Rueln Layheart

“I shall sponsor the boy.”

At those words, the bishop paled, turning to stare at the hooded man. He opened his mouth as if he would protest, but seemed to get caught on his own tongue. I looked between them both, confused and afraid of what those words meant. When the bishop spoke about it, it sounded like they would take me to a noble and placed in their house like some kind of pet.

I didn’t know who this man was, and I didn’t care. I didn’t want to go with him or anyone else. No one had the right to take me away from Master Esra, Finn, or my family. I was so stupid for saying Vhal’s mother’s name. Never had it been more clear than it was now.

Reaching up, the man pulled his hood back away from his face, revealing blonde hair and eyes the color of red rose. Just the way he held himself said he was nobility. Why hadn’t I seen it before? Nothing changed. He still stood there in a white temple cloak. His stance hadn’t changed. Why had I assumed he was just another guard?

“I’m sorry, but I must have heard you incorrectly, Lo-,” Jaques stumbled over the man’s name, as if the law he was so happy to spit at my master forbade him to speak it. Who was it that had even the bishop touting to him?

“You heard correctly,” the man said, and turned his attention to the guards. “Release the boy and escort High Bishop Jaques back to the capital. His services are no longer required.”

“Lord Balec!” Jaques exclaimed.

The name finally slipped.

Lord Balec’s gaze hardened. “My tolerance for you has reached its end. Go Jaques before I have you stripped of your titles and brought before the emperor.”

The guards released me and obeyed the lord, helping the bishop to the carriage when his feet didn’t seem to obey him properly. I stayed where I was stunned, until they urged the carriage horses on, leaving the lord’s horse standing near the entrance. The lord’s red eyes were still on me when I darted back into Master Esra’s house, but he didn’t make a single move to stop me.

Finnley was just pulling himself up with Master Esra’s help when I ran in and wrapped my arms around her neck. I hadn’t realized how terrified I was until she wrapped her arms around me and held me to her, her hand petting my hair. “You’re alright,” she promised. “You’re alright, Rueln.” She was still holding me when heavy boots stopped just outside the door and I peaked over my shoulder to see the noble standing there watching us.

“With your permission,” he said, much more polite than the bishop ever did, “I would like a moment of your time. Do not fear, I have no intention of removing the child from your care when he has no desire to leave.”

Standing, Master Esra steadied me on my own feet and helped Finnley the rest of the way up before she faced the lord standing in front of us. “I have no reason to trust the word of a noble. You heard the bishop. It is written into law that-”

“The law is written that the boy must have a noble sponsor, not that his life is no longer his own, though that is how most of the aristocracy reads it,” Lord Balec interrupted. “It is in your best interest to speak with me on this matter. I have claimed sponsorship of him in front of a prominent member of the temple. I have every right to force the matter, though I do not wish to. You have my word as Lord Balec Milon that I will not take him from you if you both,” those red eyes found me, “listen to what I have to say.”

Master Esra sized him up before firmly nodding, giving permission for the noble to enter. She should have just shut the door in his face.

“Finnley,” she said, glancing down at my friend, “Go into the kitchen and make some tea for our… guest.”

Finnley’s mouth popped open. “But Master, this lout tried ta take Rue! Why don’ ya kick em out with the other rubbish?!”

“Go,” was all she said and glaring back at the noble, Finnley went. I saw him kick the chair leg and miss, stubbing his toe on his way out. Maybe I should go help. I took only a single step after him when Master Esra stopped me with my name. “Rueln,” she said, “You heard the lord’s condition. You are to stay and listen.”

Setting my jaw, I sat, Master Esra taking a seat protectively next to me while the lord took the seat that Jaques had vacated. “I would like to start by apologizing for the High Bishop’s behavior.”

“That would mean a lot more if it came from him,” Master Esra said icily.

Yeah, you aren’t winning any favor with her, pretty boy.

“I understand, but you have mine just the same,” Lord Balec said, bowing his head slightly toward Master Esra.

“You wanted to talk,” Master Esra said. “Get on with it, Lord Balec. I think my apprentice has dealt with quite enough uncertainty today.”

“Of course,” Balec said, agreeably. “As I said before, I have elected to sponsor the boy, which means by law I am now responsible for him.” Both Master Esra and I stiffened visibly at these words, but we didn’t interrupt as the noble continued. “However, it is my decision on how I would like to conduct that responsibility. As long as…,” his red eyes flicked down to me before he spoke my name. “Rueln is in good health. I see no reason I should steal him from your capable hands. I simply wish to enter something more like a partnership with him.”

“Explain,” Master Esra demanded, her patience with him gone.

“I play my roll as his sponsor for the academy, I bring him to the occasional aristocratic affair, I make sure he has what he needs to thrive at the academy,” Lord Balec said, speaking calmly despite the look Master Esra was giving him. “On paper, I play my part. All he has to do is enjoy my occasional company and get close to a few of the students attending the academy for me. He will not be in danger, nor will he have to permanently leave his apprenticeship with you. He will be under my protection from other nobles trying to get their hands on Lanarie Aairith’s reincarnation. No one will dare to approach him without my explicit permission.”

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It sounded pretty, but it was coming from a noble. Everyone said their word is as good as dirt. I looked up at Master Esra to see her thoughtful expression. “You’re not considering this, are you, Master?” I asked, appalled. “I didn’t even want to go to that school. Teach me here with Finnley.”

“I can’t, Rueln,” Master Esra said, her eyes tightening. “It’s too late for that now. They know who you are the reincarnation of. If you don’t accept this, then he could easily just take you with the law to stand behind him. If not that, then some other noble could come along and decide to take you from me. A few parties sounds like the lesser evil.”

Lord Balec’s lips twitched, threatening a smile at her comment. “Lesser evil it is, though I give you the choice. If you decline, I will walk away and inform the temple of my resignation of sponsorship at a later date. It will give you time to settle your affairs before another noble stakes their own claim.”

“I refuse,” I said stubbornly.

For just a moment, Lord Balec nodded, accepting my refusal without a fight, but Master Esra shook her head. “No, Rueln, you must accept this.”

“But Master–”

“Cyrus warned us both how dangerous it was for you if you don't know how to properly use your recall, let alone your magic. I cannot teach you–” Lord Balec interrupted Master Esra before she could finish, though from her tone, her decision was made.

“Magic?” Lord Balec said, “No one had mentioned you possessed magic, Rueln.”

“They didn’t test me for it yet,” I admitted. “They got hung up when I said Lanarie’s name.”

Lord Balec leaned forward, his hand moving to run a thumb across his jawline in a thoughtful gesture. “Would you be willing to show me?”

At least with Lord Balec, it was a request, not an order. Despite his high status, he did not wield it to make me or even Master Esra feel smaller. Still, I hesitated.

My true power, according to Cyrus, was Imprint, not the fire I could conjure. The problem was that fire was Vhal’s flame. I didn’t want to show it off to the wrong person. One thing was for certain, however, if I was going to survive this with my free will intact and out of the thumb of society, then… I was going to have to trust someone who stood there to shield me from it. If not Lord Balec, then who would be so willing?

I looked over at Master Esra, who nodded to me. It was my choice. Turning back to Lord Balec, I took a moment to measure his gaze, but unlike the bishop, I saw no greed there. Although he could use me, as his offer suggested, he didn’t need me or covet my past life. It was exactly as he had said, a partnership.

When I covered myself in my soulforce and willed my mana to my palm, I knew the risk I was taking. If Lord Balec turned on me, then I supposed I would share my past life’s way of dealing with those who betrayed me, even if it took years to see it through. Fire appeared at the tips of my fingers and spread over my hand, the magic of the fire reflecting in the lord’s eyes.

He didn’t show surprise, nor did he comment on my magic. Instead, he nodded, his expression more difficult to read than it had been before. With my connection to Vhal at that moment, I knew a political mask when I saw one. He didn’t want to reveal what he was thinking, and he did so well enough that Vhal and I both agreed he could be dangerous to us–me.

Lord Balec held out his hand to me, offering to shake. “Will you allow me to sponsor you, Rueln?” he asked. “I will have the contract written up for your guardian to sign with any clause you wish to be included.”

“And I will have a member of the magistrate’s office read everything before we sign anything,” Master Esra said. “I will not hand him over unless he agrees to everything written.”

“I wouldn’t ask it of him,” Lord Balec said, still offering me his hand.

I hesitated, then released my magic and took his hand in mine and met his eyes. I let Vhal’s steel resolution fill my gaze. “If this is a partnership,” I said, not sounding like the eight-year-old I was, “then we stand on equal ground.”

Lord Balec smiled. “I wouldn’t have it any other way, Rueln Layheart.”

Finnley limped back into the reception area and offered the tea he had diligently made only for Lord Balec to refuse it. I’m pretty sure he hurt Finnley’s feelings, and after seeing his bandaged fingers from where he must have burned himself, I couldn’t really blame him. When he stood, asking for Master Esra and me to join him, we wanted to know why. I thought we were done.

Lord Balec’s answer, however, made sense. “They pulled Rueln from school before he even got his class schedule. Isn’t that correct?”

“Yes...” I admitted reluctantly, glancing down at my stiff school uniform. I’d been hoping I could go change.

“We must correct it. As his guardian and as the child I am sponsoring, we both want him to remain in school.”

Master Esra pursed her lips, glancing between me and Lord Balec. “I half expected you would want him transferred to the academy the nobles attend.”

The smile Lord Balec gave her said more than any words that he had no interest in that academy. “He is perfectly fine where he is. I will not dispute the choice you made prior to my involvement. He remains firmly in your care.” He offered her his hand, which she took. “Failing proper introductions, what shall I call you?”

Master Esra blinked, seeming to realize she had never introduced herself, and the bishop had never asked. “My apologies, Lord Balec. I am Esra Greyborn.”

“It will be a pleasure to work with you, Esra.”

Finnley was off to pull Peach from the stable at Master Esra’s order. I would have joined him, but she insisted since I was returning to school I couldn’t dirty my clothes. Instead, I went to my room to put the comb back where I had hidden it away. While I was there, I cleaned up the mess I had made in my haste to find it before Master Esra saw it.

When I was done, I sat on my mattress, staring over at Finnley’s bed, his blankets askew. I would freely admit I wished he could come to school with me, but the rules were clear, only those who had recall could attend. As far as I knew, there wasn’t a school for those without the mark. Not even an aristocratic one. Nobles typically educated their own children with private tutors. It was like that in Vhal’s time, and I doubt that had changed much. She had still been pretty young when she died and hadn’t implemented all the changes into society she wanted.

“What am I supposed to do?” I asked, my voice the only sound in the empty room.

My plan was to become a mercenary, give what money I could to help my family live a decent life, and adventure throughout the empire. This business with the high bishop and now Lord Balec, despite what he promised, made me second guess that. Maybe the idea I had been building for my life since I accepted the apprenticeship had been just a dream. It didn’t fit with my reality.

“What am I supposed to do?” I asked again, as if someone was there to answer me.

I was met with silence, and I knew that there wasn’t anyone who could answer that but me.