then crack under the pressure of a revelation and cause more issues, is it?”
“There is a certain freedom in knowing that from now on, she’s just watching a show instead of directing it without my knowledge or consent. And when I look at my little girl, and I know that I shouldn’t have her, it feels almost like I’m spiting The Darkness by existing.”
Harlan left through a gate and found himself on the Mayford lawn.
The Unseen and other soldiers let him through without issue and took him to Shelly’s room.
Torture was not yet an option for them, since there was only circumstantial evidence that Sheron knew what Magruder was going to do, and there was nothing on Shelly yet.
“Harlan, what is going on here?”
He waved the soldier away.
“Magruder is a traitor, he was part of the attack on the academy, the entire thing was a smokescreen so they could break into the archmagi lockboxes that contained their magical knowledge.”
She looked contrite.
“And they think that mom sent you to him because she is a traitor.”
“David called me earlier.”
“Why are you changing the subject? Is my mother alright?”
“He said to tell you that he’s sorry.”
“Where is he? What happened to David?”
“You know he was at least inclined towards the noblists, right? Well, he was more than just inclined.
What about Parnell?”
He could feel her mind tense up.
“Are you here as my friend? Or is this official?”
“Your friend, and David’s and Parnell too. I need to know, is it too late to bring David and him back?
He didn’t have the strength to tell you himself, to me that says that he is still hesitant.”
Shelly started laughing.
“You are an influence on him, and he finally got the nerve to do something about that anger he carries.
But he got your cowardice too, he didn’t even have the balls to just fucking tell me.”
She leaned forward and held her hands together.
She wasn't Harlan, she wasn’t going to break anything, she wasn’t going to toss the chair at the wall and start screaming.
Harlan moved to comfort her.
“He should’ve just stayed.”
She wiped away her tears.
“Harlan.”
“Yes?”
“Bring him back, please, just bring him back. Promise me.”
“I promise.”
----------------------------------------
David and Parnell entered the room where Magruder and other mages were pouring over every scrap of paper.
Some of it was coded, or simply written in archaic terms, and some of it was just vague.
But for Harlan’s fleshsculpting it was written in plain terms and even had the sigils included.
This information wasn’t just for the academy to confirm that the magic was real, it was also a means to reproduce it.
Sometimes an archmage of the past died and requested that their information be released if they didn’t have an heir.
Sometimes, the headmaster wanted the magic, and just needed to wait until nobody remembered the archmage in question before they raided the vaults.
Hellon gave as much information as she could to Hirum because she assumed Harlan to be a threat, and the existence of fleshsculpting for making spies or giving people who don’t deserve them new lives meant that even if Harlan didn’t abuse it, someone else would, and they needed to know how to best counter it in that case.
Magruder looked over each page with an eagle eye, and in a day, he decided that he could do it.
He looked like Harlan as he looked over various blueprints stolen from the kingdom.
“What are you planning to do looking like that?”
“Sir Mayford, I didn’t hear you come in.”
“That’s part of my job.”
“Adina, she will love me, I just need a chance.”
“She’s in the palace, it will be hard even with you looking like him.”
“I’ll need to clear a few towns first, make a good sized gem.”
“Keep in mind that Harlan will come after her with the full of might Ragne behind him, probably the archmagi. Taking his wife and child is not the right call now, wait.”
“Shut up shut up shut up. When she loves me he won’t be able to take her back.”
David was the one who recruited Magruder in the first place, he found him, found his research, and he used a family connection to get Sheron to bring him to Harlan.
He was an easy mark because he was lonely and they promised him power and respect that he felt he had been denied his entire life.
All he needed to do with play the harmless and pitiful man to pull on Harlan’s heartstrings.
But what David hadn’t thought of was that he would become obsessed with Adina.
“What about the baby?”
“I can have one with her, this one doesn’t matter, I'll just get rid of it.”
“Are you sure that is the best idea?”
“I’ve been around that fool for long enough to know it will break him. I’ll have weeks where he isn’t in any state to-”
David’s blade cut in a crescent motion, splitting Magruder in two, from his shoulder blades to the front of his waist.
A second upward slice split his head in two just to be sure.
He called Parnell in.
“What did you- oh shit.”
“You know. Mom, she wouldn’t want this, but I can’t let her death go.”
“And how is that related to Magruder having his guts spilling out onto the carpet?”
“I don’t want to play sides. Royals, nobles, they are all just shit. But imagine, what would it be like if we took all of that material in the other room, over a dozen archmagi spells and magical knowledge, and we just left, we took it and learned it just for us, if we just grow strong enough that nobody can tell us what to do, if we became strong enough that we can make choices on our own, like Harlan.”
“He’s a bad influence. But I guess we can’t really take back Magruder being dead.
What was the trigger point though? You’ve been pretty well on the side of the noblists.”
“Magruder was going to kill Vivi to hurt Harlan, he was going to kidnap Adina. He was just unstable, and someone like him doesn’t deserve that power, mom would hate me if I let him get away with that.”
“Vivi?”
“Harlan’s little girl, Viviane.”
“Oh. So what now? We just go in there and kill the other mages?”
“Basically. It’s a small room, we’ve got our magic and my mother’s blademaster techniques.”
“How are we going to get out then?”
David picked up Magruder’s staff.
“We walk out the front door, and if not, we use this. We’re probably not the strongest people here, but we can escape from them. If we are fast, they won’t realize what has happened until it’s too late to stop us.
Any chance that you can get Nightwatcher support to move us?”
“Grandpa would be pissed if I tried to bring them into this, so no, we can’t do anything to jeopardize their neutrality.”
“What he doesn’t know what hurt him.”
“Don’t piss off old vampires, they’ve got friends and debts and they won’t care that I’m his blood.
I’d just be another rogue vampire who got the gift and then immediately went to abuse it.”
“Fine… I have another idea.”
“I feel like I’m going to need stronger drinks.”
“Let’s go.”