NOVEL NEXT More Than Intrigue
Silas POV
Queen Amory,
By now, you have heard about N'ila's tragedy. As of now, I have learned this assault against our people is in revenge for granting your protection to the Orc Warriors six years ago. Mr. Iann, the big player in the Solis slave market, has been planning his revenge for some time. N’ila was the first according to the mercenaries we captured during our raid.
Out of 302 citizens of N’ila, 94 of them have been rescued and 33 have perished, leaving 175 more citizens to be found. I removed 94 obsidian cuffs from the refugees of all ages. Captain Onyx Yalton promises to secure every bit of intel out of the mercenaries since we have arrived in Le’Anisa. The refugees are on the mend in a temporary camp on the edge of Le'Anisa. A battalion of soldiers should secure N’ila and bring rations. There wasn’t much left in N’ila when my party left it four days ago. A question should be posed about whether people should return to N’ila or resettle elsewhere in the kingdom.
As for my party, dear sister, you should know that I wish to grant them the court’s protection when we make it to Desfyra. A woman who resides with me as I travel is speculated to have a dangerous power. I am not certain of her identity, but I do know, that the refugees call her the ‘Weird Red Lady’. She’s a hero to the refugees for her brave feats that protected the children from harm during the rescue. I believe her to be a hero, an asset, and a friend to the Kingdom of Desfyra.
Sincerely Your Dearest Brother,
Prince Silas Halestone
Sealing the letter, I hand it off to Braxton and Emera. They plan to explore Le’Anisa and restock our supplies while we wait for intel from Captain Onyx. We arrived in Le’Anisa last night and checked into the Little Kettle Inn. Everything moved so fast yesterday that we agreed to have a day of rest at the inn. I plan not to leave the inn unless someone truly needs me. The rumor of my appearance in town has spread like wildfire over breakfast. Braxton only left me in the inn because Rosewyn agreed to play bodyguard. I didn’t think I needed one in Desfyra, but people recognized me was a dangerous situation. Being royalty puts a giant target on my back to get kidnapped, attacked, or killed.
Rosewyn knocked on my door, and I let her in. The room was small with two single beds, a writing desk, and a small bathroom. White walls, a single window, and a lamp made up my standard room. Rosewyn wasn’t shy. She took over my seat at the desk, putting her saddle bag on the desk with a thunk. I had asked her to bring the book that she stole from the guild library. It was time to dig into her past for answers.
Sitting close on the bed close to the desk, I tried to get comfortable because this type of conversation was out of my comfort zone. I looked over at her leaning back in the desk chair. “I wrote to my sister.”
Her expression stayed neutral. “I imagine you had a lot to tell her.”
“Considering everything we went through once we made it to N'ila, it was a long letter.” I tried to be humorous. “So…”
“So?” She questioned. “Oh, you want to see the book.” She turned around and pulled out an old, red, leather book. The title was The Grand Wizards & Lost Magic. “I should warn you.” Her voice became soft as she caressed the book. “My magic reacts to this book.”
“How?”
Rosewyn told me of how the book fell on her head. When it opened, instead of reading the chapter, she saw it in her head like a play. She learned about Ramire Bishop and his polymorphic ring. The beast woman he fell in love with prompted him to create a ring unlike any other by allowing him to shift races. Her face lit up as she described their secret life together. Ramire and his love got caught by the beast woman’s clan. The guild and the pack swept everything under the rug with their deal. Ramire made a set of rings for the pack, so they could hide away from the prejudice of their time. The whole story and the magic were lost to history.
“Ramire Bishop created genetically locked polymorphic rings?” I was in total disbelief. I knew he mastered polymorphic magic, but he redefined the boundaries of polymorphic spells in the name of love.
“Yes, he did.” She confirmed.
“Is that the magic item that you have? The one that channels and controls your magic.” She nodded, lifting her hand to show me a black banded ring with a red stone in the middle on the ring finger of her coarse right hand. “This ring is ancient. Like over a thousand years old, kind of ancient. Will it come off?”
“Not since I turned twenty-one,” she muttered.
“There are more of these though, right? Have you come across anyone else with a ring like this?” The researcher in me was leaping with excitement.
Red explained how she knew of others because her mother was connected to them. No one else had issues like hers. Her mother’s clan had rules and instructors that taught select ring bearers how to use the polymorphic ring. There was no case like hers ever recorded in the clan’s history. She told me her clan’s version of the story as well.
“So, the blood from two different people of two different races is bonded in the ring with the spell. To use the ring, you must descend from one of the original people the spell was bonded to. Seems simple in theory, but why does the ring react strongly to you?” Wheels turned in my mind as I contemplated Rosewyn’s unique situation. She was descended from two different races. Could that be the answer? “Is it possible that you descend from the bloodline of both people used in the spell in the ring?”
Her eyes got wide. She hadn’t considered that possibility. The blood of a beast folk and a human were bound in the spell in the ring. Since she’s half of each race, the ring could amplify her magic. Most of what has happened to Rosewyn should be impossible, but beast folk hybrids break the boundaries of the known limits of magic. At one time, she had told me her name was Rory Bishop. Her father could have descended from Ramire Bishop, the creator of her polymorphic ring.
“Your parents were human and beast folk like Ramire and the woman he loved. Maybe, that has influenced the ring in some way. You might descend from both the human and beast folk bloodlines that were bonded to create the ring.” I was careful to keep my Bishop theory to myself.
Red nearly tumbled out of her chair. “Are you saying I am some kind of karma, the prophetic love child of two people who gave their blood to Ramire Bishop for an experiment?”
I couldn’t help but laugh at her dramatic and shocked expression. Rosewyn wasn’t upset by my theory, but she was in total shock. She was a type of prophetic love child if she believed in fate, but she could just be a powerful person because her parents fell in love. Hybrids like her were written as overpowered in most historical accounts.
“If we assume you are descended from both people then the ring acts as a medium to regulate your power. Hybrids are unstable because their body cannot regulate the mana they create. The ring keeps you from exploding from too much mana production.” My mind was overrun with thoughts and ideas on the possibilities of what her ring could do. I pulled my journal out from my coat pocket and jotted down experiments I would need to run. If I study and recreate the ring then it’s possible this could help other hybrids.
Rosewyn was overwhelmed by my conclusions. “If I take this ring off, I could explode?”
Dropping the journal onto my lap, my arms created a giant x. “You won’t explode, but the high concentrations of mana will drive you crazy like the hybrids before you.”
“You know, I never thought my life would be tied to my mom’s ring. Maybe a wedding ring, but not a magic ring. It’s only this one item that separates me from an unstable existence.” Rosewyn was consumed by this realization.
I reached out my hand to hers, and she seemed to relax a little. “This is a lot to process, I know.” My voice had a slight excitement to it at the possibilities going forward. “However, this is good. We are understanding your power and the mysteries behind hybrids. If you permit me to, I can study the polymorphic spell, the ring, your potential as a hybrid, and how to make another item like this. This could change the fate of hybrids in Gleaca, and possibly your future.”
Her whole body sunk into her seat. “All of my life, I have been in hiding. I have hidden what I am from others, and my feelings about my existence until my aunt pulled it out of me earlier this year. I felt as if I shouldn’t exist because of the law and the potential destruction I could cause. Then people started to risk their lives to save me. My parents died for me. Jerico, my first crush, died protecting my secret. Aunt Leah, Em, and Elias nearly died when I was unable to fight. I have felt as if things would be easier if I just died.”
Her words shook me to my core. Rosewyn’s life was opposite to mine. She was forced to live in secret and constantly risking the lives of those around her because some laws said she should exist. I risk those around me because of my status. A law says I will inherit the throne after my sister although I never earned that right. I can walk in the light of day without hiding my face or giving a fake name. Was Rory or Rosewyn her real name? She may never tell me, but I know she is born and protected out of love.
My hand fell away from her arm. “This ring and my research could make it, so you may not have to hide yourself.” Just like when I found her freezing behind the tree and healed her with my magic, I felt this need to protect her. Rosewyn wasn’t weak. I have seen the might of her magic and her vulnerable expressions. Why I am drawn to this woman, I wasn’t sure, but she is worth the love and protection of those around her. This whole situation is worse than trying to explain polymorphic magic to a courtier.
“Silas, will it fix anything? Even if you can understand how my magic works, is there any future where the Gleaca Council will abolish the law forbidding hybrids? Could I walk in the sun without being hunted, fall in love and start a family, or return to the guild that I grew up in?” Tears were streaming down her face as she hugged her legs to her chest.
Standing up from my spot on the bed, I walked in front of her and knelt on the floor. My hands gently rested on her arms causing her to look up at me. Her sobs echoed in the room as she gave me a confused, tearful expression. I wasn’t sure what I was doing, but this beautiful woman in front of me needed comfort. My movements were awkward and rigid as I caressed her arms. Her pain reminded me of Braxton’s when we first met. He was loved by his companions but hunted for by an entire kingdom in his efforts to free his people. Rosewyn was born a secret and loved by those who were lucky enough to know her secret, but she could never stop looking over her shoulder in fear of the wrong person learning her secret.
“I can’t promise it will fix anything, but it will be a step in freeing you from your hidden existence. It will help other hybrids if we are successful. We could unlock history if we work together. Maybe, you will learn more about your family or the clan you descend from. I am a prince and heir to Desfyra. I can offer some protection from the council, but we will need to find a long-term solution.” Red was no longer an existence that intrigued me. She was becoming a person that I cared about.
Her tears stopped. She wasn’t happy, but she had calmed down. “Are you guys still wanting to make me the hero of N’ila?”
“We can call it step one in securing your future.” I smiled at her. Red won’t be sad like this forever.
Red tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Her red hair was tamed into a messy braid that looked like she had been sleeping before she walked in here. “So, what’s the backup plan if you can’t secure my future?”
What could we do if my plan falls through? There was only one answer that would allow her to live freely. “I will help you leave Gleaca.”
A stunned expression blinked at me. I think I may have left Red speechless. “Did Em tell you why we hadn’t left Gleaca?”
“No, but that would have been the safest option for you,” I said.
“We didn’t leave because I can’t control my power fully. I am not sure I could leave until I was certain that I had frenzy mode under control.” She sniffled.
“Sounds like we have research, studying, and experimenting to do.” The excitement of understanding a lost magic was tantalizing.
She chuckled at my excitement. “How will I repay you for this?”
“Besides helping me study a lost magic?” I asked.
Her hand grabbed one of mine softly. “You are talking about giving me the world, Silas. I am sure that’s worth more than some lost magic.”
“If it means that much to you, we’ll settle it later. Let’s look through the book again for more information for now.” I squeezed her hand. “It’s more than intrigue in your situation that has me invested in you, Red.”