The dinner passed in a tense atmosphere. Alex had decided to join the other guests at the table, but had wanted William by his side to make sure none of the dishes had been poisoned.
Despite the mage's presence, however, he could not settle. The fear that something might go wrong, that someone might try to kill him again, made him restless.
He tried to hide it, but he knew he could never fool his family or William. Perhaps not even Nikolas, judging by the worried glances he had been casting his way throughout the entire dinner.
As soon as he finished eating, he rose from his chair to take his leave and shut himself in his room, but his best friend stopped him.
"We need to talk. You haven't forgotten, have you?"
Alex glanced briefly at William, who was watching them with a furrowed brow, then returned his gaze to Nikolas. "No, I haven't forgotten."
"He can come too. Actually, it's probably better if he does."
"Of course I'm coming," William cut in, his tone cold.
Nikolas looked away. "Good. Then follow me."
He led the way out of the hall, and Alex and William followed.
They walked down a couple of long corridors until they reached the small sitting room where they usually retreated after dinner to drink and talk.
A fire burned in the fireplace despite the fact that the summer had already come, driving away the cold and the damp of the night.
Nikolas dropped into an armchair and laced his fingers over his stomach, his gaze fixed on the plastered ceiling. "I'm sorry. I made a mess of things and it's entirely my fault."
"An apology isn't enough," said William.
"No, but you deserve one. I'm not asking for your forgiveness; that's a choice only you can make."
The mage looked away and crossed his arms over his chest. Alex sighed, sat down in an armchair, and crossed his legs.
"What did you want to talk to me about this morning?"
Nikolas straightened up. "Right, well — it's probably better if we wait for Lester. He's the one who needs to speak to you."
"Can I at least know how worried I should be?"
"Not much. It's just a strange story… and the main reason he's been helping you."
Alex looked toward William, but the mage shrugged as if to say he knew nothing about it.
"Alright," he murmured, turning back to Nikolas. "Then we'll wait."
A few minutes later, Lester walked into the sitting room. His silver hair was tied back in a low ponytail, and a smile playing, as always, on his lips.
"Good evening, gentlemen. Your Highness."
"By the spirits, we just saw each other at dinner."
Lester gave William a nod. "I'm glad you're still here with us." Then he took the only empty armchair and crossed his legs. "So, has Nikolas told you anything?"
"No," the prince replied. "He said you'd take care of that yourself."
"Ah, very well." Lester looked at him with a smile. "Well, to put it briefly, an ancestor of mine swore to protect an ancestor of yours, and that oath was passed down through the bloodline."
Alex blinked. "What?"
"How much do you know about the founding of Vellara?"
"What the legend says. The first king traveled north in search of a way to win the war, was blessed by an ancient spirit, and upon returning here conquered the surrounding kingdoms and unified them under his banner."
"And you know he didn't travel alone, correct?"
Alex shrugged. "Yes, but no one knows who was with him — whether it was one person or an army. It was probably his personal guard; I doubt a king would have traveled alone in the middle of a war."
Lester smiled. "The legends don't agree on this, it's true. But I know a different story, passed down within my mother's family. They told it to me often when I was a child."
"Lester, with all due respect, I'm not really in the mood to hear a fairy tale."
"It's not a fairy tale, Your Highness, and it's the reason we're here this evening." His smile sharpened. "The story my family has passed down is the truth."
Alex doubted it, but gestured for him to continue all the same.
"Your ancestor, the first king of Vellara, truly did travel north in search of a spirit that could grant him victory. And he did not travel alone. With him were five others — not his guard, but men and women he trusted completely. It seems his court had no idea where he was headed, nor what he intended to do."
"A rebellious spirit…"
"He sounds like you, Your Highness, don't you think?"
"I wouldn't say that." Alex rested his chin on his fist. "Well, what happened then?"
"The king received the spirit's blessing, and the five people who accompanied him in turn swore to defend the sovereign beyond death. My mother called them 'guardians.'"
"Not a particularly imaginative name."
The advisor laughed. "True, but imagination was never her strong suit."
"What happened?" William cut in.
Alex looked at him, puzzled. Was he actually interested in that story?
Lester smiled. "Well, the oath worked rather too well. After those people died, it passed to their heirs, and so on down to the present day. The first king rewarded four of the five guardians with four duchies: Calene, Ossyan, Esterin, and Sorana."
William frowned. "What are you trying to say?"
"That those four guardians still exist today. Or rather, the descendants of the four original ones do. And the oath that binds them to the sovereign of Vellara is still valid."
"And how do you know this?"
"Calene is my duchy. My family has governed it since the founding of the kingdom. I am the current direct-line descendant of the first Duke of Calene."
Alex furrowed his brow and raised a hand. "Wait a moment — are you saying that your ancestor is the one who swore this oath?"
"Exactly."
"Are you serious?"
"Completely."
"Are you sure? You haven't been drinking, have you?"
Lester smiled and looked genuinely amused. "I'm perfectly fine, Your Highness, and I am sober. My ancestor swore the oath to yours, and that oath has been passed down to me. I am bound to protect the King of Vellara — that is, you."
"The King is my father."
"Only in name. You are the last direct-line descendant."
"That makes no sense. Rudi is the last descendant."
"Wait," said William, stepping forward. "Perhaps what he's saying does make sense. Let him finish."
Lester smiled. "The second guardian — if we want to call them that — is Nikolas. His family, after all, has always governed the duchy of Esterin."
"And the other two?" asked Alex.
"Lydia Aldeburn and Vanessa Ballard. Lydia is not a duchess, but her family governed Ossyan before falling from grace two centuries ago. And Lady Vanessa is the daughter of the Duke of Sorana."
For a long moment there was only silence.
"Is this a joke?" asked Alex.
"No, Your Highness, it's all true."
"Even assuming it is true, what does this oath entail?"
Lester grew thoughtful. "I don't know. My mother always told me my duty was to protect the crown, the king, and the kingdom, but even she had no clear idea of what that actually meant."
"Perhaps it's just a bedtime story."
"She believed it, and so do I."
Alex shook his head. It couldn't be true — it made no sense. "It's just a story, Lester."
"Or perhaps not," said William.
The prince looked at him. "You believe it?"
"Your Highness, you have far more magic than your father or your grandfather. That must mean something."
"It's just a coincidence, Will."
"With magic, there's no such thing as coincidence. Every change has a cause, and it often signals a shift in the forces that govern the universe. Your magic must be tied to something."
Alex pressed his lips together and looked down. He understood nothing about magic, but he trusted William and his judgment.
Perhaps this strange story Lester had just told was simply another piece of the mystery he and Will had been trying to solve ever since they had performed the Crown Pact.
"Do you think it could be connected to our ritual?"
William pressed his lips together. "It's possible. Something went differently and it could be caused by your magic."
"Some time ago, Caedos told me the two of us are bound by the thread of fate."
"Perhaps he was referring to the Pact."
"He told me that before we performed the ritual. That night in Astya." Alex hesitated. "What if the oath Lester is talking about is similar to our Crown Pact?"
"It's possible. Perhaps there's something in the books."
"Perhaps." He looked at Lester. "And the fifth person? You said there were five of them, didn't you?"
The advisor gave a polite smile. "I don't know who they are. Even my mother's story never mentioned this person; they may never have had any descendants."
"But they existed?"
"We have no reliable information on that either."
Alex sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Is it because of this… oath that you've been helping me?"
"In part. The other reason is that I like you, Your Highness, and I know you will do what is best for my duchy."
"Well, at least you're more honest than everyone else."
He was helping him out of a strong sense of duty, not to gain any political or economic advantage.
"Do Lydia Aldeburn and Vanessa Ballard know?"
"I don't think so. Nikolas didn't know either."
Alex turned to his friend. "Really?"
Nikolas shrugged. "My father never told me anything. I don't think he knows either. And I've never sensed anything different about myself. If this oath exists, it doesn't seem to leave any trace."
William knelt in front of the other mage. "Perhaps it's not visible or detectable by a human being. Has your familiar never noticed anything?"
"No, but Aqua is very young and inexperienced."
"I could ask Caedos. If he noticed a bond between me and His Highness, he might also notice something between the two of you and him."
Nikolas gave a faint smile. "That could be an idea."
Alex frowned, irritated. After what had happened at the vote, he hated seeing them so close and at ease with each other again. It reminded him of how intimate they had once been.
"What's this — have you already made peace?"
William looked away. "No, but I'm willing to set aside my resentment for your sake."
"Perhaps you should stay angry with him a little longer. He'd deserve it."
"By the spirits!" Nikolas burst out. "Weren't you the one who told me apologies could fix everything?"
"Only until you start flirting with my mage."
"We were just talking."
Alex pulled William into his lap. The mage gave him a flat look.
"Your Highness, stop being jealous."
"I'm not jealous, but I don't like it when you two talk among yourselves." He rested his forehead against William's shoulder. "It makes me feel left out."
"By the spirits, you can be so clingy sometimes."
Alex suppressed a smile against his shoulder. Perhaps it was true, but he liked it when William took care of him and coddled him.
Lester cleared his throat. "If His Highness agrees, for now I wouldn't say anything to Lydia or Vanessa. It's better to understand what we're dealing with first, then we'll decide how to proceed."
The prince nodded. "This story must not leave this room. Ballard could use it to his advantage, and I can't allow that."
Nikolas gave him a puzzled look. "Why?"
"He wants me to marry his daughter. I agreed because it was the only way I had to keep William here, but I'm biding my time to find a way out." He furrowed his brow. "And we may need to travel soon. Caedos is trying to make contact with a spirit older than himself — we might have to go to him and speak face to face."
"That sounds like an excellent idea." Lester rose. "By the spirits, it really is quite late. Nikolas and I will retire."
Nikolas frowned. "But I'm not sleepy."
"Actually, you're very sleepy." He took him by the arm and pulled him to his feet. He bowed toward Alex. "Good night, Your Highness. William, sleep well."
He dragged Nikolas out of the room and the door closed behind them.
For a long moment, Alex stared at the entrance in silence; he wasn't sure he'd understood what had just happened. Then he looked at William.
"Shall we go to bed as well?"
But instead of answering, the mage took his face in his hands and kissed him.