Talon flipped the pages of his book. When he wasn’t using the power, he was reading about the many abilities that existed. There were so many, it was impossible to learn them all. He either lacked the expertise or talent to learn all the moves. He was absorbing a lot of knowledge but wished he could talk to someone about it. What did the mages know? What information did he have access to that no one else did?
He was reading about an interesting power called oath keeper, which could enforce a sacred bond between two individuals. Depending on the terms, whoever broke the agreement would spontaneously combust into flames, with no way to extinguish them. It was supposed to be one of the most painful ways to die. There were side effects as well. If someone skirted the edge of the agreement, that person might experience extreme heat in their chest. A downside to the ability was that you couldn’t force someone to agree to terms: both parties had to be willing for the ability to work.
“What a useful technique,” Talon murmured. How he would use the ability, he didn’t know; it wasn’t something he could test without a willing subject. This was far from the first move that was impossible to test without someone else.
Flipping to the next page, Talon was about to read about another ability when one of his wards went off. Snapping the book shut, he got up and hurried to the exit. He placed a hand on the wall and left. Another useful thing he’d learned recently was creating wards. His current ward would detect if anyone went through specific areas, so he could leave the hidden archives with time to spare. He had been able to hide the ward, so no mage would sense or detect its presence.
It had been necessary to create the detection ward when someone was looking for him and they couldn’t find him. Talon had almost been caught by Qidan. That was when he realized he couldn’t risk Qidan becoming suspicious and started searching for ways to protect himself.
He returned to the main part of the palace and ran into a guard who was evidently looking for him. “Sorry to bother you, your grace, but your father’s illness has progressed. He wants to speak with you.”
“Thank you, Salidan,” Talon said and picked up the pace. Lerin had been ill these past four months and no healer had been able to help him. It was bad timing, and he was very worried. If his father died, he would be king and that would force him into more responsibility, giving him less time to learn the power. Besides, how could he replace his father as king? There was so much wrong with the world, especially the rebellions. How would he, a young prince, be able to do what his father could not? Talon had watched Lerin’s frustration over the past couple of years. The king was trying hard to unite the nations but had not secured a single alliance.
Talon opened the door and saw his father lying in his bed. Lerin’s face was pale and he was severely underweight. It hurt Talon to see his father like this. He looked weak, something he wasn’t used to seeing. Qidan was sitting next to him and Talon could sense he was using the power to check on his father.
Talon had learned another useful ability over the past two years: to hide his power from other power users so they couldn’t sense him. Learning this had been vital; otherwise, Qidan might have sensed the power within him.
Lerin waved and Qidan released the power and lowered his arms. “I want all of you to leave, except for my son,” Lerin said weakly. The strength behind his voice was gone, just as his body had withered.
Qidan was the first to leave, with the servants and royal guards following. Talon remained standing where he was until the others had left. Then he went over to Lerin and took his hand.
“The disease is progressing,” Lerin said, coughing for several seconds before continuing. “I’ll be dead soon.”
“You can’t…” Talon started. He quivered, not with fear but anger. “How can the mages not heal you?”
“I’ve been poisoned,” Lerin said. “That’s the only explanation.”
Poisoned? It would make sense. Lerin had been healthy as could be until, one day, he started feeling a little ill with a slight cough. A couple of weeks later the symptoms worsened and he couldn’t eat or else he’d vomit. Every few weeks a new symptom would appear and the king got sicker and sicker with no end in sight.
“Why do you think you’ve been poisoned?” Talon asked.
Lerin squeezed Talon’s hand. “I’m being told that I’ve been given a poison called frixol. The power can’t detect it or heal this.”
“Maybe if I take a look?” Talon suggested, raising a hand.
“No!” Lerin said forcefully before a coughing fit took over. “You can’t risk being… detected.”
I feel so helpless. Talon couldn’t remember the last time he had wanted to cry, but it was difficult to hold back his tears now. He had to be strong, not just for his father but for Azzellia. All the other nations were in disarray and he couldn’t allow himself to break down when his nation needed him.
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“You can’t do anything. Qidan has tried everything, even bringing the best mage from Mortham. The only way I could have gotten this poison was from drinking or eating.” Lerin winced and coughed again. “Frixol isn’t the only poison that the power can’t heal, but the effects are much more subtle. The poison works slowly until it’s too late to do anything. It’s an effective way to kill someone and not be detected. Most people don’t have mages who can heal them. All the timings of these symptoms match.”
“But why? Who would want to kill you?” Talon asked, his voice quivering. He knew little about frixol but it sounded like there was no way to survive it. That meant he would be king soon. He’d expected another fifteen years at least before taking on that burden. “I’m not ready to be king.”
Despite the situation, Lerin laughed weakly. “Neither was I,” he said, and lifted himself off the bed into a sitting position. “After I die, you will be king. There’s no way for you to get out of this. As for why; that’s easy to answer.”
“What do you mean?”
“Many lords and even my advisors are against my desires to unite the nations. I know lords have been plotting behind my back. While I’ve caught some, there are plenty of others I haven’t. When their efforts to countermand my plans failed, they must have realized killing me was the only way to stop me. As you’ve noticed, most don’t agree with me sending aid to the other nations.”
Lerin looked his son in the eyes. There was no missing his affection. Talon loved his father more than anything. How could the world be so cruel? Why would Tarmella allow his father to die when Azzellia needed him now more than ever?
“This means your life will be in danger. The advisors and lords will think you expendable. When they find out you intend to continue with my plans, they’ll plot your death. You must be careful.”
Talon imagined the fools trying to kill him. He had the power and was growing stronger every day. “I would like to see them try,” he said.
“The power doesn’t make you invincible!” Lerin said angrily, catching Talon by surprise. “It doesn’t matter how strong you become. A spear, poison, or any weapon can end your life the same as anyone else’s. Do not—” his cough returned with a vengeance. When he pulled his hand away, little dots of red were spread across his palm.
“I’m sorry.” Talon grabbed a glass of water and handed it to Lerin, who drank the cup quickly. “I didn’t mean it like that. I’ll be sure to be careful.”
Lerin put the cup down, wiped his lips and gripped Talon’s shoulder. “You did mean that, and you mustn’t let the power go to your head. Remember our history; never forget it. The power is a wonderful thing, but it can be dangerous as our ancestors have shown. I don’t want you to go down the same path that Egmardern did.”
“I would never be like him,” Talon said with disgust. “He was an evil man.”
“He didn’t start that way,” Lerin said. “Don’t forget your lessons. Egmardern was a great king until the power went to his head. It’s dangerous for anyone to be so powerful, and I fear you may have the same struggles. I hope not.” He said the last few words so quietly that Talon wasn’t sure he was supposed to hear them.
Egmardern had been a good king. Talon remembered reading the history books. Egmardern gave food to the poor and traveled all around Azzellia, providing help and support when needed. But then he switched from being a good ruler to trying to conquer all of Aidris. To this day, nobody understood why Egmardern changed. It was hard to remember the good because of all the bad he did before his death.
“I don’t believe you’ll go down the same path,” Lerin continued. “Don’t be surprised if lords and advisors tell you to pull back support. They’ll give you bogus reasons and expect you to cave in. You cannot give in, no matter what. Once you do, any chance of uniting Aidris will be gone.”
“I know the other nobles don’t believe in the upcoming invasion. But I do. You wouldn’t lie about this, and I refuse to let my people suffer because of ignorance. I will unite Aidris and we’ll drive these invaders back to where they came from.” Talon’s right hand curled into a fist as he spoke. Nothing made him angrier than harming the innocent. Arindall didn’t deserve what had happened, and he could only imagine how many lives had been destroyed by the invaders’ raids.
“I know,” Lerin said, lying back down and staring at the ceiling. “I’m placing a heavy burden on you. It isn’t fair.”
“You told me once that Tarmella can be cruel,” Talon said.
“Yes, and also smart. There’s a reason for her plans. Perhaps this is a sign that you must be king for the good of us all.”
That was something Talon didn’t believe. Tarmella didn’t involve herself in the world—at least that’s what he and many others believed. Lerin was old-fashioned and believed Tarmella directly influenced the world. Talon refused to believe that, for that would mean nobody had free will.
“I know you don’t believe that,” Lerin said, giving his son a knowing look. “Either way, you must stay true to who you are. Be careful when eating or drinking. I don’t know who poisoned me. It could have been an advisor or another noble. You mustn’t take any chances.”
“Do you have any guesses?” Talon asked.
Lerin was silent for a moment. Talon saw the calculations going through his father’s eyes. “I believe it was someone from the council,” he said finally.
“What?” Talon got up from his chair, stunned. “Are you sure?”
Lerin nodded. “That’s why you can’t trust anyone. Not even your uncle.”
“Why? Uncle Besurlde is family! He wouldn’t kill you,” Talon said fiercely.
“A brother killing a brother isn’t unheard of. It has happened a few times in our own family. I love my brother, but you can’t take any chances. If there is even a small chance he poisoned me, then he could do it to you.”
Talon refused to believe it. His uncle was a good man. There was no way Besurlde poisoned his father. Talon and his uncle had a good relationship. He would respect his father’s wishes, even if he had no doubts his uncle was innocent.
“I don’t think he did it,” Lerin said. “I just wouldn’t rule him out. For you to be safe, you must assume anyone could poison you.”
Talon nodded. There wasn’t much else to say. He would be careful, especially with food and drink. If he died, his uncle would become king, which wasn’t a bad thing except that he would not try uniting Aidris.
“One last thing,” Lerin said, his voice growing weaker. “You must find people you can trust. You will inherit a spy network. Find and execute anyone who is committing treason. It will be the only way for you to unite all of Aidris in order to resist the war to come.”
“All right. You need to rest,” Talon said softly.
“Yes, that would be best. We’ll speak later.”
Talon left the room, consumed with thoughts of who had poisoned his father. Was it someone from the council? Whenever he found out, he would show that person no mercy.