“Wonderful!” Captain Thompson grinned widely at Elwin and Prin. “I’m sure we’ll have a grand old time. Even among those stuffed shirts.” He scratched his chin thoughtfully, a forkful of pancakes dangling from his other hand. “Maybe if Rose will accompany me, I might start going to a lot more of these things. It’s a way to get out of the house, in any case. And there might be some good grub and champagne.”
“It seems weird.” Valor pointed out. “To see you excited about going to a party. I can’t understand it.” His pale gaze shifted to his father, over his right shoulder anyway, but close enough. “After all, you’re old.”
“Papa still has life in him!” the captain roared. “It aint over til you’re dead, kid. You can still have fun once in a while!”
“Hmm.” Valor hummed doubtfully. “What about me then? Aren’t I invited?”
“Of course . . . umm.” Captain Thompson’s eyes went wide and he seemed at a temporary loss of words on this development. “You would want to . . . I mean . . . your safety. . .”
Prin grinned at Valor. “What a wonderful idea! It will be good for you to get out more. Like I was just saying yesterday.”
Elwin shot him a concerned look. Had Prin already forgotten all about the curse? Or chosen to disregard it entirely.
“Wrena can fend for herself.” Valor said, in the firm tone of someone who’s words were quickly converted to settled fact. “Prin will be my date.”
The prince shrugged and smiled at Captain Thompson. He clearly had no problem with this.
Elwin on the other hand was worried about taking the most unfortunate boy in the world anywhere, especially a place like that full of people, no doubt drunk, and unfamiliar surroundings. What if something happened to him? And it was on their watch.
The captain also seemed to have reserves. As well as Mrs. Frances, who looked upon the whole scene, ringing her hand in anxious dismay.
“You know you are the very light of my life . . .” Captain Thompson said cautiously. “But your sister too . . . And she needs to be out in society, perhaps meeting a nice young man? At her age and all, such concerns would be on her mind?”
“I didn’t say she shouldn’t go.” Valor said, calmly eating his fruit. “Just that she can find her own date.”
“So, what do you think of Freya, the witch?” Prin asked brightly. “Not to change the subject.” Even though he said that, it very much was to change the subject.
“I’m not sure she refers to herself as a witch!” Captain Thompson said with a laugh, “But as for other people.”
Prin smiled. “A rose by any other name?”
“As you say.” The captain agreed. “She’s a very striking woman, almost beautiful. You can’t quite tell her age, but she has a wisdom about her.”
“I mean, more, her abilities. I guess.” Prin said.
“Oooo-oh, can she do all of what was asked of her?” Captain Thompson said. “No, apparently not. She is a low level sorceress, not capable of undoing the work of her betters. But interesting to talk to none the less.”
A disappointed look passed over the prince’s face that he wasn’t able to quickly hide. “Low level, huh?”
“Well, maybe just in some areas, and more skilled in others.” The captain said. “It was rude of me to put it that way. Her specialty is telling your future with her cards.”
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
“I would like to have my future told.” Prin said.
“I doubt she’ll be doing work at a social gathering.” The captain said. “But you seem to have a keen interest, I’ll see about getting you introduced to her. A start at least, eh?”
“Thank you.” The prince smiled warmly at the captain. “I don’t mean to be ungrateful.”
“The party is in only three days, we will have to get you boys outfitted appropriately!” Captain Thompson said. “Like a trio of princes!”
“Yaay.” Valor said dryly.
*
Since his opportunity to meet the island’s famous witch was coming up so soon, Prin vowed to get as much research in as possible. He was less concerned about appropriate dress and more concerned with asking the right questions.
He would definitely have to ask her if she knew any witches at all who could do what the witch had done to him. But . . . somehow without letting on that he had killed two people? Which could definitely be seen as a failing actionable by the law. He chuckled to himself. Right, killing and consuming two people . . . just a slight misdemeanor, that’s all.
He decided to bring Elwin into the library project as well, although Valor didn’t seem all to pleased about it.
When he had them both in the library, he decided to level with Valor, as he seemed the type of person that a straightforward approach would work best with.
“We are going to go to this party and we’re going to have a great time. But I have an ulterior motive for wanting to go.” Prin announced.
“I figured as much.” Valor said.
Elwin cast Prin a look like he wanted to say something, his mouth even opened slightly, but he closed it again without speaking. Frowning slightly in that way he had, with his eyebrows scrunched together.
The prince carried on anyway. He took a big breath and spoke on the exhale. “I am cursed. And so are you.”
“I know.” Valor said. He sat down in his chair, both cats immediately jumping on his lap and playfully jockeying for space. “About me anyway. Not the specifics, per say, but I figure my father killed so many people in his younger years, one of them was bound to have an angry magician for a relative.”
So close, yet so far. Prin was not going to give him the specifics, although part of him wanted to. He couldn’t see the use in it. “So at least it doesn’t come as a shock, that’s good.”
“No. But what of it?” Valor asked. “From my understanding you can only be released by the witch who cursed you. And what are the odds of finding them? In all the people of the world. Which I gather is a large number. If they are even still alive.”
“Yes. I think finding the one who did it is ideal.” Prin nodded. “But I wonder if a witch, stronger than the original one, could also undo a curse? Or overlay it somehow, counteract it?”
“I don’t think the fortune teller, celebrity though she may be on this island, will be the one.” Valor said.
“Maybe she can provide a stepping stone in the right direction, though? We have to try!” Prin said, trying to imbue his voice with a level of encouragement that would get the boy motivated. “In the mean time, I want to do a lot of research. If we can’t help ourselves, who will help us?”
Elwin took his hand. “Me.”
“You never know, if you are able to get out more, maybe you will find your Elwin.” Prin said softly. “Maybe even at this very party, who knows?”
“Doubtful.” Valor said. “Let’s focus on the curse. I would rather not . . . transmit the curse to some unfortunate who thinks of me with affection, like what happened last time. Of course it may be different if the person is already afflicted.” He tilted his head consideringly toward Prin.
“Last time?” Prin wondered. Since Valor didn’t seem inclined to explain himself, he decided to move on. For now. “Never mind. Let’s look at some books, shall we?”
He tried to consider how they could include Valor. “Alright, El, you read off the titles of the books and the table of contents, if it seems necessary, to Valor. And Valor, you categorize the books into different piles. Like biography, science, art, fiction, etc. Anything involving magic or witches we will put together all in one pile and read further into them later? Does that sound agreeable to everyone? In order to make quicker work . . .” the prince looked around him at the hundreds of books that stacked the shelves and floors. This was not to mention the books in other rooms. “I will start on the farther side separately.”
Valor frowned.
Elwin also looked inclined to complain, but didn’t.
It would be good for them, then, to work together.
The prince went to the far side of the room and started to work. He opened the curtains to give himself more light. The state of the books was dismaying. Many of them were very old and not well cared for, crumbling apart or water damaged.
The musty smell made him sneeze.
Also, the books in this area seemed rather boring, mostly about seafaring and geography, or stuffy biographies of people he had never heard of.
Just as he had been at it for a while, and the other side of the room seemed suspiciously quiet, prompting him to want to check on the others, A book with gilt lettering across the dried blood-brown spine caught his eye. “Curses.”
The prince snatched the book from the shelf so fast, he was afraid it would crumble to dust beneath his firm grip.