Fin sat in the rocking chair by the cool fireplace as Eric continued to prattle on to his sister about his day, the world, his friends, and the castle.

“I’m glad the Prince has taken to the Princess.” Physician Durand puffed on the pipe in his hand while sitting in the chair opposite Fin.

“Can’t say I’m surprised. Eric is a great kid.” Fin closed his eyes and leaned his head against the back of the chair, his body heavy.

“You did well in the meeting today. It’d be a good thing if this was the start of witches and humans working more closely together in my opinion. The advancements we could make would be incredible if you think about the possibilities.”

“Mmm.” Fin replied wearily. He still hadn’t recovered his full stamina after his match with Adamma and his body was screaming at him to rest.

“You know, Mr. Ashowan, I don’t think it will be long before someone thinks to include you in more serious political matters, perhaps you should-”

A loud commotion cut the elder off and had Fin on his feet immediately while Eric leapt back from the cradle, startled.

The Princess didn’t like everyone’s sudden distress and let out a small cry of her own to tell them so.

“What in the world-”

“Please mind the children,” Fin called out as he crossed the room in long strides, opened and closed the door behind himself, and headed towards the loud shouts and bangs.

As he drew closer to the King’s chamber, he noticed what looked to be seven armed Knights facing the two guards, their hands on their weapons. In the middle of all the shouting stood none other than Lord Gauva, his face a mixture of irritable and smug.

“What’s happening?” Fin asked as he drew near.

“YOU! Just who we were waiting for!” Lord Gauva turned immediately, his eyes bright as he brandished a finger at the cook. A glimmer of uncertainty, fear, and righteousness was clear in the man’s gaze.

Fin knew that look.

He had seen it many times before.

It was the look of someone looking for his blood…

He didn’t have to guess why.

“Why is a mere cook allowed in and out of the King’s chamber when no one but your mother and Physician Durand should be allowed!”

Fin’s palms began to sweat, and so he put his hands in his pockets.

“My ability makes it easy for me to boil water, stack towels, and better explain my mother’s ability while she is incapable,” he added on dryly.

“Oh, you explained plenty! No one but you three have the ear of our King and Queen lately! Does no one else find this strange?” The men all grunted in agreement save for the two guards at the door who were beginning to look mildly worried.

“Summon the King then.” Fin nodded to the guards who both swallowed with great difficulty.

“His majesty refuses to leave his wife’s side,” one of them explained briefly.

“Aha! Does that sound like our King? Ignoring his call to duty? Hiding when the Kingdom is on war’s doorstep just because his wife is-”

“Mind how you speak of the Queen,” the guard on the right growled fiercely.

Lord Gauva at least had the good sense to look chastened.

“Perhaps ask the King if Lord Gauva might be granted access to witness his well-being,” Fin addressed the guards again, though if he were perfectly honest the King didn’t seem in his right mind at all. It might hurt his cause if anything…

“Mr. Ashowan, I’m not leaving my post to deliver a message with the likes of these men here. They’re speakin’ about dragging you an’ your mother away for questioning,” the one guard explained while fixing the Lord with a sharp glare.

“He will do no such thing. I will be the one to go ask his majesty then.” Fin’s calm voice was a facade. The mention of anyone taking he or his mother anywhere to be ‘questioned’, was forcing him to dig his fingernails into his palms to stay calm. He needed to stay in control no matter what. Losing his temper would not help anyone or anything...

Entering the chamber, Fin saw that his mother was laying down sleeping beside the Queen, the soft glow over her highness’ her body was weaker, but still there.

Both Kate and Ainsley looked pale, and Fin could tell his mother had been generous in the timeline she had given the King. There wasn’t much time left.

“Your highness, there is a small mob outside the room demanding that my mother and I be removed for questioning given that we are witches,” the redhead announced after his bow was wholly ignored.

“Who might that be?” The quiet in the King’s voice didn’t fool Fin for a moment, the man was not entirely sane. A combination of grief and lack of sleep or proper food was taking a heavy toll.

“Lord Gauva.”

“Sounds like something he’d do. Very well. I will go address him. Whatever happens however, Mr. Ashowan, I do not want anyone stopping your mother’s work, understand? That is an official command.” As Norman stood, his haggard face regarded the cook emotionlessly.

Fin gave another small bow, and kept his head bent as the King stepped by him, and exited the chamber.

Lord Gauva fell back a step at the sight of the King.

Gone was the composed well groomed man that was their leader, and before them stood a ghost. His cheeks had sunken in, his complexion resembled a sickly paste, and his tunic was rumpled and askew.

“I… I was right. Look at what their magic has done to you, Sire! We will see them hanged at-”

“Cease.” Norman’s voice boomed far louder than anyone would’ve thought he was capable of at that point. “My wife, your Queen, lay on her deathbed, and these people you rush to condemn are the only ones keeping her amongst the living. Lord Gauva, you have overstepped your rank grossly. You will take your men and leave this instance or be charged with treason.” The King turned back to the room, not noticing the uncertain glances everyone present gave save for Lord Gauva whose eyes were narrowed and his fists clenched.

“Your highness will forgive me when this spell is broken.”

With a wave of his hand, three of the Baron’s men pushed the door open just as Norman had opened the latch.

Once the group saw the inside of the room with the Queen looking every bit a corpse, and Fin’s mother laying beside her, the golden threads of magic flowing between them, the redhead knew blood was about to be demanded.

“GRAB THE WITCH!” Lord Gauva roared thrusting the King and Finlay aside and pointing at Katelyn who didn't stir.

One of the Knight’s brought by the Baron lunged through the doorway towards the healer, only the water pitcher on the table beside the bed suddenly shot up in the air and careened into his head, knocking him back a step.

The men then turned slowly to stare at Fin whose heart was in his ears.

There was nothing else he could do. They were committing treason, they were going to hurt him and his mother and endanger the Queen…

Fin stepped forward and the men drew their weapons.

“Someone summon Captain Antonio and Mage Lee,” the King ordered one of the guards who was beginning to draw his own sword.

“Your highness, once I am outside with them, please shut the door,” Fin called, his eyes never leaving the Baron's men who suddenly noticed that the redhead’s eyes were… glowing.

Norman quickly stepped out of the way, and suddenly a blast of a blue lightning shield wrought with ancient symbols surged through the air and sent the Knights sailing back out of the doorway.

“AHA! I knew you were hiding your true colors!” Lord Gauva called out proudly, until Fin exited the chamber, and turned his eyes filled with blue lightning to him.

“Gods… we never should’ve stopped hunting your kind. Men, attack!”

All seven Knights tried to charge forward, only to find they couldn’t move past some kind of invisible barrier.

Each man tried to rush through, or stab at it, but each time the blow was repelled. In fact, the shield somehow was increasing its span and was forcing the attackers back down the corridor away from the King’s chamber.

“You… You! How dare you accost a man of my breeding! You may have drained the mind of our King, Queen, and even that Knight Sir Harris but-”

“Why do you think I did anything to Sir Harris?” A strange echo reverberated through the halls when the witch spoke.

“That young man is to be a Duke! I saw the topic of our next meeting, and yet I saw him only a few hours ago running laps around the castle just because you told him to!”

“He isn’t a Duke yet. He is still under my command until he rises to power,” Fin replied through gritted teeth. In truth it was quite a bit harder controlling his abilities and not blasting them all out the nearest window.

The Shield continued herding the men back down the corridor until they were nearly forced against the East wall.

“I… will… see you hanged!” the Baron hissed despite his men accidentally dropping weapons as they all tried to push against the shield.

“What is the meaning of this?!” Captain Antonio’s voice broke out behind Fin, but the redhead couldn’t stop. If he did they’d attack, and he wasn’t taking any chances.

“Go talk to his majesty!” Fin called without turning around.

Mage Lee had arrived at the same time as the Captain, and was watching stunned as Fin successfully repressed the men, then strode forward until he stood beside the cook.

“I take it Lord Gauva is not an admirer of yours?” the elder asked while folding his arms casually over his chest, his staff loosely clutched in his hand.

“It’s difficult not to send them flying.”

“Show off,” the mage muttered before casting a sideways glance at the younger man and noticed that he was in fact sweating quite profusely.

“Would you like some help?”

“No.”

“You know us mages are perfectly-”

“Why aren’t you asking me what happened?” Fin snapped irritably

“Oh, dear boy, I don’t need to ask! Lord Gauva was frothing at the mouth earlier. I’m only surprised he didn’t grab a few pitchforks as well.”

“Glad… you see… the humor in all this,” Fin managed though his hands were starting to shake.

Captain Antonio exited the King’s chamber and strolled over to where Fin stood, his blue eye glaring at Lord Gauva.

“Baron, you are being charged with treason and attacking her majesty the Queen, as are all of your Knights.”

“His highness is bewitched by that man right beside you! What is wrong with all of you?! Why aren’t you seeing him for the monster he is!”

Captain Antonio glanced at Fin and his eyebrow did rise at the sight of the glowing unnatural lightning consuming his eyes, but then turned to face Lord Gauva once more.

“I grant you Mr. Ashowan could use a bath, but it is a little extreme to refer to him as a monster.” The Captain then lowered his voice so that only Fin could hear. “Stop whatever it is you’re doing, the Knights should be coming up the stairs behind them now.”

With a small nod, the redhead released the barrier, and all the men were pitched forward at the loss of force pressing against them.

The only one to stumble to his feet however, immediately launched himself towards Fin. The unit of castle Knights appeared in the knick of time from the servant's stairwell, and seized the assilant's arms before he could take a single step, holding him back. The Knight's face was growing purple as he continued to resist his arrest, his eyes stayed glued on Fin as though he were possessed.

"I... will... cut you down, witch! You and your wench of a mother!"

The Knight was suddenly blasted out of the arresting Knights' hands with great force against the wall behind him, rendering him unconscious. Both the Captain and mage Lee shot the cook wry glances.

“That was unnecessary assault on my nephew! Captain! Arrest that man!” Baron Gauva seethed, clearly grasping at straws. As two Knights seized the noble's arms.

Captain Antonio sighed, then turned to Fin, a deep weariness in his eye.

“For that I will have to put you in a cell for a night.”

“What?!” Fin demanded in great alarm.

The Captain once again dropped his voice. “I want the other nobles to be enraged on your behalf. It’ll alienate Lord Gauva further and help you in the long run. I also want to do this by the book so that no one can say you got preferential treatment. You assaulted a Knight above your station while he was already under arrest. His majesty will obviously pardon you and have you released by dawn once the paperwork clears.”

Fin turned, his hands on his hips as he readied himself to argue. Yet as he opened his mouth to defend himself, stared into Antonio's pleading blue eye, and immediately felt the fight go out of him. He really shouldn't have lost control when the Knight was baiting him...

“Are there a lot of rats down there?” Fin asked wearily.

“One or two. Sir Doffer trained them to shake hands though, and they are quite well fed.” Antonio explained as he signalled two Knights to bring shackles for the redhead.

“What are the cots like?”

Mage Lee leaned over with his arms crossed to join in on the conversation, a dreamy smile on his face.

“As a cook you have an astute sense of smell don’t you?”

Fin glared as he was fitted with shackles along with Lord Gauva and his Knights.

“Tell me how your evening goes, Mr. Ashowan, I’m going to go have a hot bath.” Mage Lee gave him a mock salute.

Fin sighed, and hung his head.

He hated politics.

As Captain Antonio had him led towards the servants stairwell, the cook looked over his shoulder, a weary yet sly smile climbing up his face before he disappeared around the corner.

“I hope your plan works, Captain, because you’re going to have to explain to my mother why I’m locked up tonight.”

Mage Lee burst out in a loud cackle as the Captain froze, and his one blue eye widened and his expression fell in obvious dread. He had clearly forgotten that ever so small, important detail.