Arillia by Illuminati Architect

Chapter Sixteen, Cousins

On the afternoon of Friday 3rd Befur, 23rd year of Peter III, I set fire to Goldeneye’s corpse to avoid his recognition by the locals. We then traveled a few miles south to get away from the beheaded dragon carcass and spent the night with a farmer’s family in Colvamon. Amelia didn’t eat much, and I waited for her to settle into sleep before removing the swordbelt and collapsing myself.

The next morning, I waited until we were out of town before taking Amelia off the road to cast Heal on her.

She coughed up blood and then turned back to me. “It stings inside my chest every time you do that.”

I wiped the blood off her mouth. “Good. I’m trying to keep your lungs from scabbing over. Hopefully, I’ll keep you alive until we get back to Polly. As a last resort, I’ll lend you Sparot’s strength.”

“Why can’t I use Sparot now?”

“Should Sparot carry you over Death’s threshold, there’s a good chance you’ll remain unliving. I’ve got enough monsters to deal with without creating any more.”

Lass, thou hath studied the undead much more than I ever did. I shall do as thou doth require to maintain the blush in the cheeks of this girl.

Elizabeth and Rebecka said little as we maintained a good pace on the road, with Amelia riding in front of me on Emberstep so I could closely monitor her condition. That evening, we stopped in the small village of Roney Stidge. The inn only had a two-bed room, which was fine for our purposes. Amelia again ate little and was soon asleep in the bed she shared with me.

I felt a familiar tingle and picked my wand off the nightstand.

Hello Carnel.

Arillia! I wasn’t able to contact you last night. What happened?

There was an incident, and I ran down all my wand and all my strength on Heal.

Is Elizabeth okay?

Elizabeth is fine. If it comes to that choice, then I shall ensure that it is she who carries my corpse back to you rather than the reverse. Mostly because I wouldn’t want to face you then and because even with Sparot’s strength, I couldn’t carry her all that way. Amelia is the one who is suffering.

Who’s Amelia?

Sir Amadev’s daughter. The woman who was jousting the fake dragon in the courtyard.

Oh, her. What happened?

She rushed up to examine the dragon that young lord Wayne Duenits had slew and got caught in the miasma.

You’re lying about something. Was there really a dragon?

Carnel, for your own safety and that of the nation, please accept what I just told you and the news that will reach the castle in a few days as the complete truth and speak of any suspicions to none.

You earnestly believe that, at least.

How’s Polly doing?

She was able to walk to meals today. She asked when you’d be back.

Tell her we’ll return either Thursday or Friday. I see you’re getting much better at Telepathy, but my wand is running down. Talk to you tomorrow.

Good night. Please tell Elizabeth that I love her.

I’ll tell her in the morning. Good night.

Carnel was getting dangerous, but at least she didn’t remark on that last lie, as I still had plenty of wand mana remaining. For a moment, I wondered how wizards of old had fared with wands that took weeks rather than, at most, a day to recharge, all thanks to Martinia’s improved wand design.

Reminded of one of my many quest objectives, I opened up my belt pouch, pulled out Koching’s jewel, and imbued this with a drop of mana as I held this up to my left eye.

Suddenly, I was back in Koching’s cave, spitting on his bones as I said. “I hope you left yourself enough airflow to slowly starve after you sealed yourself in here, you nasty little elf scum.”

There is no greater disrespect among elves than contempt for one’s ancestors, Human.

Koching, is that you?

The image faded away to just the tiny red glow of the jewel in my hand.

Is that what you humans call me? Amusing, and I am not such a fool as to reveal my true name to a fellow wizard.

Since when have you known that you were my ancestor?

It was the blood oath on this jewel to pass the wisdom of my grandfather down to our descendants that awakened me when you entered the cavern.

Why did you try to stab me in the eye then, and why did you stab Polly in the gut?

She interrupted the ritual of replacing your right eye with this jewel so that the wisdom would be with you always.

No thanks. If you’ve been following along, you’ll have seen that part of my ability to do good depends on my looking good.

Vanity before wisdom. I’d expect nothing more from a human. Why, then, have you sought me out?

I need your ability to remember all that the jewel has seen. I shall send one of my companions to hold you above certain documents we will copy later.

Is this companion another wizard?

No.

Then I shall be of little use. This jewel lacks the strange mana-gathering enchantment on your wand. This isn’t a problem, as the jewel is intended to be merged into the user’s own body.

Very well, I shall arrange to go myself and power this jewel in my hand. Consider what sort of jewelry setting you want to reside in, other than an eye socket, for when we chat again.

As for your hope, I died contented, listening over our earring link to my traitorous daughter Kateri’s screams as the humans cut her open to deliver her half-human child.

So, Kateri’s capture?

It was all a ruse to cover up her plot to make her human lover your king. I can tell from your reaction that childbirth remains a problem in your family, and I look forward to savoring your screams.

I stopped powering the jewel, and the glow faded away. Another problematic magic item to keep out of Carnel’s grasp. I wondered how much I could trust the pointy-headed elf.

On Sunday, 5th Befur, Amelia rode bravely, and we made good time, but she looked increasingly pale. She ate little at lunch and then again at dinner when we reached Acorn Harbour. Amelia fell asleep shortly after I tucked her in, and then I consulted quietly with Elizabeth and Rebecka about the change in my plans for the next day, given what Koching had told me.

We set out early on Monday, the 6th of Befur, and arrived in Port Linton around noon.

My uncle (and cousin, twice removed) Gustav Jalo, Duke of Lermont, was waiting in the gatehouse for us. “Princess Arillia, it’s so good to see you again!” Then, taking a closer look at the woman riding in front of me, he added, “Who is this and what happened to her?”

“Duke Jalo, this is Amelia Amadev and some bandits tossed a smoke device at us that burned her lungs.”

“Oliver Olmec’s fiancee?” He easily lifted her away from Emberstep and started to carry her. “Have you tried the Heal spell I taught you?”

“Yes, and as you warned me, this has limited effect on internal organ injuries.”

“Yes, that is true. My men will show your other companions to the stables and then to your room, and in the meantime, let’s look at Miss Amadev’s condition.”

As we entered the keep, I asked him. “Uncle Gustav, can you invite the Omecs to dinner tonight? Miss Amadev was so looking forward to meeting them.”

Amelia glared at me for a moment, then started coughing up blood.

Gustav looked down at Amelia. “This is serious.” Then he turned to a woman from the castle. “Justine, fetch my alchemy bag from my office.”

She nodded and hurried off.

Gustav placed Amelia in a bed in a small room and selected a philter from the bag that Justine brought. “Miss Amadev, please drink this so that you can rest until tonight.”

She looked for my nod, then complied.

Gustav left Justine to monitor my sleeping lancer.

I followed along with him and, noticing nobody else nearby, asked. “Uncle, answer me truthfully. What was in the drink you offered me on the night of my eighteenth birthday?”

“Why, it was just some brandy, of course.”

Does he really think he’s fooling you?

Lass, in mine day, I would strike the villain down now and not wait for this justice to which you are pledged.

I nodded to the voices in my head. “Well, it’s a good thing I didn’t partake, as I seem to have a strong reaction to alcohol. I drink only the pure water I conjure out of thin air these days, but I have found a way to make this as fizzy as certain wines. Will Miss Amadev be able to meet her future in-laws tonight, or should we call off the engagement?”

“Your spell variation sounds intriguing. I will give Miss Amadev a potion to energize her appetite when she wakes up. That has been lagging, no? Do you have a plan to help with her longer-term recovery?”

“The queen has hired a blue-haired woman from Suskan. She hasn’t done much for me, but we shall see what she can do for Miss Amadev.”

“If this truly is a Blessed Girl, then you should get Miss Amadev back to her as quickly as possible. I noticed that you were down a horse. As a belated birthday present, I shall gift you a horse and enough potions to get Miss Amadev to Kristophoro. Especially in her current state, she can only take these potions for a few days before they start to wear her down. After that, her fate is in the hands of the gods and your Suskan woman.”

At that point, my father’s younger sister appeared and noticed the blood on Uncle Gustav’s clothes. “Darling! What happened to you?”

“I was looking after a patient that Princess Arillia brought.”

Duchess Ulyana Angleland Jalo looked her husband over, then hugged him to herself, and she finally addressed me with her head pressed against his chest. “Arillia, what brings you here?”

He hadn’t even told her of my visit that the queen had sent him a letter about. What had he planned for me? Aunt Ulyana seemed unaware of his schemes and as taken by his charms as I had been before Greg’s warning. Who could blame her or me as Uncle Gustav was tall, strong, handsome, charming, highly intelligent, and skilled in many areas. The biggest irony was that if he had just put his faith in his smile rather than his potions, he could have had me wrapped around his member as we plotted how to dispose of Ulyana so that I could adopt her two children, produce many more for Gustav, and put him on the throne.

“Aunt Ulyana, I was escorting Miss Amelia Amadev here so that she could meet the family of her fiancee, Oliver Olmec. But she ran into a problem along the road.”

“Oh.” She pulled herself away from her husband. “Will she be okay?”

“I’ll do my best for her, my dear.” He smiled at her. “Will you introduce Arillia to her new cousin, then send for the Olmecs while I get changed?”

“But of course. Come along, Arillia.”

I followed Aunt Ulyana to their family rooms, where a twelve-year-old boy was standing next to a crying infant in the arms of a nurse.

“Duchess, I’ve changed her, but Delphine won’t stop crying.”

“Here, let me try.” I held my infant cousin in my arms. “Hello there, Delphine, I’m your cousin Arillia. I’m so happy to meet you. Aren’t you happy to see me?”

Delphine stopped crying, looked at me, then gurgled happily.

“Here,” I handed Delphine to Aunt Ulyana, “Why don’t you try nursing her, then send the invitation to the Olmecs?”

“Yes, so many things to do. Zoltan, can you show your cousin Arillia around the castle for me?”

“Yes, Mother. Come along.”

I followed my tweeny cousin up the stairs, and then as we stood alone on the highest tower, I tested what Greg would call an edge case. What were the limits of my power?

“Zoltan, if you pledge to me to be a humble, just, well-prepared, efficacious, and considerate king, then the throne of Ioa can be yours.”

“Nope.”

“Nope?”

“Nope, my dad says I will be duke someday, not king.”

“Will you be the best, wisest, and most loyal duke?”

“No, I’ll just be me, a duke like my father before me.”

“And what am I to you?”

“Mom says you’re just my cousin.”

After the tour of the castle that I hadn’t visited since Zoltan was an infant, I returned to Amelia’s room.

“Mrs. Justine, how fares she?”

“It’s just Miss, Your Highness. And the young woman seems to be sleeping peacefully.”

“But you are with child?”

“Your Highness, I do not know who the father was. It was dark, and in my shock, I had forgotten all the details. Though I still have the most compelling dreams almost every night.”

“Yet, you wish to keep the child?”

“Yes, of course. This child is precious to me.” She stoked her extended belly. “The Duke says that my child will be as well treated as one of his own. I only came here to study alchemy under the Duke for a year, but now I can stay here forever. I feel so blessed. Isn’t he the most wonderful man?” She smiled and sighed.

“And the Duchess?”

“Ulyana was initially conflicted, but now she treats me like a sister. We’re all so happy here.”

“Why don’t you rest while I look over Miss Amadev?”

“I couldn’t impose on Your Highness a task the Duke assigned me.”

“You need to consider the health of your child that the Duke considers his own. Hasn’t he also imposed that task on you?”

“Oh?” She stopped and seemed to slowly consider her instructions. “Yes, thank you, Your Highness. I’ll go rest up.”

I waited until after Gustav’s unwitting mistress waddled off before whispering to myself. “Right under Ulyana’s nose. Knowing Uncle Gustav, he could have just talked them into a threesome.”

How does he do that?

“It’s alchemy, Greg. She’s not as ‘zoned out’ as Elizabeth and I were under that spell, but the signs are clear enough. The prince of Dinana could learn a lot from Uncle Gustav. I resolve to act all surprised when Miss Justine is announced as Uncle Gustav’s mistress. Given how far along her child is, I suspect that he used her as a test case before moving on to me. I need to ensure that Zoltan doesn’t get too close to his father’s lovers when he becomes duke, as we Firebloods are inbred enough as it is.

Zoltan is your enemy in the game, though you haven’t killed his father here.

“Yet. I shall bring my uncle to justice as I have vowed. As for Zoltan, it could be a ‘hang over’ from the game, or it could be that he considers me just a cousin that protects him against my power. I will continue to test this Protag-kun ability. Polly remains my best edge case at the moment.”

How so?

“My power over her happened in steps. Offering her clothes after she complained about her nudity, taking control of her body that was then garbed in my insignia, and slowly extending this control over her mind and heart by supplanting her religion. I am left with an invincible dagger against a field of lances, with no shield to guard my heart. I shall have to study how this Emperor Ramolino uses the ability to see what additional tricks I can glean.”

I cast Holddoor, then lay down on the floor next to Amelia, to be awakened a few hours later by a knock at the door.

“One moment, please.” I stood and then released the spell. “You may enter now.”

“Princess Arillia, do you cast Holddoor everywhere you go?”

“It’s just a nervous habit, Uncle.”

“How fares miss Amadev?”

“She’s still sleeping peacefully.”

“Hold her up so I can administer the next potion.”

“It seems a pity to wake her so soon.”

“Arillia, you must not leave her in an enchanted sleep for extended periods. She needs to stir and clear her lungs.”

Uncle Gustav poured the potion down Amelia’s throat, and she awoke coughing, but this time, he had a cloth handy to catch the blood.

“Ready to meet your future in-laws?” I asked her.

“Please just get this over with.”

“Uncle Gustav, I will take Miss Amadev to the room assigned to my group. Please have washing things brought there, and I will ensure she is properly dressed when we meet again at dinner.”

“Very well, if you will excuse me, Your Highness.”