Cursed mage

"Whoa, the floating market." My eyes gaze up at the multiple layers of activity. The free sky where flyers buzz about. Market workers have floating businesses to reach everyone on any level. Just need to place their business card at the port you're at.

I'm standing on ground level. It's still busy, although I don't think it's the busiest level. Just... This is the easier one to sneak around on. I've heard anyway.

The crunch and scrap of metal has me glance behind me. A collection of guards. I jump being a barrel happen to be my scrawny self for once. Waiting for them to move on is easy enough. No suggestion they're looking for me. Thankfully. That means no one knows I'm gone yet.

I only have until they notice and truly search. My magic can't hide me well enough against Odin. Bah. Uncle Odin needs to leave me alone.

I move to a stall that is currently on ground level. Restocking looks like. The wares are being kept by one of the workers who stays to the ground. But things only get sold through the stall. I step closer to really see the floating stall. Balloons that magical create the right level of float. Expand the size and you'll move accordingly. Then the propellers placed to each side are meant to guide direction. Floating stalls aren't fast, but are skillful. And they work anywhere outside of the blazing desert or the Eastern winds. That's what the book said anyway.

"Got you."

I'm lifted by the collar of my shirt. I growl out knowing who has me. "That's no way to treat the crown prince."

"When the crown prince isn't acting the crown prince, he does not get treated as crown prince." Odin smirks at me. "You're supposed to be sitting for Lady Emerald's lesson. I went to see which of the civilizations she is reviewing with you to see her napping at her podium and your seat empty." Odin snaps his fingers putting us back in my classroom. I really am nothing compared to his magic. It has me sighing. "Wake her up. With a spell. You'll be punished if you pick throwing water at her again."

"That was a spell!" I shout. Shouting won't wake her from this.

Odin crosses his arms while waiting for me to act.

I huff. I barely saw anything before getting caught. There's still at least an hour of my lesson left. I was hoping no one would notice until then at minimum. Grunting, I look at Emerald. She doesn't deserve this. It has me sigh and review the spell. "I... The magic did as I requested but didn't do as I requested."

"Mistakes can kill. Fix it."

I sit on my chair watching my teacher. She is asleep magically because of me. I wouldn't be shocked if they analyzed it and got thousand year nap. I was reading up on that one. I was only trying to have a chance to sneak away. I wanted an illusion of myself sitting here. If Odin was coming, though, none of my spells would mean anything. He can see right through them.

Like he probably can figure out how to reverse this.

I... I'm lost. I look at Odin. "I don't know how."

"As a child is expected." Odin taps my head. "You are punished to double lessons with me for the next six months. I will also be placing a tracer spell on you. If you step behind your allowable areas, you're blink red."

I whimper. I've had that spell on me before. Getting up for the kitchens when I should be sleeping set it off. Only areas I am supposed to be in when I am supposed to be in them. It's annoying.

Odin though pulls off a reversal to my spell. "It's impressive, Your Highness, that you pull off such spells."

"I have little control."

"You have enough to not put your teacher to sleep."

Emerald blinks looking to the two of us. "Lord Odin." She offers a head bob while steadying herself. "Um... My legs feel weak."

"Give the spell a few minutes to full wear off." Odin sighs motioning to me. "His Highness put you into a thousand year slumber. Have a true love we should mark for you?" Emerald eyes me nervous. Odin rubs his face a moment. "I guess it is a quest of mine to get everyone's true love marked. I can only hope more has true loves than not."

"At least His Highness's magic has that caveat."

"A blessing and a curse." Odin looks to me. I refuse to lock eyes. "I assume that curse will disappear on his eighteenth. It did for his father."

I sink. Upon my birth, I gained several curses and blessing. A curse is a blessing after all. It is customary for the best of the nation come together to offer me such. I don't think I have awareness to all the curses yet.

"It is far safer he stays to his paths." Odin places a hand on my shoulder. "The less he interacts with the better."

"I did agree to this knowing what was likely." Emerald flexes her legs. "Although, no. That hasn't happened yet. The timeline suggests within a few weeks of meeting."

Odin nods. "You'll feel the tingle just as the rest of us have." Odin offers me a smile. "Hopefully your options is a possibility. We would rather it be such than not."

"I'm sorry, Lord Odin."

He waves it off. "If I gain a spell I cannot manage, Her Majesty will prove to everyone who she is to me, but beyond that I am to have no relationship. It is upsetting to have had that occur. The only one the true love's curse doesn't hit is the caster." Odin glances to me. "May luck be on our side for this one." He pats my head. "You still have a lesson. I will return."

I grunt. Lessons are better in person.