Erik looked at the maid cowering. “How did I end up in a coma?”

“How did you know you were in a coma?” The young mage blurted out. He seemed to know it was a stupid question as a blush spread on his cheeks.

“No one will think you are stupid if you talk less. Why would I sleep for five years?” Erik snorted. The moment he saw this man, he didn’t like him. He had the same stuck-up look as Mark.

“How do you know the word?” The man retorted. Everyone knew he was grasping at straws.

Erik tutted. It was best to know when to quit. “I know every other word I have spoken so far. I thought you were here to examine me. Why don’t you tell me why I can count to a thousand but don’t know my name.”

“How should I know?” The young mage took a step back and looked to the blond man for help.

Erik waited to see if his fiancée would say anything. The man stayed silent. The disappointed look on the young mage’s face was comical. “Then what purpose do you serve here? Go stand in a corner, let the adults talk.”

“You're the same age as me.” The man rallied.

“Please refrain from comparing us; it drags me down,” Erik said the thing he most wanted to say to his younger brother. Erik was raised separately from the household because of that, everyone looked down on him, but he was the smartest out of all of them.

“You’re still unruly!” The young man’s face was red, and he was breathing hard.

It was a stark contrast to Erik, who rested feebly on the bed. It was clear which one of them was in charge. “I don’t remember you, but since you are useless now, you were probably useless then.”

“Boy’s.” The woman spoke. Interrupting their squabble. “Darling, why did you ask?”

“The warm light was in my head, so I thought I fell. However, for two poisons to fight each other, wouldn’t I have to be poisoned twice?” Erik thought there were many suspicious points to the accident that put this body in a coma and how he woke up.

The maid whimpered.

Erik looked at her. “Did two people threaten your family?” His voice was kind and calm.

“Yes, young master!” She grabbed onto him like a life-saving rope.

Erik smiled. “Since your generous contribution led to me waking up, a swift death is the best I can recommend. Not that it is my choice.”

“No!” The coiled bun on the back of her head unraveled. “I don’t want to die. I have a young child.” She refocused on the blond man whose gaze hadn’t shifted from Erik. “Please, your majesty.”

“Why are you begging me?” He didn’t look at her.

“The man said it was on your order!” She blurted out, much too panicked to censor her words.

Erik sat up straight. There was a collective gasp. The people in the room shuffled, not speaking. They seemed to shrink further in on themselves. One maid covered her ears.

“Father?” The question got the black-haired man's attention. “Why don’t we ask the unrelated parties to go to another room?”

“Alec Von Palmore.” The man said before calling over a gray-haired butler. Alec whispered instructions to him before the man guided the unrelated servants out of the room.

“Why did you want them out of the room?” The young mage seemed to have found his courage again.

“Every time you open your mouth, I think less of you.” Erik really didn’t like this mage. “Are they contributing to the conversation? If they hear more, will you be responsible for their lives? I might not know any of the people here, but I understand the words ‘your majesty,’ and that woman leveled a serious accusation.”

People who knew too much about things they shouldn’t; were the first to die. “Why can I remember how to speak but nothing else?”

“You remember your arrogant attitude.” The mage turned his face away as if to dismiss Erik.

He found it amusing. His brother did the same thing when he was losing an argument. “I was better than you then, and I am better than you now. Accept it and stay quiet.”

That got the man’s attention. The mage advanced towards the bed but thought better of it when the purple-eyed woman glared at him. “You couldn’t talk this well before.”

“Naturally, I have improved while you have regressed. Useless people only get more useless as they age.” Erik was a master at being shameless.

“You!”

“Yes. Yes. I know I am perfect; no need to tell me more. I would like to find out what happened to me and why I am missing five years of my life. Play nice, or we will send you to the naughty corner.” Erik didn’t know why he was continuing this childish argument.

“Reed, step outside.” The blond man finally intervened.

The mage’s mouth dropped open. There was a hurt look in Reed’s eyes. He didn't complain, walking out of the room with his shoulders hunched.

"Good riddance.” The mage paused as he was walking out the door but didn’t turn back. Erik counted this as a win. “Mother, forgive this unfilial son, but can you please tell me your name?”

“Oh, my baby. Marissa Von Palmore.” She moved to the edge of the bed, holding his hand.

Erik focused on their hands. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt such a warm touch. His mother died when he was ten, and for the next twenty-five years, he was fighting with his brothers. His own father never met him face to face, much less extended a hand to help him.

He felt guilty for taking her son's place but not guilty enough to let go.

“Magnus Demitrinive.” The blond man spoke.

Erik looked to his father, who shook his head slightly. He would ask when the unwanted guests left.

“I am Head Magus, Olean.” The old man stroked his white beard. The manic light was still in his eyes as he watched Erik. “If I may, there are other cases similar to the young masters. There is a mage in the tower who suffered magical backlash. He remembers everything about magic but couldn’t remember his personal history.”

“Did he recover?” Everyone could hear the eagerness in his voice though it was for different reasons. It wouldn’t do if the original Eric came back.

Olean shook his head. “It has been more than a hundred years, and there has been no improvement. He occasionally has moments of familiarity like with his favorite food, for instance.” Olean paused but continued after a sigh. “His personality changed. Without his memories, the moments that defined his character were gone.”

Erik held his head down. The grip on his mother's hand increased. He could imagine the concerned look she gave him. Again he felt a pang of guilt that this was all an act.

“Is there nothing we can do?” Alec asked.

“I am sorry. It is already a miracle that Erik woke up, and the blockage in his mana veins has cleared.” Olean put away his staff.

Marissa stroked the back of his hand. “It is already good like this. Balder will be upset with us if we are too greedy.”

“Balder is a merciful god. He won’t hold a mother's love for her son against her.” Magnus spoke.

There was a conversation happening that he wasn’t privy to. The change in his personality was the main point. He couldn’t help wondering what the original was like.

Erik rolled his eyes. “Poison was the reason I was in a coma?” He asked, trying to get the conversation back on track.

“No,” His father growled. “How many times and for how many people did you poison my son?”

The maid plastered herself on the wall and did her best to appear invisible. “It was only once.”

“You're already going to die. Since you poisoned me for your family, are you going to drag them to their deaths now?” Erik threatened her. Marissa squeezed his hand but didn’t interrupt.

“I don’t want to die. If you spare my life, I will tell you!” She crawled away from the wall.

Erik looked at his father. The man winked, and Erik took that as his cue to continue. “If you want to save your life, a full confession and proof are needed. Don’t forget you implicated his majesty.”

Erik promised to spare her life, but he didn’t speak for everyone in this room. If she’d been calmer, she might have negotiated a better deal for herself.

The maid pulled four sachets out of her bosom. “These are the only ones I gave him.”

He looked at the packets with wide eyes. A bitter smile graced his face. If you weren’t strong enough, any cockroach thought they could hurt you.

Marissa’s grip grew painful. He turned to see killing intent in her eyes.

The blond man was the one who took the sachets from the maid. He brought them to a table where Alec was waiting for him.

Eric couldn't see what was happening. Olean joined the group, and the three men had an intense discussion.

“This is a royal poison!” Alec’s voice boomed.

That confirmed Erik’s suspicion. Magnus was a king. He did not want to be the spouse of a king. It sounded like too much work, and it was a dangerous position. It was his biggest concern apart from having to marry a man.

Magnus didn’t get angry. Instead, he gave a short reply. Alec seemed to calm down, but Erik knew this was only round one of the discussions.

He looked at the maid and had to commend her will to live. If she was smart, she would have bit her tongue and ended her life. There would be no mercy for her.

“He doesn’t need to know!” Alec argued, his eyes darting to Erik.

“He’s already an adult. You can’t protect him forever.”

The three heads ducked down again.

“You're not taking my son to the Magic Tower.” Alec now directed his anger at Olean.

“He is my fiancée.” Magnus chimed.

“Didn’t I grant permission to annul that?” Alec turned around.

Erik perked up at that.

A blind eyebrow rose. “Really? I seemed to have misplaced it.”

There was a vein pulsing at Alec’s temple. “I will write another one for you.”

“No need. Our marriage has Frigg’s blessing. I don’t need to tell you how we became engaged in the first place, Duke Alec Von Palmore.” Magnus’ tone of voice changed. He changed from amicable but arrogant into domineering.

Erik’s father was a duke. If he wasn’t unlucky enough to be engaged, his life would be easy. It would be even better if he wasn’t the firstborn. The first thing on the agenda was to find out how he got engaged and if there was a way to get out of it.

“What devious things are you thinking now?” Magnus approached his bed.

“World domination.” Erik quipped.

“It's a good thing you will be a queen then. We can dominate the world together.”

“Wouldn’t it be the king's consort? Ymir made me arrogant and selfish.” Erik knew Frigg and Balder were Norse gods.

“That is okay. Ymir made me tolerant and open-minded,” came Magnus’ easy reply.

Erik realized he wasn’t the only shameless person here. If worse came to worse, he would run away.

Erik saw Alec and Marissa exchange a look. It appeared both resigned and hopeful.

“Erik, why don’t you consider joining the Magic Tower?” Olean pushed in.

“No!” The other three adults in the room answered.

Erik wanted to ask more questions about the Magic Tower, but Marissa’s glare made him stay silent.

“Thank you for coming here, Olean. However, You resolved the issue. There is no reason to stay.” Magnus wasn’t being polite. He raised a hand, indicating at the door.

Olean ignored the words. “It has been a long time since I saw my grand-nephew.”

Magnus approached the bed. Marissa got out of the way, and he took the spot. He held Erik’s hand. “Magicians disavow their last names when they join the magic tower.”

Erik tried to pull away. Going to the Magic Tower might be an option.